I don't think instability is the issue, the problem is the floor may become loose or detached from the camper.
The camper may move around a little on the jacks, but no big deal.
Now, the floor will probably hold just fine. But, you don't want to be one of those who finds out the floor can come loose. Set the camper down on a couple of pallets and the problem is gone. Can you carry a couple of pallets? Or maybe the blocks you carry to level the truck can be placed under the camper, and the camper lowered onto them? Then the jacks and the center support will carry the load. The center support will prevent any floor damage and stop any side to side swaying of the camper.
For your first (bumper) step, can you make a small platform out of 2x4 or 2x6 and bolt it to the bumper using some of the holes for a bumper trailer hitch? You could even nail some old carpet to the wood for traction.
Glad to hear the doggies are getting the hang of it. Amazing what a good bribe will do.
I would be tempted to remove the camper in your circumstance. For support I'd just stack some wood as Mike suggested. If you want support more spread out you could use a two 2x4 or 4x4 running along the outer edges and held up at a few points.
Remember once you disconnect the camper from the truck you don't have any power. If no AC power is available then I'd make an extension cord that goes between the truck and the camper plug and park the truck close enough to join the two.
To solve the step problem think about making a platform that sits on the bumper but uses the receiver hitch as lower support and as a means to hold it in. Then it would be easy to remove. Sounds like a good project.
"Remember once you disconnect the camper from the truck you don't have any power. If no AC power is available then I'd make an extension cord that goes between the truck and the camper plug and park the truck close enough to join the two." - EXCELLENT POINT and something I didn't think of - will need to make an extention.
"think about making a platform that sits on the bumper but uses the receiver hitch as lower support and as a means to hold it in" - EXACTALY! -Yepper - made a template this weekend of the step bumper section on cardboard - gonna stack together some 2X4's & one 2X6 about 6 1/4 high, with the top piece (the 2X6) cut to match the contour of the step bumper. Will lag bolt them together. Get a long enough lag bolt so I can tighten it from below in the bumper hitch hole & possibly a couple of legs to stabilize the corners if necessary. This will eliminate the step bumper, make the bumper even all the way across and whalla - my bumper becomes the first step. I think it'll work - my brother's helping me cut the wood - he's got all the cool tools.
Anybody got any good ideas for storing a sewer hose? I'm tired of always having the hose lay in the bed of the truck. I'd like to mount some sort of tube on the side of the camper (under the overhang) so it is still on the inside of the truck bed but up off the bed. Any good ideas?
One used a PVC pipe through the inside of the Hose to suspend it crosswise in the "basement".
Another used a threaded rod with a plastic sleeve to compress the hose between two large disks with a wing-nut. The plastic sleeve protected the hose from the abrasion of the threads on the rod. I think it was stored vertically.
Saw one on a buddy's setup... He added a 7 foot long section of square-section steel tubing across the back of his camper. He stored his hose inside it, and used it as a step to boot.
Do you have enough room alongside to use a piece of 4" pvc pipe?? That will work just fine for storage purposes and not get in the way, but like they say it's a "dirty deal" no matter what.
The previous owner of my camper added a 4 or more inch PVC pipe across the back, between the rear overhang and the bumper (camper is 9.5'). One end has an end with internal threads so you can screw by hand a cap. Very easy to build. In fact I'll give it to you if you want it, I had to remove it when I got the new truck.
Be sure to check that the hose end fittings you use fit into the pipe you choose. I found that the hose fit but some of the larger fittings didn't.
As Vince points out the problem with 4 inch PVC pipe is that the hooks on the coupling that grasp the drain fitting on the camper will not go into the 4 inch pipe although the flexible vinyl sewer hose will fit just fine. A ten foot hose plus the coupling fit into the 25 inch overall PVC holder that I made to go on my Sunlite. I cut out the wall of the 4 inch PVC pipe where the two hooks on the coupling meet it. Now the coupling will fit into the pipe as long as the hooks line up with the notches I cut. A female PVC cap slips over the end of the pipe containing the coupling. I put an eye bolt into the cap and thread a bungee through it to hold the cap on tightly. The other end of the pipe is covered with a female cap that is cemented to the PVC pipe. Because I lacked clearance over my truck bumper for this end I cut away about a quarter of the circle of this cap thus reducing the overall diameter of the container by around a quarter of an inch. Although I didn't plan it this way cutting away the cap left a small slot in the underside of the PVC carrier. When I collapse the 10 foot hose into the carrier there is always a fair amount of liquid that is forced out of it as the pleats come together. Most of this is expelled out this small crack away from where I am stuffing at the other end. (It could be worse!) The carrier is held to the underside of the camper with slings made of 4 inch hose clamps.
This system would not work on hoses with couplings at both ends. We never connect to a sewer and use our hose only for dumping so we don't need a fitting on both ends of our hose.
Well, we leave on Friday the Far East (Canada) parts unknown (at least to us).
Labrador, Newfoundland and France (a small island off Newfoundland that is actually part of France - remember to bring passport) are our destinations on this trip.
Any body know any 'must see' sights in that part of the world? We will see some great lighthouses and some icebergs, but what else? 3 days on Newfoundland, and one day in France(walking). Any suggestions?
Drove 2500 miles last weekend to a MC race. Not pulling trailer, just coupla bikes in the back of the 2500HD CC. Got whacked by a flying big rig tire carcass, crunched up the front end. Security at Hotels was a pain, couldn't sleep too good. Instead of a slide in Popup, now thinking of picking up a full sized E350 van with a diesel. Use my TT with CC for extended vacations, but use the Van for quick long trips where we can mostly stay in a hotel.
What do yawl think of my idea. Kinda trust yawls opinion..... Anybody know anything about the E350 with a powerstroke? Mileage at 80mph running pretty empty?
If you have the time, on the way back you might want to consider visiting Wallowa Lake in northeast Oregon, via Lewiston, Idaho. I was there just a couple of weeks ago - "freakin' gorgeous". Pictures at http://members8.clubphoto.com/erik392078/814980/guest.phtml. From the north on Washington 129/Oregon 3 is definitely the route to take, if you don't mind switchbacks. Going from there, you might even want to visit Crater Lake N.P.
By the way, according to the N.P.S. Web site, Going To The Sun Road only just opened **today**!
Cheap at $450. It's a Keystone model, 9.5 feet. Hasn't been used in two years so it smells like an old canvas tent right now. The electric water pump needs to be replaced but the hand pump works on the 10 gallon tank, the stove burners work, the heater rattles but still works and the propane tank has been replaced by the new style valve. Unfortunately the guy bought it new in 1984 so it doesn't fit my 2000 GMC or I would have dragged it home. Located in Cokeville, Wyoming. 307-279-3366 ask for Jay.
I hope someone has some thoughts. My truck is a 2k Silverado,4x4,6.0,3/4t,LB,ext.cab,auto trans, with 22k mi.When I was leaving camp this week end, as my trans. shifted going into higher gears, it made a very loud & pronounced CLUNK in the trans/driveshaft area under my feet. It also did this as it down shifted. The same in 2nd & 3rd gear. It sounded as if something was going to break as it shifted. I managed to get home to Truckee with no noise what so ever, & I tried to duplicate the problem at home, going through all the gears, & wouldn't you know it, it shifted just like it should. No Clunk, jerk or anything.The clunking & jerking took place at SLOW take off speed only. Still under warranty, so I will be taking it to my Chevy dealer in Reno. It probably won't clunk for them. Hey Vince,Hey Mike... I see you two are still around. Glad to see it. You probably don't remember me, but I'm the one that bought a 2k Lance lite, 9.5', just before you bought your new truck mike.. You were headed East on I-80 out of Sac. & I noticed you across the freeway, as I was headed west. At least I thought it might be you. Vince, I see you have electric jacks now when I last checked. Mike, are you getting another camper? Vince,hope you have a safe trip to Glaicer. Would like to go there my self. I've been back in Truckee now for two years. I grew up here, so I'm used to the winters, but I do like the Spring, Summer & Fall the best. We go camping pretty much every week end, catch a few fish, have a couple of cold ones, & just relax. Anyway, if anyone has any input on my clunking, it would be appreciated.
Don't know if the two are related, but last night as I was working in the yard, a late model Chevy 2500 passed by and stopped at the end of the street. When he pulled out onto the next street, his truck made a sound similar to what a manual tranny might make when shifting from neutral to first gear if you didn't have the clutch pushed all the way in. I thought the fellow just nearly messed up the shift, until it hit 2nd gear and was clearly an auto tranny. It sounded like there was a LOT of play in the driveline.
Mullins, Thanks for the message on this guys 2500. Sounds like the same thing I experienced. I know my dealer is going to shine me on, so the more info. I can give them, the better chance I might get something resolved. I'll let you know after I take it in on Monday.
Vince, I saw the 4 wheel camper in an RV sale paper. I'm in Iowa at my dad's house, on my way to Labrador, so I can't check the paper.
Grizzly, I remember you. I've still got the same camper, and will probably have it for quite awhile longer. After this trip, we will have about 70,000 miles on the camper and it is mostly as good as new. A couple of minor rips in the softwalls of the camper is all that is wrong.
Nice pictures. I saw many similar sites on my trip; beautiful lakes surrounded by snow covered mountains and such. We made it to Glacier just a few days after they opened the Going To The Sun road. We drove up about 1/2 way but I turned around when the mountain got too close. They say 8 foot wide maximum and I'm 3" over so I just went for it. There was too much traffic coming the other way to make it enjoyable so I gave up.
We went through California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. The trip up western Idaho on 97? and then over on 12 to Montana was really nice. It was so green! And boy do they do water right up there. The creeks are the size of our rivers here.
I just ate the last of my Glacier Park Wild Huckleberry jelly beans this very sentence. Huckleberry is the big touristy item there. I have a few stories to tell but it's getting late now.
Hope you are having a good time. Why don't you turn on that stereo once in a while! Ha.
I called on the camper and he said he had sold it a month before. He was surprised the add was still in the mag. I was ready to leave on my trip so the timing wasn't good anyway.
Of course I remember you, it's good to hear from you again.
I'd say I know exactly what the problem is in your truck except that you said it happens during multiple shifts. There is a TSB out on a similar problem most everyone had, including me. See if this sounds familiar.
When accelerating from a stop there is a clunk (in my case a chirp) from the tranny/driveshaft area. After the initial clunk it doesn't do it again until the next stop. The problem is due to a slip-stick condition between the rear propeller shaft slip yoke and the transfer case output shaft. When you stop the shaft moves forward, then on acceleration it sticks momentarily before sliding back with a clunk. The fix is to install new blue transfer case fluid. (Actually the "new" fluid is Saturn transmission fluid colored blue.)
The old TSB number is 99-04-21-004, they have probably issued a newer one by now. It says it's for trucks with the automatic transfer case only, I don't remember if you have that.
Hey Vince/Mike, Nice to hear from you both. Mike, I thought I read where you were going to sell your camper, but I see I read it wrong. Seventy K on your camper.. I've got along ways to beat that. Vince sounds like you had a great trip. How long were you gone? The trouble you described sounds like my problem. I do have the auto trans/case. I took it to GM, & of course they couldn't duplicate the clunk. I have a case file going with General Motors, so all is documented. I've got to get to work, so I will get back to you later. Thanks for the replies.
When I had my truck at the Chevy dealer, I ask them if they had heard of this problem from any other truck owners, & of course the answer was NO. How long ago did you put in this "BLUE" transfer case fluid? I doubt they will even know what I'm talking about, if I ask for the "new" blue fluid. I think I'll give them a call soon. By the way, since I talked to you two last, I installed the new Hellwig sway bar, Ranchos RS9000 shocks, & my first purchase were the air bags. Those three items made a world of difference in cornering & handling with the camper on. At times I have to remind myself that the camper is on (9'.5" Lance Lite)the back. It's a pleasure to drive. Got to check on a couple of things outside. Be back later.
I got my Maid-Rites, but time was very limited in Iowa (and everywhere else). We left Iowa after only 3 days and still just made it to Goose Bay 4 hours before our ferry left for Newfoundland.
40 hours on a ferry is a long time, even if you do get to meet some nice folks, and see tens of thousands of icebergs.
Newfoundland was great to visit, not very photogenic, but the people are very friendly.
We just got home, and a more complete trip report will follow in a couple of days.
Hope someone can help. Does anyone know what the ERROR message means when you insert a C. into radio. I have a 2K Silverado, LS with the upgraded radio...CD, AM, FM etc. I also could not eject the CD, by pushing the eject button. It took many tries before I could get it to eject. It wouldn't play either. Vince, if your there, didn't you have to replace your radio? If so, can you tell me what was involved. Who do I yell at? Thanks guys.
Stopped in Arches Nat'l Monument, then across Colorado (saw forest fires and smoke) and Nebraska (visited brother) and into Iowa to stay with my dad. We got 3 straight days of fireworks July 3rd at a local farm - impressive for a a private display, July 4th in town, and July 5th - local kids with leftover fireworks.
Then, up through the UP and into Canada. Cross Canada and go through Quebec City, and up the St. Lawrence to Highway 389, then North. Past Manic 5 (huge dam and hydroelectric facility) and all gravel and dirt into and through Labrador (watch the black flies here, some of the bites have still not totally healed - 3.5 weeks later). Churchill Falls has another huge hydroelectric facility with no concrete dam. The blasted deep into the granite, and built the entire facility inside the natural rock with very little concrete. Blasted 1100' down. Impressive. On to Goose Bay, a big US air base in WWII, and the terminal for the ferry (room for 200+ cars and 400 passengers) to Newfoundland.
40 ferry hours later (two nights, one long day, and about 50,000 icebergs) we were in Newfoundland. We went to the south of the island and caught a small 30 passenger ferry to St. Pierre, a French island. Spent the day in France - French foods, language, currency, architecture, roads, customs, etc. Totally French except the cars were mostly US. Back on Newfoundland, we went to Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America! Then across Newfoundland. Stopped in small fishing villages and talked to locals about fishing and housing. Everyone knows the Grand Banks fishing industry died off, but most believe it is because the water temps changed and the fish moved away to ?????. You could buy reasonable house in on of the fishing villages for under $15,000 - Canadian!!
Caught a big ferry (400+ cars and almost 1000 passengers/crew) to Nova Scotia. Before they let us on the ferry, they vacuumed out our truck and washed the outside and bottom with high pressure hoses. Seems they have a virus in the dirt on Newfoundland that attacks potatoes, and they want to keep it off the mainland. After some time in Nova Scotia, we caught another ferry to Prince Edward Island. Visited the family home of the woman who wrote Anne of Green Gables near Charlottetown. We took the new Bridge back to the mainland from the other side of PEI. 12.9 kilometers long, $1 Billion dollars to build.
The trip home took us through Chicago (Museum of Science and Industry) and Colorado (Mt. Evans and Pikes Peak). In Nevada we camped along Lake Mead 116 during the days, down to 92 at night. Death Valley didn't seem so bad after that. Stopped in Bishop and got some fresh Sheepherders bread and then through Yosemite and home.
That's one heck of a trip. I would love to be able to do something like that.
I know some of you guys have Lance slide-ins. My wife and I looked at a new one last weekend. I'm not sure which model it was. It had the side entrance, a bathroom in the rear drivers side corner, the dinette was in a slide-out on the drivers side and the dry weight was approximately 3,700 lbs. That was one nice slide-in! We were talking about it later on that night and my wife said that slide-in would be nice to have once the kids are grown and don't go with us anymore. I can't believe that since we got out of a slide-in for our current trailer.
Does anyone own one of these units?I'm considering one now and it seems to be a well built unit with many features.It is the Laredo SC hardwall and will go on my V-10 4WD Dodge.I've been pulling a 28 ft. trailer;but consider it a bit of a hassel that limits me from going into more remote backcountry areas.I live in Colorado Springs and will tow a trailer with dirtbikes and ATVs.Any info will be greatly appreciated.Thanks.
I've had my Northstar popup for well over a year now. Spent over a month in it in all sorts of weather. Very nice unit, well made. Have found no defects or structural short comings/problems. Factory will customize to your desires within reason (we had solar panels installed and twelve volt outlets added), along with their many options. Pay particular attention to the light over the bed. Ours is on the "wrong" end. They could have moved it if we had noticed it beforehand. Consider a factory pick up (arranged through dealer); you save shipping, theres a nice state park nearby for overnight checkout and you can get a Maid Rite while in Iowa!
Would anyone know a good area to look for a street legal dune buggy (Manx type) that I could tow behind my cabover/truck camper? A friend mentioned that Pismo Beach might be a good area to start. I live in Truckee, up by Tahoe, but I haven't had any luck finding one. I want one that is ready to go & tow. I don't want to play Mr. mechanic, & have to work on one. Jump in & go. Up here there are lots of back roads one can explore, right from camp. Going on vacation in Sept., hope I can find one by then. Thanks for any info...
Mike, OK, I give, what are Maid Rites? Another question... Does anyone have a solar panel on there camper, & if so,how many watts. Is it worth the cost? My camper already has the hook up, I just need the solar panel.
grizzly1 What's a Manx? I remember seeing a Manx that was like a scooter with four wheels and also a variety of cat. Next time you come down the hill, check the shop just East of Pyramid on Victorian in Sparks. During HAN, there was a Major collection of VDubs there and I have seen lots of different varieties at the place over the past years. They should have a clue what's available locally. Good Luck.
A Maid Rite is an Iowa specialty (may have limited availability in other states).
It is a hamburger, and the meat is steamed and separated into 'loose meat', instead of patties. The meat is seasoned and most of the fat comes off during the steaming. They put about 1 cup of meat onto a bun, and it spills over the sides. Traditional Maid Rites come with Mustard, Pickle and Onion; although the more progressive shops will let you put ketchup on yours if you want. Normally served with a spoon so you can deal with the meat that spills out the sides.
My favorite local specialties include:
Alaska - Halibut Iowa - Maid Rites and fresh Sweet Corn Newfoundland - Cod Southeastern US - Sweet Tea
Instead of me trying to explain what a Manx is, go into.. htp://www.manxclub.com/history.html. I was just in Reno today having work done on my truck, but will be heading that way again next week. Will definitely check it out. Thanks for the input. Mike, I got kind of a chuckel on your description of the Maid Rites. Here I was thinking it had something to do with your truck or camper. LOL! Sounds great though..guess I'll have to make a trip to Iowa. Have yet to go to Alaska, but we buy the Alaskan halibut at costco & Bar-B-Q it. It's really great!! Thanks for the education on the maid Rites. Hold the ketchup!
I suppose you had that radio fixed by now. If not, it's a repeat visit kind of thing. They take a number off the back of the radio and order a replacement. The replacement is a refurb. I've had two, first one bad, second good.
The dealer will know what the blue transfer case fluid is. I find it very odd that your dealer had never heard this problem. Maybe your advisor was newish. Give them the TSB number and they can look it up.
That was a marathon trip! I've wanted to do one of those for a long time and someday I will. I'm finally starting to get some vacation time built up and my company is open to month long vacations. Still a ways off though.
You are going to need to change your U.S. map on the camper to a world map!
Vince, no world map plans. We have traveled quite a bit in Europe, but not with our camper (tent camping with motorcycle mostly). The US and Canadian maps are filled in........Mexico??
Two years ago when we got our current truck, we bought an expensive ($170) Oddysey battery for underhood auxillary battery to power the camper. While heading out on vacation, that battery gave up. Not a big problem, since I had installed a 2nd battery outside the camper. However, the 2nd battery was a 6 year old wheelchair battery and it wasn't too strong. Fortunately, we don't need much electrical, especially in the summer.
While in Iowa visiting family, I replaced the underhood aux battery with another small wheelchair battery for $58. These batteries are sealed, and can be mounted in any orientation. Since this little battery worked so well on vacation, I bought another one on the way home and replaced the camper battery after we got home.
You may or may not recall, I had mounted the camper battery outside of the camper, in the wasted space in front of the pickup wheelwell, up against the bottom of the step in the camper. I had to lift the camper off the truck to get to the battery. I re-thought that mounting, and decided to mount the battery inside the camper where I can get to it if I need to. Since the battery is about the size of a 6-pak, I wouldn't be losing that much storage space. It fit under the small storage space that is under our table.
Lifting the camper, removing the old battery, rewiring, replacing the camper, and installing the new battery took 3-4 hours. Both batteries have independent fusing, and either one can go out without affecting the other. And together, they hold a charge quite well. 13.6V after 10 days sitting. The old Oddyssey went down to 12.3V overnight, while the 6 year old wheelchair battery would still be at 12.9V overnight, it would drop to 12.3 or less with just a little use of electricity.
The two wheelchair batteries cost $54 less than the Oddyssey battery and seem to have more power than it ever had. And now my battery is accesible should the need arise.
Thanks for the Northstar info.A trip to Iowa might be the thing to do.Dune buggies,the first the Meyer's Manx,were on shortened VW pans.That was a lot of work.Then someone hacked the excess sheetmetal off the front and rear of the VW and the Baja Bug was born.Off road events now have many types of Baja classes from almost stock VW sedans to wild full race creations.
Mike, after 10k miles you must have some good stories to tell. I did a 2k trip to Montana and did have a few notable things happen.
In Glacier park there is a scenic road called "Going to the Sun" road (or something like that). You can't be over 21 feet long or 8 feet wide, counting mirrors and bumpers, to make it all the way. I'm actually 8' 3" with the electric jacks sticking out but went anyway to see how it was. I did turn around once the rock walls starting getting too close for comfort. Anyway, while at the visitor center I noticed some folks in a Dodge dually dropping their camper in a dirt parking lot. I later learned that they wanted to take the Sun drive and were going to leave the camper behind. They never made it.
This camper had hydraulic jacks, which I've come to dislike. The owners were a middle aged man, his wife, and I think her mother. Well mom wanted to help and when the truck was just out from under the truck she cranked open the valve on one of the front jacks and WOOSH goes that corner of the camper almost to the ground! The flip-out (dually) jack bracket bent like sheet metal and the jack was at almost 45 degrees. The other front jack bent out and the camper corners bent some too. What stopped the camper was the overhang hitting the bed wall of the truck.
It was quite a sight. A full size camper listing way over with jacks splayed out, resting haphazardly on one wall of the truck. What a mess. The jacks were useless and anything done ran the risk of making the camper fall further.
I of course went to help. They called a tow truck but were told it would be a few hours. With a group effort, we managed to find some logs large enough to support my bottle jack under the floor of the camper, and his truck jack under the low jack bracket. Little by little we raised the corner, hoping the other front jack could stand the load. Once we got the bottom more or less level he backed the truck and we set the front floor on his extended bumper. So it was safe now but still couldn't be put on the truck because the front jack brackets were pretzeled.
Well good thing we were in Montana. While this was going on an older gent had joined the group. He offered his services since he just happened to have an anvil in his truck (doesn't everyone in Montana?). He opens the back of his shell and it turns out he has a whole metal shop in the back of his truck, forge and all! By that time I was late leaving and had done my part so left it to them to remove the bent brackets and pound them straight. About then the tow truck arrived and was sent away.
Two things I learned from this episode. First, hydraulic jacks can be VERY DANGEROUS. I had a similar experience in my driveway and almost had my camper fall over sideways. If you own those jacks, I suggest using pliers to loosen the valve knob because it gives you more control. Sometimes the knob is tight and if you are twisting hard with your hand, once it does break loose look out. Also, only drop each corner a little at a time by opening and CLOSING the valve. This is where I got into trouble by opening each one just a little and letting the camper gently fall straight down. Once one corner began to fall a lot faster than the rest and I almost lost it.
The second thing I learned is to not let something like this make you loose your cool. I was amazed at the guy's demeanor as all this was going on. He didn't appear mad, never swore or said anything negative. He just focused on solving the problem. Wow, was I impressed. I know if that happened to me I'd be spewing four letter words. Of course it was his mother in law at fault so he had good reason to keep his mouth shut if he valued his marriage.
Moral to this long story: don't own hydraulic jacks and leave your mother in law home!
Hmmm, trying to make me happy for having manual jacks?? It's working!!
You're right, some people I know would have killed someone if that had happened to their camper.
Here's a quick story for you.
As we were loading the ferry from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, they checked inside the cab of our truck and inside the camper and the outside of the truck. The cab was too dirty (probably from the dirt in Labrador that we carried with us), so they vacuumed our cab clean, then used a high pressure hose to wash the outside and undercarriage of the truck. Imagine, a free wash and vacuum courtesy of the Canadian government!!
Turns out there is a bacteria in the soil on Newfoundland that attacks potatoes, and potatoes are a big crop in northeastern Canada, so the want to keep Newfoundland soil of the mainland.
Another quick story:
While passing through northern Quebec, we saw maybe hundreds of logging trucks zooming by, going the other way at high speed (do they ever slow down?). Then we noticed a load of logs in the ditch on the outside of a turn (did the supports on the trailer fail?). A mile down the road we saw another load of logs on the outside of a turn --- I hope those supports never fail when we are on the outside of the turn! Another 1/2 mile later we saw a logging truck, upside down on the outside of a turn, with logs still attached to the trailer. Couldn't stop on the blind turn, so we went up the road, turned around and came back. Found a safe place to park and went to check out the accident. The engine was cold, so we assumed the accident had been there awhile, and everyone knew about it (logging trucks pass every 2-3 minutes). You could still see the tire tracks where he had gotten too close to the (soft) edge and the truck slid over and rolled into the ditch. Maybe the trucking company leaves it there awhile to remind the other truckers to slow down.
Anyone have any suggestions on camping at Pismo Beach, or in the outlying area? Might head down that way in Sept.. Vince, yes, I finally got the radio replaced. Hope this one last longer than 23K. Have you or Mike had to replace your tires yet, & if so, did you go to a bigger size & still get 10 ply? I'll probably get new tires next year. Or maybe I'll just get a new truck. After I win the Lotto that is. I looked at the 2003 Silverado when I was getting my radio put in, & if you haven't seen them yet, the front end looks like the Avalanche, & the tail lights are somewhat different. They also have the blinking arrows in the outside mirrors. Not bad looking, but I'll stick with what I have for the time being.
Well, we spent the weekend at Cement Creek campground just outside of Crested Butte, CO. Our new "quick trip" camper is a bone stock '01 E350 Diesel Ext. Cargo Van. We tent camped, and used the new zodi portable shower to clean up after dirtbiking both days. Shower works pretty good, 16oz propane bottle and 4 D cells for the water pump and you can take an hour or two's worth of showers.
Diesel delivered 18.9 mpg over 1100 miles, cresting our highest pass of 11,700'. The turbo sure is nice for passing, averaged over 60mph for both legs of the trip.
So, the big TT and crew cab is still the hot setup for longer duration trips, but the Cargo van along with portopottie and hot shower setup is the ticket for quick turn and burns.....
I've camped there a few times. Last time was on new years eve and it was a bit of a zoo. In fact, it's always a zoo there. It's rather like camping on the side of a highway and watching the cars go by. But in this case it's cars, trucks, ATVs, trucks, RVs, trucks, and motorcycles. People drag large trailers and set up camps in circles like the pioneers. It can be noisy and smelly in the day but does quiet down at night.
Actually I like it there just because it's so unique to drive on a beach and camp in the sand where you stop. I'm sure I'd prefer it off season when the crowds are reduced. For tips, hmm. Bring fire wood, you can dig a hole and make a fire. Be ready for a breeze. Bring chairs. Basically it's primitive camping. No water, a few porta-potties, no sites of any kind.
A few of the pictures on my neglected web page were taken there. Here's one
I replaced my tires and wheels with wider ones. Not because I needed to of course. I put on 275/70/16 BFG All Terrain Wobbly Crap tires. They are only load range D but since they are wider they still have a 3000 lb rating. They handle the camper just fine at the max of 65psi.
I don't care for the new Chevy front end at all. Yuk. I'm glad I'm not in the market for a truck. I still think the last generation of Chevy and GM were the best looking trucks ever. But that's a debate for another day.
I put a set of LTX A/T's on my truck just before we left on vacation. 7 weeks and 10,000 miles later, I can give you my impressions.
The tires I took off were Firestone SteelTex A/T 245/75-16 LR'E's with about 24K on them. Plenty of tread left (I put them on my other truck), reasonable traction, quiet, comfortable, with a small vibration that would come and go.
The Michelin's are 235/85-16 LR'E's. I chose this size for a couple of reasons: first, they are 5%taller than the stock tires, but still recommeded for fitment on the stock 6.5" wheels. They have the same load capacity as the stock tires (3042 lbs @ 80psi). They are slighter narrower, but don't look skinny on the truck. The added height is noticable (same height as a 265/75-16), but not objectionable. A narrower tire works well in snow, surface mud and hard surfaces. And a narrow wheel/tire has less side to side balance problems than a wider set does.
When the tires were installed, I was disappointed with the amount of balance weights needed - I always thought Michelins were quality tires and needed very little weight. The tires took 0.5, 5.5, 6.0, and 7.5 ounces to balance. Seems like a lot of weight to me. The F'stones took 3.5 oz max to balance.
On the road, the tires are smoother riding than the F'stones were. The slight periodic vibration I had noticed before was gone. The tires are slightly noiser, but only slightly. The tread is quite tough. Several hundred miles of poor dirt and gravel roads in Labrador did not cause any chunking or chipping of the tread, unlike the Firestones that chunked quite a bit going up the Dalton Highway in Alaska.
All in all, I like these tires. The Michelins run about $50/tire more than some other well known brands, but I am happy the purchase and would do it again.
Comments
The camper may move around a little on the jacks, but no big deal.
Now, the floor will probably hold just fine. But, you don't want to be one of those who finds out the floor can come loose. Set the camper down on a couple of pallets and the problem is gone. Can you carry a couple of pallets? Or maybe the blocks you carry to level the truck can be placed under the camper, and the camper lowered onto them? Then the jacks and the center support will carry the load. The center support will prevent any floor damage and stop any side to side swaying of the camper.
For your first (bumper) step, can you make a small platform out of 2x4 or 2x6 and bolt it to the bumper using some of the holes for a bumper trailer hitch? You could even nail some old carpet to the wood for traction.
Mike L
I would be tempted to remove the camper in your circumstance. For support I'd just stack some wood as Mike suggested. If you want support more spread out you could use a two 2x4 or 4x4 running along the outer edges and held up at a few points.
Remember once you disconnect the camper from the truck you don't have any power. If no AC power is available then I'd make an extension cord that goes between the truck and the camper plug and park the truck close enough to join the two.
To solve the step problem think about making a platform that sits on the bumper but uses the receiver hitch as lower support and as a means to hold it in. Then it would be easy to remove. Sounds like a good project.
"think about making a platform that sits on the bumper but uses the receiver hitch as lower support and as a means to hold it in" - EXACTALY! -Yepper - made a template this weekend of the step bumper section on cardboard - gonna stack together some 2X4's & one 2X6 about 6 1/4 high, with the top piece (the 2X6) cut to match the contour of the step bumper. Will lag bolt them together. Get a long enough lag bolt so I can tighten it from below in the bumper hitch hole & possibly a couple of legs to stabilize the corners if necessary. This will eliminate the step bumper, make the bumper even all the way across and whalla - my bumper becomes the first step. I think it'll work - my brother's helping me cut the wood - he's got all the cool tools.
Thanks for the tips!
Thanks,
Mike
One used a PVC pipe through the inside of the Hose to suspend it crosswise in the "basement".
Another used a threaded rod with a plastic sleeve to compress the hose between two large disks with a wing-nut. The plastic sleeve protected the hose from the abrasion of the threads on the rod. I think it was stored vertically.
A "Dirty Deal" no matter how you handle it...
Ray T.
Be sure to check that the hose end fittings you use fit into the pipe you choose. I found that the hose fit but some of the larger fittings didn't.
This system would not work on hoses with couplings at both ends. We never connect to a sewer and use our hose only for dumping so we don't need a fitting on both ends of our hose.
Labrador, Newfoundland and France (a small island off Newfoundland that is actually part of France - remember to bring passport) are our destinations on this trip.
Any body know any 'must see' sights in that part of the world? We will see some great lighthouses and some icebergs, but what else? 3 days on Newfoundland, and one day in France(walking). Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Mike L
full size, LB, Refrig, heater, stove, sink. $2300 obo
831-818-2251
Looks good in the picture! I might be interested if I weren't leaving on vacation in 38 hours (but, who's counting?).
Mike L
What do yawl think of my idea. Kinda trust yawls opinion..... Anybody know anything about the E350 with a powerstroke? Mileage at 80mph running pretty empty?
Thanks, Buck
I'll call but I'm leaving on a trip in a few days too. Going up to Glacier National park in Montana and then who knows.
By the way, according to the N.P.S. Web site, Going To The Sun Road only just opened **today**!
Kevin
Gary-
Gary-
Grizzly, I remember you. I've still got the same camper, and will probably have it for quite awhile longer. After this trip, we will have about 70,000 miles on the camper and it is mostly as good as new. A couple of minor rips in the softwalls of the camper is all that is wrong.
Mike L
We went through California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. The trip up western Idaho on 97? and then over on 12 to Montana was really nice. It was so green! And boy do they do water right up there. The creeks are the size of our rivers here.
I just ate the last of my Glacier Park Wild Huckleberry jelly beans this very sentence. Huckleberry is the big touristy item there. I have a few stories to tell but it's getting late now.
I called on the camper and he said he had sold it a month before. He was surprised the add was still in the mag. I was ready to leave on my trip so the timing wasn't good anyway.
I'd say I know exactly what the problem is in your truck except that you said it happens during multiple shifts. There is a TSB out on a similar problem most everyone had, including me. See if this sounds familiar.
When accelerating from a stop there is a clunk (in my case a chirp) from the tranny/driveshaft area. After the initial clunk it doesn't do it again until the next stop. The problem is due to a slip-stick condition between the rear propeller shaft slip yoke and the transfer case output shaft. When you stop the shaft moves forward, then on acceleration it sticks momentarily before sliding back with a clunk. The fix is to install new blue transfer case fluid. (Actually the "new" fluid is Saturn transmission fluid colored blue.)
The old TSB number is 99-04-21-004, they have probably issued a newer one by now. It says it's for trucks with the automatic transfer case only, I don't remember if you have that.
Gary-
By the way, since I talked to you two last, I installed the new Hellwig sway bar, Ranchos RS9000 shocks, & my first purchase were the air bags. Those three items made a world of difference in cornering & handling with the camper on. At times I have to remind myself that the camper is on (9'.5" Lance Lite)the back. It's a pleasure to drive. Got to check on a couple of things outside. Be back later.
Haven't been in here in long time. Hows every thing going??
Loren / 75V
40 hours on a ferry is a long time, even if you do get to meet some nice folks, and see tens of thousands of icebergs.
Newfoundland was great to visit, not very photogenic, but the people are very friendly.
We just got home, and a more complete trip report will follow in a couple of days.
Sorry we missed you this year.
Mike L
Stopped in Arches Nat'l Monument, then across Colorado (saw forest fires and smoke) and Nebraska (visited brother) and into Iowa to stay with my dad. We got 3 straight days of fireworks July 3rd at a local farm - impressive for a a private display, July 4th in town, and July 5th - local kids with leftover fireworks.
Then, up through the UP and into Canada. Cross Canada and go through Quebec City, and up the St. Lawrence to Highway 389, then North. Past Manic 5 (huge dam and hydroelectric facility) and all gravel and dirt into and through Labrador (watch the black flies here, some of the bites have still not totally healed - 3.5 weeks later). Churchill Falls has another huge hydroelectric facility with no concrete dam. The blasted deep into the granite, and built the entire facility inside the natural rock with very little concrete. Blasted 1100' down. Impressive. On to Goose Bay, a big US air base in WWII, and the terminal for the ferry (room for 200+ cars and 400 passengers) to Newfoundland.
40 ferry hours later (two nights, one long day, and about 50,000 icebergs) we were in Newfoundland. We went to the south of the island and caught a small 30 passenger ferry to St. Pierre, a French island. Spent the day in France - French foods, language, currency, architecture, roads, customs, etc. Totally French except the cars were mostly US. Back on Newfoundland, we went to Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America! Then across Newfoundland. Stopped in small fishing villages and talked to locals about fishing and housing. Everyone knows the Grand Banks fishing industry died off, but most believe it is because the water temps changed and the fish moved away to ?????. You could buy reasonable house in on of the fishing villages for under $15,000 - Canadian!!
Caught a big ferry (400+ cars and almost 1000 passengers/crew) to Nova Scotia. Before they let us on the ferry, they vacuumed out our truck and washed the outside and bottom with high pressure hoses. Seems they have a virus in the dirt on Newfoundland that attacks potatoes, and they want to keep it off the mainland. After some time in Nova Scotia, we caught another ferry to Prince Edward Island. Visited the family home of the woman who wrote Anne of Green Gables near Charlottetown. We took the new Bridge back to the mainland from the other side of PEI. 12.9 kilometers long, $1 Billion dollars to build.
The trip home took us through Chicago (Museum of Science and Industry) and Colorado (Mt. Evans and Pikes Peak). In Nevada we camped along Lake Mead 116 during the days, down to 92 at night. Death Valley didn't seem so bad after that. Stopped in Bishop and got some fresh Sheepherders bread and then through Yosemite and home.
Off to work now,
Mike L
I know some of you guys have Lance slide-ins. My wife and I looked at a new one last weekend. I'm not sure which model it was. It had the side entrance, a bathroom in the rear drivers side corner, the dinette was in a slide-out on the drivers side and the dry weight was approximately 3,700 lbs. That was one nice slide-in! We were talking about it later on that night and my wife said that slide-in would be nice to have once the kids are grown and don't go with us anymore. I can't believe that since we got out of a slide-in for our current trailer.
Mike L
What's a Manx? I remember seeing a Manx that was like a scooter with four wheels and also a variety of cat.
Next time you come down the hill, check the shop just East of Pyramid on Victorian in Sparks. During HAN, there was a Major collection of VDubs there and I have seen lots of different varieties at the place over the past years. They should have a clue what's available locally. Good Luck.
It is a hamburger, and the meat is steamed and separated into 'loose meat', instead of patties. The meat is seasoned and most of the fat comes off during the steaming. They put about 1 cup of meat onto a bun, and it spills over the sides. Traditional Maid Rites come with Mustard, Pickle and Onion; although the more progressive shops will let you put ketchup on yours if you want. Normally served with a spoon so you can deal with the meat that spills out the sides.
My favorite local specialties include:
Alaska - Halibut
Iowa - Maid Rites and fresh Sweet Corn
Newfoundland - Cod
Southeastern US - Sweet Tea
Mike L
Mike L
Mike, I got kind of a chuckel on your description of the Maid Rites. Here I was thinking it had something to do with your truck or camper. LOL! Sounds great though..guess I'll have to make a trip to Iowa. Have yet to go to Alaska, but we buy the Alaskan halibut at costco & Bar-B-Q it. It's really great!! Thanks for the education on the maid Rites. Hold the ketchup!
The dealer will know what the blue transfer case fluid is. I find it very odd that your dealer had never heard this problem. Maybe your advisor was newish. Give them the TSB number and they can look it up.
You are going to need to change your U.S. map on the camper to a world map!
Two years ago when we got our current truck, we bought an expensive ($170) Oddysey battery for underhood auxillary battery to power the camper. While heading out on vacation, that battery gave up. Not a big problem, since I had installed a 2nd battery outside the camper. However, the 2nd battery was a 6 year old wheelchair battery and it wasn't too strong. Fortunately, we don't need much electrical, especially in the summer.
While in Iowa visiting family, I replaced the underhood aux battery with another small wheelchair battery for $58. These batteries are sealed, and can be mounted in any orientation. Since this little battery worked so well on vacation, I bought another one on the way home and replaced the camper battery after we got home.
You may or may not recall, I had mounted the camper battery outside of the camper, in the wasted space in front of the pickup wheelwell, up against the bottom of the step in the camper. I had to lift the camper off the truck to get to the battery. I re-thought that mounting, and decided to mount the battery inside the camper where I can get to it if I need to. Since the battery is about the size of a 6-pak, I wouldn't be losing that much storage space. It fit under the small storage space that is under our table.
Lifting the camper, removing the old battery, rewiring, replacing the camper, and installing the new battery took 3-4 hours. Both batteries have independent fusing, and either one can go out without affecting the other. And together, they hold a charge quite well. 13.6V after 10 days sitting. The old Oddyssey went down to 12.3V overnight, while the 6 year old wheelchair battery would still be at 12.9V overnight, it would drop to 12.3 or less with just a little use of electricity.
The two wheelchair batteries cost $54 less than the Oddyssey battery and seem to have more power than it ever had. And now my battery is accesible should the need arise.
Mike L
In Glacier park there is a scenic road called "Going to the Sun" road (or something like that). You can't be over 21 feet long or 8 feet wide, counting mirrors and bumpers, to make it all the way. I'm actually 8' 3" with the electric jacks sticking out but went anyway to see how it was. I did turn around once the rock walls starting getting too close for comfort. Anyway, while at the visitor center I noticed some folks in a Dodge dually dropping their camper in a dirt parking lot. I later learned that they wanted to take the Sun drive and were going to leave the camper behind. They never made it.
This camper had hydraulic jacks, which I've come to dislike. The owners were a middle aged man, his wife, and I think her mother. Well mom wanted to help and when the truck was just out from under the truck she cranked open the valve on one of the front jacks and WOOSH goes that corner of the camper almost to the ground! The flip-out (dually) jack bracket bent like sheet metal and the jack was at almost 45 degrees. The other front jack bent out and the camper corners bent some too. What stopped the camper was the overhang hitting the bed wall of the truck.
It was quite a sight. A full size camper listing way over with jacks splayed out, resting haphazardly on one wall of the truck. What a mess. The jacks were useless and anything done ran the risk of making the camper fall further.
I of course went to help. They called a tow truck but were told it would be a few hours. With a group effort, we managed to find some logs large enough to support my bottle jack under the floor of the camper, and his truck jack under the low jack bracket. Little by little we raised the corner, hoping the other front jack could stand the load. Once we got the bottom more or less level he backed the truck and we set the front floor on his extended bumper. So it was safe now but still couldn't be put on the truck because the front jack brackets were pretzeled.
Well good thing we were in Montana. While this was going on an older gent had joined the group. He offered his services since he just happened to have an anvil in his truck (doesn't everyone in Montana?). He opens the back of his shell and it turns out he has a whole metal shop in the back of his truck, forge and all! By that time I was late leaving and had done my part so left it to them to remove the bent brackets and pound them straight. About then the tow truck arrived and was sent away.
Two things I learned from this episode. First, hydraulic jacks can be VERY DANGEROUS. I had a similar experience in my driveway and almost had my camper fall over sideways. If you own those jacks, I suggest using pliers to loosen the valve knob because it gives you more control. Sometimes the knob is tight and if you are twisting hard with your hand, once it does break loose look out. Also, only drop each corner a little at a time by opening and CLOSING the valve. This is where I got into trouble by opening each one just a little and letting the camper gently fall straight down. Once one corner began to fall a lot faster than the rest and I almost lost it.
The second thing I learned is to not let something like this make you loose your cool. I was amazed at the guy's demeanor as all this was going on. He didn't appear mad, never swore or said anything negative. He just focused on solving the problem. Wow, was I impressed. I know if that happened to me I'd be spewing four letter words. Of course it was his mother in law at fault so he had good reason to keep his mouth shut if he valued his marriage.
Moral to this long story: don't own hydraulic jacks and leave your mother in law home!
You're right, some people I know would have killed someone if that had happened to their camper.
Here's a quick story for you.
As we were loading the ferry from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, they checked inside the cab of our truck and inside the camper and the outside of the truck. The cab was too dirty (probably from the dirt in Labrador that we carried with us), so they vacuumed our cab clean, then used a high pressure hose to wash the outside and undercarriage of the truck. Imagine, a free wash and vacuum courtesy of the Canadian government!!
Turns out there is a bacteria in the soil on Newfoundland that attacks potatoes, and potatoes are a big crop in northeastern Canada, so the want to keep Newfoundland soil of the mainland.
Another quick story:
While passing through northern Quebec, we saw maybe hundreds of logging trucks zooming by, going the other way at high speed (do they ever slow down?). Then we noticed a load of logs in the ditch on the outside of a turn (did the supports on the trailer fail?). A mile down the road we saw another load of logs on the outside of a turn --- I hope those supports never fail when we are on the outside of the turn! Another 1/2 mile later we saw a logging truck, upside down on the outside of a turn, with logs still attached to the trailer. Couldn't stop on the blind turn, so we went up the road, turned around and came back. Found a safe place to park and went to check out the accident. The engine was cold, so we assumed the accident had been there awhile, and everyone knew about it (logging trucks pass every 2-3 minutes). You could still see the tire tracks where he had gotten too close to the (soft) edge and the truck slid over and rolled into the ditch. Maybe the trucking company leaves it there awhile to remind the other truckers to slow down.
Mike L
Vince, yes, I finally got the radio replaced. Hope this one last longer than 23K. Have you or Mike had to replace your tires yet, & if so, did you go to a bigger size & still get 10 ply? I'll probably get new tires next year. Or maybe I'll just get a new truck. After I win the Lotto that is. I looked at the 2003 Silverado when I was getting my radio put in, & if you haven't seen them yet, the front end looks like the Avalanche, & the tail lights are somewhat different. They also have the blinking arrows in the outside mirrors. Not bad looking, but I'll stick with what I have for the time being.
We tent camped, and used the new zodi portable shower to clean up after dirtbiking both days. Shower works pretty good, 16oz propane bottle and 4 D cells for the water pump and you can take an hour or two's worth of showers.
Diesel delivered 18.9 mpg over 1100 miles, cresting our highest pass of 11,700'. The turbo sure is nice for passing, averaged over 60mph for both legs of the trip.
So, the big TT and crew cab is still the hot setup for longer duration trips, but the Cargo van along with portopottie and hot shower setup is the ticket for quick turn and burns.....
Actually I like it there just because it's so unique to drive on a beach and camp in the sand where you stop. I'm sure I'd prefer it off season when the crowds are reduced. For tips, hmm. Bring fire wood, you can dig a hole and make a fire. Be ready for a breeze. Bring chairs. Basically it's primitive camping. No water, a few porta-potties, no sites of any kind.
A few of the pictures on my neglected web page were taken there. Here's one
http://home.attbi.com/~vcm/camper/camper3.jpg
I replaced my tires and wheels with wider ones. Not because I needed to of course. I put on 275/70/16 BFG All Terrain Wobbly Crap tires. They are only load range D but since they are wider they still have a 3000 lb rating. They handle the camper just fine at the max of 65psi.
I don't care for the new Chevy front end at all. Yuk. I'm glad I'm not in the market for a truck. I still think the last generation of Chevy and GM were the best looking trucks ever. But that's a debate for another day.
What is that shower you mentioned, I've never heard of such a thing. The only portable shower I've seen is the black bag you hang in a tree.
70mph = 9mpg
55mph = 12mpg
I'll guess you averaged 15.2mpg. Worst tank 11.4, best 16.8.
The tires I took off were Firestone SteelTex A/T 245/75-16 LR'E's with about 24K on them. Plenty of tread left (I put them on my other truck), reasonable traction, quiet, comfortable, with a small vibration that would come and go.
The Michelin's are 235/85-16 LR'E's. I chose this size for a couple of reasons: first, they are 5%taller than the stock tires, but still recommeded for fitment on the stock 6.5" wheels. They have the same load capacity as the stock tires (3042 lbs @ 80psi). They are slighter narrower, but don't look skinny on the truck. The added height is noticable (same height as a 265/75-16), but not objectionable. A narrower tire works well in snow, surface mud and hard surfaces. And a narrow wheel/tire has less side to side balance problems than a wider set does.
When the tires were installed, I was disappointed with the amount of balance weights needed - I always thought Michelins were quality tires and needed very little weight. The tires took 0.5, 5.5, 6.0, and 7.5 ounces to balance. Seems like a lot of weight to me. The F'stones took 3.5 oz max to balance.
On the road, the tires are smoother riding than the F'stones were. The slight periodic vibration I had noticed before was gone. The tires are slightly noiser, but only slightly. The tread is quite tough. Several hundred miles of poor dirt and gravel roads in Labrador did not cause any chunking or chipping of the tread, unlike the Firestones that chunked quite a bit going up the Dalton Highway in Alaska.
All in all, I like these tires. The Michelins run about $50/tire more than some other well known brands, but I am happy the purchase and would do it again.
Mike L