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Pickups Pickups - Archived Discussions Cabover Campers & Camper Trailers (pickups) 
1377 messages, Last post on Nov 20, 2003 at 1:43 PM
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We've talked about those subjects in the past. Four Wheel campers are a respected brand of popup camper. They are lightweight and judging by the 10-20 year old ones I've seen on the road quite durable. It turns out some campgrounds don't like (or allow) campers to be off the pickup. We agreed to not ask, and just drop the camper and drive off. And I worry about going in the camper with the floor unsupported. At least put a 2x12 and a support under it. Or lower it onto some supports. Or ask the camper manufacturer about it. Mike L |
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Thanks Mike. I appreciate your time. I see you're in Santa Clara. I am in Fremont. Any close out of the way places you could recommend? Thanks again. Robert |
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That is close to an oxymoron for this area. I guess it depends on your definition of close. We've gone camping up in the Sierra's. They have distributed camping off the dirt fire roads. We've had good spots off 108 above Strawberry. Stop at he ranger station (Mi-Wuk??) and get a map of the fire roads. We've also camped a few times in the Los Padres forest. Go to the San Antonio Mission on Ft. Hunter Ligget (be sure and stop at the mission and buy a forest pass) then head north west on Del Venturi Road. About 10 miles out you will find a couple of campgrounds, or you can camp many places just off the road. Another favorite is Sequoia/Kings Canyon. Free camping after the first snow! And they have heated toilets. You get a lot day users coming up from Fresno to play in the snow, but the nights are very quiet. We've been the only ones there, we've also had a foot or more of snow while we were there. And my all time favorite is a little further - Death Valley. So many canyons and you can camp most places as long as you are 2 miles off a paved road and several hundered feet from a water source. Take the 30 mile dirt road out to Racetrack and check out the rocks that move across the dry lake bed. You have to walk about 1/2-3/4 mile out onto the far end of the lake bed to find the rocks. This has some of the quietest and most remote camping you will ever find. A couple of other really good spots: In the White Mountains at the Bristlecone Pine forest. Distributed camping or a free campground. 8-11,000 feet, so be prepared for cold nights. Lake Thomas Edison. Up 168 past Huntington Lake to the end of the road. Try the unofficial free campground a couple of miles before the Forest Service campground. Other nearby camping: East entrance to the Pinnacles off highway 25 south of Hollister. Basalt campground at San Luis Reservoir. Not on the water, but on the other side of the dam from the highway. In the trees. Hot showers - bring quarters. Limekiln State Beach or Plaskett Creek campground. Both south of Lucia on Highway 1 Of course, heading north on Highway 1 you will have many, many campgrounds to choose from. Get a AAA map called: Northern California Camping and the other one called: Southern and Central California Camping. Together they list over 1200 campgrounds. Mike L |
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| You are quoted in today's Wall Street Journal about people who buy a "pickup to boost their self-imgage". We all know the real reason to buy is so we can haul our rigs to the nice places you have just described in the post above. | |
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I wondered when that article was going to come out. The interview was about 8 months ago. I wonder what I said. Hmmm, I guess I'll have to go out and buy a copy for myself. Mike L |
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Wow, great information. That was well above anything I expected. Thank you! Robert |
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I was quoted as saying: 'I feel sorry for people who need an expensive pickup to boost their self-image.' and: 'They are willing to spend $30,000+ for a big car with a huge, open trunk. Then they complain that it rides like a truck.' Of course, the quotes are accurate. I believe that if you want a car like ride, you should get a car. If you need a truck to carry the load, then get one. Unlike an aquaintance who just bought a Silverado HD for over $34K (2wd no less) and he will never carry anything in the bed. But, he needed it so bad that he just couldn't wait! I think he has other needs that having a big truck won't help. The article in the WSJ explained how the automakers love truck buyers who never carry anything. The price of trucks is up, profit margins are up, and the bigger trucks (8500# GVWR and up) don't count against the CAFE. Wow, I better get down off my soapbox now. Enjoy your truck! No matter why you bought it! Mike L |
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The 4wheel is a good choice but remember, at 690 lbs it's little more than a shell with a table and icebox. That company chooses to offer and advertise very minimal units with low weight and lower prices but then offer a long option list. You need to add the weight of all the options and your cargo. It adds up, believe me. I finally weighed mine and had quite a shock (story later!). For local camping spots here a few of my favorites within a few hours of you. -If you have a dog, the best cg by far is Mt. Madonna County Park on the summit of 152 between Gilroy and Watsonville. It's a nice place all on it's own, and they have a great trail network which allows dogs. This is rare. Cost has gone up in the last few years to $14 I think. I'm heading there in 2 weeks. -Butano State Park is a very pretty, small cg in the redwoods. It's located outside of the town of Pescadaro off Hwy 1. Only 25 or so sites so it's quiet, and only a 10 minute drive to the beach. -Henry Coe State Park above Anderson Lake is an okay place, pretty small cg but the sites are in the open for the most part. The advantage of this place is a vast area for hiking and biking. No dogs on the trails of course! -Henry Cowell SP outside of Felton is huge and gets some rowdy folks from town. Best to avoid even though it's in the redwoods. -Big Basin SP is nice but crowded and a long road to get in. Butano is better. -Sunset Beach SP is pretty good. Camp sites are just okay but it is nice to have the beach nearby. No dogs on the beach. There are many more campgrounds in the area. It depends what you are looking for: quiet, trees, open spaces, lakes, boating, dog stuff, biking, etc. What type of camping do you prefer? |
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Thanks for the great info. We do have a dog and we mostly hike, bike and just enjoy quiet times. I am actually leaning away from the Four Wheel Camper because of the reasons you just mentioned. I ran the numbers and by time I add all the options the weight and price gets up there. I have been looking at the Six-Pac campers and found good prices and alot of features I like. We are going to Meeks RV Sat to see the units up close. Thanks again and have a great trip. Robert |
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I've been away for a while and dropped back in just in time to see more questions about the Four Wheel Campers. I have one on my Y2K Silverado. I bought the shell model and then finished the interior myself. The options for the camper add to the price, the additional weight is insignificant; unfortunately the additional cost is not. Those babies get expensive when you start adding the stuff that comes standard on most other campers. I frequently get asked questions about my camper, and when price comes up it's always interesting to watch the other person's reaction - flinch, grimace, gasp. I like the camper, I've gotten a lot of use out of it, but I wouldn't do it again. |
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