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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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Hey volkej, I have owned a 4wheel camper for about 3 years now and love it. Before you put a awning on it, think about how you are going to use the camper. For me I usally set up a base camp some where then drive away each day. If I had an awning that means I need to take it down and setup each day. I ended up getting a cheap canopy that I just setup once. I'll second the post about getting the screen door, that thing was a life saver when we were camping in Canada. Heres my home page a have a few things on there about my camper: www.geocities.com/joez3/ By the way does Mike still work for FourWheel campers? When I bought my camper he said something about starting a camper user group but I never heard anything more about it. As for a GPS unit, I bought a Emap by Garmin and this unit works really well. One of the big draw backs to all GPS units is that you have to buy extra maps to make them really useful. The base map that came in the Emap is really only good if you are driving on the interstates and not much else. Garmin has 3 different sets of maps that you can buy and down load onto the units. I have what is called the Road and Rec. maps and the Topo map set. The R&R gives good level of details that shows alot of camp grounds. One big problem with the maps is that they are not always up to date. So if you are looking for something that might be only a year or two old you may not find it. The reason I brought the Emap over the III+ is that I can add a memory mod and down load alot of maps. I have a 16MB mod and was able to down load all of the maps for I5 from Sac. Ca to Portland and still have some space left over. Joe |
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Mike still worked there last year when I was looking for a camper. It's his truck in the brochures with the camper crossing a stream. My awning is attached to the camper and only takes a couple of minutes to put up/take down. The legs are always attached, and telescope into themselves and then push into the tube that the awning rolls onto. I suspect it is easier to put up/take down than a canopy. It was a Garmin III+ that I tried. It did have limited memory, but that wasn't the problem. I had the extra map CD's and just tried three campgrounds that I have stayed at in the last year. The small campground out by Racetrack in Death Valley wasn't listed, the road to the Vermillion Campground at Lake Thomas A. Edison didn't go through to the campground, and the Dalton Highway in Alaska disappeared off the map when the resolution was 500yards or better. I tried to route a trip through the Central Valley and found it very difficult to do. Using maps was easier because the gross scale was present along with the detail at the same time. I think that boating or wilderness hiking would be a much better use of the GPS. Possibly it is because I seek out small out of the way places, I don't know. Your website didn't say, but it looks like you have the extended overhang bed. Nice looking rig. You can check out my camper at: http://community.webshots.com/user/mledtje The camper is the same, but the truck is my 99 Silverado 1500. We now have the same camper on a 2000 Silverado 2500, but that is a long story. Later, Mike L |
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Volkej-- I made an awning for my pop up and use it all the time.Cost under $20.00 to build and works great. Only takes a couple of min. to put up. I have it attached to the pop up section; that way I can leave the zippered windows open in the rain. Joe--- How do you like your solar panels? I have thought about them but not sure of what size to get or if they are worth the expense. |
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I’m going to call tomorrow and see if that screen door can be added. Ya’ll talked me into it. The problem is that the screen door requires a different doorframe than the door without a screen. If they’ve already got that part installed it may be too expensive to replace. I can always add an awning later.I had one of the top latches moved to the back rather than the side to accommodate an awning if I changed my mind. Joe – Mike does still work for 4Wheel. He told me about some plans for the users group. He’s also talking about a gathering somewhere (probably Bodega Bay area). If we could get enough people interested that would be fun. He was talking about people with 4Wheel campers, but I think it should be open to anyone with a camper. The more the merrier. Oltroll1 – 5 to 10 watt solar panels will trickle charge your batteries and cost around $100. 30 watts and up will keep batteries up for powering small appliances and start around $400. 100 watt units are supposed to make you pretty much power independent, but those babies are mucho dinero – like $1000. Some of those big motor homes have 200 – 300 watts of solar power. Great as long as the sun shines. Jim "Feed a starving dog and he won't bite you. This is the principle difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain |
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Hey all, Mike what map package did you use when you tried to lay out your route in the Central Valley? Because I agree with you that if you are using the Road & Rec. maps it is very hard to put together route that has some real meaning (you need to enter each turn by hand). But I thought that the Metro Guide would do an auto route for you (give your starting and ending points) and it would tell you where to turn. I don't have the Metro Guide maps so I don't know how it works. Also doing the route on the GPS unit it self is hard to do, a PC is real handy. On the solar panel, I have what is called a self regulating one. It puts out 45 watts, and for my uses thats enough. I am not a power hog, no AC and no heater. About the only thing that I have that draws alot of power is a small color TV and I think thats only 55 watts. |
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I was trying to lay it out using the US Road and Rec CD on my computer. Anyway, that wasn't my major concern - the missing campgrounds and roads bothered me alot more. I can get current maps from AAA and they seem to have the detail and accuracy that I want. The GPS was supposed to help me find new places, but it didn't seem useful for finding small roads and such. Much more useful for boating or hiking where you want to mark a buoy or a crumbtrail to get yourself back home. Mike L |
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I have an 8' awning and use it quite a bit. It's nice to have a place to keep things dry when it rains, such as firewood, lawn chairs, coolers, camper stoves, etc. It takes about two minutes to open or close. There is a fold up crank handle that you turn about a dozen revolutions to open or close. The support posts are built into the awning and can either be set to the ground patio style or attached to the built in brackets on the side of the camper. I'm not sure how much the option cost, but I think they are alot pricier to install after the fact. The only time that you don't want to use it is if it is windy out. I wouldn't use it in winter weather either. Snow would be too heavy and cold temps leave the potential to damage it while retracting it since it would likely get brittle in freezing temps. |
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It's pretty quiet in here. I guess we are just all chatted out. |
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Saturday: I needed a driveshaft to finish my El Camino 4spd to automatic conversion. I sold it to a guy who wanted an automatic, so I'm doing the conversion for him. Went the wrecking yard. Spend an hour sorting through a pile of driveshafts, finding one that 'might' work. Ask about a warranty, etc. 30 exhchange or store credit. But, he says, we have another El Camino out there in front that isn't in inventory yet. Check it out, viola - the correct shaft. Wait an hour for them to pull it out. $65 and I'm gone. Stop at the RV Parts Outlet on the way home and pick up the HappiJac turnbuckles I've been talking about for awhile. Stop at Mike's Truck Accesories and check out the receiver hitch I wanted. Go home and get cash and go back and pick up the hitch. Eat Lunch. Back to work on the EC. Crawl under the dash, find a wire for the dash lights, and run the wire to the newly installed floor shifter for the automatic. Cut a piece of carpet for the hole left by the 4 speed and not covered by the automatic shifter. Finish hooking up the Automatic shifter and bolt it together. Adjust the neutral start swith. Replace the carpet, reinstall the bucket seat. Install the driveshaft. Start car, check everything, twice. Shut it off. Lower car off jackstands, clean up around car. Open gates and drive car to front of house. Have to manuever through a 7 1/2' opening between house and full garage. Hose off car. Try wipers - no wipers. Move camper, put car in the street. Check wires to wipers. Fix wire that was opened when intermittent wiper attachement was added (I removed this thing, cause it didn't work; and that caused the wipers not to work). Test drive car. Went to my daughter's house and picked up all the AC stuff for the EC. Trans is acting wierd, surging and won't stay in gear. I feel funny sitting at a green light with the engine at 3000 rpm and not moving. Limp home. Add 3 quarts of tranny fluid and it runs much better! Call John and tell him the car is ready. Trial fit the HappiJac trunbuckles. Go rummage for a bracket to attach to the camper. Find some 1/2" steel brackets I pulled off a woodburning stove 2 years ago. Bend and paint. Grandson comes over to spend the night. Sunday: A day of rest. Grandson has to be up at 6 to get ready for a hockey game. Take the front wheels off the El Camino and check the brakes. I mow the yard, and get out the weedwacker for trimming. Install the Class IV receiver hitch. 1000 lbs tongue weight, 10,000 lb trailer. And 65 lbs to hold in place and start the bolts. Thank heaven for floor jacks. Actually fits good and looks good. Draw-Tite. Off to OSH to find some 3/8" flat head screws for the turnbuckle brackets. Stop at REI to look at bicycle racks for the receiver hitch. We settle on a Yakima Roc2. Return home. Install the front (spring loaded turnbuckles) with the new brackets - OK. On to the rears. Hmmmm, drill out a couple of holes to 1/2" for the bigger turnbuckles, cut the chain down by three links and the rears are in place. Assemble the Yakima bike rack. Fit it onto the truck. All is well with the world. John calls. Spend 45 looking all over the house for the spare keys. Can't find where the wife hid them. She swears she has never seen them, but when we finally find them she says, Oh those keys. Take the EC over to him and fill out some paperwork, bill of sale, etc. He brings me home. Put the camper in the driveway and level it. It is hot, and the camper is a cooler place to sleep on hot nights. Looks like we will be sleeping outside for a couple more nights. John calls. The EC won't start. Go over to check it out. Neutral start switch has moved. Bring the car back home and find 2 stripped screws. Damn, who has been working under here????? Oops, it was me. Make some hose clamps to hold the switch to the steering column and send him on his way. Sit down to watch some Olympics - shoot it's bedtime already. Vince, I'm not chatted out, just no time to talk. Are you ready to go to the Los Padres Nat'l Forest. Maybe in October? The next couple of weekends are spoken for. Mike L |
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That was some weekend; right up there with Brutus's river weekend. I'd get no more than 1/3 of that done if I really tried. But then I sleep, unlike some of us. Congrats on finishing the EC finally. Now you have more driveway for new stuff. You still have the old truck don't you? You should sell it while it still has warranty remaining as that is a pretty strong selling point. Did you buy the spring loaded HappiJacs for front and rear or do you have the rubber isolated one for the rear? I like the spring ones better, I don't know why they do the rubber thing. By the way, after using my old set for years I learned by RTFM that the turnbuckles should be installed with the threaded rod UP to keep water from going inside. This is counter-intuitive to me. My old set was quite rusty inside. Are you going to carry the bikes with the camper? You can't get in the door then. Do you intend on bringing them on dirt roads etc.? Oct sounds good for the trip. I'm busy the next few weekends too. I'm buying a company car so I'll finally have a car again soon. Then I can leave the camper on the truck sometimes and use it a little more often. |
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