I am looking at buying a slide in truck camper. A hard side one with insulation since I spend half of my time in Montana and the other half in Baja.
I am looking for something light that will also withstand the abuse of the Baja washboard. Everything seems to get destroyed and I am concerned that
a slide in will not survive for very long. Any recommendations? Any idea what kind of gas mileage I should expect on a diesel or gas truck with a
full size camper?
[Edited on 6-16-2011 by marchesi]Bwana_John - 5-31-2011 at 10:09 AM
Quote:
I currently own a 4x4 sportsmobile which has given me more issues than I want to start listing
Please do!
Most SMB owners fall for the hype pretty hard. If you list your SMB problems Ill list mine (03 E-350 w. Quigly coil spring 4wd)
(4wd problems, and interior coming loose all the time.)
I thought my 93 F-250 4wd with a 86 Four Wheel cabover camper held up better and was a better ride offroad in Baja.Bajamatic - 5-31-2011 at 10:13 AM
And by all means - start that gripe list on sportsmobiles. Lets hear it. It'll only make us feel better to know they aren't worth the money when
they drive by all macho-like.Russ - 5-31-2011 at 10:29 AM
I like my '92- 9 1/2' Big Foot. But over washboard you'll want everything secured or you'll find it on the floor. I screw all my cabinets down before
going on the Chivato road. Have a '96 diesel F-250 with air bags and I get almost the same mileage as empty. Maybe 15 mpg loaded. Have to admit I
haven't used it in quite some time other than to but guests in. So it really hasn't been over that many washboard roads.Here's their site http://www.bigfootrv.com/bigfootrv_truck_campers_1500.htmlmulegemichael - 5-31-2011 at 11:24 AM
our arctic fox cabover has been all over baja and has served us well...arctic fox upped the ante and has put together a very cool package..got a slide
out diner and solar panels, built in generator, etc...we love it!...the downside, if there is one, is it's a bit heavy.marchesi - 5-31-2011 at 04:52 PM
Thanks for the good info, hope to get more replies. Really too many issues with the sportsmobile to list but the best one is when my 40 gallon diesel
tank (part of the conversion) came undone while in rush hour in L.A. traffic. Fortunately it jammed and stopped an inch before it hit the ground. I
was able to stop before I left it behind or maybe blew up. I bought the van from a guy in L.A who used it to take his kids to Hokey. I think that's
a perfect use for it. They sure look cool in L.A. but they can't take Baja. They are too heavy and too stiff in my opinion.
Any more specifics on gas mileage and drivability for truck campers would be greatly appreciated! A friend of mine told me with a 1 ton Ford diesel
truck and a 2800 pounds camper he gets between 4 and 11 miles a gallon. That sounds terrible!comitan - 5-31-2011 at 05:54 PM
My 88 ford 3/4 4X4 auto with 8ft camper got 7.5-8.5.elgatoloco - 5-31-2011 at 06:07 PM
FourWheel Grandby. 800 pounds dry. I get about 13.5 MPG at 65 MPH with AC blowing. F-250 7.3 PS. Had the truck springs resprung for level ride because
I take the camper off when not using it. We have been on many dirt roads on both sides of the border in the last ten years and I tend to drive too
fast at times but no problems,yet. Have had to tighten a fastener here and there but we are very happy with peformance to date. We have 12,000 BTU
heater and have used it a time or two at altitude or when camped on the beach in San Quentin.
Paulina - 5-31-2011 at 08:15 PM
We are elgatoloco copycats and got a Four Wheel Grandby pop up too!
P>*)))>{
Can't say enough about FWC's...
Sunman - 6-1-2011 at 07:59 AM
I've beat the crap out of mine for years in Baja and it is still as solid as the day I bought it.
Spearo - 6-1-2011 at 08:30 AM
I can vouch for the FWC as well. I have a Hawk model (6.5' bed) on a '05 Dodge diesel. Its lightweight: ~1000# with fridge, furnace, water heater,
solar, batteries, camp gear and 25 gal of water. The furnace is fully auto and will keep the camper toasty, I use it for big game hunting in N.
Idaho. The Dodge averaged 18mpg in Baja this winter with camper and boat trailer. Just have to keep your rpms down around 2000. Not hard to do on
Mex1!marchesi - 6-3-2011 at 03:05 PM
Great rigs you guys! I have heard FWC has changed owner and the new campers are not what they used to be. Poor quality, design, they fall apart.
Has anyone heard that? How easy is it to pop and close the top on the FWC? I used a startcraft and it was a nightmare to do it. With a back panel
that was very finniky and lots of tucking and trying to get the sides to fit properly. Any pop up tops that require minimal work? I looked at the
the alaskan but they are quite heavy.Sunman - 6-3-2011 at 03:20 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by marchesi
Great rigs you guys! I have heard FWC has changed owner and the new campers are not what they used to be. Poor quality, design, they fall apart.
Has anyone heard that? How easy is it to pop and close the top on the FWC?
Not true at all and I follow info on these campers pretty religiously. They are very easy to pop up, just four clamps on the outside and then pop up
the rear and front from the inside. Takes less than a minute.
If you are thinking of buying new I'd definitely check out All Terrain Campers too.Hook - 6-3-2011 at 04:51 PM
One thing about pop ups...........if you are a light sleeper and it is windy (as the desert often is), the canvas siding, when it is popped up, can be
noisy. And they act as a sail and shake the whole top in gusts exceeding 25 mph.
Of course, the options for A/C are very limited for pop ups, too, if that's important to you.
You should register for the Trailer Life Truck Camper forum. BY FAR, the best source of information about TCs.
Pay particular attention to the discussions about weight. It can be life or death.
