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RE: Ordering a Chev 3500 (Oct 2023)
My heart goes out to those that have to resort to ordering from the factory and waiting.
- Mark0.
It's actually kinda fun ordering, and I've already waited 3 years anyway.
Yeah, I get that.
By the time I had finally convinced myself to get a new truck it was kinda like "better get it NOW before the idea/feeling passes" LOL!!
IMHO: ordering is not exactly compatible with "impulse buying" even if it took years to become "impulsive"... ;)
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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10/25/23 07:22pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Ordering a Chev 3500 (Oct 2023)
When I bought my 1st 'camper hauling truck' back in 2001 the 'new' market pricing made me dizzy and the 'used' market was so all over the map it was almost beyond confusing.
Here patience paid off and after a period of months I finally found a used truck worth purchasing.
Almost the same could be said ~20yrs later when I finally decided to replace that truck with something newer. However THIS time while the new prices were astronomical much of the used market was crazy high as well and at the time I could afford a new truck.
Then comes the problem of 'buy off the lot' (*actually finding* what you want already built and ready for sale) or resorting to ordering from the factory.
As luck would have it within 300 miles of my location a whole whooping ONE truck met my needs/wants/desires and I bought it.
My heart goes out to those that have to resort to ordering from the factory and waiting.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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10/25/23 02:22pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Charging House Batteries
Back in the day, 'solar' (for JUST the panels) cost $10-20 a Watt!
(Current cost ~$1-2 a watt)
The charge controllers have come down as well, while sometimes 'free' as a package deal with some panels, they can cost anywhere from $40-400.
However, the #1 problem with solar is not the cost it is with the availability of LIGHT - sunlight that is.
Forgetting for the moment that you will NEVER see the rated output of ANY solar panel you purchase, solar works best with the most unobstructed (no shade!) view of the sun as it moves across the sky from sun-up to sun-down.
So if your in the desert with no mountains or trees it will work much better than (for example) in a dense forest it won't work well or at all.
As an example, there are places that I park where my battery will be fully charged by 12:00 noon (if not by 2PM) and others where I get NO charge at all.
IMHO: Considering the cost of a Generator $400-2000 tossing ~$200 for some solar can be cost effective.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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09/24/23 04:44pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Now that's a heavy camper!
Wow - just wow.
I've often thought that the 'Ausies' got to have all the fun with their setups and rigs and finally someone in the US made a 'camper' for a flatbed.
- Mark0.
I wonder if it's a start of a trend. The small popup, tiny house type of TC has pretty much been done. Hundreds probably available. But the big boys haven't had a remake in some time. I think the last one was the mammoth but not sure. The floor space is literally doubled with the flat bed set up and structurally, to me it has to be more sound taking a wall straight down rather than trying to make it fit in the bed of the truck. I wonder if it changes the center of gravity forward a bit with the extra room? Also how about the height. If you don't have to have a full floor across the top of your bed rails I would think it would be lower and closer to the ground even though it's raised in the flat bed. Definitely an interesting concept and incredibly livable and beautiful. I could easily full time in this rig.
Joe
If we take into consideration how tall and heavy the current (and recent past) crop of 'PU Truck Campers' designed to fit into a 'standard USA bed' which by many accounts really require a >=550x series truck to haul, forgoing the PU bed for a flatbed design makes sense to me.
The flatbed could reduce overall height even if they still employed a 'basement' which could be almost the entire width of the truck rather than the 4' between the wheel wells and above them.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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08/23/23 06:49pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Now that's a heavy camper!
Wow - just wow.
I've often thought that the 'Ausies' got to have all the fun with their setups and rigs and finally someone in the US made a 'camper' for a flatbed.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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08/22/23 07:30pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: 1991 Lance 900 11.3’ weight
Not to be "Dan Downer" here but it ought to be mentioned that...
"catalog", "manual" and "marketing flyer" listed weights should be considered at best "ball park estimates" and the actual camper might weigh >= 500-1000 more than whatever numbers that are listed. :)
However as others might mention that almost any 1T DRW ought to be able to haul it.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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08/22/23 03:05pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: How do you handle no toilet in Pop Up?
^What he said. No bathroom, very little water storage and a very dinky fridge/freezer sort of defeats a lot of the purpose of a camper.
Esp the OP who hasn’t ever alluded to being a tent camper or bucket shitttter and has had a TT for a long time.
But alas, some of the questions here still land somewhere between entertaining and amazing. … like “Where do I poop without h no toilet in my camper?”
If it "defeats the purpose" then why do they sell such useless units? Nobody should ever want one.
Hence the phrase 'everybody is different' and as such camp in different ways and has different objectives and priorities to their camping equipment.
Personally it goes something like this:
- no need to setup/take down a tent (everything remains dry)
- no need to setup/take down a bed (time+comfort saver)
- many/most items already packed and ready to go
- toilet a few feet away in dry & enclosed space
- heating system
- refrigeration (+ability to MAKE ICE)
so YES, I did count/list the toilet above heating and refrigeration however I'd guess that others list's will surely have a different order(s) as the above is just MY own personal reasons of owning a truck camper.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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08/02/23 11:42am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Front Fiberglass Delam Repair Questions
Thanks for the great insight. Do you have any links you can point me to that would show some of these other repairs? Would be great to get some ideas on what others have done.
Sorry but no.
You might check the different groups on Facebook. I've seen a number of posts in both the NL groups there and on a search see there is a 1/2 dozen or more BF groups there that may (or not have) posts about it.
Since I don't have a BF I've never joined one of these groups.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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07/27/23 12:42am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Front Fiberglass Delam Repair Questions
please delete.
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mbloof
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07/27/23 12:36am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Front Fiberglass Delam Repair Questions
Ahh... this sort of thing happens to both Bigfoot and Northern Lite campers - the area you have circled is part of what folks call the "T-Wall".
Forgetting for the moment that fiberglass with the proper thickness and properly saturated with resin all the way through (it is my understanding that both companies "blow" fiberglass and spray resin into/on the insides of their molds - not an exacting method) is "HARD like a boat hull" and would rather BREAK or CRACK rather than "bubble" or "bulge", both Bigfoot and Northern Lite at times (~1/2 dozen NL's have reported the issue over the years) seem to have difficulty getting enough fiberglass+resin in this critical vertical section of their molds resulting in just that - ether what owners describe as a "bulge" or "bubble" in the front vertical wall of the lower section of their campers!
There have been a number of different DIY "fixes" or "work-a-rounds" for this issue posted in the various forums over the years generally involving removal of the 'pass through window' and most/all that is directly behind the wall and ether injecting resin or glue and/or adding plywood/metal sheet and/or using clamps through the window to squeeze both sides until the resin/glue cures and reassembling the inside of the camper and reinstalling the window.
One owner was able to snake a tube to dispense resin/glue into the wall section (between the fiberglass and insulation) and was able to clamp the bulge so that it was flat and then upon removal of the clamp was able to reassemble without to much of a tear down disassembly of that area of the inside of the camper.
I think one owner was still within their structural warranty period and took their camper to the factory for repair.
Thankfully both companies are generally good at fiberglass+resin coating their molds and out of the all the units ether company has shipped over the years there have not been a large number of campers having this failure.
- Mark0
(owner of a 2014 NL 9.6)
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mbloof
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07/26/23 11:02pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: heat and Li batteries.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries are lithium ion batteries. Same thing. The iron and phosphate are in the form of ions.
Thanks for informing us that all lithium ion batteries are the same thing…
3 tons
When it was strongly implied that they are "diiiiiiiferent" earlier in the thread, seems like a useful point to make.
While they all have "lithium" the chemistry of batteries typically found in portable electronics and that found in electric cars (and used in RV's) are not only very different but also have different operating (and danger!) characteristics.
While not exactly 'apples vs oranges' it is not 'apples vs apples' ether.
Explanation of the different types of Li-ion battery chemistries
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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07/21/23 10:12am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Camper Tie-down Pros/Cons
Would he need load "e" with a 1500 pound camper? I know eventually he will. I do not know...
As many of us know "E" rated tires are not created equal however I believe that tires sold in the US are required to have their maximum load ratings on the side of the tire near the rim.
As anyone with a loaded truck ought to do is check the rating/air pressure on the tire to see if they can be adequate for the truck+load they are planning on hauling.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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07/18/23 03:48pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: deploying side awning
Aww... the classic Carefree side awning! I have one on my camper that I've never used as I'm 'vertically challenged' and while I carry a 2' tall step ladder it is not tall enough for deploying the legs on the awning.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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07/18/23 01:09pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Camper Tie-down Pros/Cons
Ok, sure your just looking to get the EMPTY camper home or some place to store it while you sort out getting a more capable truck.
I've seen folks use the Brophies or even two rachet-straps to hold a camper on the bed before. After all - how many miles of paved road are we talking about here?
My only REAL concern is what does your current truck have for rear tires?
Generally %100 of the campers weight is going to be on the rear tires so making sure they are rated well enough and inflated properly (usually 80PSI) to carry the camper would be my #1 concern.
BTW: 1/2T trucks don't usually come with very high rated tires.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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07/18/23 01:05pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Will a truck camper fit over the 5er rails in the truck bed?
IMHO: some folks simply like spending $$$ and many around here like convincing others to spend $$$.
There is an old saying: "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it"
in THIS CASE, you won't know if there is anything to "fix" until you load the camper and drive it.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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07/14/23 11:47am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Northern Lite 2013 10-2 cdse
My guess is that since the compartment door seals on my 2014 are about shot, yours are very more than likely as well.
Some folks add plastic 'gutters' above the hatches to direct water away from them with some success.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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07/06/23 07:46pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Wolf Creek 840 Goes Lithium
My 2014 Wolf Creek 850 also came with a WFCO power center. I used to hear people bash WFCO as a ticking time bomb, but in the 11 seasons of use, mine has been perfect. I've also not seen a single person say they have had a modern WFCO failure, maybe they stepped up their game and fixed their past issues?
I had a 2000 wfco fail, a 2008 wfco fail, and in My 2016 I never gave it a chance and replaced it with a PD before it even left the lot. most people won't even know they fail because they get stuck in boost, or others find they won't go into boost. in my case they both stuck in boost and killed the batteries.
if I camped with plugins most of the time I never would have known, but I mostly camp without hookups so when all of a sudden, my batteries were losing charge in 1/2 the time that they normally lasted I started wondering what's up.
WFCO is the most widely used converter in the rv business for one reason. They work ok and their cheap. (ok two reasons) you are not getting a high-end converter in a normal rv
They are "popular" because they are inexpensive. RV manufacturers use the least expensive stuff they can get their hands on.
Sadly, when it comes to charging and battery use I'm afraid that %70 or more of RV owners would NEVER NOTICE as they exclusively use FULL HOOKUP campgrounds.
(why they wasted $$$ on a 'fully self contained' RV in the 1st place is beyond me. However you might be amazed at how many don't carry water or even propane for example)
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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06/06/23 06:36pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Turnbuckle advice
Thx guys. The Torklift springs seem a little pricey for what they are. Any alternatives?
"HappyJack" does make spring loaded turnbuckles for a fraction of the cost of the overpriced TL models.
Similar to TL, HappyJack makes short ones (generally used in the front bed mount) and long ones.
Take your pick.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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06/06/23 06:29pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Question on switching to LiFePO4 batteries.
For now I plan to use a volt meter I have installed in my camper for SoC level which should be good enough for my use. I've "calibrated" the camper meter with a multimeter at the batteries when the isolation switch is switched off to eliminate parasitic draw. So far there no significant difference between the camper volt meter and the multimeter but I haven't taken measurements when the batteries are in a low SoC.
Good luck with that. As an example on my NL that switch only breaks the connection to the Converter/charger - the jacks+controller and fridge are directly connected to my battery(s) bypassing that switch.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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05/04/23 05:18pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: How 4-season are 4 seasons Lances?
^your last sentence says it all.
You’re not going to do “better” than starting off with a 4 season camper. And with that it’ll handle below freezing temps and running water, to a point. Basement model TCs are decent here if they have or you can improve heated air exchange to the “basement”.
Reasonably the furnace will keep the camper warm down to single digit temperatures. But it will chew thru LP and battery power FAST.
Keeping the water on will just be a test. It’s not magic. But more challenging in below freezing temps. But you get what you put into it.
I was able to use our AF camper with no mods for better heat/air circulation in single digits at night 20s and sunny daytime but that was real close to the practical limit I’m sure.
A little diesel heater is a GREAT idea. And something I would do 100% if planning on any sort of regular cold weather use. And they’re relatively inexpensive. Just need to address the logistics and install.
For efficiency this would be your primary heat and the mouse turd toaster would be the redundant portion since it’s much less efficient.
An engine coolant radiator hookup in the camper is a bad idea. Scratch that one off the list. I suppose it’s possible but in no way practical. Same for the suggestion of plumbing from the truck diesel tank for a little add on diesel heater. Another solution that doesn’t solve a problem but only creates complexity and potential for failure points.
Thanks for the response. Yeah my reasoning for the Diesel heater is to limit what you are saying. One, if I can use diesel to supplement heat for travel, I can extend the time the generator can run. I've also seen some set ups with LiFePo batteries that use the truck to back up or primary charge the systems. My use case is 3 or 4 days at a time with a lot of travel in between so I mainly need 24 hours of boondocking typically.
I get your reluctance on complexity, and maybe I'm looking at it with my Engineer brain and thinking its just a matter of the right bits and pieces. I'll keep it in mind. Of course I'd do it in a way that didn't jeopardize the engine/truck systems (again more complexity).
What exactly is a diesel heater?
It is my understanding that much like a propane furnace a "diesel heater" (read - actually a furnace) draws combustion air from the outside and vents its exhaust to the outside.
The "flame" heats one side of a "heat exchanger" where cabin air is drawn in and blown out on the other side of it.
The CLAIMED current draw of some of the models available are less than the stock OEM Atwood/Suburban/?? propane furnaces.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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05/04/23 05:13pm |
Truck Campers
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