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Date Posted |
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RE: Design ideas for a platform to lower camper onto...
https://i.imgur.com/wC8mbVpl.jpg
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srschang
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10/25/23 09:08am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bed Mat Base
Our 2019 Northstar came with 3 2x4s running from front to back. That's all that contacts the rubber mat I have in the bed of the truck. The "Floor Joists" appear to be 3/4" Trex. The 3 main "Beams" which are doubled 3/4" Trex run front to rear above the 2x4s. Then the 'Joists' run between the "Beams" from driver side to passenger side of the camper. There is 2" pink foamboard insulation glued to the floor of the camper between the 'Joists'. If I needed to raise the camper higher, it would be easy to add 3 more 2x4s to the bottom of the existing 2x4s.
https://i.imgur.com/NKDHBRnl.jpg
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srschang
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10/21/23 08:10am |
Truck Campers
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RE: How much squat?
I have a 2022 Ram 3500 CCLB dually with a Northstar 12STC that scales at 4800# fully loaded to travel, full water, propane, fridge, clothes, etc. The rear wheel arch of the RAM drops about 4" when I load the camper, so very similar to yours. Not sure if we hi beam folks or not, nobody has flashed their lights at us, and we have over 25,000 miles on the combination so far.
One thing you want to check is as you lower the camper onto the truck and the bed is dropping, at what point do the overload springs make contact? On my truck, the overload springs just make contact as the bed stops dropping. That's where you you want the truck to sit. So in my case, if I were to add airbags to level it, the airbags would lift the bed off the overload springs. You absolutely don't want that, as it will make the truck more tippy side to side. So my only choice, if I want the truck bed to sit higher with the camper loaded is to install something like Torklift Upper or Lower Stableloads. They make the overload springs contact sooner as you lower the camper into the truck bed, so they should reduce the bed drop as the camper weight is applied.
Like I said, I'd like my truck bed to sit a couple inches higher just for looks, but it's not worth the $400 to me.
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srschang
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09/24/23 03:52pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Charging House Batteries
You'll get tons of opinions on how far down you can discharge a lithium battery. The most common worry is that you will shorten the battery's life or reduce the battery capacity if you take it down to 0% often. I have only once run my two lithium batteries to 0%, and that was an accident.
I can only speak for Battleborn batteries, as that's what I have and have researched. The manufacturer says:
Will I damage my battery if I bring it down to 0%?
No, you will not damage the battery. We do however recommend that you put devices in your system to cut the voltage discharge on your battery at 11.5V for convenience. Our BMS system prevents the battery cell from being damaged in the event you do discharge to 0.
A Battleborn battery is 10 volts at 0% capacity when it shuts itself off. They also say you have 5 days to recharge the battery when it shuts off at 10 volts. If you don't recharge it within 5 days, it will be damaged and void the warranty.
Oh, and when they say to "put devices in your system to cut the voltage discharge on your battery at 11.5V for convenience", that's about 5% charged.
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srschang
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09/19/23 12:56pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Charging House Batteries
For reference, I have 2 lithium batteries, so I have 200ah available. I rarely run them below 1/2, so 100 ah same as you are planning. Our daily activities to use 100ah include: lights in the evening, microwave 10-15 minutes to make dinner, watch a movie on tv. In the morning listen to the radio a couple hours, 4 cups of coffee from Keurig, wife uses hair dryer. If it’s sunny batteries are recharged by 1, if cloudy recharged by 5 or 6 pm. We have 4 - 100watt panels to achieve this recharge.
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srschang
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09/18/23 01:02pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Camper Tie-down Pros/Cons
Definitely spring for the aluminum. I had steel Torquelift tiedowns on my first two trucks, and spent lots of time trying to hammer the adapter in because the receiver rusts on the inside. Used sandpaper, files, lots of stuff to get rid of the rust in the receivers. The "aluminum" tiedowns aren't all aluminum; the part that bolts to the frame is stainless steel, the adapter is aluminum. I put them on my last few trucks, and they are maintenance free. In fact, I've used the same rear tiedowns swapping them truck to truck for my last couple trucks. I've been using the same tiedowns for 9 years or so, and they see lots of salt as I live near Buffalo, NY.
Drove to Alaska and back last year, 14,000 miles on some very bad roads with our 4800# camper and they worked great!
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srschang
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08/15/23 08:48am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Norcold gas & electric fridge
Not only is the fridge temp high, the freezer temp is high as well. Fridge should be mid 30's, freezer should be around zero. So something is causing the whole system to not cool like it should.
Very good information here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmaKo6nO37w
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srschang
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07/29/23 11:34am |
Truck Campers
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RE: deploying side awning
Like This. The struts that run from the outer edge of the awning back to the camper are stored in the outer edge of the awning. Have to be pretty tall to reach them and pull them out.
https://i.imgur.com/hLtsAjrl.jpg
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srschang
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07/18/23 11:30am |
Truck Campers
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RE: deploying side awning
I can just reach mine but I'm over 6' tall
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srschang
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07/17/23 01:26pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Will a truck camper fit over the 5er rails in the truck bed?
I have a 2022 Ram dually and a Northstar 12' no slide camper.
- The Northstar is 3300# weighed new at the dealer. With batteries, propane, water, and all the other stuff, ready for camping, it weighs 4800#.
- The Ram dually squats about 3 1/2" when the camper is loaded on the truck. It looks like it's sagging in the back, and I thought about airbags, but then I noticed that the overload springs are just engaging when the camper weight is fully on the truck. If I lifted it at all with airbags, it might look better, but then it would be off the overloads. You don't want that.
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srschang
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07/14/23 02:20pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Goodbye CH751 key!
One thing I've never been able to figure out - The cassette toilet tank door on our Northstar has a key lock??
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srschang
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06/30/23 05:46am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Truck camper and towing
Supertruss
Says 6000/600 at 48" without WD.
Anyone dragging these things on the ground at grade changes? Seems like it wouldn't take much at 48". Might at least want to deal with the suspension sag caused by the camper + tongue.
I haven't had a problem, but then again my hitch extension is only 34" with 200# tongue weight. Although the camper weighs 4800#.
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srschang
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06/27/23 01:33pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Truck camper and towing
To Grit Dog's point about the hitch extension not needing to extend all the way to the back of the camper, here's my setup. The Northstar 12STC camper has 4' of overhang behind my truck bed. The hitch extension is 34" long. It works fine, but if the trailer is 45 degrees or so from straight with the truck & camper, and the trailer is uphill of the truck & camper, the gravel guard on the trailer will scrape paint off the rear jack. I've had to repaint a couple times. And it is a bit of a pain to hook and unhook the trailer.
https://i.imgur.com/xCtErsSl.jpg
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srschang
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06/27/23 08:46am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Replacement awning fabric for a 2012 Lance 855S camper
The Carefree website says they sell replacement fabric in various sizes. Might be worth a call.
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srschang
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06/20/23 01:35pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Happijac issue
A follow up to my Happijac old style motor dying on my 4800 jack. I ordered a new style motor, and installed it on the 4800 jack. Works fine, very quiet. Not sure if the new clutchless style motor is turned off by the new style controller, or in the motor itself. If it shuts off in the motor, I should be OK. If it's shutoff by the controller, I'm still using my old style controller, so I'll have to be careful when I retract the jack all the way in so the fuse in the controller doesn't blow.
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srschang
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05/28/23 01:33pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Happijac issue
One of my three year old Happijac motors (old style) has died. Right now, replacements are not available. Here's what I got from Lippert this morning:
Good afternoon,
The motors will be available again at the end of June, the PN is 2022003046, and they are $220.95 each.
If you would like to order one, you can do that at any time via email or over the phone, but it will not ship until the end of June when these are back in stock.
To order via email, please reply with quantity, phone number, and a good shipping address. We will create the order and email you a secure link for payment.
Thank you,
Ashley W
Lippert Care Center Leveling/Slides Parts Agent
p: 432.LIPPERT | f: 574.534.7161
Lippert
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srschang
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05/18/23 08:59am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Happijac issue
So, my 3 year old Northstar 12STC has Happijac 4800 jacks on the front, and Happijac 4160 jacks on the rear. The motor on one of the front jacks has died. After discussion with folks at Etrailer, the new style Happijac motors won't work with my current jacks. They said the only thing I cand do is replace all 4 jacks, the control unit, and remote with the new drive system. $3500 because one powerhead died. Do I have any other options? Thanks.
Not real happy with Happijac at this point.
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srschang
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05/12/23 07:06am |
Truck Campers
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