Off Roading A REAL 4x4 CAMPER?

[dblake]

Well,after a long and exhaustive search I've come up with 3 choices for a relatively durable offroad camping setup.

CHOICE #1My ideal choice would be to have a custom camper built similiar to the http://www.Earthroamer.com . The only problem is that nobody in North America is currently making this type of camper. I'm hoping that the couple from the http://Turtleexpedition.com start manufacturing them.

CHOICE #2 Have http://www.Tigermotorhomes.com make me a custom welded aluminum expedition camper similiar to their Tiger CX.

CHOICE #3 Buy a http://www.northern-lite.com 6'10" camper made for a mini truck and bolt it down to either a fiberglass http://www.flippac.com or aluminum http://www.warnerbodies.com utility body.

I do a lot of driving through the sand dunes and I need something small and light as possible.

Anybody out there have any other ideas or something to add?

Anybody out there live near Denver so they can take a look at the Provan Tiger CX to see if this thing is 4x4 worthy?The owner of the company founded Fourwheel campers so he ought to know something about fourwheeling campers.

 

[Dane]

I've logged a couple hundred off road miles in Baja with my Lance Lite 815. Weighs about 1800 fully stocked. I'm a hero with the wifey cause it's got a potty I like the outdoor shower for after I get out of the ocean



The Dodge Cummins barely knows it's back there



Don't hard mount a camper for off road use or you'll break stuff unless you've got major suspension travel which we don't. Earth Roamer found that out the hard way in Baja.



I use a thick rubber bed mat I bought from Dodge and Happi-Jacs with the spring and rubber cushions inside. Lotsa folks poopoo the HappiJacs, but they work great for lightweight off road cabovers. I'd follow suit with the frame mounts if I was mostly on road with the big heavy cabovers, but 90% of my camping is in remote off road locations.



Only mod to the Lance was locking the cabinet doors with the bungee and ball cords used to hold tarps over metal frames.



All the heavyweight stuff must be stocked low as possible.



EVERYTHING loose in the camper has to be secured very well. 5 gallon jugs of diesel, firewood, etc can do an awful lot of damage sliding around in back while you are maneuvering gully's and whatnot.

 

[dblake]

HI Dane,Glad to here you've had such good luck with your Lance. I like their campers but I think they're all too big and heavy to really bounce through the dunes on the beach without self destructing. Are you really getting on the dunes down in Baja with yours ? If I remember right the Earthroamer's problem was caused by a failure of his bed mounts on the frame rail,something that's probably more attributed to weight and not mounting procedures for his camper. His mounting system is widely accepted as the offroad standard worldwide. If I was you I'd keep an eye on those bed mounts like I do. Happy fourwheeling!

 

[Dane]

dblake,

Not much sand running for me yet, just a few riverbeds, washes and minimal beach travel. I'm just about to replace the stock tires with 305/70/16s. I'll be a little more adventurous with fatter tires in the sand.



As far as mounting the cabover, I don't really know what the standard is, but have found through my and a few other Baja travelers experience is that when hard mounting the cabover it tends to break the weakest link in the path and then domino towards the strongest. In Baja the road from the hwy to the beach can be 10 to 100 miles. Almost always the road is a sea of pot holes, ruts and stones. The constant jarring is what breaks stuff. The soft bed mat and shock absorbing tie downs helps take up some of the shock. Looks like the bed mounts are the first in the path on our Dodges.



I agree completely that lighest is best off road. I looked at the "pop top" campers first because the were by far the lighest weight. My problem is the fabric sides on them. The wind in Baja is legendary, sometimes runs 30 knots constant with 60 knot gusts for 24 hours or so. The dust is superfine and finds it's way past those fabric side panels. It also makes a heck of a racket when they flutter in the wind.



Good luck in your search, keep us post on what you find!



Question - what do you find best for getting unstuck from sand? I carry pieces of carpet, but have talked to others who carry sand ladders.

 

[dblake]

Dane,I like to carry mature redwood trees. Just stick em in the sand and winch yourself right out! But seriously,I've never been stuck yet with my rig,and that's with my stock Michelin A/S's. I guess having a camper under 1000 lbs. makes a difference.

The only times that I've been buried to the diffs I just aired way down and crawled back out. That Cummins up front may be heavy but man is it a TORQUE MONSTER What gets me stuck real quick is being on a wave slope sideways,or trying to climb a steep dune. If you go to Baja a lot and like to air down check this out!http://www.onboardair.comI'm using my tax return this year to put on a real suspension I. E. 4. 5" Skyjacker double flex stage II with dual Bilsteins front and rear and eliminating those stupid rear leaf blocks that make your rear end bounce around like those girls in the rap videos. After that some Alcoa 19. 5 wheels and 35x12. 50 Michelins and some OX-TRAX lockers and,and,and... ... ... :--) This thing just might drive like a 4x4.

If you have a winch up front I've seen people make a plate with a hook that fits in their spare tire so they can bury it in the sand and use it like one of those pullpals. A highlift jack seems to work nice for getting your truck up and putting stuff underneath the wheels. I like the idea the Earthroamer guy had about making some custom nerf bars with detachable sand rails for the top steps. I've used carpet,logs,palm froms,blocks of concrete and wood. Fencing material is my personal favorite. Good luck chasing those waves or fish or whatever it is you're into down there!

 

[jjohn]

http://www.sportsmobile.com/

http://www.sportsmobile.com/

Sorry no Cummins offered. nice 4x4 vans.

 

[John L]

Grandby Four Wheel Camper?

Anyone have any good or bad experience with Four Wheel Campers? The Grandby is a pop-up Aluminum frame constructed camper that is supposed to weigh around 800lbs dry.

It's doesn't have all the bells & whisles that allot of other campers have but it beats tent camping/hunting in the rain.

Any thoughts? worth the cost?



thanks John

 

[RDusch]

John,



I've got a Granby shell model that i've had for 4 years now, your right there better that a tent, and that about it,



1. there cold in the winter, hot in the summer

2. when you heat it you get condensation all over the inside

3. the canvas leaks, you can see thru all the stitching

4. top is to weak to put any thing on, if you put racks on it and load it up it's to heavy to lift (the top has to pushed up manually)

5. the mattress over the cab is real hard and almost impossible to sleep on ( i had to have a new on made)

6. all the real wood in side is plywood laminated with plastic wood grain film.

7. did i mention that it's cold and it leaks





for the good stuff,



1. it's light

2. OK for weekend outings in moderate weather



if your still interested in one mine is going up for sale

PM oremail me

also some pics at

camper



Like dblake im thinking of building something



Rick

 

[Sregorb]

Just for fun I searched the web for any DIY campers and found this also... .

http://www.rqriley.com/b-camp.html

I'm tempted to try and build my own from scratch. Sounds like there may be a few of us. (??)



Brian

 

[John L]

Rick-

Thanks for replying to my post regarding the Grandby. It's nice to get a couple of comments from owners and not just the sales staff. Your comments on the camper not being very well insulated doesn't bug me as much as the leaking issue. Also the weak and un-asisted lift mechansim may be a problem. I was thinking that the roof maybe a good place to carry gear and my spare 35" tire. Looks like I still need to do more research.





Thanks again

John



Nice Website

 

[Scooby]

Buy an Earthroamer!

Bill (Mr. Earthroamer) is considering building these extreme duty campers for sale. Give him a call or email and I'm sure he'll explain where he is in the process. I imagine they'll be pricey though and you may have to dedicate your truck to being a camper.

 

[lgibson]

Have you looked at Alaskan Campers. Very high quaility and very durable. I really like the way it lowers and gives you less wind resistance and keeps the center of gravity low.



www.alaskancamper.com/



It is the one I hope to buy next spring.

 

[Clinton]

Why yes, I am opinionated

I have been researching this topic for quite awhile now, and you know what I've found? I'm either the pickiest consumer there ever was or nobody is building the perfect camper because it is simply unachieveable. Now before everybody writes me off as the pickiest consumer there ever was this is basically what I've come up with:



All the pop-tops really need to be mounted on a utility bed for extended touring as they waste alot of space and don't contain a great deal of storage within. So, about $5 to 7k for a bed. Of them, 4Wheel Campers are probably the best for off-road, with weight, price, and durability figured. What's that? You have kayaks, mountain bikes, skis, etc. ? Well, you're gonna have to push all that up by hand, you realize that, right? I've pushed a 4Wheel roof up empty before, not fun. No way with a few toys. No way I'm gonna unload every night and tie-down every morning.



Tiger conversion: I think you would lose a great deal of off-road ability with this type of conversion. I knew some folks with one and theirs was a pass thru design (from cab to living quarters) and it wasn't so great. You'll basically lose your truck too. I wasn't impressed with the quality and remember thinking the value was out of whack for what they got at the time, it's been a while.



Spotsmobile: These are impressive. I know folks who own these (two sets of folks, two different vehicles). 4x4, pop-top, diesel powered vans. Not as off-roadable as your truck, not too good for hauling hay, but for touring, man these are sweet. At $55k they better be. Still have to unload if you've got very much on top.



Earthroamer type deal: I would venture to guess that I will not likely have the pleasure of that level of disposable income in this lifetime. I'd hate to have to tie some boats on top of there too.



I paddle alot of whitewater and the paddle community has quite a number of cool rigs. This is how I've come to know some of these vehicles. I've checked out the Earthroamer in person and I've hung out with Dave Fritz some too. I've learned that the ideal touring/expedition/off road RV is a one very elusive item. It is the working definition of give and take. I'm sticking with my fiberglass topper and huge Kargo Master rack because, for me, toys are top priority. Well, I feel much better, a good rant can do that sometimes. Good luck to you, keep us posted.

 

[lgibson]

Clinton,



The Alaskan campers have electric pumps and are hydrolic units. You don't have to push them up. I agree with you about needed the utility bed or lose space. Also they are a little on the heavy side. Keep looking, you will find something that will fit your needs or find someone that can build custom campers.

 

[Clinton]

I'm better now

That last post was written after a long day, I went a little beyond what dblake was after, the situation does frustrate me.



dblake, I've seen a Tiger conversion and wasn't real impressed. I believe you would be happier with a 4Wheel Camper. If weight and sand running are your thing I would consider the 'shell' model and do the outfitting myself. You'd be bound to save weight and money.