slide in camper

[Texas Diesel]

We have a Dutchman 26' fith wheel which is very nice and easy to pull but are thinking about trading it for a slide in. With just two of us on mostly weekend trips that is all we need. We plan to get a dually later this year so weight is not a problem. Can anyone reccomend a brand that is good? We really want one with a fiberglass exterior. Any dealers that would take a trade in when the time comes that you know of would be nice to know too

 

[M Barnett]

The Lance campers are realy nice. If I were you, think I would try selling your trailer cause the dealer will probably beat you up pretty bad. I am single with a 33' trailer and thinking about doing the same thing. -------Michael

 

[GRudy]

Slide ins

Check out Bigfoot Campers. I currently own a Lance. They are good but Bigfoot is Great! you will definatly need the dually especially if you go with the biggest modles. Also, rig up your anchor points to the frame, not the bed or rear bumper. I can email you some pics if you like.

http://www.bigfootrv.com/campers/index.html

 

[dresslered]

Just like George 00 says. The Bigfoot has got to be the Mercedes of the slide-ins and should only be used with the frame mounted tie-downs. A dually is also a must for a slide-in application.

 

[dewdo]

Let's not forget Arctic Fox. They make a nice unit and offer models with slide outs that give you more room.



When I bought my first camper I had a 25' Terry TT and thought I could get into a new camper for about what I expected to get for the trailer. Not! I couldn't beleive the prices they were getting for those things without wheels or an engine. Paid $11,000. 00 for a new 87 Western Wilderness (which is another excellent camper).



When I bought my present camper, it cost nearly $25,000. 00. It has all the bells and whistles including the large slideout and generator. It seems to be a very good quality unit so far in the 18 months I have had it. They have a web site (Northwood Manufacturing in LaGrande, OR. ) Might want to check out the different models they have to offer. Never hurts to check them all out before making a decision about spending that much money.



Dewdo in the other Washington

 

[klenger]

Arctic Fox is at http://www.nashtraveltrailers.com/



Ken Lenger

 

[wedodgediesel]

own a Lance model 1061 with bump out. had it one year and completely happy with it. With the winter package I have been able to camp in freezing weather with out any problems of holding tanks freezing.

 

[Deezul1]

I have had a slide in for 26 years and finally mounted it on a flat bed trailer because I got tired of taking it on + off and not being able to leave it at the camp site. After towing it around for 5 years I dont think I would ever be happy with a truck mounted rig again unless I had to tow something else. I guess its time to buy a pull trailer, I might have tested this enough by now. Good luck with whatever you get, no matter what it is getting out of town is always great.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Texas Diesel,



We did the same thing you are thinking about. We like to travel the back roads, camp in state, national, forest service, and COE parks and it got to be too big a hassle with a big heavy 2 slide out 5th wheel trailer and we have owned some kind of travel trailer or 5th wheel since 1970. Now all we have is the Lance camper and love it!!



Our first Lance(bought new in 1984) had the hydraulic lever operated jacks which made loading and unloading a 2 person operation. Later, we had a '94 Lance with Atwood electric screw type jacks which were a great improvement. We could operate either the front set of rear set at the same time. The electric jacks made loading and unloading a 1 person operation.



Now we have a '01 Lance with the Atwood remote controlled screw type electric jacks and have the option of raising or lowering the camper with all 4 jacks at the same time. I can load the camper in about 20 minutes and unload it in about 10 minutes and that includes installing/removing the tiedowns, front cabover stabilizers, changing the air bag pressures, and resetting the Rancho 9000 shocks.



When we traded in our '97 Hitchhiker II and '94 Lance this last May, the 5th wheel trailer had sat nearly a year without being used. We had been taking the Lance on all our trips which included trips as far as to the east coast and Florida. The combination of the truck and Lance camper is about like a 25' motorhome that you can drive and park just about anywhere, but without the motorhome problems and expenses, and then still have a truck to use when you get home.



Bill

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Slide-in campers.....

Texas Diesel,



ditto what Bill Stockard says in this thread! I just came back from a snowboarding trip in Austria (Europe) with my son; temps down to 12 degrees F everynight but my Lance 1130 with all the bells and whistles delivered the goods.



BTW, if you have nerf bars installed, the frame mounted tie downs will give you a problem..... go on Dave , give me a hard time, it's ages since you had a dig!!

 

[dresslered]

O. k. John. . .



How could anyone dare tie down such a beautiful camper to a beautiful truck (as shown featured in TDR #34 page 117) with those whimpy Happijac tie-downs?!



I've already suggested that you could remove those nerf bars and send them back to the USA where I would take them off of your hands.



I would have also added earlier that the Bigfoot allows for easy access to the spare tire, but John would correct me saying how easy he can get to his spare even with the Lance below-the-bumper desgn.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Originally posted by dresslered

O. k. John. . . I would have also added earlier that the Bigfoot allows for easy access to the spare tire, but John would correct me saying how easy he can get to his spare even with the Lance below-the-bumper desgn.

Actually David,



Access to the spare tire is possible, I wouldn't say it was easy, just a bit fiddly nonetheless . The Happijacs worked so far and I'll be keeping an eye on the mounts... . if only there was a mutually convenient way to combine nerf bars and torklifts... . some day perhaps

 

[Bill Stockard]

The TorkLifts work just fine with bars that go the length of the cab(Check my signature)

I have a set of Happi-Jacks less the turnbuckles that I'll send anyone who wants them and it will only cost the freight. They are out in the scrap metal pile. I used them on a Ford because that's what the dealer installed at the time and I didn't know any better.



Thanks to the TDR web site, I learned there was a frame mount tie down system avaliable.



Bill

 

[Texas Diesel]

Thanks for the responses. The slide in makes more sense than ever compared to a 5th wheel for just the two of us. The Artic Fox and Lance sound real nice, probably not interested in the slide out models.



This also gives me a reson to get that dually .

 

[dresslered]

Bill-



You offer a bit of good news! I had originally wanted to get the full-length Waag nerf bars but I soon realized that the Tork-lift extention bar/chain would interfere with the nerf bar tube. How is it that the Westin's attach to the truck? Are they bolted to the frame? It sounds like you are saying that the mounting hardware will not interfere with the Tork-lift frame mounts. Correct? Thanks for the info.

 

[Bill Stockard]

David,

The Westin mounting brackets attach to the bolts that mount the truck cab to the frame with braces to the bottom of the cab. It is a good sturdy mount. If you install them yourself, torque the cab mounting bolts to the OEM torque specs. Don't let an installer "torque" the bolts with an air powered impact wrench until it quits turning. Been there--done that!!



Texas Diesel,

Get the dually!! You'll be glad you did. I've hauled slide-ins with both a SRW and a dually and there's no comparison. The specifications may look close, but there's a great difference in stability with additional wheels and tires on the rear axle.



Bill

 

[dresslered]

Thanks for the info, Bill. Have a great New Year!

 

[Crazy Horse]

I vote for the Lance also. I lived in mine for seven months while traveling near 21,000 miles on one trip. There were many times for various reasons I was thankful I didn't try to do the trip in a cheaper camper. I'd hop in the truck tomorrow and do it again. Thats more than most people do during the whole ownership of their campers. Our temps ranged from sub-zero to low 90's. Structurally no one builds a camper like Lance does. And stay away from the fiberglass "tub" campers in cold weather. The brittleness of fiberglass in cold weather is not good. Stay away from the belly bars also if you are going to be in the north country. The frost heaves raise hell with them. The Happy Jacks are the only way to go as long you install the front bed brackets with the stabalizer bar that connects the two sides. Make sure you get the proper set up from happyjack, alot of people try to take a ford set up and put it on a Dodge or whatever. There are specific pieces of hardware and locations to install the set up properly. Also fill the space between the bar and the bed with a 5/8th's piece of wood. This is a bullet proof set up-won't bend up like belly bars do from frost heaves in the roads. One thing I would recommend is don't go to the rear bumper with any tie downs. If you have a reciever hitch, run a couple pieces of 2 inch square tube, 1/4 inch thick into the sides of the reciever and bring them out just far enough to clear the body-install a couple of 3/8ths I-bolts (w/ locknuts) at the end to connect the happy jacks to and then cap the ends to finish it off. I secured these extensions in place on mine with hitch pins and countersunk grade 8, locknuted, fine threaded 3/8ths inch bolts. When the camper is off it gives you a little extra protection against Subaru's from sliding under you if you leave them in place. Sorry for being windy.

 

[dresslered]

Sorry that I have to disagree with you Crazy Horse. Either tie the camper down entirely to the frame or entirely to the bed. Do not use the mismatch method as you describe (i. e. front of the camper to the bed and the rear of the camper to the frame). This will cause the bed and/or camper to twist resulting in damage to either or both. The Happi-Jac stabilizer bar was only a patch for a poor design. Happi-Jac has now come out with their own frame mounts due to the problems encountered with the bigger campers.



P. S. The Bigfoot with an aluminum frame is much stiffer than any wood-framed camper and is rated to -40 degrees.

 

[JWhitcomb]

Just got back from a two week snow boarding trip and have a few observations on my rig. First off, a 3500 is the only way to go with big campers, mine scales at 4700 pounds. I followed a 2500 with the same camper on some mountain roads and it seemed he had excessive lean compaired to mine. I recently added air bags and while there was not a big improvement I felt I could set up my rig more to my taste. I think I am a firm beliver in the Tork Lift system since I hit a un marked speed bump way too fast. The camper bounced hard enough to change the tension on two chains but I am sure the bumper and bed would have suffered on a HappyJak.



I got plowed in one night by a evil plow jocky but next morning I broke it out using 4x4 but knocked a lot of stuff around in the camper in the break out. Not sure if the HappyJak set up would have held up. One other thing, the Tork Lift sticking out gave pretty good protection to the jacks while plowing my way out. One other thing, I hooked a chain to my hitch and helped a Toyota get out of a drift. Not too bad for a 13000 pound rig. I love my truck.