slide-in camper

[wbrown]

Dear Folks,



Just starting my research on a slide-in camper. Any suggestions on what brands to research and what brands to avoid?



I would like a slide-in that does not require removal of tailgate and also allows me to tow a utility trailer.



thanks, bill brown

 

[VicR]

Bill,



What types of trips are you planning with your slide-in? Weekend get-aways? Cross country trips? Destination camping or moving around a lot? A little off the paved road trip to your favorite fishing hole? When we were looking for ours, we found a lot of variation in slide-ins. You shouldn't have a problem finding on camper that fits your needs. The problem you are likely to have is narrowing it down to just one camper!!! Seriously, like anything else, picking a slide-in is a series of trade-offs. What needs are you looking to fill?



-Vic

 

[Chipstien]

I was under the impression that length determines whether you remove the tailgate.

 

[dieselshu]

Slide in camper

Bill, Taking the big jump huh? Well here is a recommendation, look at every brand that you can find, see what fits into your price range, look at options and what you will need for the Dodge to haul. I will recommend the Torklift camper tie-down system, it bolts to the frame of your truck vice the bed, If you wonder why? look at how your bed is held onto your frame and think of the weight of a camper flying down the road at 55.

Most of the camper lines have three models, base, mid and luxury for example Fleetwood: Angler, Elkhorn and Caribou.

Look at options of materials, fiberglass side or aluminum, wood frame or aluminum, power jacks or manual, capacity of water tank, 3 way fridge etc... .

Good luck and check out:

http://carbuyingtips.com/rv.htm

Legend

 

[wbrown]

Dear Vic, Chipstien and Dshuart, Thanks for the postings. I am going to use this slide-in about 6-7 times a year on trips out west and down south. Part of the time I will park in an RV park.



I want a pop-up to cut down on wind resistance.



In order to start out my search, which brand(s), in your opinions, are the tops in quality. Thanks, bill brown

 

[jmtandem]

slide in campers

If you are looking for a pop up camper you might look into Alaskan Campers. The interior wood reminds me of the inside of a wooden sail boat. It is homey, warm, and quality. They do not use canvas for the sides. Alaskans are a little heavier and more expensive than most pop ups but many are still in use that are 30 years old. From an investment standpoint I suspect they are one of the better long term campers. Any camper shorter than the bed will allow you to use the tailgate and you can tow with almost any camper if you have the truck towing capacity and correct hitch. For extended campers that hang over the back of the truck (of which almost all are not pop ups) there are hitch extenders available.

 

[wbrown]

Thanks JM, have ordered Alaskan brochure. bill brown

 

[InThinAir]

I have a Hallmark Pop up. Bought that brand because they are made about 1 hour away from me in Brighton, CO. I would recommend buying a unit that can be serviced locally. I found this piece of wisdom after mine was hit by lightning when it was about 4 months old. Did extensive damage but since it was so new it was not totalled. So it tooks several trips to identify all the damage that was done.



Second is that I would not advise leaving the tailgate on. 2 Reasons. First is that most 8 foot units will feel pretty small. Second is that loaded the camper still will want to move around a little and will damage both the camper and the tailgate.



I tow my 3 horse trailer with my camper in with no extensions. I would recommend some sort of suspension mod to help with the load, I have Air Bags and Rancho's. It works for me.



Last piece of free advice. Get the powered Jacks! I have the manual ones and even using a cordless drill to operate I wish I would have spent the extra money. I put the jacks down when I am using the camper and I gets old doing it manually.



And PS. One thing that nobody at the camper dealer will tell you and that you need to know is that with a 2500 3/4 ton PU. You will be over the weight rating for you truck with any 8 foot long model or larger. Some on this forum say that makes you at fault in any accident that you are involved in. That was an eye opener for me!!!

 

[wbrown]

Thanks for reply. good advice, bill brown

 

[cosborne]

We love our Northstar. Great materials throughout, fairly light weight, lots of storage. We have the Ext cab but a short box, queen bed, hot water, outside shower, decent size fridge and freezer. We typically take it to Lake Powell pulling our 5500 lb boat and it does great! Pics and links are on my website...

http://www.geocities.com/fourbycor2002/index.html

 

[jmtandem]

slide in camper

Bill,



I don't recommend using the tailgate on the truck with the camper in use. The tailgate becomes an obstacle to negotiate getting in and out of the camper. Some trucks are quite high off the ground and the rear of the tailgate is sufficiently far back to give users difficulty in finding handholds. Something else to consider is the amount of storage space in a pop up is considerably less than in a full size cabover camper. As the top has to be able to compress, interior cabinets are minimal. The trade off is less weight, better driveablility especially in the wind, slightly better fuel mileage, and more of the camping feel. Most pop ups can handle a small boat on a roof rack if that is important to you. I have found pop ups very convenient in not just camping but in motocross racing and bicycle events where riders need to get out of the weather and have a place to rest, eat and change clothes.

 

[jrobinson2]

The stupid tailgate has a hump at the base that holds the camper off the bed if you dont shim up the camper, or maybe I'm to stupid to properly load a 8' camper in a 6' bed



I found these looking for my camper



http://www.alaskancamper.com/akcmpr.htm

http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/

http://www.northstarcampers.com/

http://www.phoenixcampers.com/

http://www.starcraftrv.com/

http://www.sunliteinc.com/



Jared

 

[jmtandem]

jrobinson2,



I have always wondered why there are not more Alaskan campers on the road but one quick peek at the new prices probably provides the answer. I guess if a person wants to get a pop up camper inexpensively, then virtually all the others are a better entry price. If a purchaser is into lots of camping and plans to keep the camper 20 years (longer than the first truck it will be put on will last) then the Alaskan is a good value. I try to divide the nights of use into the price and hope to come out better than a motel would cost. Do the calcs some time and camping with any kind of RV is pretty expensive; a $30,000 truck and all the assorted options and maintenance and the camper and it takes a lot of camping to equal the price of motels even considering the resale value of everything when you sell it. But, camping is camping and motels are motels and they are not the same.

 

[jrobinson2]

I did the same calculations you did(I only load the camper about 4 times a year) and ended up buying a used XR 250 honda ... then a well used sunlight popup and still had enough for a few motel stays 1-3yr old, 1-12yr old, mom and dad are only good for about 2 nights in a row in a 8" camper anyway



Jared

 

[wbrown]

Dear JM and JR - - - those are good thoughts. Maybe I better just buy a utility trailer for my tools and junk and an air mattress for the back of the pickup (I have a cap). That way I can take a nap when on the road and... ... ... ... ... save about $10K. best regards, bill brown

 

[MABurns]

Lance, I have yet to meet somebody that has one that doesn't like it!

 

[jmtandem]

campers

I tend to think the camper works best economically when used at places where there are not motels nearby, like many of the terrific campgrounds along the Pacific coast, and when using it for events like bicycle events and motorcycle racing where a motel is unavailable in the pit area and there is a need to get out of weather and rest but still be at the function. There are times when a motel is not practical even if it is a cheaper option. All things are relative, compared to the investment in some diesel pusher motorhomes (or many of the gas ones, too) any camper is much more economical camping and we can haul toys in trailers behind the truck. I like the fact that campers on trucks only take one parking place, are easy to back up, easy to refuel at gas/diesel stations and at least in Nevada have no registration expenses. I don't like loading/unloading them and for that reason tend to leave it on during the use season.