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[email protected] LoogyPicker@gmail.com is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,892
Default Latest project: A slide in camper for the Nissan

On Jan 23, 1:33*pm, "Calif Bill" wrote:
wrote in message

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On Jan 23, 1:06 pm, "Calif Bill" wrote:





wrote in message


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On Jan 21, 11:17 pm, "Calif Bill" wrote:


"Frogwatch" wrote in message


....


Looked at slide in campers this past weekend and found there is really
nothing available for my Nissan (at least for what I will pay). I
have been looking over the Glen-L site (homebuilt boat and camper
plans and such) and have decided to build the "Importer" because it is
less weight than my payload capacity.
Since well before getting married (since Fall of 1976) have been
camping with my wife in tents. We have gone through three different
tents and I am simply tired of setting it up every time we want to
stay overnight somewhere. I also want a hard sided shelter for areas
with bears, cougars etc. In my younger days, I had run-ins with both
while camping and have the still torn up pack to show for it. Trying
to lie deathly still (sleeping without a tent) while a bear keeps
walking right beside me and then proceeds to tear up a stump by my
head really ruined my sleep one night.
A camper may be like sleeping on our sailboat, yes, its primitive but
is luxurious by comparison to sleeping on the ground in the tent.
Am going to go for simple and basic, not even any cooking stuff aboard
or even running water or toilet (thats what god made trees for). Hope
to finish in just 4 months but am prob wrong. Hopefully, my boat
building experience will be helpful.
Of course this conflicts with many other projects. Cant start till
the dog fence is done. Still working on the Tolman enclosure. Trying
to put Lazy Jacks on the sailboat. Want to sail to the Bahamas. Work
has to fit in there somewhere.


4 Wheel Popup campers are great. I think they make them for your truck,
they make for the Tacoma. Aluminum frame and the top pops up quickly. My
Son in law has one and likes it. Likes my Palominorv Bronco B-800
better,
but is a little bigger and better laid out.
They are selling them outside the state of Calif now. Sacramento Bee
used
to have ads for used ones. Probably Craigslist better
now.http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/


You could probably make one if handy with a mig welder and spool gun.-
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Bill, how hard is it getting those things on and off the truck?


Piece of cake. Has Attwood screw jacks on mine. Use a DeWalt 18V driver to
run them down and up. Biggest problem on mine is getting it out of the
side
yard. I built a cart so I can wheel it around the corner into the side
yard. Used a Ford Fiesta rear axle as the center wheels that support the
1400# and smaller swivel hard wheels for end to support it. Have a large
Alder tree that prevents driving it back to the yard. Just jack up the
unit
and back under the camper and lower it into the bed. Hook up the power
cable from the truck and attached the tie downs. I use Torque Lift tie
downs as they are hidden when not using the camper. Easy enough that I
remove it and use it off the truck in campgrounds if going to stay a few
days.- Hide quoted text -


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Never knew it was that easy. Now I'm looking around! That way you can
tow a real boat as opposed to a tent camper with a jon boat on top!
(which works by the way!)

Is the main reason I use a truck camper. *Do not like the wind resistance or
top heavyness of the Lance campers. *Used to own a 26' motor home and that
would work, but the truck is nicer for my use.- Hide quoted text -

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Yeah, kind of a waste to have a vehicle that's only funtion is to
either sit in the back yard or camping.