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.

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:54:45 -0800 (PST), Frogwatch
wrote:

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.

Can't you get a cap for the bed? That's what I put on my '66 Ford
F-100, and we camped in the bed. Only two babies then, and plenty of
room. After wasting time looking at used stuff, I drove down to the
cap company in Indiana and they laid some caulk down and screw-gunned
the cap right down. Can't remember the company name. It was an
aluminum cap, side jalousie windows, flush with the cab top.
Maybe you're too old to walk bent over in there.
Couple hundred bucks and it never leaked or had a hardware issue for
the 6-7 years I had it.
Was in a campground in Iowa or Nebraska on the way to Yellowstone
one night when a Porsche with a young couple pulled in to the spot
next to us. We were face to a stiff wind and had the back open, as we
normally had it. Just relaxing before sleep time.
Watched them put up a small tent and go inside. Fast.
I was a bit jealous. Hot car and a hot lady. Traveling light.
About 5 minutes later the wind roared and the skies opened.
Tent went flat. They untangled themselves and got soaked putting it
back up. Went down again a few minutes later, and they repeated.
About half hour later it was dark and the Porsche doors shutting woke
me up.
Tent was flat and they were in that little car, where they slept
sitting up until about dawn. Sad sight. They picked up the tent just
before dawn and pulled out, hopefully to a motel to get some decent
sleep and sex.
Most that weather did to the F-100 was rock it a bit.
Later when I had more kids we used a 9' 12' two-room tent when
camping. Always took close to half an hour to put the thing up, but
it never failed. Did break a lot of stakes getting it tied to hard
ground though.

--Vic

"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.

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.

Will prob get the cap very soon. I had one for my old Nissan and used
it to haul all my boat junk around. I'd hate to sleep in it though.
Tents have been very good to me and since 1976 have not gotten wet in
one. My wife and I estimate we used our Eureka Timberline tent
roughly 400 times once for 90 days straight. When kids came along we
went to a 4 person Eureka and now to an 8 person Eureka. With only
one child left camping with us we wil go back to either a small tent
or a camper.

On Jan 22, 12:42*am, Frogwatch wrote:
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.

Will prob get the cap very soon. *I had one for my old Nissan and used
it to haul all my boat junk around. *I'd hate to sleep in it though.
Tents have been very good to me and since 1976 have not gotten wet in
one. *My wife and I estimate we used our Eureka Timberline tent
roughly 400 times once for 90 days straight. *When kids came along we
went to a 4 person Eureka and now to an 8 person Eureka. *With only
one child left camping with us we wil go back to either a small tent
or a camper.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I like camping in a tent. With the air mattresses they have now, it's
great!

On Jan 22, 3:06 pm, wrote:
On Jan 22, 12:42 am, Frogwatch wrote:



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.

Will prob get the cap very soon. I had one for my old Nissan and used
it to haul all my boat junk around. I'd hate to sleep in it though.
Tents have been very good to me and since 1976 have not gotten wet in
one. My wife and I estimate we used our Eureka Timberline tent
roughly 400 times once for 90 days straight. When kids came along we
went to a 4 person Eureka and now to an 8 person Eureka. With only
one child left camping with us we wil go back to either a small tent
or a camper.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I like camping in a tent. With the air mattresses they have now, it's
great!

Its funny but my 12 yr old daughter ndoes not want running water in
the camper cuz that wouldnt b e her idea of roughing it. I justb dont
want the bother of it.

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.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Bill, how hard is it getting those things on and off the truck?

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

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





wrote in message

...
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.-
Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

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 -

- Show quoted text -

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 -

- Show quoted text -

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

wrote in message
...


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

I agree with that. But someone else living here thinks otherwise.

Eisboch

On Jan 23, 2:35*pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
wrote in message

...

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

I agree with that. *But someone else living here thinks otherwise.

Eisboch

hehe!