Re: RC: Slide In Campers

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

Kathy...

I have had both.  Had a state-of-the art Lance pickup camper, with all
the amenities. After a year of competing, I hated it.  Finally sold it
and went back to a gooseneck with a large dressing/sleeping room up
front.  Here's what I found out...

1.  The bed camper is NICE...and very comfortable. Installed properly,
and mine was, it rides well, even with a 3 horse bumper pull behind. 
You WILL need wider/larger mirrors.

2.  You MUST have a level place to take it off...just not practical at a
ride....and the jack bases will sink into even medium soft
ground.....and it's tough to get on and off without help to guide you.
If you back into one of those support jacks, you can knock the camper
over....catastrophic.  It's also susceptible to getting blown over by
the wind sitting on the jacks. I lowered mine onto a platform after
taking it off. If you ARE gonna take it off, consider electric jacks.

3.  You can't get into tight places to crew with it, and even if you do,
it makes a mess to haul hay, water, etc. and all the other junk you need
to crew inside the living area...just makes a huge mess to clean up when
you get back. If you decide to do this, pick up one of the "carryalls"
that fit into a receiver hitch to take with you.

4.  If you have an awning and other stuff, you have to "pack up" plus
secure all the pots and pans and stuff inside in order to crew or run
errands.

5.  I had to take the camper off every time I wanted to use the truck
for hay, lumber, etc....then put it back on for the ride.....a pain and
time consuming.

In summary, if you can leave the camper on the truck, and have another
vehicle going with you to crew, you will probably like it.  Not having 4
wheel drive is another negative. Unless you buying just a simple pop-up,
a full size camper is HEAVY....easy to sink slowly into a soft
field...and hard to get out. Been there and done that.

My recommendation? Update your living quarters in the gooseneck.  Best
of both worlds.

No way I would do that again....learned the hard way.

Jim, Sun of Dimanche, and Mahada Magic

guest@endurance.net wrote:
> 
> Kathy Adams Kathy.Adams@na.biomerieux.com
> I am contemplating switching from a 3 horse gooseneck with a bed and
> propane heater (no extra amenities), to a 3 horse bumper pull with
> dressing room and getting a slide in camper for my truck. I have a 97
> standard bed Ford 250 2 wheel drive. I can't afford a bigger truck, but
> was looking at trying to up grade my sleeping quarters with the slide-in
> camper for my truck bed. I was told to avoid any camper that hangs over
> the bumper, as this can lead to needing extended hitches and stabilizers.
> What do you do when at camp for a vehicle if needed? What if the Vet
> chaeck is away from basecamp? Do you haul your stuff like water etc. in
> the camper? Do people like the "soft side" slide in campers that pop up?
> Where do you store them in winter? Are they a hassle to put in and out of
> the truck? It's usually just me and my daughter camping. Pros? Cons?
> Thanks in advance.
> 
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-- 
Richard T. "Jim" Holland
Three Creeks Farm
175 Hells Hollow Drive
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
(706) 258-2830
FAX (706) 632-1271