Slide in camper dos / donts

[CHOP SHOP]

I ended up getting a sweet 1977 8 foot SixPac slide in camper for free.

It fits on my flatbed perfect. Im kinda stoked to say goodbye to tents. :cheer:

Im a camper noob.:booo:

What do I do? what do I not do?

How do I support it properly? while camping unloding it or not? Yada yada yada......

Help a brutha out, Thanks.:beer:

 

[GRW]

I have only had two, so I am a novis but.
#1. It's best to load/unload on flat ground (if not it can get ugly).
#2. Good tie downs
#3. maintain it, or get rid of it now (or it can get $$$)
#4. Loading and unloading is a pain, so leave it loaded unless not in use for a while. That is unless you have a high end jacking system (or you enjoy it)
#5. If you are going to have it, get out and enjoy/use it.

 

[jimijam19K]

I've got a 84 Lance 11.5' self-contained that I got for free so I've been down that road, usually stuff is free for a reason. After about $350 in repairs it's usable. Campers of any age and unknown number of owners are a crap shoot but when they're free you've nothing to lose.

I had to address many small issues on almost every system on the thing plus structural repairs to the cabover section. Alot of RV systems will stop working for simple reasons (kinda like cars) I can't imagine how much money is wasted in the RV black hole for unnecessary repairs.

GRW has already made good points biggest being maintenance. Websearch or get a book/manual that covers your type of systems and follow it. Just like anything else the time spent maintaining anything worth having will pay you back multiple times over.

Happy Camping

 

[Jeepasaurusrex]

Make sure that when you hook 12v up to it from the batterie(s)that you also run a ground wire. If you don't, its easy to fry things such as the water pump etc. The lights will be brighter also.

When its offloaded, NEVER set it on the ground. Always have it at least 12" up.

I picked up a 11' camper a few years ago that had the roof completely replaced with a one piece aluminum top. The guy did a great job, but he put a screw down through the roof into a wire. Almost nothing worked in it. I had to take the ceiling down and troubleshoot the wiring before I found it. The plus side is I had a new ceiling in it and new insulation. :redneck:

 

[ChopTop84]

if you have the room, dump the 12 volt batteries and get 2 6 volt golf cart batteries instead. You still wire it up for 12v (two 6's in series), but you get almost twice the amp/hour rating of two 12v batteries in parallel.

Or just get one of those honda super quiet gensets and let it run a few hours a day to keep your 12v bats charged.

When I camp in the sand at coos bay, I can usually get an entire week out of my batteries, and a 7 gal propane tank, and thats even with running the furnace (although, very sparingly).

Make sure to wire it so your truck bats are separate from your camper bats unless the truck is running. You can make your own combiner from an extra starter relay and wire the big posts to each battery, and the small trigger post to an ignition hot wire. Charges your bats when the truck is running, and separates them when the truck is off.

Plus one on the good ground, especially if you have a good charging wire.

Loading and unloading suck, unless you have electric camper jacks, and even then, its still annoying.

Keep it stored out of the weather if at ALL possible. The caulking they use on the roof to seal everything will last alot longer, and you will have less chance of a leak. Also, when its not going to be used for a long time, open all the cupboards and flip the cushions up and put a small electric dehumidifier in it. West Marine sells one that looks like a giant pancake. Puts out just a little bit of heat, and moves the air around. Makes a big difference.

Learn how to winterize it now, and be prepared to do it in a hurry when you realize in october and they are talking about that first freeze, that you havnt done it yet. Couple jugs of pink RV antifreeze in all the sink drains, down the toilet, and either air pressure your sink lines clear, or pour more pink into your drinking tank and run the sinks until the water tastes sweet. Then leave the faucets all open, and the pump off. (The pink stuff is non toxic, but your still not supposed to drink it. Flush your system in the spring).

 

[Jeepasaurusrex]

I also cleaned the roof of mine really good, then applied a nice thick coat of "Snow Cote" roofing. It made a huge difference in heat retention, no leaks, and sound when it rained. :corn:

 

[k2blazen]

some pics ur always wheeling never camping ,I dont camp either half ta be compterble:beer:

 

[ain'tstuckjustresting]

Just set it on a spool or some heavy sawhorses when it's off the truck so it's stable. You have so many trees around I'd tarp the bitch so it doesn't turn green sitting in your driveway.

 

[zukkev]

I'll post a couple pics of the saw horses I built from old Ferry railing...I only have to raise the camper high enough to slide the horses out; back the truck under (pretty easy once the system is down.); good tiedowns; make sure you protect it when not in use...I always disconnect the battery neg when not in use (trickle charge it once a month or so...);
Post up a couple shots of the new home!!!

 

[Jeepasaurusrex]

I used six 8' 4x4s and four 4' 4x4s stacked like a log cabin to create cribbing under mine. Worked well. :corn:

 

[TreeClimber]

Don't drive a camper thru a bank drive-in (or fast food drive-thru)
Don't forget to secure the camper jacks in the UP position, prior to driving.
Don't forget to dead bolt the door, prior to going elk hunting, lest the door accidentally spring open on the Colockum road, and your good hunting boots fall out.

Do buy an auxilary battery, and keep it charged.
Do keep it tarped in the winter.
Do reseal the top periodically.
Do check for dry-rot, prior to purchase.
Do drain all water prior to winter storage.

If you're carrying on a Superduty PU, make sure to get a spacer underneath most campers. Most pre-superduty campers will not fit onto a ford without hitting the top of the cab. I built a spacer with 2x4s and a sheet of plywood to artifically raise the camper.

 

[cisco]

If it has a toilet, don't wait, or be afraid to poop in it

 

[ChrisStewart]

not to highjack, but it's kind of on the same topic. When looking to buy a cheap older camper what are some things you just can't look past? I am trying to find a good deal like chop shop but I have seen tons on CL for 500 or so. Next question is with a 8' slide in do you still have to use the same tie down attachments as you would for a 10 or 11 footer?

 

[Jeepasaurusrex]

Yes. They are all basically the same. I do not like the type of tie downs that hook over the edge of the box. I prefer the Torqlift style mounted to the frame. I have used the ones that bolt to the front of the box with great success.

 

[ain'tstuckjustresting]

I had a 8' camper and used turnbuckles on all 4 corners down to the loops in the bed of my Chevy. Drove all the way to Cheyenne and back in some serious wind and never had an issue. Didn't realize the roof vent was cracked untill a huge thunderstorm hit us in Colorado Springs while we were sleeping.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

Mine sits on the flatbed and the turnbuckles are exactly over my stake pockets.

How tight do they need to be? I dont want to pull the sides of the down.:redneck:

 

[gasman1]

They only need to be snug.

Happy Jacks sells a a turn buckle style tahthas a spring in it to help obsorbe the shock of teh road.

If you tighten them to much and the camper hops, it could pull the side of the camper off or out

 

[gasman1]

And when cleaning ypur water talks forthe season. Use Bleach, itis cheaper and better then the stuf you get at the RV shops.

A cup of bleach in the water tank, fill up the tank, run the water through the system to clean all the pipes and drain. Refill run fresh waster through the system, and repeat as many times as needed to get rid of the bleach taste. Normally 2-3 tanks of fresh water will do it.

Always use chemicals in the toilet to controll the odor from the holding tank. I have a bottle of Orange stuff i use and it has been with me 6 years now. Only need a cap full after you clean teh tanks to keep it fesh.

When going on long trips, carry a small gaden hose with you to fill fresh water tanks. I leave my tank empty and fill it when i get to where i am going, it reduces the weight of the camper. 36 gallons of fresh water is a lot of weight.

Buy insurance for it, even if it sits on you truck. Insurane is cheap through most insurance company's but replacing or repairing one is not.

 

[zukkev]

Don't drive a camper thru a bank drive-in (or fast food drive-thru)
Don't forget to secure the camper jacks in the UP position, prior to driving.
Don't forget to dead bolt the door, prior to going elk hunting, lest the door accidentally spring open on the Colockum road, and your good hunting boots fall out.

Do buy an auxilary battery, and keep it charged.
Do keep it tarped in the winter.
Do reseal the top periodically.
Do check for dry-rot, prior to purchase.
Do drain all water prior to winter storage.

If you're carrying on a Superduty PU, make sure to get a spacer underneath most campers. Most pre-superduty campers will not fit onto a ford without hitting the top of the cab. I built a spacer with 2x4s and a sheet of plywood to artifically raise the camper.

Sounds like you have a little camper experience!!!:redneck:

Pardon the yota!:haha: But you can see the horses under the camper...stout, and minimal jacking required to get it into the truck...:awesomework:

 

[Binder]

Here's a question for you guys.......I'm thinking about buying a camper. Would you buy one with a toilet and or shower? What about a outside shower? How big of a deal is it to empty the tanks? What's it typically cost? Could I just go to a RV place and pay to dump there?