55 replies to this topic

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Way to go, Scott!!

:thumb:

[ScottBailey]

Needing the truck's bed to transport material for my [thread=1677]dinette mod[/thread], it was necessary to remove the camper. Removal and rolling back into the garage took, I think, about an hour. 15 minutes of that was attaching the jacks. And, I think, about 30 minutes to lower the camper w/ the cordless drill adapter. And about 30 minutes to cobble together a dolly and push it into the garage.

In the future, I think I could manage the whole thing in about 30 minutes.


I find the reflection of the brake light off the camper and into the cab distracting at night. So before reinstalling the camper, I removed the combination brake/cargo light from the back of the camper. It is electrically connected via a simple connector that is easy to disconnect and will easily reconnect when I next remove the camper. This took less than 5 minutes. Doing this minor mod gave me a satisfying feeling.


Reinstalling the camper took about 1.5 hours BUT included things like washing windows, thoroughly cleaning the truck bed, increasing the size of the wooden bumper (I'm thinking of Mr. Ingall's external [thread=1674]water bladder[/thread]) and generally installing it for the first time.

My son and I--each with a hand crank--raised the camper's floor above 41". The 4x4 F350 has a tall tail. I then backed the truck under the camper. The camper was lowered until it just touched the bed. From there I could single handedly center it by giving the camper the smallest push and then lowering the jack. I then attached the turnbuckles while my son removed the jacks.

This worked well for me. I think I'll manage the reinstall in 30 to 45 minutes in the future. I prefer having 2 people manage the jacks (4 would be even better!). It feels more stable to have 2 corners lower at the same rate than running down a single corner! Especially as high as this camper needs to go!

If I were going to frequently take this thing on and off by myself, I'd want to invest in an electric conversion kit. Pricey, but I suspect both safer and faster.


There are two things I'll do in the future. First, build a heavy duty dolly with the high floor height that allows the camper in my garage. (I'll add some sort of camper tie down to ensure safety.) Second, purchase another drill crank adapter. These two things should speed up the process and generally make it safer.

[ScottBailey]

...and used the ATC as a base camp. Also, most of the hiking gear is stored there, so there wasn't much choice anyway.

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[ScottBailey]

Not really worth it's own thread, but worth documenting. We went to Mesquite CG in the Tonto National Forest. It was a bit chilly, but not too bad. All in all, a great site.

The good: used the digital thermostat, worked well enough; tested the [thread=1677]dinette[/thread], very pleased.

The bad: although the frame is designed for off-road, the turnbuckles and curtains gave me problems! I already have the materials for a curtain upgrade that includes a switch from rods to simple Velcro hanging, just haven't done it, yet. I'll safety wire the turnbuckles, no other realistic option.

Legos rock!


Little camper checking out grasses in the wash:

[chnlisle]

Mini Carhartts.

[ScottBailey]

Mini Carhartts.

From Sportsman's Warehouse. Also a Filson hat:


He hiked 1 mile of 3.

[chnlisle]

Scotty-building character one kid at a time!!!!

Is he the cutest thing or what.

[ScottBailey]

I'd thought this was a good idea, but hadn't felt the need until recently. But [thread=1837]Barko1 posted a pic[/thread] of his installation and that was enough. $24 for Reflectix and tape. Plenty of leftover insulation for windows, too.

Photos as follows:

• All the parts, and a "helper".
• Just one last thing...
• All done!

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[Barko1]

I like that your door opens to the side, my goes up, and down.

[ScottBailey]

I like that your door opens to the side, my goes up, and down.

I count 12 bolts on yours... If you've got a power driver and 10 minutes...? You'll probably need to move the hinges on the door, though...