Commuting

[Quint]

I want to keep my camper on my truck full time. I getting my camper next month and want to hear from some of you who keep it on full time. I plan on using my truck (a Nissan Frontier) for daily driving to work, etc. and then for camping. My question is how does it work for a daily driver? Is it inconvienent? Also, how bad is the wind noise and what would you estimate you lose in gas mileage (3 mpg or so)? Thanks in advance.

 

[surfib]

That is pretty hard core, not only do you have to think about gas mileage and handling, but also planning ahead for certain things such as underground parking structures and available parking spaces. Granted these are small lower profile rigs, but they still add some hieght. I have a 4x4 tahoe that isn't lifted and I barely fit into some parking structures with the yakima roof rack on there. My camper rig, a 4x4 92 F250 won't fit anywhere w/ 4in of lift and an older keystone camper.

It will also put a little more wear and tear on the vehicle due to the added wieght. You can do it, it just may cost you more in maintenance, time, etc...

 

[craig333]

Mine stays on permanently. Not a problem at all as far as weight. I can't hardly tell its there. Fits in all drive thru's. Fits in some parking garages. The only problem I've run across is with my new job, I can't use the parking garage where I work.

 

[erod]

i keep mine on all the time. wouldn't if i had some place to put it but i don't have a garage so it stays on the truck. not a big deal, actually pretty cool, i leave all my camp gear in there and if i ever want to crash somewhere instead of driving...after a few beers etc. i am all set. probably hurts the mpg's a bit but whatever, plus i like to look at the camper when i am working...keeps me motivated!

 

[craig333]

I should probably charge FWC an advertising fee
I've lost count of how many times someone as asked about it and I've popped the top just to show how easy it is. Helps keep me movtivated too.

 

[Brian]

Same here...I have mine on a dedicated truck. It is inconvenient for carrying stuff of course but up until a few weeks ago, I had a 1986 4wd Toyota truck for my runabout. Time will tell as far as how well it will work out as my primary four wheeled vehicle. I am retired so do not commute. I also use a Honda CT90 trail bike for my running around our little town and I have a Honda Goldwing/Ural sidecar rig in which I can haul an amazing amount of stuff if I need to. I would far prefer to ride a moto than drive anything so maybe I can't be used as an example.
We have been cutting back on my vehicle fleet due to cost, but still have the Mazda/FWC and my wife's Subaru for going to the big city (140 miles away).
Happy trails,
Brian

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Wind Farings / Better Gas Mileage / Dailer Driver Set Up

after I started working here at FWC in Feb. 02', I started my search for a bigger truck and a used four wheel pop-up camper

we have 2 small kids, so the old standard cab truck we had at the time was going to have to go bye bye

working on a budget, I found an old 87' F-150 Ext. Cab, Long Bed (8.0') and the same week was lucky enough to find a 1992 / 1993 Grandby (really basic model)

I left the camper on that truck for the first 7 months (daily driver)

It worked great -- the truck had the same basic stock tires, nothing special, and the stock suspension. I didn't have to add helper springs. I think the old trucks were heavier duty back in the good ol' days

I was probaly loosing 1 or 2 miles to the gallon, but not much difference on the old truck. It was only getting 10 miles to the gallon (more or less), so no big deal when it is that bad

I talked to an older couple a few years ago that has a 1989 Toyota truck (standard cab, long bed, 4 cyc. engine). They bought that truck new in 89' and bought a new 1989 Ranger Model to put on the truck the same year. The camper was bolted to the bed (4 bolts, no turn buckles) and never came off their truck over the 15 year period. When they sold it approx. 2003/2004, the truck & camper had 179,000 miles on it, still going strong.

I'm not sure how the old trucks we built or geared back then, but the new trucks sure have alot more horsepower. This should work in your favor ?

I would think that with a set of helper springs / over-load springs your truck would do well as a dailer driver with the camper on it.

Since gas prices are high and you are always going to have the camper on the truck, you might want to condier adding a small wind faring to the roof of your truck. A few customers have mentioned that this really made a good difference on the gas mileage (also looks good too).

Sampic Pics Attached

Happy Camping !


.

 

[erod]

stan, wow, i have been wondering about those fairings for a while now, as i have about the yakima rack as well. looks like the yakima one doesn't even go over the top of the camper...still helps? what about the others? custom? the look a bit bulky...any idea what kind of improvement one sees in mpg's? also looks like you need another 2 towers, mounts and bars...that gotta be some $$$ to get that fairing set up...what do you think, is it worth it? thanks for the pics!

 

[Ted]

Daily commuter

Quint,

We have a 2000 Tundra with a loaded '03 Hawk. We keep it stocked with food and equipment so we can roll on a whim. So we are probably close to 1000 lbs on any given day. This is also my daily commute vehicle. The mileage is significantly lower, from 17 mpg on city streets to about 12, but my commute is only 14 miles round trip so it isn't a problem. Also, the campers did not fit the 2000 Tundras well because of the shallow bed depth. The drop in mileage may not be as significant on other vehicles.

It probably will come down to how often you go camping. We try to go once or twice a month. At that rate, it is more of a hassle to remove the camper than commute with it.

Ted

 

[erod]

Ted, got any pics of your rig? what kind of stuff do you keep in there fulltime? canned and dry food i am assuming.

 

[CLynn85]

I just returned from an 8000 mile trek with my FWC on my truck. I took a huge hit on gas mileage when traveling into the wind. I went from getting 18-22mpg combined to 13-16mpg. I did fare a bit better coming back east with a bit of a tail wind but my average was still in the 15-16mpg range. Needless to say the day after coming home the camper is back in the barn...

With the air-lift air bags, the overall drivablity of the truck wasn't affected much, so that wouldn't factor in too much. I also value my truck's bed, it was afterall the primary reason for buying another truck, so a permanent camper kind of mitigates this...

Additionally, I work at a naval base and frequently travel to other military institutions, and I figured the hassle of getting on base with the camper was just not worth it as well.

 

[Ted]

stocked camper

Erod,

We keep sleeping bags and pillows, all cookware, kitchen items like plates, silverware, oil, foil, bbq and charcoal, etc., tarps and ropes, sunblock, mosquito spray, towels, flashlights, and, yes, canned and dry food. When we take off for a weekend, all we need to do is add water, set up the porta-potti, and pick up fresh stuff on the way out.

Don't have any interior shots but you can see our set-up on my Death Valley trip report - http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317

Ted

 

[John D]

Y’all who have those little trucks, good gas mileage, easy to park, I would definitely consider keeping my camper on full time. Might be an opportunity for a nooner. There are other serious advantages too, including but not limited to the following;

One of my camping buddies has a beautiful 12 year old Coach House RV, gorgeous cabinet work inside. He wants a different engine. This would be no problem if he had a truck camper because a pickup holds its value so well. They can be traded with little loss of money. On the other hand, my buddy’s Coach House has poor resale value even though it is like new.

 

[erod]

thanks ted, appreciate the reply. great set up by the way, i missed your death valley post previously. i think were headed there this fall so i;ll have to take a closer look. cheers!