moving camper with roof up

[dennis 221]

how far can a person move their truck safely with the camper top up??? should 50 feet on relatively smooth ground be safe??

 

[larryqp]

If it is an FWC, you won't have any problems. I forgot to latch my front latches and drove 70mph for 50 miles. When I got out of the truck the top was up. There was no damage. I wouldn't recommend it but moving 50 feet in an FWC shouldn't be a problem. We have move from one campsite to another with the top up. I think thee are similar stories in the forum

 

[Jon&Sue_DeArman]

The only problem with moving a FWC with the roof popped up is watching for trees and other Obstacles as you are driving.

 

[teledork]

I've moved my FWC maybe 1/4 mile on purpose with no trouble beyond driving slow and watching for low hanging branches. I've also moved the camper more than a mile at speeds up to about 35 mph with no trouble but that was not on purpose.

 

[Kolockum]

If it is an FWC, you won't have any problems. I forgot to latch my front latches and drove 70mph for 50 miles. When I got out of the truck the top was up. There was no damage. I wouldn't recommend it but moving 50 feet in an FWC shouldn't be a problem. We have move from one campsite to another with the top up. I think thee are similar stories in the forum

I cant confirm or deny that I have similar high speed stories...

I do move my truck from campsite to camp site with the top up. Just remember to put everything on the counter away.

 

[dennis 221]

thanks!

 

[craig333]

We really need to sticky this topic. http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/7398-done-something-really-stupid/?hl=+stupid%20+things

 

[K6ON]

I have this friend, yeah..a friend, that drove 150 miles in Canada with the roof up. He reports no damage..

 

[Kolockum]

I have this friend, yeah..a friend, that drove 150 miles in Canada with the roof up. He reports no damage..

Ya got to love those friends. They do all the stupid things so you don't have to.

 

[K6ON]

Ya got to love those friends. They do all the stupid things so you don't have to.

Yep, I'd hate to be that stupid..

 

[Vic Harder]

I have this friend, yeah..a friend, that drove 150 miles in Canada with the roof up. He reports no damage..

Are we friends? Don't believe we've met?

 

[outdoornate65]

Reading the replies makes me feel better about my bonehead move this week.

We had the aft end of the top up on our Granby at home doing a couple things in the camper.
My GF put the top down and latched the two latches on the rear of the top but forgot about the four up front.

I got to work (5 short miles) and noticed the the front had popped-up. After cleaning up the poop in my britches, a quick inspection showed not damage.

Lesson learned.... I will ALWAYS do a pre-flight walkaround in the future.

 

[PaulT]

Last thing to do before driving off is to see if I can still count to 6 while looking up.

Paul

 

[Machinebuilder]

after something like this happened to me , I bought a bright pink dogleash to snap on the front drivers side latch and hang over my windshield.

I need obvious visual clues..............and not to be distracted

 

[Old Crow]

Perhaps some would consider it overkill but I'm still doing this..... Hitch clips and pill bottle with pre-departure checklist

I pull the hitch clips as I unlatch to raise the roof, put the clips in the pill bottle and leave it on the driver's seat. At departure, the pill bottle on the seat reminds me to both put the clips back on and read the pre-departure checklist.

Since that post I've added another item to the checklist-- "Which batteries need charging?" That's my reminder to think through which small batteries I need to charge while driving today-- phones, cameras, Inreach, GPS, tac-light, radios, headlamps, power banks, etc.
.

 

[Lighthawk]

From our Christmas Trip to DV:
We had camped the night before at 4,000' and woke up to half a foot of snow. We were headed over South Pass, 7593' with only a faint set of tracks from one vehicle to follow. For the first time in my life, I chained up in four wheel drive.

We drove slowly, sometimes getting sucked into a rut, but always moving forward, and suddenly there was the junction with Hunter Mountain. I got out to take a look around, and realized we had the top deployed the whole time. I'm glad I didn't meet any other travelers coming the other way! How embarrassing.

 

[craig333]

Distraction is the key. Last time I missed a latch was when I put the top down while it was raining.

 

[OutToLunch]

Okay, i take the stupid award here. Last summer, the day before i left for a camping trip to New Mexico, I popped the top, cleaned the inside, and stocked up the camper. Next morning, i get up at five, make coffee, load the dog and take off down interstate 40. I stop at Two Guns to walk the dog and check out the ruins as i do every trip east on 40. After spending twenty minutes walking around, i start back to the truck and only then did i notice that the camper was still up. I drove over forty miles at 65 mph or so with my ATC Ocelot camper up. As far as i can tell, there was no damage and i have used it monthly since then.

Do i get the stupid award?

 

[Living The Dream]

I have also driven a few hundred feet with the top up to move sites or parking spot. No issues here.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

<snip>

Do i get the stupid award?

Nope, not at all.

BTW, that confirms the ATC “Built to Survive” motto.