Congratulations on the purchase of your truck camper! I paid $5300 for my 2000 Lance Lite 825. It is larger and does have a wet bath, however I imagine the unit specific to fitting on your truck is much rarer and harder to find. I use a Mr. Buddy heater instead of my furnace as it will deplete your propane tank really fast. Using your main propane tank for just the fridge and stove will make it last quite a while. I don't have A/C, but I do have a Fantastic fan. I try to follow the cooler climates and haven't really missed having an A/C in the over year I've been on the road full time. I chose my rig set-up for the same reasons you did. I think you'll be very happy you made that choice. I have no regrets. Cheers to your new adventures!
This is exactly the kind of advice I need, thanks Catherine! Do you find that you use your wet bath often? I just looked at your channel, It looks like you have some great content, I'm delving in now haha.
Backcountry Banter thanks for checking out my channel. Yes...I use the toilet daily when I’m not in the backcountry and I just took a shower this morning. For me, the bathroom was important and a must have. I know that’s not the case for everyone. Feel free to shoot me any more questions you may have.
Nice little pop-up camper, I would think twice about using a little buddy heater to heat it and stick with the furnace it came with, The stock furnace has an exhaust that goes to the outside of the camper, the little buddy heater will cause significant condensation inside that camper. And that's what you don't want mold on that vinyl pop up.
Great idea....don't beat yourself up about the price...I'm in Portland, OR and these campers of any style (for your size truck) are hard to find that are not totally trashed. Something to think about ( once you've got a solar system) you could take out the gas burner (make it into a work/storage area) and get an instant pot....lots of videos show its benefits and have a one/two burner camp stove powered by those green bottles, on a picnic table when needed. Also have some solar panels that aren't mounted on your rig....remember the mounted on your rig means it will have to be in the sun....heating your rig. Non mounted ones can be in the sun and your rig "could" be in the shade if possible. Cheers!
Great tips, thanks Brian. Maybe I can devise some sort of removable mount for the panels. I'm a huge fan of the instant pot at home, I'd love to have instant pot on the road. It seems like it'd be super efficient, but I'm wondering how big of a draw it has.
I just bought that exact same sunlite but 2004. We are currently renovating it as it was in much worse condition that yours. Whoever renovated yours did a really good job because that is definitely not what that camper looked like before. Awesome video as well!
3 years ago i bought a 98 jeep wrangler but thinking back on it i would have bought a 70s style hippie van that was all fixed up. just for this kind of camping and hauling my Kayak. i think you got a deal knowing what the price is new. this series is going too be cool looking forward too it. stay safe and have fun with it.
I used my Mr Buddy heater once in over a year. For safety reasons I wouldn’t keep it running while asleep and besides, it would get too hot. I turned it on just before bed to warm up the van. I stood outside while it ran with the door open and watched it like a hawk even though it is supposed to shut off if it tipped over. It is awkwardly shaped to store. I personally would keep the porta potty as there are many places where it’s not practical or allowed to bury waste. You can separate the liquids and dispose of it in rest rooms or where allowed. The bags with solids can be disposed of in trash receptacles. It’s no different than diapers being disposed, less the diapers. If I’m in an area where I’ll be out for several days, I stored the bags in a plastic bin. I used chlorox to freshen and clean the bin. There may be others who have better ideas. That’s only what I have done when boondocking for several days. For solar, I use a briefcase rather than mounted on the roof. That way my van can be parked in shade with the solar out in the sun. You can reach me through Facebook if you have any questions on anything. I’ll do everything I can to help you.
Thanks so much! I may do that as I get further into the renovation. Thanks for the tips too. I think that is a great idea about solar, makes a lot of sense. I'm now leaning away from the Mr. Buddy idea and looking into the Olympic Wave propane heaters as a compact option that can run off a refillable tank.
Congrats 👏 I think truck bed liner paint would work great on front of the camper, it's virtually bullet proof. Also consider getting a jackery 1000 power station to go with solar panel and you can recharge it while driving. Leave Jack's on you may need it if you take your truck to mechanic etc... Change a tire etc..
DUDE! Stoked to see this build and your adventures with it! Also, the almighty algorythm suggested Elsa & Baron to me months ago, and I quickly binged all their videos. She's got an amazing eye and a very cinematic touch to her editing, on top of being very chill.
I'm so excited for you two! I'm looking forward to this series to see how this works out. I'd love a camper or a van, but for now I'm going to have to be happy with camping in the back of my Subaru, LOL! Also, I stumbled upon Catherine Gregory on You Tube. I watched several of her videos and she also talked about how a 4x4 was better for getting up to places that a van or other vehicle would not be able to reach. That definitely made me re-think vanlife.
At least the Subaru will be efficient on gas! I've seen some cool Subaru setups where people build a little sleep area and storage system out of light plywood.
So excited about this! We are actually looking right now for a pop upand know we will be doing a few things to it once we find one. Can't wait to see you out using this on many adventures to come.
Joe, I just recently purchased a new truck camper. The Dealer put a on a couple of pieces to help the suspension. Torklift and Timbren suspension kits. Check those two companies out. may be little cheaper than air bags. I know Timbren has it for Toyota.
Backcountry Banter You’re welcome. I bought a Wolf Creek 850 by Northwood. Have it on a F250. I’ve had it out a lot as of late. It’s the most universal camper I have ever own. A great comb for boondocking.
I'm excited for your upcoming adventures! While it may not be the year to get a deal on campers, trailers and vans , that camper does seem to have a lot of features. Thanks for the tour! Mr. Clean erasers are great ☺️
Very Cool. Actually going to start a Ram Promaster Van conversion. Love the camper. I'd get rid of the A/C and put a MaxxFan or Fantastic Fan. (More room for solar panel and less draw) I would also consider getting a Tacoma cab cargo box for your items you don't use all the time. Thule makes a good one but a bit pricey. There are much less expensive ones out there. I'll be busy with my own conversion but will be watching yours. Good luck.
Nice, the Promasters are great! I'm excited to see how yours turns out. I think I'm sold on swapping the AC for a fan. Hopefully selling the AC will offset the cost. I haven't looked into cab boxes yet but may eventually. I'm hoping we can get by with the storage we have, but only time will tell. Good luck on the build.
Looks pretty awesome. I would say storage needs some attention - maybe an organizer for camping gear in the cab of the truck? Also, I wouldn’t give up the propane for the fridge and the cook top. I haven’t looked into solar systems recently, but you may find you’ll have stretches where you won’t have enough juice, especially to run the fridge which has to run 24 hrs a day. The propane fridges just work, having lived with them for a while. When you’re boondocking it’s good to have options. Does the camper have an electrical hookup to the truck towing system? There’s an auxiliary pin in the connector which can provide 12 volt power to keep the camper house battery topped off when you’re on the road, which is really convenient. Most camping trailers do this, but I don’t have experience with truck campers. Finally, I’d think about additional fresh water storage if you’re planning any long stretches in the desert. Maybe a tray for the truck hitch if it will fit? Looking forward to seeing what you do with it!
This looks like a great set up. I think that one of the main reasons that I am not interested in van life over other mobile lifestyles is because the gas mileage and low clearance always is just killer.
The little buddy heaters running on a single 1 lb. tank will only give you about 4 hours on low. It'll heat your area up fairly well, but long term, a portion of your heat will escape through the canvas. Nice rig though. Will be interested to follow along on the new adventures! Cheers! DonP
I used to have a Scamp 13', but hauling a trailer is always a PITA. It also rides very close to the ground so going on any sort of unimproved road wouldn't be possible. I think you made a good choice!
Awesome project! I love the mobility options that gives you. I wonder if you could still use a trailer hitch bike rack or basket for additional storage or a couple mountain bikes. The price does seem steep - we found a 24’ trailer camper for $500 but it needs a massive amount of work due to water damage. Getting it home with a Ford Ranger was super sketchy! 😅 It was intended to be a guest room / getaway spot set up semi-permanently, though.
I've looked at some hitch baskets and I think it'd be a good idea. It'd be really nice to have bikes and maybe the basket could function as a little step up / front porch for the camper. $500, nice! That's a steal.
Looks good. Will be fun to camp in but not large enough to live in. Thanks for sharing your pictures. Wish you the best on your adventures. Love.......NaN
Hi! I’m about to get this same camper! Can’t wait! Can you close your tailgate with the camper on it? Thanks! I look forward to watching the rest of your series!
There is a door replacement window on Amazon for that has a tinted window, black frame and a sunshade that slides up and down. It is called AP products Slim Shade. I put it in my RV and we love it. It adds privacy and lets you look out at night without someone seeing in.
Renogy 100w flex panels on the roof probably fit 300-400 watts. Two deep cycle batteries from autozone. One renogy solar controller A couple Anderson plugs, and a battery doctor to run your truck battery back to the camper ( secondary charging of camp batteries). Autozone or discount auto can make you 2 ga leads to run to camper batteries if you aren’t comfortable diy the cables. A few mc4 connectors and some mc4 inline fuses for the panels. A 100a circuit breaker and your in business. Pretty plug and play. Cost around 1k for the setup. ( panels around 170. Batteries around 110. Batt doc around 75. Cables Anderson plugs and misc fittings take up the rest. 3-4 panels probably better to wire in parallel 2 panels are fine in series. Hope this helps, safe travels. Oh. If you aren’t aware the expedition portal forum will have lots of help available and you didn’t overpay for the camper
Oh wow, lots of good info here. Thanks! I was just trying to find something like the Battery Doctor but wasn't sure what it is called (Turns out it's called an Isolator.) Perfect, I like that the Battery Doctor allows you to override and start your car from the second battery. I'll check out the forum, I hadn't heard of it. 👍
If it was me I’d add the fan and keep the ac. I have a t@g outback which has both. In humid places I want to have ac. The fan is needed to help with condensation especially at higher elevations and colder temperatures. I had a fantastic fan but upgraded to the max fan deluxe fan. The max fan can be used in the rain, fantastic fan requires a cover of you want to use it in the rain. Which they are big and will probably increase your drag.
Great advice all around, Thanks! My only concern with the AC is that 9 times out of 10 we won't be able to run it because we won't be plugged in. Ditching it would save a decent amount of weight and drag. But like you mentioned it'll be pretty rough in hot/humid conditions. I looked at the specs and the AC roof hole would fit a fan perfectly. Sounds like Max fan is the way to go then.
I buy and sell truck camper all the time to remodel and sell. The price is really determined by demand. If it serves your purpose and your happy with it you paid just enough. Although I will say I just recently purchase a truck pop up bigger and in better shape for just 350.00 but I caught it at the right time and it don't happen much. I look forward to watching your remodel.
Mr buddy heater creates a lot of condensation. I winter camp with my pop up and the furnace is perfect. It surprisingly doesn't use a lot of power either. I was able to run it for 40 hours on a 60 amp battery before it drained. If you have solar it probably won't ever drain the battery.
Does the door for the camper have a place to have a screen door? I don't think I've ever seen a camper that just has a full door like that. It would probably help air flow a lot to add one. Congrats on your new purchase, can't wait to see your renovations!
Thanks! The door does have little swivel brackets to mount a screen door on. It appears that the camper had one at some point but I guess the previous owner removed it. I agree, I think a screen door will be essential. That's one of many items on my to-do list haha.
My comments may be premature as I have not had the chance to watch the video (slow internet.) I own a truck camper, my second one. It's a wolf creek model (hard side.) I have it on a 2016 f250 super duty ford truck. I am using air bags on the rear suspension and have had no problems after about 15,000 miles of use. Also use a 100 watt solar panel with 2 AGM battlers. I do not have air conditioning or a microwave. As I mostly boonedock and would need electric hookup to run them. May I suggest Truck Camper ,magazine. It is a free on line magazine all about truck campers. Look forward to hearing all about your new venture.
Thanks Doris! It's comforting to hear that you boondock without AC as that's what I expect we'll be doing 99% of the time. Good to know that airbags have worked well for you too! I'll check out the truck camper magazine, I hadn't heard about it. Have the 2 AGMs been enough for your power needs?
Yes, 2 batteries work fine. However, the biggest draw on power is from the water pump and furnace. I have all LED lighting. My fridge is gas or electric.
Those truck campers new run 7 or 8 I believe so I think you did alright. Definitely not for me I’ve decided. I had visions of gettin a pickup to do side work with and then being able to afford one of these, but then life challenges happened. For a long time and continues, that I decided the only camping i want to do is quiet backcountry camping. I can’t wait for the continuation of your flip flop! Or is that on hold for a couple years? I imagine traveling like that for a long time could maybe get tough after a while. You guys are great together and I can’t wait for whatever adventures you have planned!!😊
Thanks! I'm hoping we can finish the hike next year, but who knows. In the mean time we have plans for many new adventures. I hope you can overcome your challenges, whatever they may be. Nothing wrong with backcountry camping, that's what I'm used to. Truck camping will be a whole new experience for me haha.
yep cool i got a palomino 550 im in texas i took r5 insulation sheets cut them to fit in the slide up parts in sections in 5 mins its double insulated and the a /c dont work so hard when its 109 that helps a bunch and put soft start on the a/c
Dude. I do follow you. I would call you by name but I don’t know it. I have almost the same camper. It is a 2002 and slightly larger. There are a couple of things I need to ask and tell you. First you will need a way to level the camper and I use the jacks. So if you remove them you will need another way. Leveling is important for the frig and AC. (Refrigerant). Also try not to run your AC on a 15 or 20 amp circuit. You really need a 30 amp circuit. You could burn up the AC motor/compressor. Where is the back up battery? Do you have one. If you do have a place for one, you could make some electrical adaptions and add a 12 V car battery to run lights and frig. The truck hook up will recharge it. Anyway I could give you more tips. I live in NC also- low lands towards the beach. Perhaps we could meet up some time and compare rigs. Reply if you have questions. I am happy to impart any tips that will help.
Good to know about the AC. I'm planning on using those little ramps you can drive up on to level the camper. Not ideal, but hopefully they'll get us level enough. This camper never had a backup battery as far as I can tell, my plan is to install 2 to be used with a future solar system and/or alternator power. Thanks for offering help, I'll take any tips you have as I am brand new to this concept. Have you ever painted or re-caulked your camper? That's my next task.
Backcountry Banter I am needing to fix this leak that troubles me only when the pop up is down. Somehow it is not seating on the gasket when down. When down in the rain water is collecting inside the fold of the canvas and leaking through the zipper. If someone knows what a good fix is, please reply. I am going to post a video “Little Hike Mike”- with the camper. So please subscribe and hit the bell. You will see what I have.
Very Nice! Can't wait to see where y'all get to go. Do you have to take it off the truck to stay in it or does the truck give you enough stability? If you're leaving it on the truck how will you level it if you get a jacked up spot or parking place? (BTW manual transmission is the only good transmission :-) )
Thanks Neil! You can definitely just camp in it on the truck. That's what we'll be doing 99% of the time, I'm going to take the lifting jacks off for our extended trips. To level it many people bring along these little plastic ramps that you can back the truck onto to get it level.
Due to poor insulation and all that canvas you will find the camper hard to heat and hard to cool. Compare BTU of furnace and Buddy heater Also we found the cassette toilet very convenient . Check the plug on your electrical line you plug into shore power. I bet you will find it to be 30 amp and not 20 amp. So you will have to have the special plug in (female) at a campground. Or electrical adapter to reduce your male plug to 20 amp. You'll of course have lowered capacity to run things at the same time at 20 amps. Can't be helpful with solar sadly. What a grand adventure.
It is a 30 amp. I have a little adapter which lets it run on 20 and so far it has been able to handle the AC and lights, but I don't want to push it any further than that haha. I'm interested to see how colder weather in this camper goes, I'm sure it will be quite cold. My thought is that I don't want to commit so much space to that furnace year round when we'll only use it during the cold winter days. We'll see though. I'm already brainstorming ideas to better insulate the camper fabric during the winter months.
More unsolicited advice. The most common thing to breakdown on any RV is the tires. I would check the pressure in my tires every morning (really) before i would move it.
I’m sure someone has mentioned this to you but your weight and your partners weight are also counted towards payload. A rule of thumb is the dry weight of the camper and 500 pounds per person (to account for clothes, food, water, other belongings per person). So if the camper is 900Lbs and there’s two of you at 500lbs each that’s a general estimate of 1900lbs that’s probably well over your payload on a midsized truck. I know you’re doing renovations and probably reducing a lot of weight but these are things to keep in mind P.s. if you’re overloaded on payload that’s an insurance issue and possibly liability if you get into a wreck or whatever. You’ll notice when you’re looking for air bags or helper springs or any other item that advertises to help increase payload there’s always a disclaimer some where on the item page that says something to the affect of “please follow manufactures payload recommendations never exceed this number” because these items don’t increase your payload they only make your truck able to carry it’s max payload more effectively
For sure ditch the 3 way fridge. And there is no way you can run that ac off solar with the limited roof space without a very large inverter and a big lithium battery bank. If you need any pointers on electrical systems shoot me a message.
@@BackcountryBanter I know people with over 1kW of solar, and they still cannot run those RV AC's. They are very inefficient. 5k BTU wall/window mounted units are much more efficient, and trying to run even those on solar is very difficult. If you really want AC while off-grid, then you need a generator. The small Honda/Yamaha 900W inverter generators are supposedly be able to run 5k BTU wall units without soft starter. Also, if you plan to charge batteries with both solar and alternator, then start out with a combo solar/alternator charge controller. Saves you money and simplifies your setup.
The guy that sold me the camper gave me his old one. It worked great on his 24V cordless drill, but the AC drill I was using couldn't handle the load haha.
Hmm, price is whatever you want to pay, if you really want it, and it will serve your purpose, then no, it isn't overpriced, but... if you are just buying it to flip it, then, you probably won't be happy with what the price. We bought a '92 Palomino a few years back, $2,500.00 and it needed some work, but... having had others thru the years, we have fixed what we needed to fix, and are really enjoying it. Don't ever allow anyone else to decide if the price is too high, for it does depend on your own needs/wants and finances. A great video, and I do look forward to seeing you out and about using it and enjoying your life!!! Subscribing too, to keep up with your journey.
Hate too be be a debbie downer. I just don't think will work for a long term camping. maybe a weekend. There's going too be a lot of gear and nowhere to put it without getting a small utility trailer. Have you looked into a rack system for the bed and going with a roof-top tent? Maybe you could look into a Jeep Wrangler with an Usra Minor top. www.ursaminorvehicles.com If the truck doesn't have lockers, get them. Just some thoughts. Good Luck!
Nice....l also have a taco...had several and been looking for a TC but they’re hard to find as you said! I’d love a four wheel camper but $20k! Check out Chris Tarzan Clemens on YT has similar rig.
The Four Wheel Campers look incredible and well built, but yeah 20k as a starting price is pretty crazy. I've check out his build video, I love what he did with it.
What would you recommend then? I've heard of people getting custom springs built. My thought is to start with the airbags and add better springs when I can afford them.
Congratulations on the purchase of your truck camper! I paid $5300 for my 2000 Lance Lite 825. It is larger and does have a wet bath, however I imagine the unit specific to fitting on your truck is much rarer and harder to find. I use a Mr. Buddy heater instead of my furnace as it will deplete your propane tank really fast. Using your main propane tank for just the fridge and stove will make it last quite a while. I don't have A/C, but I do have a Fantastic fan. I try to follow the cooler climates and haven't really missed having an A/C in the over year I've been on the road full time. I chose my rig set-up for the same reasons you did. I think you'll be very happy you made that choice. I have no regrets. Cheers to your new adventures!
This is exactly the kind of advice I need, thanks Catherine! Do you find that you use your wet bath often? I just looked at your channel, It looks like you have some great content, I'm delving in now haha.
Backcountry Banter thanks for checking out my channel. Yes...I use the toilet daily when I’m not in the backcountry and I just took a shower this morning. For me, the bathroom was important and a must have. I know that’s not the case for everyone. Feel free to shoot me any more questions you may have.
Nice little pop-up camper, I would think twice about using a little buddy heater to heat it and stick with the furnace it came with, The stock furnace has an exhaust that goes to the outside of the camper, the little buddy heater will cause significant condensation inside that camper. And that's what you don't want mold on that vinyl pop up.
Great idea....don't beat yourself up about the price...I'm in Portland, OR and these campers of any style (for your size truck) are hard to find that are not totally trashed. Something to think about ( once you've got a solar system) you could take out the gas burner (make it into a work/storage area) and get an instant pot....lots of videos show its benefits and have a one/two burner camp stove powered by those green bottles, on a picnic table when needed. Also have some solar panels that aren't mounted on your rig....remember the mounted on your rig means it will have to be in the sun....heating your rig. Non mounted ones can be in the sun and your rig "could" be in the shade if possible. Cheers!
Great tips, thanks Brian. Maybe I can devise some sort of removable mount for the panels. I'm a huge fan of the instant pot at home, I'd love to have instant pot on the road. It seems like it'd be super efficient, but I'm wondering how big of a draw it has.
here's a possibly not dumb idea - mesh gear hammock thingy to hang from walls/top. might be good for the light/bulky backpacking gear
That would be nice!
I just bought that exact same sunlite but 2004. We are currently renovating it as it was in much worse condition that yours. Whoever renovated yours did a really good job because that is definitely not what that camper looked like before. Awesome video as well!
Happy trails! Be safe.
That's cool! Compared to a tent, this is a mansion!
My thoughts exactly! Living large.
The 1st time you wake up in some sweet spot and watch the sunrise with a fresh cup o' joe you'll think it's a steal.
I'm excited to get out there.
Roger C SO TRUE!
3 years ago i bought a 98 jeep wrangler but thinking back on it i would have bought a 70s style hippie van that was all fixed up. just for this kind of camping and hauling my Kayak. i think you got a deal knowing what the price is new. this series is going too be cool looking forward too it. stay safe and have fun with it.
I used my Mr Buddy heater once in over a year. For safety reasons I wouldn’t keep it running while asleep and besides, it would get too hot. I turned it on just before bed to warm up the van. I stood outside while it ran with the door open and watched it like a hawk even though it is supposed to shut off if it tipped over. It is awkwardly shaped to store.
I personally would keep the porta potty as there are many places where it’s not practical or allowed to bury waste. You can separate the liquids and dispose of it in rest rooms or where allowed. The bags with solids can be disposed of in trash receptacles. It’s no different than diapers being disposed, less the diapers. If I’m in an area where I’ll be out for several days, I stored the bags in a plastic bin. I used chlorox to freshen and clean the bin. There may be others who have better ideas. That’s only what I have done when boondocking for several days.
For solar, I use a briefcase rather than mounted on the roof. That way my van can be parked in shade with the solar out in the sun.
You can reach me through Facebook if you have any questions on anything. I’ll do everything I can to help you.
Thanks so much! I may do that as I get further into the renovation. Thanks for the tips too. I think that is a great idea about solar, makes a lot of sense. I'm now leaning away from the Mr. Buddy idea and looking into the Olympic Wave propane heaters as a compact option that can run off a refillable tank.
Backcountry Banter Great idea on the propane. I’ve heard there are smaller 5 gallon tanks at propane dealers.
Congrats 👏 I think truck bed liner paint would work great on front of the camper, it's virtually bullet proof. Also consider getting a jackery 1000 power station to go with solar panel and you can recharge it while driving. Leave Jack's on you may need it if you take your truck to mechanic etc... Change a tire etc..
DUDE! Stoked to see this build and your adventures with it!
Also, the almighty algorythm suggested Elsa & Baron to me months ago, and I quickly binged all their videos. She's got an amazing eye and a very cinematic touch to her editing, on top of being very chill.
Agreed!
I'm so excited for you two! I'm looking forward to this series to see how this works out. I'd love a camper or a van, but for now I'm going to have to be happy with camping in the back of my Subaru, LOL! Also, I stumbled upon Catherine Gregory on You Tube. I watched several of her videos and she also talked about how a 4x4 was better for getting up to places that a van or other vehicle would not be able to reach. That definitely made me re-think vanlife.
At least the Subaru will be efficient on gas! I've seen some cool Subaru setups where people build a little sleep area and storage system out of light plywood.
Shared this with my mom who is hoping to do something similar in the future. Excited to follow along!
Oh cool!
So excited about this! We are actually looking right now for a pop upand know we will be doing a few things to it once we find one. Can't wait to see you out using this on many adventures to come.
Awesome! Good luck on your search.
I like the two overhead cabinets. A screened door would be a must for me. More ventilation, and still keep the bugs out.
Joe, I just recently purchased a new truck camper. The Dealer put a on a couple of pieces to help the suspension. Torklift and Timbren suspension kits. Check those two companies out. may be little cheaper than air bags. I know Timbren has it for Toyota.
Thanks, I’ll check those out. What type of camper did you end up going with?
Backcountry Banter You’re welcome. I bought a Wolf Creek 850 by Northwood. Have it on a F250. I’ve had it out a lot as of late. It’s the most universal camper I have ever own. A great comb for boondocking.
I'm excited for your upcoming adventures! While it may not be the year to get a deal on campers, trailers and vans , that camper does seem to have a lot of features. Thanks for the tour! Mr. Clean erasers are great ☺️
Very Cool. Actually going to start a Ram Promaster Van conversion. Love the camper. I'd get rid of the A/C and put a MaxxFan or Fantastic Fan. (More room for solar panel and less draw) I would also consider getting a Tacoma cab cargo box for your items you don't use all the time. Thule makes a good one but a bit pricey. There are much less expensive ones out there. I'll be busy with my own conversion but will be watching yours. Good luck.
Nice, the Promasters are great! I'm excited to see how yours turns out. I think I'm sold on swapping the AC for a fan. Hopefully selling the AC will offset the cost. I haven't looked into cab boxes yet but may eventually. I'm hoping we can get by with the storage we have, but only time will tell. Good luck on the build.
I like the camper. Beef up your suspension so that you don't have any insurance issues. I'm looking forward to this adventure. Take care
Looks pretty awesome. I would say storage needs some attention - maybe an organizer for camping gear in the cab of the truck? Also, I wouldn’t give up the propane for the fridge and the cook top. I haven’t looked into solar systems recently, but you may find you’ll have stretches where you won’t have enough juice, especially to run the fridge which has to run 24 hrs a day. The propane fridges just work, having lived with them for a while. When you’re boondocking it’s good to have options. Does the camper have an electrical hookup to the truck towing system? There’s an auxiliary pin in the connector which can provide 12 volt power to keep the camper house battery topped off when you’re on the road, which is really convenient. Most camping trailers do this, but I don’t have experience with truck campers. Finally, I’d think about additional fresh water storage if you’re planning any long stretches in the desert. Maybe a tray for the truck hitch if it will fit? Looking forward to seeing what you do with it!
This looks like a great set up. I think that one of the main reasons that I am not interested in van life over other mobile lifestyles is because the gas mileage and low clearance always is just killer.
The little buddy heaters running on a single 1 lb. tank will only give you about 4 hours on low. It'll heat your area up fairly well, but long term, a portion of your heat will escape through the canvas. Nice rig though. Will be interested to follow along on the new adventures! Cheers! DonP
I used to have a Scamp 13', but hauling a trailer is always a PITA. It also rides very close to the ground so going on any sort of unimproved road wouldn't be possible. I think you made a good choice!
Ahh, that's what I was afraid of. Good to know, thanks!
Awesome project! I love the mobility options that gives you. I wonder if you could still use a trailer hitch bike rack or basket for additional storage or a couple mountain bikes. The price does seem steep - we found a 24’ trailer camper for $500 but it needs a massive amount of work due to water damage. Getting it home with a Ford Ranger was super sketchy! 😅 It was intended to be a guest room / getaway spot set up semi-permanently, though.
I've looked at some hitch baskets and I think it'd be a good idea. It'd be really nice to have bikes and maybe the basket could function as a little step up / front porch for the camper. $500, nice! That's a steal.
Looks good. Will be fun to camp in but not large enough to live in. Thanks for sharing your pictures. Wish you the best on your adventures. Love.......NaN
Hi! I’m about to get this same camper! Can’t wait! Can you close your tailgate with the camper on it? Thanks! I look forward to watching the rest of your series!
There is a door replacement window on Amazon for that has a tinted window, black frame and a sunshade that slides up and down. It is called AP products Slim Shade. I put it in my RV and we love it. It adds privacy and lets you look out at night without someone seeing in.
Sweet, I'll check it out. Thank you.
Great to see you back on. I recognized your voice and had to see what you're up to.
Welcome back!
Thumbs up, really nice rig, I am def looking forward to future projects on the build, best of luck to you and Tara,
Thanks Don!
Yay!!! Can’t wait for the adventures ahead!!!
Wooooooo hooooooo! Looking forward to following along!
Thanks for sharing. Good luck on your new adventure.
Renogy 100w flex panels on the roof probably fit 300-400 watts. Two deep cycle batteries from autozone. One renogy solar controller A couple Anderson plugs, and a battery doctor to run your truck battery back to the camper ( secondary charging of camp batteries). Autozone or discount auto can make you 2 ga leads to run to camper batteries if you aren’t comfortable diy the cables. A few mc4 connectors and some mc4 inline fuses for the panels. A 100a circuit breaker and your in business. Pretty plug and play. Cost around 1k for the setup. ( panels around 170. Batteries around 110. Batt doc around 75. Cables Anderson plugs and misc fittings take up the rest. 3-4 panels probably better to wire in parallel 2 panels are fine in series. Hope this helps, safe travels. Oh. If you aren’t aware the expedition portal forum will have lots of help available and you didn’t overpay for the camper
Oh wow, lots of good info here. Thanks! I was just trying to find something like the Battery Doctor but wasn't sure what it is called (Turns out it's called an Isolator.) Perfect, I like that the Battery Doctor allows you to override and start your car from the second battery. I'll check out the forum, I hadn't heard of it. 👍
Ultimately, that was a good vid and I’m looking forward to following you.
If it was me I’d add the fan and keep the ac. I have a t@g outback which has both. In humid places I want to have ac. The fan is needed to help with condensation especially at higher elevations and colder temperatures. I had a fantastic fan but upgraded to the max fan deluxe fan. The max fan can be used in the rain, fantastic fan requires a cover of you want to use it in the rain. Which they are big and will probably increase your drag.
Great advice all around, Thanks! My only concern with the AC is that 9 times out of 10 we won't be able to run it because we won't be plugged in. Ditching it would save a decent amount of weight and drag. But like you mentioned it'll be pretty rough in hot/humid conditions. I looked at the specs and the AC roof hole would fit a fan perfectly. Sounds like Max fan is the way to go then.
I buy and sell truck camper all the time to remodel and sell. The price is really determined by demand. If it serves your purpose and your happy with it you paid just enough. Although I will say I just recently purchase a truck pop up bigger and in better shape for just 350.00 but I caught it at the right time and it don't happen much. I look forward to watching your remodel.
So happy for you both!
Mr buddy heater creates a lot of condensation. I winter camp with my pop up and the furnace is perfect. It surprisingly doesn't use a lot of power either. I was able to run it for 40 hours on a 60 amp battery before it drained. If you have solar it probably won't ever drain the battery.
Look forward to seeing you guys in Oregon in that thing! 🙂
Sounds good to me!
Yes pleez!
Does the door for the camper have a place to have a screen door? I don't think I've ever seen a camper that just has a full door like that. It would probably help air flow a lot to add one. Congrats on your new purchase, can't wait to see your renovations!
Thanks! The door does have little swivel brackets to mount a screen door on. It appears that the camper had one at some point but I guess the previous owner removed it. I agree, I think a screen door will be essential. That's one of many items on my to-do list haha.
Good luck out there
My comments may be premature as I have not had the chance to watch the video (slow internet.) I own a truck camper, my second one. It's a wolf creek model (hard side.) I have it on a 2016 f250 super duty ford truck. I am using air bags on the rear suspension and have had no problems after about 15,000 miles of use. Also use a 100 watt solar panel with 2 AGM battlers. I do not have air conditioning or a microwave. As I mostly boonedock and would need electric hookup to run them. May I suggest Truck Camper ,magazine. It is a free on line magazine all about truck campers. Look forward to hearing all about your new venture.
Thanks Doris! It's comforting to hear that you boondock without AC as that's what I expect we'll be doing 99% of the time. Good to know that airbags have worked well for you too! I'll check out the truck camper magazine, I hadn't heard about it. Have the 2 AGMs been enough for your power needs?
Yes, 2 batteries work fine. However, the biggest draw on power is from the water pump and furnace. I have all LED lighting. My fridge is gas or electric.
Looks real nice, congratulations!
Thank you!
Those truck campers new run 7 or 8 I believe so I think you did alright. Definitely not for me I’ve decided. I had visions of gettin a pickup to do side work with and then being able to afford one of these, but then life challenges happened. For a long time and continues, that I decided the only camping i want to do is quiet backcountry camping. I can’t wait for the continuation of your flip flop! Or is that on hold for a couple years? I imagine traveling like that for a long time could maybe get tough after a while. You guys are great together and I can’t wait for whatever adventures you have planned!!😊
Thanks! I'm hoping we can finish the hike next year, but who knows. In the mean time we have plans for many new adventures. I hope you can overcome your challenges, whatever they may be. Nothing wrong with backcountry camping, that's what I'm used to. Truck camping will be a whole new experience for me haha.
Cool rig! Reach out to
Trent & Allie, they just installed a Dometic A/C in their RV build.
yep cool i got a palomino 550 im in texas i took r5 insulation sheets cut them to fit in the slide up parts in sections in 5 mins its double insulated and the a /c dont work so hard when its 109 that helps a bunch and put soft start on the a/c
I've been brainstorming a way to insulate the pop up part. Good to know it that it can work, thanks!
You could also put reflectix on roof and take down when traveling.
Dude. I do follow you. I would call you by name but I don’t know it. I have almost the same camper. It is a 2002 and slightly larger. There are a couple of things I need to ask and tell you. First you will need a way to level the camper and I use the jacks. So if you remove them you will need another way. Leveling is important for the frig and AC. (Refrigerant). Also try not to run your AC on a 15 or 20 amp circuit. You really need a 30 amp circuit. You could burn up the AC motor/compressor. Where is the back up battery? Do you have one. If you do have a place for one, you could make some electrical adaptions and add a 12 V car battery to run lights and frig. The truck hook up will recharge it. Anyway I could give you more tips. I live in NC also- low lands towards the beach. Perhaps we could meet up some time and compare rigs. Reply if you have questions. I am happy to impart any tips that will help.
Good to know about the AC. I'm planning on using those little ramps you can drive up on to level the camper. Not ideal, but hopefully they'll get us level enough. This camper never had a backup battery as far as I can tell, my plan is to install 2 to be used with a future solar system and/or alternator power. Thanks for offering help, I'll take any tips you have as I am brand new to this concept. Have you ever painted or re-caulked your camper? That's my next task.
Backcountry Banter I am needing to fix this leak that troubles me only when the pop up is down. Somehow it is not seating on the gasket when down. When down in the rain water is collecting inside the fold of the canvas and leaking through the zipper. If someone knows what a good fix is, please reply. I am going to post a video “Little Hike Mike”- with the camper. So please subscribe and hit the bell. You will see what I have.
Hey There Hiking Dude! I just posted a video on my channel Little Hike Mike. It is a tour of my truck camper. Check it out!
His name is Joe. Cool dude for sure!
@@VideoIconic I'll check it out. Thanks!
Very Nice! Can't wait to see where y'all get to go. Do you have to take it off the truck to stay in it or does the truck give you enough stability? If you're leaving it on the truck how will you level it if you get a jacked up spot or parking place? (BTW manual transmission is the only good transmission :-) )
Thanks Neil! You can definitely just camp in it on the truck. That's what we'll be doing 99% of the time, I'm going to take the lifting jacks off for our extended trips. To level it many people bring along these little plastic ramps that you can back the truck onto to get it level.
It is a very nice camper. We just bought a popup camper and we wish that it was only a thousand pounds. 😉Mary💕Fred
Due to poor insulation and all that canvas you will find the camper hard to heat and hard to cool. Compare BTU of furnace and Buddy heater Also we found the cassette toilet very convenient . Check the plug on your electrical line you plug into shore power. I bet you will find it to be 30 amp and not 20 amp. So you will have to have the special plug in (female) at a campground. Or electrical adapter to reduce your male plug to 20 amp. You'll of course have lowered capacity to run things at the same time at 20 amps. Can't be helpful with solar sadly. What a grand adventure.
It is a 30 amp. I have a little adapter which lets it run on 20 and so far it has been able to handle the AC and lights, but I don't want to push it any further than that haha. I'm interested to see how colder weather in this camper goes, I'm sure it will be quite cold. My thought is that I don't want to commit so much space to that furnace year round when we'll only use it during the cold winter days. We'll see though. I'm already brainstorming ideas to better insulate the camper fabric during the winter months.
More unsolicited advice. The most common thing to breakdown on any RV is the tires. I would check the pressure in my tires every morning (really) before i would move it.
I’m sure someone has mentioned this to you but your weight and your partners weight are also counted towards payload. A rule of thumb is the dry weight of the camper and 500 pounds per person (to account for clothes, food, water, other belongings per person). So if the camper is 900Lbs and there’s two of you at 500lbs each that’s a general estimate of 1900lbs that’s probably well over your payload on a midsized truck. I know you’re doing renovations and probably reducing a lot of weight but these are things to keep in mind
P.s. if you’re overloaded on payload that’s an insurance issue and possibly liability if you get into a wreck or whatever. You’ll notice when you’re looking for air bags or helper springs or any other item that advertises to help increase payload there’s always a disclaimer some where on the item page that says something to the affect of “please follow manufactures payload recommendations never exceed this number” because these items don’t increase your payload they only make your truck able to carry it’s max payload more effectively
For sure ditch the 3 way fridge. And there is no way you can run that ac off solar with the limited roof space without a very large inverter and a big lithium battery bank. If you need any pointers on electrical systems shoot me a message.
Will do, thanks for offering! I've recently taken out the fridge and am currently looking for an efficient DC one.
@@BackcountryBanter I know people with over 1kW of solar, and they still cannot run those RV AC's. They are very inefficient. 5k BTU wall/window mounted units are much more efficient, and trying to run even those on solar is very difficult. If you really want AC while off-grid, then you need a generator. The small Honda/Yamaha 900W inverter generators are supposedly be able to run 5k BTU wall units without soft starter. Also, if you plan to charge batteries with both solar and alternator, then start out with a combo solar/alternator charge controller. Saves you money and simplifies your setup.
Thanks. Great advice.
$5800 isnt bad. Like you mentioned, the small truck campers are scarce. Qstn, is your tacoma 4 or 6 cylinder?
People with pop ups don’t let the sides dry out when it gets wet and they are done camping. Seen a lot with nasty mold like what you cleaned off.
Oh and they make a cordless drill adapter for the pop up lift
The guy that sold me the camper gave me his old one. It worked great on his 24V cordless drill, but the AC drill I was using couldn't handle the load haha.
Tacoma's are reliable as hell, I bet its a great truck.
So far so good, just wish it got better mpg haha.
@@BackcountryBanter I hear yah, they certainly are gas guzzlers
Good choice👍
Hmm, price is whatever you want to pay, if you really want it, and it will serve your purpose, then no, it isn't overpriced, but... if you are just buying it to flip it, then, you probably won't be happy with what the price. We bought a '92 Palomino a few years back, $2,500.00 and it needed some work, but... having had others thru the years, we have fixed what we needed to fix, and are really enjoying it.
Don't ever allow anyone else to decide if the price is too high, for it does depend on your own needs/wants and finances.
A great video, and I do look forward to seeing you out and about using it and enjoying your life!!! Subscribing too, to keep up with your journey.
Very true. Welcome aboard, thanks for subscribing!
Just found a sun lite apache for 1800 clean a rare deal here in May 2023 new England
I love elsa and barron! :)
I love their relaxed vibe. Reminds me of trail.
They also charge you extra in parking areas for a trailer.
Nice!
a chevy half ton with a 5.3 will get the same mpg as your tacoma if not more
Hate too be be a debbie downer. I just don't think will work for a long term camping. maybe a weekend. There's going too be a lot of gear and nowhere to put it without getting a small utility trailer. Have you looked into a rack system for the bed and going with a roof-top tent? Maybe you could look into a Jeep Wrangler with an Usra Minor top. www.ursaminorvehicles.com If the truck doesn't have lockers, get them. Just some thoughts. Good Luck!
Nice....l also have a taco...had several and been looking for a TC but they’re hard to find as you said! I’d love a four wheel camper but $20k! Check out Chris Tarzan Clemens on YT has similar rig.
The Four Wheel Campers look incredible and well built, but yeah 20k as a starting price is pretty crazy. I've check out his build video, I love what he did with it.
I would not do airbags. I have seen them rupture and leave people stranded
What would you recommend then? I've heard of people getting custom springs built. My thought is to start with the airbags and add better springs when I can afford them.
👍✨💯✨
Music. Too loud. Couldn't finish watching.