8' truck camper, no cab over

[rynosurf]

Is it going on a flatbed? Maybe you could find a small camper and remove it from its trailer frame and mount it to your bed. Something like this would be sweet if you could find a used one for cheap. http://shop.scamptrailers.com/

 

[VicHanson]

Never heard of Mitchell, but I will try to find some info, thanks.

edit: I'm planning on using it as a frame mount by building a wooden frame under it to mount on the truck frame. If using a trailer, it seems like that should replace the trailer running gear and work OK, but I don't have a trailer here to look at. Any thoughts?

I have thought of a trailer as well but haven't seen any in the 8-9 foot range. Actually had a Scamp many years ago, it was the 16' model, pulled it with a Dodge Omni. I was on a freeway, passing a large trailer pulled by a Surburban and the guy grabbed his CB and called to his buddy ahead of him in a similar rig, they were staring in unbelief as I went by! Actually now that I think of it, that might have been the 13' trailer we pulled behind a 1976 Honda Civic! It was a small hard sided trailer but had a narrow pop-up section in the middle to give stand up room, don't remember who made it. Took it up a jeep road near Meeker CO after my father-in-law said we would have to park the trailer in town because there was no way the Civic would be able to make it up the mountain with it! Probably took a few thousand miles of life off the clutch but made it.

Scamps are a nice little camper but expensive for what you get due to their lightness, which I don't really need. Seems it would be hard to build a garage in front and make it look halfway decent together as well. Also really don't want to go beyond 9' long for the camper but I suppose another foot wouldn't hurt. I think a 13' Scamp is 10' long for the camper part.

Back to the truck campers, a Lance 805 is 98” (8') long, 168” (14') long overall, 86” (7'2”) wide, 82” high. I wonder how much work it would be to shorten the bed by a foot?

A Six-pack 650 is 81” (6 ¾') long, 157” (13') long overall, 85” ( 7'1”) wide, not sure there would be enough room in that.

These are current models, old ones may be different.

 

[VicHanson]

I just did a Google search on Mitchell TC, (not realizing that the TC stands for truck camper) and it brought up this thread! :sombrero: The only other info I got was that Mitchell (truck campers) went out of business in 1980.

 

[neverestablished]

Anton,

Thanks for the height info. And for the question about the door. Yes, I was planning on putting it on the driver's side, but when you asked the question it got me to thinking that there must be a problem with that. Then it dawned on me that it would be on the traffic side if stopped along the road, so I suppose it would be wiser to put it on the passenger's side. Is that what you were thinking?

Vic

Vic,
I just asked because i saw your location as Peru and thought maybe their roads are RHD. But that why most LHD countries have their vans, rvs, etc. doors on the pass side but i suppose it would still be on the pass side on a RHD since the steering would be on the other side.

Are you shopping for a used unit in Peru or the states?

 

[VicHanson]

I will be buying, building and using everything in the U.S. (well I hope to get to Canada too!) Retirement is 97 days and counting!! Unfortunately, Social Security will start about 85 days later. I'm getting a 'little' excited! :wings:

 

[jackotheroad]

if you're just looking for a simple 8' slide in, here are a few options:

http://panthercampers.com/

http://fleetwest.net/index.html

personally, I am looking at a 12' telescopic Alaskan camper, no cab over to fit on a flat bed. and I am in retirement mode myself. I know all about counting the days!

 

[VicHanson]

How important is a motorcycle garage?

My latest thoughts have been that I should have a motorcycle garage mounted on the truck bed, in front of the camper, like on Doug Hackney's Fuso FG. I'm wondering how important that is - to have an enclosed area for the bike, as opposed to just mounting one on the front or back of the truck? Is the protection, extra storage, etc., worth the extra expense, effort, space - whatever, of designing for and building a garage? Any thoughts from those who have or haven't used one would be welcome. Is is practical to mount a small bike on the front of the truck, looking at about a 200cc Honda or equivalent.

Thanks,
Vic

 

[dhackney]

My latest thoughts have been that I should have a motorcycle garage mounted on the truck bed, in front of the camper, like on Doug Hackney's Fuso FG. I'm wondering how important that is - to have an enclosed area for the bike, as opposed to just mounting one on the front or back of the truck? Is the protection, extra storage, etc., worth the extra expense, effort, space - whatever, of designing for and building a garage? Any thoughts from those who have or haven't used one would be welcome. Is is practical to mount a small bike on the front of the truck, looking at about a 200cc Honda or equivalent.

Universal issues:
- The more difficult it is to get the bike on and off the vehicle (especially off) and ready to ride, the less you will use it.
- Low utilization. Four-wheel overlanders I've interviewed who carry motorcycles almost always tell me they use the bike(s) much less than they thought they would.


Exterior mounts:
- Puts weight outside the wheelbase, alters chassis moment of inertia, negative impacts on handling.
- Rough roads in developing economies will destroy most commercially available mounts; often requires heavily reinforced mount tied to vehicle frame / chasssis.
- Front mount blocks airflow to radiator/trans cooler/oil cooler. Can have big effects on cooling in hot climates.
- Requires cover over bike/scooter for dirt/dust/mud/moisture. Covers always fail to protect the bike, especially from dust.
- Usually entails covering the bike for security (out of sight, out of mind). Dubious considering silhouette factor.
- Can offer the easiest / quickest location to deploy and stow the bike.


Internal storage:
- Inherent security advantages: out of sight, out of mind; locked
- Typically much cleaner environment than exterior mount
- Can be more challenging to deploy / stow the bike(s)
- Can introduce temptation to pack the storage space / garage with lots of stuff, thus adding a lot of work / time to bike deployment / stowage
- Can limit the size of bike(s)


We used two Honda CRF150F bikes. They were the maximum size vertically that would fit into our garage without needing to move the handlebars with each use.

They also were about the biggest bike my wife felt comfortable picking up if it was wrong-way down on the trail (handlebars downhill) and still big enough for me to get around on.

They were like a big mini-bike for me and reminded me of the joys of motorcycling. In short, a ton of fun.

They were a perfect size/weight for our uses, which included:
- Explore remote areas and small trails we were not willing / able to take the truck to/on
- Run to local villages for supplies without needing to pack up camp and move the truck
- Pleasure rides

Based on our experiences, I recommend bringing the smallest possible bike that you can convince yourself will still get you around. Get it titled, registered and plated so you can go anywhere legally. Keep it stock. Keep it quiet. Enjoy.

Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile

 

[VicHanson]

Thanks, Doug. I always appreciate you well thought out and through replies. Great photo too!
Vic

 

[VicHanson]

Had a special treat about a week ago, a guy drove into Cotahuasi, where I live, with an almost new (2007, 14,000 km) Isuzu NPR HD, actually the Chevy version, which here in Peru is still called an NPR. (The new ones no longer have the Chevy nameplate)

He had a 16 foot wooden box on it, using it to haul propane bottles. I told him why I was interested in it and he let me take lots of photos and measurements.

I'm attaching a photo of how the box was mounted, using long U bolts. Is this the standard way of doing it in other parts of the world, or is it a Peruvian 'Special'? The frame member is 7.2 inches high, so I'm guessing the beam above that is about 6 inches high, forgot to measure it. He must have had it loaded pretty good, the rear leaf springs were almost flat. Seems like they should have some curve to them.

I also noticed that the filters and lots of stuff are right out in the open. Any one have problems with these being broken or stolen? (Maybe I've been in Peru too long!)


View attachment Motorhome profile, 132 in, cabover truck camper, open gar OOD pdf.pdf
latest drawing and ideas

Thanks, Vic

 

[VicHanson]

Found 9' truck camper

I've found what looks like a good deal on a very nice looking '86 Conestoga 9' truck camper. It is self-contained, the owner says that everything works good, and it is well equipped. The problem is that it is in Oregon, near Portland and I am still in Peru. I also plan on flying into Miami and looking for my NPR there (just bought my ticket today, yeah!). Then I will be driving to Minnesota to visit family, which is still a long way from Oregon! I had also hoped to build the camper in Florida (If I could find both the truck and camper there) or in Minnesota. I suppose I could drive to Oregon and try to find a place to do it there.

He was asking $1650 for the camper, and I suggested $1500 if it checks out OK, and he didn't say no. It is currently mounted on an old Ford F250 that he said he would sell for $1250. I have no desire for the truck, but it would provide a way to get the camper to Minnesota, and then try to sell the truck. Anyone interested in it? He says "it is a 1969 f250 2wd 390 v-8, c-6 at, posi rear end, newer e-range tires, overload springs,sway bars,brake controller, receiver hitch front and back, custom bumpers, etc."

Is there anyone on here that lives near Portland (it's in Oregon City, about 20 miles south of there it looks like), that would be willing to check it out for me? I know it is a big favor, especially as I don't know any of you, but I guess that is part of what the ExPo family is all about!

Thanks,
Vic Hanson

 

[VicHanson]

Sorry to bother you all but after looking at some additional pictures of the camper, it looks like it has had some serious problems with water leakage, lots of caulking repairs and a large sag under the over the cab bed area. I'm guessing that there is some major water damage/wood rot there, so am going to pass on this camper. Besides, I realized that by the time I spend at least $500 to go get it, I could spend the extra money on something closer to home and probably get as good or better of a deal.

Thanks anyway,
Vic

 

[VicHanson]

Looking at a truck, received a FREE trailer!

The fun is beginning and the excitement it rising! I found what looks like a nice truck in Florida. It is a 2001 Isuzu NPR HD, with 58,000 miles on it! The photos look great, no dents, tears or any obvious problems. It has a 132.5" wheel base and a 5 speed manual transmission, the latter being essential and the mileage being a great bonus! Asking price is $10,000, which is a couple thousand more than I had budgeted, but with those low miles I'm willing to pay a bit more. Of course I am going to try to get it for $9500, but not sure how that will work. It also has a very nice looking 14' box on it, which I don't need, so hopefully I would be able to sell that. I have friends who are going to go look at it for me, hopefully tomorrow. I have some other leads on similar trucks too, in case this one doesn't work out, but none with as low of mileage (but only 100,000 to 110,000, so not bad).

Then as an early Christmas present, my friend who is helping me there, said a friend of his, whom he had told about my project, offered to give me a '91 25 foot Fleetwood Terry trailer for free! He is the original owner, it has just been sitting for 2 years, so needs a lot of cleaning and some minor work. I was expecting to have to pay 3 to 4 thousand for the trailer, so that will more than make up for the extra price on the truck. :wings:

Next I need a 8 to 9 foot truck camper (not too many of them for sale in Florida) and a 150 to 200 cc dual sport bike.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! :sombrero:

 

[VicHanson]

Bought my truck!!

Well, I did it, just made an agreement to buy the 2001 Isuzu NPR, as mentioned in my last post above! :wings: A friend looked at it for me, and said everything looks good, drives and sounds good, and that he thought the truck was in very good condition. He is a landscaper and is used to similar trucks, so I am trusting his judgment, as well as the photos which look good. He also said the seller seems to be a good guy, and he has been very willing to work with us and the added complications of me not being there. I just talked to both him and the seller on the phone and worked out payment and delivery details. As I am still in Peru, my friends there will take care of delivering the money and picking up the truck. It is still licensed and insured, so no problem getting it to where it will be stored until I arrive there on March 1st. 80 days until I get to see it! :drool:
Stay tuned for the build thread starting on March 2nd!


He did come down to $9500, maybe a little too quickly, I should have offered less! Anyway, I think I got a good deal, so it is OK if he did too. Similar priced trucks I have seen have over 100,000 miles and not as nice looking.

Anybody have a nice older truck camper for sale? Japanese dual sport bike - 150 to 200cc?

Vic

 

[benjamin]

Not sure where you'll be in Fl. but take a look here..............

http://www2.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash....il=&ys=&ye=&ps=&pe=&pgs=100&submit=++++go++++

4 or 5 TCs listed.

Dennis