I have put my foot down and finally got approval to buy a camper.  I am tired of packing for camping.  I am tired of loading random bins into the truck to go camping, but mostly I am sick of tents, I am sick of sticky small tents haha. 

 

I have been looking into used Truck bed campers of the Popup variety.   We do a lot of off the beaten road camping so a large camper isn't going to happen.  We also have goals of getting a horse trailer at some point and going places to ride for a weekend. 

 

So that leaves me with the popup slide in style.  Am I off base here?   We have ~$2000-$3000 budget for this.  I have been looking on Craigslist for a few weeks now and spotted a few that would work, anywhere from $700-$5000.   Most have good roofs and canvas, but beyond that I am not sure what I am looking for.  Anything I should be looking for?  Any brands that I should be avoiding?

Maybe worth checking it out

Palomino Camper trade for vehicle!

http://westslope.craigslist.org/bar/5383738894.html

Also if you see something in New Mexico I don't mind looking at it for you or hauling it up. I'm traveling up nw of Denver every other week. 

Edited January 18, 20169 yr by BBHD

Thanks!  I'll keep that in mind.  

 

I seen that camper, but didn't look very deep as the guy wants a "good running vehicle" which to me means he wants more than I have budgeted.  

http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/rvs/5409114816.html

 

Thoughts on this one?

that's a weird price $933. ?  If it s ligit, it might be a good deal

I thought so too,

 

http://cosprings.craigslist.org/for/5413058935.html

here is another one.

Seriously I would go to a local RV dealer and try on a few slide in campers. Floor plan and layout are very important. What good is it to have a slide in camper you do fit or your not comfortable in. Maybe the storage options to don't work for you? At least take the time and look at a dealer first for designs and try them out. Then when your shopping used you can know what works and don't work.

Kind of like myself I wondered the dealer lot for over 4-5 hours in NEW RV's before we started looking at USED. Then when I walked in the door I knew right away I found my "Beast" I wanted. Full size queen bed, nice large living area, kitchen you can cook in easy. Plenty of water and holding tank capacity.

Just seeing JAG1 setup I was very impressed with his slide in Camper. Lots of water, wet bath (kind of expect that), good amount of holding tank. His was very comfortable. But much larger than a pop up.

Look back here...

 

 

2 hours ago, Me78569 said:

I thought so too,

 

http://cosprings.craigslist.org/for/5413058935.html

here is another one.

you can never be to careful on those Craigslist adds, If they don't have a phone number where you can talk to a real person and go see the item, and do business with a hand shake, it don't usually turn out good.

at least that other camper has the two main thing you need for camping in colorado. A heater and Fridge

well I pulled the trigger on the camper.  

 

Really nice shape for being as old as I am. roof is perfect, inside is clean, everything works. 

Ok more pictures needed.... Lets see this new camper...

I am gonna pick it up after the snow we are getting tomrrow / mon/ and tues. I will update you at that point.  I need to install the rest of the bolts that are supposed to hold my bed one, I think my truck only has 4 hahah.  

 

Really excited about this one.  can't wait to start messing with it.  You and I need to talk solar panels and talk me into more toys I shouldn't get.

I am ready for the mopar1973man camping event.

 I like it, wood be good also to have some rubber bumper stoppers to the front where it bumps the bed. When you drive under you'll know when to stop by hitting softly.

Looks better on the outside popped up than in the ad. The windows look new. I too look forward to some int pics.

Does this mean that the tent (tarp) in the back of the truck is a thing of the past?  

I get about 15 mph with my hardside driving like Michael Nelson  3400 lbs loaded. I like a wee bit more sound proofing but where you can get into more remote places shouldn't be an issue.

1 hour ago, CSM said:

Does this mean that the tent (tarp) in the back of the truck is a thing of the past?  

Yea I am sick of setting up camp.  I am too old for that stuff.

 

Much prefer to sit around the fire, and when to does rain I prefer to play cards inside dry

I know the feeling... Went from...

And upgraded too...

I like the upgraded version myself.

1 hour ago, JAG1 said:

I get about 15 mph with my hardside driving like Michael Nelson  3400 lbs loaded. I like a wee bit more sound proofing but where you can get into more remote places shouldn't be an issue.

Yeah but when your center of gravity is that much higher you not going to to be whip around the canyons here with your beast. Your right you can get into some pretty back woods areas with a slide vs. travel trailer like mine that is 31 foot long. I will admit JAG1's slide in camper is very comfy. Wet bath, nice dining area, full size fridge, good side kitchen, and nice big bed.

Edited February 1, 20169 yr by Mopar1973Man

Only thing I don't like about mine is loading and unloading. When the jacks start showing some age it could only take one to fail and you could get hurt, killed or ruin your truck. I don't like that part.

On canyon corners it does real well with sway bars and camper package. You can go fast and it starts to sway but stops almost immediately. It got even better when I added air bags.

I usually drive slower on back roads that no one hardly ever uses and love the back country/ old USA experience along the way. I usually drive slower than Mike and love that there is no one around hardly.

On a soft side camper I think you can still put it away even when the fabric is wet in a storm but, sooner than later you have to dry it so no mold starts.

deff need to consider that when packing up. 

 

I need to figure out some sort of mounting points for the camper as my truck doesn't have any. 

alright,

 

Time for the next question.  How / what do I need to mount this thing?  I can't imagine that I need the torqtie stuff, unless I am missing something.  The camper weights #1000, and I have seen many anchors tied into the bed vs the frame.  Do I really need to spend a butt load to tie this thing down.  

 

Assuming ot get it home ~10 miles I can use some good quality ratchet straps.

 

 

For your camper you won't need frame mount tie downs. Just go with the ones that bolt thru the front of the bed. Be sure and get the ones that have a bar across the inside front that goes from tie down to tie down as it not only reinforces but acts as a stop when loading the camper, assuming the camper has rubber bumper stoppers. I just cannot remember the name of the co. that makes them.

 

On the rear you can extend the square tubing of the receiver hitch going/ pointing side to side. Just find sq. tubing that fits inside and bolt in...... and place eyelets at the end to hook the tie downs.

wonderful.  

Can I use some quality ratchet straps vs turn buckle?  I already have a rubber mat in the bed of the truck.