Show me your slide in campers!!

Sorry if there's already a thread for camper appreciation, direct me to it if so.

Anywho, let's see your camper setups. Here's mine, just a 1990 Jayco Sportster. Tied down with torklift bolt on front mounts and happijac rear bumper mounts. I'm running bilstein 5100's, bags, and some good ol KMC wheels with duratracs.


wife doing some fire gazing...

 

Nice setup.

mine is just a Camper shell camper but good for sleeping two people

Shell was used $150 and carpet kit was used $200. Storage down below, bed on the top!

 

yeah we did the topper route the last 4 years camping but being 6 foot tall, I had to cram my feet on the wife's side and we eventually got tired of it haha Although can't say we wouldn't go the topper route again if we don't like this setup, but would probably get something that flips up similar to a Flippac.

 

@andnyleswillriot any pics on the front/rear mounts? I'm curious as to whether that puts any strain on the bedsides themselves (down force) versus drilling through the bottom and frame/cross-member mounting?

 

Four Wheel Camper. This a 2001 Eagle model which I think is a great fit on the 1st gens. They quit making the Eagle a few years ago but offer other sizes which are slightly wider or longer. I'm happy with the Eagle as side overhang is reasonable. Minimal suspension upgrades so that it's still a comfortable ride when the camper is off the truck for 6 months out of the year: adjustable Rancho 9000 shocks and rear air bags. Rear Door entry (sorry, not shown in pics) takes some getting used to because it's so low. After a few scrapes on the top of the head you learn quickly.

 

You guys got any interior shots of these campers?
Always been curious as what they look like inside.

Also, what is the typical weight for one of these?

 

I'll look tonight to see if I have any interior shots. Dry weight on mine is 875 pounds. That's with a kitchen galley that has a 3-way frig, stove and sink. Some people run bare-bone shell models and lightly modify them with for their own needs, which usually results in saving a couple hundred pounds of weight. Dry weight means that it's without the LP tank (about 30 lbs) and 10 gallons of water in the tank (about 85 pounds for 10 gal). By the time I add camping gear and stuff I estimate that it's probably 1,250 pounds plus driver and passenger. I been meaning to stop at a weigh station sometime to confirm. I also would like to get each axle weighed separately. With that much weight the stock brakes and handling are just ok but I sure would like to upgrade to the larger size calipers except I'm still running 15" rims. Not ready to bite that bullet yet.

 

Instead of waiting for me to find my probably lousy photos of the interior, just search for the WandertheWest website. There's different manufacturers and several brands have their own sub-forums on that site. Lot's of interior shots if you just search or browse the posts. I found that FWC is usually the lightest weight models for tacomas. Most other brands have bigger or heavier models. Many FWC owners also run larger trucks but there's quite a few tacoma owners (all gens). And there's always a question/discussion about weight vs truck sizing on those various sub-forums.

 

Here ya go. Also a couple interior pics

 

If I'm looking at it correctly, It looks like your bike rack is fastened to a hitch extender as you travel with the tailgate down. Do you get much bounce in the bike rack with them being extended so far back? I'm still searching for a good solution to carrying mtn bikes.

And your interior is bright and roomy. I like the front facing window in the cabover. Looks pretty darn good for a 30-year unit. Has the pop-up fabric been refurbed/updated since 1990? And weight of the Lance camper?

 

Yeah it’s a swingarm extender attachment, so the bike rack can swing out. I actually bought a little anti rattle piece for the main port of the receiver to stop it from moving much and it’s been great, almost new movement. Search maxxhaul anti rattle online for that.

Yeah, it’s much roomier and airy than I thought it’d be! Everything on it is original except some laminate flooring, it was babied from both owners before me (who are friends and trusty). It comes in right around 1000 lbs but I took the fridge and upper cabinet out so probably more like 950ish.

 

Love the FWC’s. Just could never find one in my $3K budget haha

 

Toilet, chair, bed, desk, cubbies, grill, fan, heater, cooler, water tank, shower, its all stored inside the cubbies

 

Awesome set up in your truck. Do you live in your vehicle full time?

 

Here’s mine. I’ll be installing new tires/16” wheels, spray in bedliner, and Torklift tiedowns very soon.

 

No, just a weekend warrior, but if I wanted to I honestly could live in there

 

They are higher priced and it's hard to find a 20+ year old model that's in decent shape. Most pop-ups that age have been neglected and have water leaks and mildew issues. Got mine 4 years ago when it was about 15 years old but ended up putting more work and dollars into it than expected to fix some things that break or wear. Still a better deal than purchasing new, and I don't cringe if I take it on a narrow track with lots of limbs brushing up against it.

 

Yeah new ones are pretty expensive worth more than the truck sometimes

 

Yeah I’m very lucky mine is in the condition it is in. A 30 year old camper that doesn’t have any issues other than smelling a bit old and a somewhat sticky screen door hahah

 

Dang that’s quite a beast for a Tacoma! What’s the weight? I read in a few places not to exceed 1200 pounds for how small our trucks are. I also plan on taking mine on some tougher roads so I went with a smaller option that had jack stands not hanging down.