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2008 Tundra DC 5.7l in CO, I try to keep my speed on highways/freeways between 65 and 70mph. No camper and bed cover 18-19 mpg (got 20 once!). With ATC Cougar (similar to FWC Granby) I get 14-15mpg. I am certain a tall hard-sided camper would mean even less mpg. Some hard side campers have an...

I Added about 150-200 lbs to a shell with Atwood furnace. One could use lighter/thinner plastic material rather than plywood, curtains instead of doors on cabinets, and so on to shave maybe 25-50 lbs. But, most of the weight for me is all the water, propane, food, gear, canoe, paddle boards...

That's a nice build NikonRon. I especially like the approach of "I have these things and they need to be stored" rather than "I built a cabinet and I need to figure out how to store these things in it." I also like the black edge treatment on the plywood, that's a lot easier than edge banding...

I'll chime in, but I started with an ATC Cougar Shell w/furnace (very similar to FWC Grandby). Pretty standard as these things go, water tank w/12v pump, sink/stove combo, 12v fridge, 200w solar, LifePo4 100ah battery, Victron MPPT controller, sleeps 4 with upper bunk deployed, front dinette for...

There are methods of offsetting the weight of a long camper hanging a foot or so off the back of the 1/2 ton truck. Keep water forward, and heavy things you carry (firewood, gear) forward. Take the tail gate off. Do what you need to do to level the truck. E-rates tires are a must. Don't attach...

I was faced with the exact same problem - wife and two kids and me in a truck camper. All the campers I looked at had minimal floor space, and only really big heavy ones can sleep 4 comfortably (not good on a 2nd gen Tundra DC 6.5' bed). So I got an All Terrain Camper shell (cougar model, 8')...

I wish there was a way to create a tall doorway in a pop-up. Something like a brace that is removed or goes upward when you pop the top. Like a previous poster noted, it is important to get your step height sorted out.

What happens when you bring the roof down?

When I did my truck camper build from an ATC Cougar shell, I made it so it slept my wife and I and our two kids. Since then the kids grew, a lot. They no longer slept comfortably in the L-shaped sleeping area I created with the bench seats. So I took on the project of building an upper bunk/cot...

After a couple of years of heavy camping use of my ATC Cougar, including living out of it while doing a house remodel, I found there were some things I could do better with my build. I found that putting the water tank directly under the sink in the galley side cabinet was not the best place...

Thanks! I did think about boxes back there, but I really don't want to add a lot of weight. So, I attached the items that I need to access easily without having to climb into the camper. The items and stuff sacks are well inboard of the tail lights. So far nobody has stolen them even while...

I did research ATC and FWC and could not figure out how to sleep and eat 4 comfortably with their off-the-shelf layouts. I also wanted as much floor space as possible so we could maneuver around each other while cooking or doing dishes. I also had a budget:). So when you have an 8' camper...

Wow, that is super sharp. What is the weight of the camper alone? I understand your issues with the tall van as a platform. I see the high top Sprinters here in CO and don't quite get how you can manage in the wind, especially in CO (a place I call Winderado).

Finished the small cabinet in the corner of the galley. I like to listen to local radio when camping (low volume) so I installed a basic am/fm/cd/bluetooth Alpine stereo. The top of this little compartment comes off with a few screws in case I have to access all the wires inside it... Jensen...

Got the Lagun table leg installed. I could not use the mounting bracket they supplied, so I made my own out of 2"x2" angle iron. It does not move up and down but that is fine with this install... Swing the arm out and put the table on and tighten the two handles. The four of us can...

Nearly all done with the kitchen cabinet, still have to make the backsplash and box in the gas and electrical lines in the upper left... The little black mouse on the floor is a foot switch for the water pump and faucet. Took the family out on a little shake down overnight trip in northern...

Thanks Climber Rob. With the temps in the 90's, low humidity, and wind its hard to get much done, especially in the afternoon. Allergies are killing me lately. I did the formica laminate on the counter top. I have a lot of tools already, but had to by a new one for this so I could get the...

Made a lot of progress on the water tank plumbing. The parts I got from plasticmart.com along with the tank were mostly useless. The only thing I ended up using was the access hatch, and I had reservations about the tiny o-ring in the lid, and sure enough it leaked like crazy... A bead of...

The 1986 Westy with all four of us, all our gear, food, 13 gal of water, 20lbs propane, canoe on top or bikes on the back or both, now THAT was a handling nightmare. My 4wd Tundra DC with the Cougar shell doesn't even come close to the white knuckle factor of the Westfalia. It is all relative...

Oh, and I went with the AT Cougar instead of the pop top shell (Wildernest, etc.) for the added space and comfort, especially for a family of 4.