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I have a 2003 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 extended cab with a Northstar popup truck camper. I finally got around to locating a CAT scale to check my axle weights. Loaded, they are 2700 lb front, 2960 rear. (Taco owners with loaded FWC's, what is your total weight or your axle weights?) The truck...

I have been driving myself crazy for years trying to get our truck camper level in the backcountry in order to prevent damage to the propane fridge. There's little worse than messing around with leveling when we first find a beautiful spot, especially when people are watching. ? The only benefit...

I recently installed a battery-powered barbecue sparker to replace my piezo. It works great; it lights my Dometic 2193 three-way fridge very quickly. However, the flame keeps blowing out in windy conditions, even after I fashioned a wind shield to slip around the flame assembly. (The flame stays...

I have the Dometic RM 2193 three-way fridge in my Northstar camper. When it wouldn't light after repeated tries, I discovered the igniter lead wire had broken, probably due to a cross-wiring mishap. Rather than spend $45 (!!) for a new wire, I decided to change out the piezo sparker with a...

I have a fairly superficial knowledge of electricity so I'm willing to try to fix things myself first, but this problem has me totally flummoxed. I have an exterior light on my camper that works intermittently. I took the switch out of the circuit and the bulb lit up fine. I then checked the...

In order to extend the life of the Heco gear lift my Northstar uses to raise the roof, should I be lubricating the gears? If so, what should I use? Thanks for your suggestions.

What connectors - exposed to the weather - do you recommend for a 4 AWG battery cable running between the truck engine battery and the camper battery? With lots of help from you all on EP, I successfully wired my truck battery to my "house" battery with 4awg wire. It really did the trick...

I'm wiring my starter battery to my camper battery with an SCR/isolator between. I'm reading conflicting information about whether the batteries have to be of like type. Currently, I am still using wet cell batteries in both, but my starter battery is getting weak. Both batteries get light use...

(My apologies up front if this has been asked ad naseum but I could not come up search words that could hone in on it quickly.) I'm planning on purchasing a Renogy Eclipse 100w solar panel and using it as a portable collector so we can park in the shade but have the panel in the sun. I'm...

I'm new to using a 3-way frig. I'm told it will run down a 12v battery pretty quickly so when we're driving hours on the highway, we've been trying to run the frig off propane. Two problems with this. It's dangerous and the pilot keeps blowing out. I don't want to invest in a heavy-duty wiring...

I keep reading about how heavy the Northstar campers are relative to the FWC yet when I compare features and weights, the difference is much less than expected. The Northstar MC600 has a dry weight of 1148 lbs which INCLUDES the jacks, 3-way frig, 16k Btu furnace, power converter, 20# propane...

I'm interested in getting an Eagle or Fleet FWC shell for my Tacoma. I will likely be parting out my Skamper so I already have a furnace and stove top to install in the shell. Based on the FWC website, it appears the only way to get the propane tank storage is to order the furnace and stove top...

I read a couple comments that the jack brackets on the outside of a FWC Eagle are not strong enough to use with tie downs. Is there a way to reinforce them or how they're mounted to make them capable? I have considerable investment in Torquelift and Happijac hardware for mounting my current...

I've read references to the mattress being too thin in a FWC Eagle. How many inches of space are there between the bed floor and the ceiling? I'm curious how thick of a mattress plus sheets and blankets I can fit in there. Thanks for the info.

I have a 4WD, V-6, manual transmission, extended-cab Tacoma. The GVWR is 5100lbs. With my aging pop-top camper, spouse and dog, I'm carrying close to 5500lbs which exceeds the GVWR by almost 400 lbs. Curiously though, I'm just at the max recommended payload (camper and family = 5500. Truck alone...

I took a look at this camper over the weekend. http://denver.craigslist.org/rvs/5173264906.html Fleets fit Tacomas and are 6" wider than Eagles. The camper was in great shape. The owner, Carroll, is a really nice guy. He's including the mounting bars for a composite bed. The only issue he was...

A forum contributor advised me to change out my propane hoses when I put in a new regulator. I had never paid the delivery system any attention, which I now know is a really bad idea. I should be at least pressure-testing the system on a regular basis. Anyway, I took a close look at the pipes...

I've been repairing/renovating/customizing my old second-hand Skamper for 3 years now, largely on the back of all the helpful folk on this forum. I just keep on discovering new things I don't know but should. My latest need for an education revolves around my propane regulator. When I bought the...

Does the Propex furnace work consistently at high altitude? Our typical camping elevation is between 9500 and 10500 feet. I'm looking to replace my 1980's circa Duo-Therm direct-vent 9000 btu furnace in my old Skamper. I tried cleaning everything up, put on a new sail switch, and replaced the...

I have an old Skamper (early 80s?) with a DuoTherm 66012-045 9k btu furnace. It has an electrode rather than a thermocouple. Sometimes the furnace starts right up when we call for heat. Other times, the fan runs but the pilot doesn't light. Because our problem is intermittent and we never let...