My new Conqueror Base Camp

[Hilldweller]

Dean sent a certifictae of origen from mega manufacturers. with that and the sales invoice, which both had the vin #, and then adding a photo of the trailer and vin plate i was able to register it and get a plate. a new NY title will follow in the mail. i registered it at the exact weight listed on the certificate of origen it was in KG so the dmv converted it, approx 3200 lbs.

That's the GVWR, not it's weight... ...you're not going to pay per-pound to register it, are you? It's more like 1700 pounds unloaded...

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Really? 1700lbs? Is that for the Base Camp, but not the Conqueror?

 

[XJBANKER]

Really? 1700lbs? Is that for the Base Camp, but not the Conqueror?

The compact is 1500lbs so I think that the base camp is a lot more than that.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I thought the compact was 900?

 

[Trail Monkey]

I could be wrong but, i think my GVW is 5512 and my Weight is about 3300. does sound a bit high, but according to the cert of origen it look like it calculates out to that.. ill weigh it in a week or two.

cant get this tent open yet. its been raining everyday...

i leave thrusday for the ovexpo so it might have to wait till next week..

 

[R_Lefebvre]

The compact is 1500lbs so I think that the base camp is a lot more than that.

Sorry, I've read so many things I can't keep track.. I see now that you weighed yours at 1500, and another guy was 1260 after stripping. But... I remember another thread where somebody claimed it really was 900... we talked about the thin metal...

So how much is a Conquest? Must be closer to 2000?

You think the Base Camp is 3000?

 

[OverlandZJ]

I was tempted to hit a scale as i brought the BaseCamp up I-95, now i wish i had.

I took it for granted by what i read that it was around 16-1700lbs. It wouldnt surprise me if it were more.

 

[Hilldweller]

I pushed a Basecamp around pretty easily; the bulk of the weight is in its crazy rack. The box itself, tent, and aluminum panniers aren't much different in actual square footage from a Conquest.
It's really not likely to weigh more than 2000 pounds dry. That's with the jerrycans, shovel, gizmo-hitch and everything.

Just my guess, of course.

In fact, Chris and I were taking a good look at his a few weeks ago and agreed that it would look great without the rack and a nice OverZone instead. Maybe a nice awning on the side...

 

[Ghostship]

My Conqueror Basecamp weighs 1760lbs dry (with tent & stock battery, without water/fuel).

 

[Hilldweller]

My Conqueror Basecamp weighs 1760lbs dry (with tent & stock battery, without water/fuel).

Oooooo, baby; I guessed 1700 at first.
I want a quarter from everyone who guessed over 2000.... :victory:

 

[Trail Monkey]

A few shots of the tent up. It took about 15mins the first time i set it up. Not really frustrating either, easy 15mins, i think i could do it in 10 after a few times. Not the same as the easiawn by any means, but not like a large ground tent either..

i let it rain on the tent for three days straight in my driveway, pouring rain. a few small leaks of about 2 oz each. ive located the areas and plan to seal.

overall im very happy with the size and ease of setup sofar. need to figure out a mattress option now..???

 

[texasnielsen]

Congrats on the basecamp purchase. I got mine from Dean back in March (or was it February?). Anyway, the family loves it and we have had no regrets and no problems. I have made the "standard" changes that other Expo members have pointed out are worth looking at and inspecting (#8 bolts, wiring harness, safety chain, bearings, etc....). one thing us "base campers" have going for us is the second tent (the one which deploys under the top tent when the rack is opened. I have found that due to the way it attaches and hangs, the shape and thus ease of entry was a little frustrating, even when staked down. I took some spare tent shock-cord poles (not from the Conqueror but an old 4-person nylon Coleman model) and use them to [blossom] out the lower tent. I use three poles, three sections long (if that makes sense); one assembled pole at each end and one in the center, bent in an arch and installed on the inside, to create a nicely shaped additional sleeping area. (I'll try to find a photo to post)

The roof rack has been great for bringing along a collapsable awning among other things (the rack makes a great bike rack!) which we use over the kitchen area if we don't set up the large awning (which in truth I've only used once).

Having the two 10lb propane tanks has completed the look, but I am still finishing off a 6-pak of disposable bottles I purchased when we first bought the basecamp. After two trips with just a cooler, we sprung for an Edgestar 63q freezer and its been great.

We use a blow up mattress up top for sleeping and I purchased two folding cots (an XL model) from Cabelas. I took 6" off each end of the cot (not only were they wider than standard, but also longer) - as in a foot too long to fit cleanly in the lower tent. As the cot frames are aluminum, it was an easy adjustment. So now there's a sleeping and "hang-out" for the kids. One other thing, I went with a cot that didn't have individual "legs" but more of a short U-shaped support to hold up the sleeping surface. I didn't want a legged-type model for fear of tearing or ripping through the bottom of the tent. I always use a ground cover under the Conqueror lower tent and haven't had any problem with moisture wicking or morning dew seaping in. (Yeah, one of the things I did after seasoning the canvas was to wax up all the seams on both tents. Lessons learned long ago after many years of tent camping as a child.)

Lastly, I was able to register here in Texas at 1750 lbs empty.

Hope you have many years of enjoyment with this unique trailer.

Gary

P.S. - where are you on Long Island? I graduated h.s. in Hauppauge

 

[Safado]

I have found that due to the way it attaches and hangs, the shape and thus ease of entry was a little frustrating, even when staked down. I took some spare tent shock-cord poles (not from the Conqueror but an old 4-person nylon Coleman model) and use them to [blossom] out the lower tent. I use three poles, three sections long (if that makes sense); one assembled pole at each end and one in the center, bent in an arch and installed on the inside, to create a nicely shaped additional sleeping area. (I'll try to find a photo to post)

I'd love to see that Gary...thanks.

Also...how long have you owned the EdgeStar? Any issues? How have the roads been that you've taken it down? Lots of washboard?

Thanks

 

[texasnielsen]

I'd love to see that Gary...thanks.

Also...how long have you owned the EdgeStar? Any issues? How have the roads been that you've taken it down? Lots of washboard?

Thanks

After looking, I don't have any specific shots of the shock-cord poles installed, however. . . . since we're headed to the Outer banks for the next nine days I will be sure and take plenty of pix specific to this discussion.

As to the Edgestar, its been great. Owned it since February - has over 100 hours of use so far. Constant temps (as it can't be "divided" as some of the competition can be on the interior; it's mostly been a fridge and not a freezer in our use to date. (Made ice with it once - just for the Wow! factor :sombrero: Next weeks excursion will be the real test with true summer temps concerning cooling efficiency.

The roads have been a mix of obvious pavement, dirt, and no real challenging off-road "trail" (none of the surfaces encountered have been 4X4 only in other words) thus the washboarding experience has been mainly to just avoid the potholes. I use a cinch strap that came with the basecamp and it is lashed down to the slide-out tray (I had to add a piece of birch ply to the floor of the tray to accomodate the tray just being a frame in effect). The way it's set up, the length of strap that is beyond the [clamp] ends up being a sweet pull cord to slide the unit out when first setting up camp. Picture of Edgestar (no strap in this photo though). The freezer is more or less blocked on the sides and snug front and rear in the tray so movement has been nonexistent to this point (some heavy washboarding surfaces may challenge this...just need to keep the speed down)

My only complaint to date is that my tow vehicle tends to kick up the mud on to the Conqueror (and anything else in the way) when its a water and dirt mixture and I haven't come up with anything satisfactory as a solution that doesn't look absurd (its not an RV after all, so the dirts part of why we're out there, right?).

 

[DaleRider3]

Gary, I am the lucky new owner of Trail Monkey's Basecamp as he decided to sell it 2 weeks ago. Would be interested in pictures of the shock cords for the lower tent as that sounds like a useful idea. Can you provide some more details on the typical new mods you reference as I'd be interested in anything I should be doing to it. So far just changed the wiring plug to 7 blade RV style and this weekend will be replacing the dead original battery with dual Group 27 deep cycles and trying to swap out the propane tank holders to ones that will hold standard 20 lb tanks which I have plenty of already rather than trying to source the 10 lb'ers.

Thanks,