Alaskan Camper Build Up

Carlyle

Explorer
Well I made it back from WA and I'm now back in CO. The camper at this moment is in the stereo shop getting the sound system, sat radio, LCD TV, and alarm system hard wired. It will be back in my hands tomorrow and them time for packing. We're headed to Big Bend for a week :beer: of fun and then back to work :mad:

The weight of the camper dry is 2400 lbs. The flat bed with boxes and propane tank is almost the exact same as the regular bed. At 4.2 lbs per gallon there is about 65 lbs of propane. There is a bunch more storage inside and out so the back seat is being emptied, and the stuff in the boxes, and readied for a Engel down the road. Total weight I'll get after I load up and slip on a non DOT scale.

The camper being attached to the bed with bolts and neoprene washers rides better than the last camper that had Tork Lift springs and frame tie downs. Yes, it slip is a little sloppy when making turns slowly off the beaten path. You have to have driven a truck camper to know that feeling. Though it is leaps and bounds better in handling than a hard side.

The Outback charger inverter system with remote monitor is missing a small part, battery shunt, that is being ordered today. The system is going to take many hours to learn as it will do everything from give you percentage of battery life left to when to clip your toe nails. It came with a manual thicker than some dictionaries...

Camper was ordered in September '07 and complete in March '08, total six months. Total plan time, four years of sitting in the last one deciding what could be made better. All in all, time well spent.

The ICP solar fans are awesome! No wiring, run almost silently and charge themselves. They have been on for days now and run day and night and you have to put your ear up to them to make sure they are running. BTW, they move lots of air too. Every expedition camper should have these.

Last but not least I'm the blond dude in the pic. More pictures from Big Bend next week.
 

Lutzy48

New member
Nice looking set-up. Was wondering what make and style tires you have on your rig. I'm in the market to replace my stock tires on my Ford F-350.
 

ujoint

Supporting Sponsor
Do you know any more on the solar fans? Maybe a pic? I've been interested in something similar. Thanks
 

boblynch

Adventurer
ujointclothing said:
Do you know any more on the solar fans? Maybe a pic? I've been interested in something similar. Thanks

These are very cool (pun intended). Check page one of this thread for a link.
 

Carlyle

Explorer
Stereo and alarm system are in after two days at the stereo shop, it sounds great! I'll post some pics soon. It's now packing day :Wow1: and off to Big Bend tomorrow.
 

Rhode Trip

Adventurer
A slick new rig...AND...a shakedown cruise to Big Bend? I hate you, man! :drool: Enjoy, and post some pics and comments when you return.
 

jnjtravels

New member
Hi ,

I have followed your build closely. It really turned out great. We are staying at Rio Grande Village Campground in BBNP. We will be here for the next week or two. We would love to see your new rig so stop by if you get a chance (site number 68).

Have a great time,
John
 

Carlyle

Explorer
Well we're back from Big Bend and sorry I missed you John, but we were up in a primitive site as we arrived too late for any other site there. Though in retrospect, it was better up off the beaten path. After battling the bugs, wind and heat for three days the weather turned a little sour and we headed out of the park. We headed north and into New Mexico for a few days and hit White Sands on the way through.

All in all the shake down cruise was a success. The truck rides well with the camper on and behaves better in the wind. The Norcold Danfoss fridge is awesome, we had to keep turning it down to avoid freezing even in 100 plus degree weather. The freezer compartment could be a little larger, oh well. The solar panels on the roof, combined with the Outback charger/inverter was quite adequate for our needs including watching a movie at night, listening to tunes and even running the ac when it was really hot. The solar vents work great and are nearly silent except one and I'll call ICP shortly about that. The Thetford cassette toilet takes a little practice, but is so much better than a holding tank full of black and grey water. We had no major problems other than the awning starting to pull away from the camper in one spot. It will have backing plates on that shortly.

The Alaskan camper is truly a quality camper and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a pop up camper. Unless you go with an ultra light, it is no heavier than a typical soft side truck camper.

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wild1

Adventurer
shakedown cruise

Glad your maiden voyage went well, we just returned to Montana after 2 months down south in our Alaskan. The more we use it the better we like it. Did you happen to get a loaded weight before the trip?We are running about 11,000 all up with the TW200 on the rack.
 

Carlyle

Explorer
I did not get a total weight yet, but I'm guessing over 1100. BTW, what is a TW200? Two months down south, now that sounds nice! :sunny:
 

Carlyle

Explorer
ahh, now I understand. We instead will be putting our tandem bicycle and double kayak on top after I install the racks from my old camper.
 

OutbacKamper

Supporting Sponsor
Carlyle said:
I did not get a total weight yet, but I'm guessing over 1100.
Carl;
My guess is closer to 12,000lb, fully loaded with water, fuel, food, rear cargo carrier, kayaks, people and gear! Keep us posted, I would love to be proven wrong.

I am really interested in more feedback on your a/c system when you are able.

Thanks and enjoy your great new rig!

Mark
 

Carlyle

Explorer
The air conditioner system works great! When hot out you need to turn it on early as it takes a long time to actually cool rather than just keep up with the inside temp when it's 100+ degrees outside. At the peak sun of the day the solar panels will keep up with the air conditioner draw or if you are moving down the road you can simply leave it on in the camper and the vehicle alternator will run it as well.

Further in to this year I will be purchasing a 1000 watt Yamaha generator (propane) for peace of mind when boon docking for extended periods.

It is not as noisy as an overhead ac, but does have a slight rattle that I need to isolate and get rid of.

Overall, I would replace the unit with the same if it died tomorrow and not go with another unit. If the motor ever dies I will put in a DC motor though to lessen the draw slightly.

I hope that answers your questions Mark, BTW I'm sure you are right about the weight I just knew I weighed a lot and need to jump on a scale sometime. The wind drag seems to be a bigger factor on mileage at this point than weight. Not that the wind ever blows in Colorado...
 

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