Scoutman
Explorer
Here's one in Alabama that's shown on a F150 for a pretty reasonable price...
http://nashville.craigslist.org/rvs/4421791378.html
http://nashville.craigslist.org/rvs/4421791378.html
First camper:
- Thread starter rystjohn
- Start date
Hmmmm....I'm having the hardest time now deciding to go for a good looking Sunlite camper that is near, or traveling farther and spending more for an affordable FWC. I have the one I mentioned earlier in Louisiana for $4200 (which I'm still not convinced will completely work) or another one located in Texas for 7K.
The other option is a few Sunlites nearby - like the one just mentioned in Alabama, and another one closer in North Georgia. Both are around 4K.
I'm honest in that my lady and I only have about 5K saved right now to spend. If we wait, we will probably have a bit more, and we could always take out a loan, but ideally we want to spend what we have now-ish and still have some money left over so that we can enjoy our first few months on the road, and also have money set aside for emergencies, etc. Also I might 'have' to buy a small motorcycle, as clarified below.... :bike_rider:
My biggest fear is winding up spending "too little" on the camper, and having to dump money into it for repairs & upkeep - I had a similar experience with my old '84 VW van. I bought her for cheap, and even doing all the work myself, I still wound up spending nearly the same amount on parts and upkeep! It was fun, but it hurt my wallet pretty badly.
If you guys were in my position what would you do? I know I kinda gave a background on us, but again, we're two 26-year-old smart kids with our dog, and a passion for traveling. Sadly, we have a small budget due to student loans (and my admitted motorcycle problem). We're both pretty level-headed and smart, we're hard workers and both of us are artists (her - illustrator/painter me - photographer, graphic designer), even though that's not what pays our bills . I'm pretty proficient at tinkering and fixing just about anything once I understand how it works and enjoy doing so. I can do general work on vehicles, etc and am pretty crafty when needs be. Her, not so much. But she's supportive and always stands by my side and helps keep things positive when **** gets rough.
Ideally we'll be wandering the USA, maybe into Mexico:costumed-smiley-007 for a while as recommended. Our plans are to make some money from selling artwork, writing, doing trade crafts, online gigs, etc. A big part of what we're thinking of doing is to try out Workcamping where we work at National and State parks, and get a free camp site. One of us will do this while the other will do something that actually brings in a bit of cash such as work at a nearby town or on the actual NPS or State land. Because of this I'll probably store my current motorcycle and buy a smaller 250cc to tow around behind us or somehow attach to the truck for commuting when at campsites. :roost:
We can always fall back on what we are doing now - service industry. She's a server and I'm currently a Sous Chef and both of us have been in this field for far too long.
I feel like I'm getting off subject again. I think my main point is, HELP!
Go for the 'gold' and spend all our money on a FWC? Or save a bit and (hopefully) have a just as reliable Sunlite?
The other option is a few Sunlites nearby - like the one just mentioned in Alabama, and another one closer in North Georgia. Both are around 4K.
I'm honest in that my lady and I only have about 5K saved right now to spend. If we wait, we will probably have a bit more, and we could always take out a loan, but ideally we want to spend what we have now-ish and still have some money left over so that we can enjoy our first few months on the road, and also have money set aside for emergencies, etc. Also I might 'have' to buy a small motorcycle, as clarified below.... :bike_rider:
My biggest fear is winding up spending "too little" on the camper, and having to dump money into it for repairs & upkeep - I had a similar experience with my old '84 VW van. I bought her for cheap, and even doing all the work myself, I still wound up spending nearly the same amount on parts and upkeep! It was fun, but it hurt my wallet pretty badly.
If you guys were in my position what would you do? I know I kinda gave a background on us, but again, we're two 26-year-old smart kids with our dog, and a passion for traveling. Sadly, we have a small budget due to student loans (and my admitted motorcycle problem). We're both pretty level-headed and smart, we're hard workers and both of us are artists (her - illustrator/painter me - photographer, graphic designer), even though that's not what pays our bills . I'm pretty proficient at tinkering and fixing just about anything once I understand how it works and enjoy doing so. I can do general work on vehicles, etc and am pretty crafty when needs be. Her, not so much. But she's supportive and always stands by my side and helps keep things positive when **** gets rough.
Ideally we'll be wandering the USA, maybe into Mexico:costumed-smiley-007 for a while as recommended. Our plans are to make some money from selling artwork, writing, doing trade crafts, online gigs, etc. A big part of what we're thinking of doing is to try out Workcamping where we work at National and State parks, and get a free camp site. One of us will do this while the other will do something that actually brings in a bit of cash such as work at a nearby town or on the actual NPS or State land. Because of this I'll probably store my current motorcycle and buy a smaller 250cc to tow around behind us or somehow attach to the truck for commuting when at campsites. :roost:
We can always fall back on what we are doing now - service industry. She's a server and I'm currently a Sous Chef and both of us have been in this field for far too long.
I feel like I'm getting off subject again. I think my main point is, HELP!
Go for the 'gold' and spend all our money on a FWC? Or save a bit and (hopefully) have a just as reliable Sunlite?
I say goo west. Camp in a nice tent with an air mattress along the way while you are looking for one. There seem to be soooooo many out there compared to here. I literally had to stop looking at the western part of the states during my search. It was just too depressing. lol
I have to add to this, hopefully this will not be the same experience as any VW van. My wife is a v dub freak and has owned 7 of them over the years. I love em but don't want to own one. She has a 71 square back in the drive way and when I told her I was thinking of a tc, her response was "why not an old westfalia?" lolololololol.
No way.
No way.
waterwindsuntraveller
Observer
If I were you, I'd hold out for what I want. Get a camper that fits correctly in your truck and doesn't hang over the tailgate. FWCers are awesome, but IMO, are overpriced... Then get a motorcycle hitch carrier to carry your 250-350cc dual sport bike. IMO, towing a trailer is a pain- just another thing to deal with and on exploration roads with the likely-hood of having to turn around in tight spaces a trailer = no bueno. I live in Colorado and there are lots of truck campers for sale out here. Save some more bucks, pack up your truck as is, and head west. Find a camper along the way and go from there. With you and your girl's background get an arts festival schedule and loosely plan your travels around that. Towns like Buena Vista, CO, Pagosa Springs, Silverton, Carbondale, Taos, NM are pretty vegabond-friendly and have good camping opportunities.
I remember fondly my days in my mid/late 20s... I graduated Fort Lewis college out of Durango, moved down to Taos, NM for the great skiing at Taos Ski Valley, guided on the Rio Grand, ate lots of fish tacos and green chile stuffed sopapias, admired the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen in my life, lived in an adobe studio house, had an old car and loved it! Now in my 40s and I sometimes wish I could go back in time to those footloose days.
Go for it! Life's not just about working and stressing about retirement and all that bs. The time is now!
I remember fondly my days in my mid/late 20s... I graduated Fort Lewis college out of Durango, moved down to Taos, NM for the great skiing at Taos Ski Valley, guided on the Rio Grand, ate lots of fish tacos and green chile stuffed sopapias, admired the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen in my life, lived in an adobe studio house, had an old car and loved it! Now in my 40s and I sometimes wish I could go back in time to those footloose days.
Go for it! Life's not just about working and stressing about retirement and all that bs. The time is now!
http://desmoines.craigslist.org/rvs/4462069783.html
North Star $2k
North Star $2k
waterwindsuntraveller
Observer
That looks like a sweet unit! 2k for something designed to fit a short bed and looks to be in good shape!!!
Sock Puppet
Adventurer
That appears to be a SCHWEET deal!
Well - my dreams may be SOL....
I went and weighed the truck yesterday and was surprised by the results:
Weight of 2000 F150 Lariat 4x4 with full tank, man(170#) & dog(50#): 5600lbs. WAAAAAAY more than expected. I was thinking it was going to be around 5,000-5,200lbs at most.
****.
My GVWR is only 6500, which leaves me with around 900lbs to play with. 800lbs, or rather less, once I add the lady into the equation.
I did have my toolbox on the back, but there isn't a ton of stuff in there. I also have a lay-flat goose-neck hitch installed in the back. I have no idea how much that weighs, or how to even get rid of it if I wanted to. The FWC Hawk is around 800lbs, and is the model I was (and still am) hoping to purchase.....
I really don't have the money or time or desire to purchase a new truck, plus I love my truck and it only has 95K on it!
I could always see if I could do a flat trade on it for a F250 or similar. If I did that I'd still want 4x4 and I'd also prefer diesel for longevity, but I feel like my options are slim.
Is there anything else I can do? Magically remove 600lbs from the truck? From my understanding, helper springs and air bags don't actually give you more GVWR, they just even out the ride....I understand that having too much weight can damage your transmission, suspension, and rear axle, correct?
So am I screwed?
I went and weighed the truck yesterday and was surprised by the results:
Weight of 2000 F150 Lariat 4x4 with full tank, man(170#) & dog(50#): 5600lbs. WAAAAAAY more than expected. I was thinking it was going to be around 5,000-5,200lbs at most.
****.
My GVWR is only 6500, which leaves me with around 900lbs to play with. 800lbs, or rather less, once I add the lady into the equation.
I did have my toolbox on the back, but there isn't a ton of stuff in there. I also have a lay-flat goose-neck hitch installed in the back. I have no idea how much that weighs, or how to even get rid of it if I wanted to. The FWC Hawk is around 800lbs, and is the model I was (and still am) hoping to purchase.....
I really don't have the money or time or desire to purchase a new truck, plus I love my truck and it only has 95K on it!
I could always see if I could do a flat trade on it for a F250 or similar. If I did that I'd still want 4x4 and I'd also prefer diesel for longevity, but I feel like my options are slim.
Is there anything else I can do? Magically remove 600lbs from the truck? From my understanding, helper springs and air bags don't actually give you more GVWR, they just even out the ride....I understand that having too much weight can damage your transmission, suspension, and rear axle, correct?
So am I screwed?
topofpalomar
Enthusiast
rystjohn,
Personally I feel you are way over-thinking this thing. First, you are not "screwed". Drop the bad vibes and look at this from a common-sense approach.
You have a truck you like and want to keep. You want a camper that fits your budget. You are worried about overloading it and that is a legitimate concern. However, if you went out and weighed everyone's camper on this forum you'd probably find most of us (including your's truly) are overloaded at least some of the time.
If you are careful with what you take and don't do stupid things like overload it by a thousand pounds you can make something work.
You are new to this popup camper thing. You're unsure if you are making the right choices. Understandable. Perhaps a bigger truck is what you need but it's not what you have. If you can get one, get one. If not get a shell model camper of your choice and make that work or perhaps an older, small truck popup camper that will weigh less and will fit in the back of your Ford. When you get all your junk loaded don't be surprised if it's a bit over-loaded. Again, don't do ridiculous overloading but be reasonable. Add air bags to help get it level, and of course good tires. Then go out and have fun. You'll find out what works and what doesn't. Later you can upgrade.
Here's mine. Bet it's overloaded.
Just my two cents.
Personally I feel you are way over-thinking this thing. First, you are not "screwed". Drop the bad vibes and look at this from a common-sense approach.
You have a truck you like and want to keep. You want a camper that fits your budget. You are worried about overloading it and that is a legitimate concern. However, if you went out and weighed everyone's camper on this forum you'd probably find most of us (including your's truly) are overloaded at least some of the time.
If you are careful with what you take and don't do stupid things like overload it by a thousand pounds you can make something work.
You are new to this popup camper thing. You're unsure if you are making the right choices. Understandable. Perhaps a bigger truck is what you need but it's not what you have. If you can get one, get one. If not get a shell model camper of your choice and make that work or perhaps an older, small truck popup camper that will weigh less and will fit in the back of your Ford. When you get all your junk loaded don't be surprised if it's a bit over-loaded. Again, don't do ridiculous overloading but be reasonable. Add air bags to help get it level, and of course good tires. Then go out and have fun. You'll find out what works and what doesn't. Later you can upgrade.
Here's mine. Bet it's overloaded.
Just my two cents.
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I like the old Bethany PickUpper pop ups, they have a little more room inside and are priced cheaper when you can find them. They were made in MN so they are more common in the midwest. That said: if your going to live in it full time I'd go for a hard side camper, you want it to be always set up.
Like many have pointed out weight is going to be a big issue with a camper on a F!%), especially if your going to be driving a lot. Even at 1000lbs your going to notice a huge difference in how the truck handles, your back end will sag and many campers weigh more than that dry. There are three ways to increase the load capacity of your truck. You can go with Helper Springs (probably easiest and cheapest Hellwig is the most popular brand), Air Bags (I wouldn't do this but lots of people do and have success), or there are after market heavy duty replacement leaf springs for F150s as well (these are pretty easy to install too, but will cost a little more than just bolting on helper springs, I found the best deal on the JC Whitney web site). Getting your ride leveled will make a huge difference in how your truck handles when carrying close to its load capacity. It makes a huge difference in the safety and reliability of a rig like this. You might think about putting Load E rated tires, even if just on the rear.
My wife and I didn't have kids until our thirties. We spent our twenties in all sorts of fun and selfish pursuits. I wish we had made the leap then to just go live on the road, we had a few road trips, but we could have really had fun being nomads. Now we have to wait until our kids are grown and we're retired. Good for you for taking off and doing it. Have fun. Be careful.
Like many have pointed out weight is going to be a big issue with a camper on a F!%), especially if your going to be driving a lot. Even at 1000lbs your going to notice a huge difference in how the truck handles, your back end will sag and many campers weigh more than that dry. There are three ways to increase the load capacity of your truck. You can go with Helper Springs (probably easiest and cheapest Hellwig is the most popular brand), Air Bags (I wouldn't do this but lots of people do and have success), or there are after market heavy duty replacement leaf springs for F150s as well (these are pretty easy to install too, but will cost a little more than just bolting on helper springs, I found the best deal on the JC Whitney web site). Getting your ride leveled will make a huge difference in how your truck handles when carrying close to its load capacity. It makes a huge difference in the safety and reliability of a rig like this. You might think about putting Load E rated tires, even if just on the rear.
My wife and I didn't have kids until our thirties. We spent our twenties in all sorts of fun and selfish pursuits. I wish we had made the leap then to just go live on the road, we had a few road trips, but we could have really had fun being nomads. Now we have to wait until our kids are grown and we're retired. Good for you for taking off and doing it. Have fun. Be careful.
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Just to be a broken record, seriously, just upgrade your springs. I am not a mechanic I switched out my leaf springs for under $400 in my garage with a high lift jack and a couple stands in under four hours. If you go with helper springs they just bolt on to your existing leaf springs and will do the same thing for around $250, but you might need to tighten them every once in a while and you might hear them rattle on a dirt road. You can make that truck carry 1500-2000lbs safely.
Also just be sure you have good rotors, drums, pads and shoes.
Once you have heavier shocks and tires all thats leaft to brake is the axle and the rims. Just don't push the weight limit too far and you won't have any problems. Also make sure your brakes are in decent shape and don't tailgate people.
Go for it man, have fun. There's always a thousand reasons not to do something, but none of them are as good as the few reasons to do it.
Also just be sure you have good rotors, drums, pads and shoes.
Once you have heavier shocks and tires all thats leaft to brake is the axle and the rims. Just don't push the weight limit too far and you won't have any problems. Also make sure your brakes are in decent shape and don't tailgate people.
Go for it man, have fun. There's always a thousand reasons not to do something, but none of them are as good as the few reasons to do it.
Check out the replacement heavy duty leaf springs on JC Whitney for F150s. Its seriously not that hard to do the job. Check out my old thread on here, I have pics of doing mine, its on this forum probably on like page 4 or 5 now. They definitely made all the difference for me, you can see my truck a few posts before this one, thing rides and sits like there was nothing in the box. Its actually better now with the camper loaded than it was before. That camper weighs about 900lbs.
I don't have experience with air bags or helper springs. I'd take helper springs over air bags though, air bags can move and some people have popped them too.
I don't have experience with air bags or helper springs. I'd take helper springs over air bags though, air bags can move and some people have popped them too.
Here's a picture of the old leaf spring and one of the new ones side by side www.JCWhitney.com I got free shipping too. Two of these cost me $387, I needed four new UBolts from OReilley too, the original ones were too short. The Ubolts were between $60-$80 total, I forget exactly.
