older pop up tc on 1st gen tacoma?
- Thread starter potterjon
- Start date
tanglefoot
ExPoseur
Yes, I'd be more apt to try the last product you posted. That would be better suited for load support.
rangerdogg
Adventurer
The shadow cruiser is nice for small trucks and 5 speed should help more with take off and breaking a.The length is 86" in and 84"wide it came out to were my trailer hitch was. But watch tailgate so you can get to spare tire because one trip I had tail gate on and had got a flat and chipped paint getting spare off. Now if I get jacks on would have not been a problem.But I took them off because 4 are over 100lbs of weight. I used the same tie downs as woody 2 on bumper and 2 on bed cheapest and they held great. Good luck with search. And if you find a shadow cruiser I have a pamphlet with all specs for 98 on all there campers
I thought the happijack system tied down to a bar that was installed in the front wall bed of truck that had to tabs hanging out on the sides and also a bar underneath the bed. Still hard for me to picture it even after looking at pictures. At least that is what I saw on their website. I am hesitant to drill holes in the side of my bed but I guess that's not the end of the world if it is that much cheaper and you guys are saying you haven't seen any problems with that system.
subterran
Adventurer
Hapijac does not make a system like you saw that fits our trucks. The only system they offer for Tacos (really any small truck) is the system Rangerdogg & I have. Torklift MAY have one, but it will be spendy, and may mean that you have to weld 2" receivers to either side of your frame or some such nonsense. Please investigate it for yourself though, and if you find a more elegant solution, I know I'd love to see it.
I did find one other mounting method a guy was selling on ebay that bolted through the front of the bed, and stuck out from between the cab and bed, but it looked like alot of work to put them on. I have been pretty happy with my tiedowns. Happier than I thought I'd be.
Most folks on here don't use external tiedowns at all, instead using a concealed system, but that can be a PITA if you mean to remove the camper alot. Much better for a dedicated camper and truck. External tiedowns will save you from a few busted knuckles!
One word of caution: you shouldn't get ahead of yourself, and install the front tiedowns before you have the camper. On mine, the front mounts on the camper are not even from side to side, so to get the best angle the front mounts are in slightly different places on my truck body. The rear mounts can only really go in one place, so you may be fine to mount them beforehand if you're so motivated.
Please 'pay it forward' if you're going to get your popup TC, and give us all updates and share knowledge by making a build thread. I love to read about other folks TC experience!
I did find one other mounting method a guy was selling on ebay that bolted through the front of the bed, and stuck out from between the cab and bed, but it looked like alot of work to put them on. I have been pretty happy with my tiedowns. Happier than I thought I'd be.
Most folks on here don't use external tiedowns at all, instead using a concealed system, but that can be a PITA if you mean to remove the camper alot. Much better for a dedicated camper and truck. External tiedowns will save you from a few busted knuckles!
One word of caution: you shouldn't get ahead of yourself, and install the front tiedowns before you have the camper. On mine, the front mounts on the camper are not even from side to side, so to get the best angle the front mounts are in slightly different places on my truck body. The rear mounts can only really go in one place, so you may be fine to mount them beforehand if you're so motivated.
Please 'pay it forward' if you're going to get your popup TC, and give us all updates and share knowledge by making a build thread. I love to read about other folks TC experience!
Well...That actually explains a lot. 
I suppose the system I saw was for a different size truck. I didn't realize the taco happijack system was so minimal. I watched a tork lift vid and they seem ideal but overkill maybe for my situation. Thank you for the word of caution about the tie downs. I will just figure out a way to get one home before I start making any real decisions. I realize I will just have to find one that fits my truck and then adapt and go from there. Something tells me this may take awhile, but I am definitely glad I have asked these questions and am thankful you guys are here to help! As soon as I find the one I am looking for I will definitely keep everyone informed. There is a lot of info out there, but finding the specific info you are looking for can take forever. So the more threads full of specific info the better as far as I am concerned. I seem to rationalize driving farther and farther away and spending more and more money. lol. But, budget will keep me focused.
I suppose the system I saw was for a different size truck. I didn't realize the taco happijack system was so minimal. I watched a tork lift vid and they seem ideal but overkill maybe for my situation. Thank you for the word of caution about the tie downs. I will just figure out a way to get one home before I start making any real decisions. I realize I will just have to find one that fits my truck and then adapt and go from there. Something tells me this may take awhile, but I am definitely glad I have asked these questions and am thankful you guys are here to help! As soon as I find the one I am looking for I will definitely keep everyone informed. There is a lot of info out there, but finding the specific info you are looking for can take forever. So the more threads full of specific info the better as far as I am concerned. I seem to rationalize driving farther and farther away and spending more and more money. lol. But, budget will keep me focused.Well I found Jayco late 80's model close to me. Well,closer than any others I have been looking at. It is also on a Nissan Frontier and the seller claims no modifications to the suspension and he hauled it down from Canada. It doesn't have a furnace which is kind of a bummer and no a/c. The fridge is an electric mini fridge but he's only asking $1100 and it looks well taken care of. I was honestly trying to stay out of the 80's if possible, and I am don't remember exactly why, but Jayco wasn't a brand I was really looking at. I think this is a 7' model . Any thoughts on an old Jayco? How expensive is it to add a furnace of some sort? I am on the fence on this one but the price is right. Any absolute deal breakers with Jayco brand that anyone can think of?
subterran
Adventurer
While a furnace is nice to have, The lack therof wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me. We have a furnace, but we wind up using our Mr. Heater little buddy a good bit more than the furnace. It makes the canvas walls sweat, but it's safe to run inside. We don't sleep with it on though. Adding a furnace is pretty expensive, so the little buddy will meet the budget better. We don't have AC, but I may work on that later.
No fridge not bad, you could add a DC fridge and solar. Heater is a personal choice I like mine. As far as an old Jayco need to look for dry rot. Check out this thread on a Jayco rebuild.
Bill