Time to Upgrade/Downsize

[PSD]

Starting in January 2013, my girlfriend and I spent just over 13 months traveling the Western United States/living in a hard-sided Lance Camper. I already owned the truck (1997 F250 4x4 Powerstroke, 4x4, manual trans, short bed, extended cab), and we found the camper for inexpensive.

Now - 30,000+ miles later - I have a better idea of what we'll want for our next rig. The luxury (mainly its size and storage) of the Lance was nice, but it was also limiting. Fortunately, we only bought the camper with the intention of using it for the year (and we certainly used it - it's beat up and ready to be retired).

I'm fairly certain that a FWC (or similar pop-up) would better suit our needs for future trips, but I do have a few concerns:

1. How much weight will the roof of a FWC camper support? We've got a lot of gear, and there is no way around this. All of our gear sees regular use skiing, climbing, backpacking, etc; and was the foundation for the focus of our 2013 trip, and will continue to be the focus of our future trips. We currently keep 2/3 of our gear stored inside of the camper, and the remainder in a Thule Box above the camper. My intention would be mounting a larger thule box (or 2 smaller boxes) on the roof of the FWC: Any thoughts on this?

2. Insulation: I understand that pop up campers are more akin to a tent than an RV: how difficult is it to keep a FWC camper (somewhat) warm in cold temperatures? We spent time in Utah and CO winters where nighttime temperatures dropped to -20F. We get our fair share of cold nights on extended backcountry snowpacking/ski trips: it would be nice to have the option of sleeping in relative comfort while in the camper. Has anyone dealt with severe winter cold in a FWC? Any way to increase insulation of a pop up?

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to figuring more out and learning

 

[tanglefoot]

Welcome!

Some pop-up truck campers are much better-suited to roof cargo than others. The FWC is able to support large loads (I believe 1000 lbs is the spec) when the roof is raised or lowered, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want the roof to be very loaded while raising or lowering. There is an available gas-strut assist on the FWCs but I believe the roof cargo load while raising and lowering is still somewhat limited.

The Outfitter pop-ups pride themselves on being able to raise and lower the roof with large loads on top (they use an ATV on the roof to demonstrate).

http://www.outfittermfg.com/

I believe Hallmark and Northstar campers are also well-suited for operating the roof with roof cargo aboard.

http://www.hallmarkrv.com/
http://northstarcampers.com/

On the insulation issue, pop-up truck campers offer much more weatherization than a tent. The camper body and the roof are pretty well-insulated, and most softwalls are multi-layer. Many manufacturers offer extra insulation packages. In the relatively small interior volume of a pop-up TC, the furnace is easily capable of maintaining a comfortable temperature inside.

Have fun!

 

[Desertdave]

One issue that extreme-cold folks deal with on the FWC is condensation under the mattress, since that area is non-insulated. Lots of neat ideas on how to deal with that on Wander The West. One example http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/8732-anyone-with-drymesh-experience/

I just sold a nice Bigfoot and will get my new FWC on the 28th of May. If you have a constant load on the roof, that is within the handling capability of the FWC, you can get the hydraulic cylinders matched to offset that. But if sometimes the roof is unloaded, those strong cylinders may keep you from closing the roof! I will experiment with how this works, starting off with the lowest weight rating cylinders and changing if required, although my load is expected to be less than 150 pounds.

 

[PSD]

Welcome!

Some pop-up truck campers are much better-suited to roof cargo than others. The FWC is able to support large loads (I believe 1000 lbs is the spec) when the roof is raised or lowered, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want the roof to be very loaded while raising or lowering. There is an available gas-strut assist on the FWCs but I believe the roof cargo load while raising and lowering is still somewhat limited.

The Outfitter pop-ups pride themselves on being able to raise and lower the roof with large loads on top (they use an ATV on the roof to demonstrate).

http://www.outfittermfg.com/

I believe Hallmark and Northstar campers are also well-suited for operating the roof with roof cargo aboard.

http://www.hallmarkrv.com/
http://northstarcampers.com/

On the insulation issue, pop-up truck campers offer much more weatherization than a tent. The camper body and the roof are pretty well-insulated, and most softwalls are multi-layer. Many manufacturers offer extra insulation packages. In the relatively small interior volume of a pop-up TC, the furnace is easily capable of maintaining a comfortable temperature inside.

Have fun!

Thanks for the reply!

Fortunately, most of our gear isn't very heavy. The ski equipment is probably the heaviest, and even that is modest in weight. I hadn't looked into the Outfitter Pop-Ups: At first glance they look impressive - I'd imagine finding one used will be a matter of waiting patiently, and being persistent in the search. New is an option, but we'd always prefer to spend the money elsewhere (the truck is going to be getting a solid front axle, new suspension, new exhaust, new injectors, etc. in the next 8 months)

Also good to know that they are insulated well enough to keep us warm.

I had an 88 Forerunner with a 22RE for a while - I miss it, and look forward to having one again. Yours looks super rad.

 

[PSD]

One issue that extreme-cold folks deal with on the FWC is condensation under the mattress, since that area is non-insulated. Lots of neat ideas on how to deal with that on Wander The West. One example http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/8732-anyone-with-drymesh-experience/

I just sold a nice Bigfoot and will get my new FWC on the 28th of May. If you have a constant load on the roof, that is within the handling capability of the FWC, you can get the hydraulic cylinders matched to offset that. But if sometimes the roof is unloaded, those strong cylinders may keep you from closing the roof! I will experiment with how this works, starting off with the lowest weight rating cylinders and changing if required, although my load is expected to be less than 150 pounds.

Excellent, thanks. I'd imagine our load wouldn't be more than 300lbs (although that is a total BS estimate - I really have no idea what we'll actually be looking at) - I'll be interested in hearing your experience with the strut assists.

The more I look into the pop-ups, the more excited I'm getting. Our next trip probably won't be longer than 3-4 months, which should be the perfect amount of time to get a new rig dialed in.

 

[Runt]

I have owned a couple Phoenix Pop Up Campers. They make custom campers if required to almost any specification. One on a Tacoma and the current camper is on a Tundra. My experience with roof loads is only with the Tacoma so far. The greatest amount I had was a Canoe and a Kayak stuffed with gear on top. Roughly 300 lbs. Really had to put the shoulder into the roof and lift with my legs. Not easy but doable. There are electric lifts available for the camper that I believe lift over 1000 lbs. Far as storing gear there was no issue with either model as there was access to the wheel well area on one side to put smaller items and a large under bed storage area along with cabinets and hidden storage spots every where. I also used rubber maid storage bins in hall way and held down with strapping to D-loops on the floor. Far as cold temperatures I have had zero concern. In my Tacoma camper I often stayed in it below - 40 Celsius. Only issue is condensation, like any camper. Just wipe down the inside to soak up the excess when you close the top. Under bed is insulated so I don't get mattress condensation issues. Just on pop up or around the aluminum framing. When I had 110 v I plugged in a electric space heater with a vent cracked and the dry heat pulls the moisture out. Really like my Phoenix campers....especially my Tacoma camper. Perfect size. Tundra camper is still new and a lot nicer with full shower and toilet etc. Honestly think simple is better. Hope this helps.

 

[craig333]

300 lbs is certainly doable for a young strong man. Struts would help. Its certainly not ideal though. If you removed it before raising or lowering the camper then it would be a non issue. With 90lbs (canoe and solar) and 40lb struts mine isn't bad. Can definitely be too much for some people though. Remember, its going to want to come down quite fast if you don't have heavy enough struts and if you do good luck closing it without the weight on top.

Still, I'm sure you can make it work. The advantages of a pop up make the effort worthwhile.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

We old farts have hand cranks for times when the roof is loaded with a lot of gear. FWC offered it as an option, but I bought a speaker crank from Guitar Center for under $100. One end on the floor, the other on the top cross piece. There's a thread on WTW for this...

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/8026-is-this-the-crank-up-jack-i-need/?hl=+roof++crank

 

[PSD]

Excellent, thanks for all of the information.

We're currently keeping an eye on CL to see if a newer camper pops up. We're patient, but would also like to get one by the Fall of this year. Any other places (other than craigslist) that are recommended for used pop-ups?

Now that we've made up our mind to get a pop-up, I'm becoming resentful of the oversized, hard-sided camper sitting on our truck. Getting rid of it will be tough, though, after having spent so much time in. I think we've got some friends who we'll give it to - it will be nice to keep it in the "family"

 

[rotti]

Excellent, thanks for all of the information.

Any other places (other than craigslist) that are recommended for used pop-ups?

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/7380-used-pop-up-truck-camper-alert-thread/

 

[PSD]

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/7380-used-pop-up-truck-camper-alert-thread/

Excellent. Thanks!