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Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: What Would You Do?

Anyway, when do I cut and run?
Now.
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cewillis
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05/12/13 01:12pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Best performing compressor fridge?

Cal:
Was your truck-to-camper charge system plugged in while underway, running fridge (in DC mode) ?
Sure.
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cewillis
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05/12/13 08:22am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Best performing compressor fridge?

No trouble with my old Tundra, in temps from below freezing to 90's, and trips up to 11,000 miles over 2 months. Held near zero in the freezer, and below 40 in the frig.
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cewillis
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05/11/13 10:48am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Hallmark Pop-up Truck Campers

You won't go wrong quality-wise with any of the campers mentioned so far, or with a Northstar 850sc. Really depends on what you want, and it pays to go look at them - closely.
Are you sure about the hardside TC in Yellowstone? Many years ago (2005) when I camped Alaska for 2 months, the Denali rangers told me I had to have a hardside 'camper' for Teklanika. Turns out they meant a hardside trailer; my popup TC was fine. That's because the concern was wolves, not bears, and the soft side of my TC was several feet off the ground. As for bears -- they go where they want to go, hardside, softside, steelside - makes no difference.
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cewillis
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05/08/13 01:03pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: ?'s for the seasoned campers re roof top solar panels

All I can tell you is that I've found my solar panel to be very useful.
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cewillis
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05/08/13 12:53pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: a few roof repairs

Nice repair/upgrades Cal!
Where (and what part number) were you able to get the nice aluminum radius corners ?
Also, thanks for the heads-up on rear roof-mounted awning screws. I'll check ours later today for rusty screws, and replace with stainless. If the rear awning ever flew off the rear of our roof on our crowded Eastern highways, it could potentially kill someone driving behind.
Cheers,
Silver-
Silver,
Since Outfitter no longer uses the plastic corner caps (and can apparently no longer get them), Bob Ward gave me the number of a small metal shop that custom makes the aluminum ones. (no part number, and only a total of 6 so far, including my 2, as far as I know) Thus they are way too expensive ($75 each), but since it was a one time buy, I did it anyway. Also, they are not a perfect fit, but close enough that a little installation persuasion works. If you want the phone/email, I'll ask if he wants to make anymore. (or you could ask Bob)
Killing someone would be a good deal worse than scaring a cow --
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cewillis
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05/08/13 08:37am |
Truck Campers
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RE: a few roof repairs

Just as a note on stainless though. I was all for using stainless bolts on the jack quick connect mounts for our custom camper build, but after shearing 3 of them while tightening the clamps (3/8" stainless bolts mind you), I switched to grade 8 steel. Stainless is way too soft for some situations...
But we are screwing into thin wall aluminum tubing --. Can't go real tight.
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cewillis
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05/08/13 08:26am |
Truck Campers
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RE: New Ranchos for Calvin!

I just purchased 4 Rancho 9000XL shocks for my truck. 'Calvin, the 1996 creampuff Chev Silverado 3500 extended cab dually'
Dak
Hey, thanks, send them on out -- oh, for your truck. Never mind.
I just put 4 new Bilstein's on my truck. Easy, but it's 2006.
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cewillis
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05/07/13 05:03pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Limits?

There are several here that do just as you describe, including me, with little unexpected difficulty -- but it's always a good idea to watch out where you're going. A popup tc saves a little overhead room, but several also use hardside. You need to be aware of the camping rules in National Forests these days.
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cewillis
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05/06/13 05:04pm |
Truck Campers
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a few roof repairs

Repairs on my camper roof, not to the roof.
First, in manuevering that camper around in my tight storage area , I repeatedly bumped the front corner caps - damaging them. I got the new aluminum ones shown, and installed those.
http://www.ctwillis.com/car/2500HD/Roof%20Repairs/photos/123_1514.JPG width=800
In the process of installing these, I noticed that one of my solar panel attachments was broken.
http://www.ctwillis.com/car/2500HD/Roof%20Repairs/photos/123_1505.JPG width=800
http://www.ctwillis.com/car/2500HD/Roof%20Repairs/photos/123_1507.JPG width=800
So I upgraded the aluminum mounting bars and screws, and moved the panel back about 4 feet from the front corner.
http://www.ctwillis.com/car/2500HD/Roof%20Repairs/photos/123_1511.JPG width=800
http://www.ctwillis.com/car/2500HD/Roof%20Repairs/photos/123_1510.JPG width=800
http://www.ctwillis.com/car/2500HD/Roof%20Repairs/photos/124_1517.JPG width=800
Finally, some time ago my rear awning fell off while driving on Hole-in-the-rock road. (scared the hell out of a cow I was passing at the time) I upgraded the mounting screws, and reinstalled it.
http://www.ctwillis.com/car/2500HD/Roof%20Repairs/photos/123_1509.JPG width=800
http://www.ctwillis.com/car/2500HD/Roof%20Repairs/photos/124_1518.JPG width=800
Pictures are also on my web site here
I think the first problem was mine, and the second, probably normal for hard off-road use. The awning screws were clearly inadequate.
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cewillis
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05/05/13 05:29pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Sagging floor repairs

Nice 'trusty pint-sized apprentice', and looks like a good job on the joist, too.
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cewillis
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04/30/13 02:41pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Lance Wiring Questions

No heavy duty electrical connector anywhere on the outside of the camper? 2 awg wire sounds like someone may have added a good truck alternator charging system in the past. Just a guess.
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cewillis
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04/29/13 05:08pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Pop-Up Campers

Mine's an Apex 8 using a 2500HD (but with springs upgraded to better than 3500). I just like the truck to ride at stock height when loaded.
All the comforts of home. When you have a lot of features, you have a lot of weight.
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cewillis
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04/27/13 08:40am |
Truck Campers
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RE: why two tow hooks?

Thanks for the replies. The comments about the correct direction don't apply, since one tow hook can be installed in a receiver on either side. As for pulling on two points, I thought about my winch mounted in one receiver and a tow hook in the other, connected via snatch block. But having both hooks available for an external pull is a good point (if really, really stuck).
Don't believe I'll ever be shipping my truck, but one never knows --.
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cewillis
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04/27/13 08:34am |
Truck Campers
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why two tow hooks?

Asking because I removed my tow hooks and replaced them with hard mounted 2" receiver tubes. A tow hook (or two) is one thing they can hold, but why would I ever need two?
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cewillis
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04/26/13 05:37pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Some Like It Hot- Part 1, TC Trip Report.

There's even water in the creek.
Dave
That creek is Canada (can-ya'-da) del Oro, river of gold -- can't you tell? Story
Occasionally during summer monsoon, it can be a raging torrent all the way trough Tucson.
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cewillis
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04/25/13 08:18am |
Truck Campers
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RE: 7 Bros On The Mojave Road Trail,part1

http://travelingman2.smugmug.com/Other/Mojave-Road-32013/i-LjvGRNw/0/M/Mojave%20Road%201a%20533-M.jpg
Come on -- how did all those bullets miss those big targets?
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cewillis
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04/24/13 03:13pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: With or without oven

With - positively. I use mine often.
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cewillis
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04/22/13 05:32pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Some Like It Hot- Part 1, TC Trip Report.

Search 'Charouleau Gap Tucson' and you'll find several links.
The best map I can find is on this page . The southern end of the trail is essentially in the community in which I live, about 2 miles from my house.
A description: link
Some more good pictures are here .
It is reported that the Forest Service has greatly modified (simplified) the trail since most of the pictures were taken.
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cewillis
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04/22/13 09:01am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Some Like It Hot- Part 1, TC Trip Report.

By the way, here are some pictures of another 'interesting' 'road' through the mountains in that area.
(something is wrong with my linkage on that page -- so start on the 2nd picture. Then clicking 'next' on each page works.
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cewillis
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04/21/13 09:45am |
Truck Campers
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