SoCalDesertRider
SanDiego, CA, USA
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Joined: 12/14/2003
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I always left my second camper on the truck while camping. These were 1 to 4 night trips. Sometimes the camper got unloaded from the truck between trips, sometimes not. Usually it stayed on the truck for most of the winter riding season and stayed off the truck for most of the summer. My first camper that I lived in full time, I left on the truck full time too.
05E350 6.0PSD
97F350DRW 7.3PSD 4x4 4.10 11' flatbed
98Ranger
69Bronco ATC250R CR500
20' BigTex flatbed carhauler
Callen Camper
92F350 CrewCab 4x4 351/C6
B&W TurnoverBall, Curt Magnum V
HD Springs Bilsteins,
285/75-16E BFG AT on 16x8 Stocktons
4.56's & LockRite rear
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dadwolf2
Henderson,NV
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Joined: 10/24/2004
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So far it's been left on 100% of the time.
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 CTD,4X4,NV5600,Pullrite superglide
2005 Skyline Rampage 289
2011 Outfitter Apex 8 (Love it)
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Atchafalaya_man
Lafayette, Louisiana
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Joined: 08/24/2009
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We never offload when traveling or stopped for a longer time.
We never offload the camper when launching the boat.
A GIANT TIP FOR BACKING A TRAILER (or even into a parking spot without a trailer)!
Anytime you are backing the camper into a slot, or backing the camper and boat down a boat ramp, always make your turn to backup with the driver's side of the vehicle facing the slot or ramp.
In other words, approach the ramp (or parking spot for the camper) from right to left. Drive PAST the spot, and then begin to jackknife the trailer slowly until you have it going correctly down the ramp.
Approaching with your driver's side lets you look at the ramp (or parking spot) with your own eyes BEFORE you begin to back in. You are BLIND on the passenger's side, because you only have the mirror on that side.
Also, you can open the window or door to look back at where the trailer's wheels are located. Or, even if it's just the camper and no boat, you have more depth perception looking out the driver's side.
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2BLAZERS
KEIZER, OREGON
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Joined: 07/11/2005
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Nope, once its loaded at home it stays on, the trailer also stays attached the entire time too.
2011 Dodge Ram 3500 4*4 Black dually Laramie 4.10 gears
2011 Arctic Fox 1150 Drybath
2009 Polaris RZR w/fun parts
2011 Polaris Sportsman 550 XP EPS w/stuff
2006 Polaris Sportsman 500 w/stuff
1977 K5 Blazer 1 ton modified
2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid (her car)
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JIMNLIN
out here
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Joined: 09/14/2003
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I never had the need to unload.
Many campgrounds have rules against unloading the truck camper. Better check with each campground mgr/owner first.
When we had TCs years ago I added a front bumper hitch to all of my trucks. Made loading and unloading the boat easy.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers
'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 gvwr two slides
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Lynnsr
Colorado
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Joined: 11/23/2011
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campn4walleye wrote:We will unload the TC 98% of the time. That's the beauty of the TC. It allows us to us drop the boat in and out of the water. The only time we'll keep it on the truck is when we're traveling for short distances.
X2
One of the great things about it being a "Truck Camper"
Lynn Sr
K0LFM Call Sign
Northern Lite 8-11 Q Classic SE
Pro-Craft 180 Bass boat
2003 GMC Sierra 2500, Torklifts & Fastguns, Ride-Rites w/dual Control, Helwig rear sway bar,QD Stable Loads, "E" rated 16" 10 ply Michelins, Heavy Duty Pads & Rotors
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the tc life
colbert wa.
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Joined: 08/19/2010
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when im using my flatbed we never take it off. pros are...you always have a bathroom with you, hungry?....you have your kitchen right there. still small enough to park anywhere. need a change of clothes....its right there with you.
tipping over when in the cab over? thats a question that gets asked a lot. it will not be a problem. well....maybe if you get a couple sumo wrestlers up there then i would be doing some calculations. i read somewhere that a person replied to that question that seems to sum it up. if it were a real problem the manufactures would have warning stickers about it. especial in the cover your own butt days of today.
if you take the camper off and use it, just be sure to lower the camper as low as you can.
2010 adventurer 810ws
1999 c3500 dually 12' flatbed
THE TC LIFE
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Lots of Stuff
WA. USA
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Joined: 10/18/2003
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Check with your camper manufacture to see if your camper is rated for off truck use!
Also follow their recommendations for leveling.
Our Lance IS rated for off truck use and we use it that way.
Lance recommends raising the front of the camper at least 4 inches higher than the rear for off truck use.
Using it this way it is very stable and we use the over cab bed.
* This post was
edited 04/02/12 09:26am by Lots of Stuff *
DG
03 Chevy Silverado Regular Cab 2500HD 4X4 Duramax
04 Lance Lite 915
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gerrym51
unknown
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Joined: 07/31/2007
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If you bought a truck specifically for the truck camper than i would only remove it when you need the truck serviced. think of it as a class c.
If you routinely remove the camper so you can use the truck as home second or first vehicle-why not test it then.
as a rule while traveling I see no reason to remove the camper.
However as far as the jacks-there are times even if the camper is on the truck that the jacks can be used to level the campsr as opposed to spending time leveling the truck
just my 2 cents
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mkirsch
Rochester, NY
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Joined: 04/09/2004
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Do *I* unload? No.
Think of it this way: What is the point of unloading for the sake of unloading?
If you have a reason to unload, then unload.
If you don't have a reason to unload, then don't unload
2002 Chevy 3500 DRW 8.1L/Allison
2000 Palomino B1500
...and the reason why I need a DRW to haul a Palomino:
2004 United 7x14 tandem axle enclosed toy trailer
2011 PJ 8x20 7-ton deckover equipment trailer
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