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Anyone put a camper in the back of their truck?

Discussion in 'General Truck Info' started by Variant, Jun 7, 2009.

  1. Variant

    Variant New Member

    I'm getting a bit of wanderlust, even though my 91 Carry is still quite a ways off from roadworthy yet. And since my specialty is asking dumb questions, I thought I should.
    I want to know if they make campers I could put onto my truck so I can go and be a weekend nomad. I don't feel safe enough in a tent, this here's bear country lol.
    And so I can have some personal quiet space to go to. There's a world of reasons actually.
    But yeah, anyone have any experiences in that area that could enlighten me?
    Or is the truck bed just too tiny for anything like that?
     
  2. starpuss

    starpuss Member

    stuff off google
    [​IMG]
     
  3. Variant

    Variant New Member

    my google-fu sucks, what search terms did you use?
     
  4. Ravk

    Ravk Member

    Camper

    Since the box is 6' X 4', a 1/4 ton short box (S-10, Ranger etc.) camper might fit. Measure the camper, including the height to see if it will clear the cab.

    My main concern would be the tiedowns and the fact you now have moved the center of gravity up a couple feet. If your mini is lifted......
     
  5. Stuff99

    Stuff99 Moderator Staff Member

    ah, i was surfing one day and found the town/lite ace campers then the elf and so forth made into campers. no mini campers though..
     
  6. Windmill

    Windmill Member

    I have thought of putting a camper shell on mine for awhile now just for hunting season this fall.
     
  7. franck2cv

    franck2cv Member

  8. Northwind

    Northwind New Member

    Four Wheel Campers now have a camper specifically designed for japanese mini trucks called the Kolibri.
     
  9. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Heres a 92 Daihatsu with camper shell/ It was already installed when I bought the truck. I believe it came off a older s-10 chevy p/u.
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Badgerland

    Badgerland Member

    Hah! That's (almost) a perfect fit! :D
     
  11. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    That was and still is a slick little truck. I think it had apox. 11000 miles on it when I bought it. I sold it to a Youth Camp over a year and a half ago. Once in a blue moon the maint. supervisor will call me and say its the best maint. equip. purchase they ever had and everybody fights over who gets to drive it. It was left had drive, 2x4 and was originally bought for Yosemite National Park. It was in near perfect condition, I did have to put a set of brake shoes on it up front. (Yes it had shoes on the front, USA model). Should have kept it. The shell had enough room on bottom runner to bolt on truck sides. Took about 5 min. to take shell off and on. After about a week of using it the Youth camp called me up and bought another Daihatsu which had 4x4. Same story they love it as well. Needless to say they got rid of the 2 chevy 1/2 ton maint. trucks.
     
  12. Badgerland

    Badgerland Member

    Trax,

    Its funny that you mention that...I recently sold a Mitsu to a Youth Camp on an island up at the Canadian border - very similiar situation. It was rather funny watching the staff fighting over who was going to be driving it instead of their gators and full-size trucks. Same thing as well... I've been getting emails back stating how much they love it and all the customizing they're doing to it.

    Dealers...if you have the opportunity to work with a NPO, cut them a sweet deal. It should be worth its weight in gold!
     
  13. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    Just a little demo about thinking outside the box..the box heh..heh..






    [​IMG]



    That's 48" long...(mini truck wide). New units run 15 grand ish fully loaded..

    OR, you could pickup a used one with heater and AC for $1500 here..



    http://www.buyandselltrucksleepers.com/

    72_show_exterior.jpg


    That's the way I would go anyway.:pop:
     
  14. firejonny89

    firejonny89 Member

    Nice find spaner
     
  15. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Get out of here. Thats would be cool.
    This is the closest I ever got to that.
     

    Attached Files:

  16. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    A lot of wrecked rigs out there. Forget about those little campers they're trying to sell to us minitruck guys for like 8grand, cus it has a fridge in it.

    These units are fully loaded and run between 300 and 600lbs, depending on extras. Flat tops too...ducking hight...just about what ever you could think of in a 48" wide...7 foot long, 12" over...

    Seems like a no brainer to me.
     
  17. firejonny89

    firejonny89 Member

    If I was in need of a camper for one and could find a nice one close I would but I have not go that far yet but what about those who have snorkels u would have to push it back off the cab a little more and that's it right????? They should already have a good frame of some sort and ur gonna have to tie it down just make sure it's good and tight and have at it. Only problem I could see is closing in the big opening have to find a way to out a door on it :confused: but that could be easy.
     
  18. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    If you were going to camperize a mini, I would think that you'd take the box off and bolt it to the frame.
    Most have a small back door, the hole, I would just build a plug for it.
     
  19. firejonny89

    firejonny89 Member

    That's a good point I was just thinking as a removable set up but yes would be way better to bolt to the frame and the plug would be pretty easy little frame work and some fiberglass or something but it would be nice to have it a flip up door or something IMO
     
  20. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    Yea, I was thinking of a 4' x 6' fiberglass awning with perimeter seal. Gas strut stays and SS lock-down tackel...Yea!

    BTW, some of these units actualy have pull-out grills....:cool:
     
  21. firejonny89

    firejonny89 Member

    What no way sweet lol if only I had 3/4 ton and a bigger trailer I would mount one on there
     
  22. Buckwheat363

    Buckwheat363 Member

    I have searched the internet high and low to find a camper for my mini, i have looked at all sorts of styles and setups but over the last several months i have decided to build my own. i have already done a full design on cad and as far as i can tell i have tweaked to my needs. i bought the aluminum already for the frame and i plan to start chopping and tiging as soon as i have my other project finished and out of my garage. Ill start a new thread about the build once i start it. Im pretty excited about it actually and am already daydreaming about using it this spring/summer/when i get it done. heres a neat little site i found awhile ago http://www.vs-mikami.com/tentmushi.html its a japanese site (i cant read it at all), just start clicking on things and with some help from google translator youll figure it out. There is several japanese sites/brands like that you can find.
     
  23. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    That's a great idea Buckweat. I would appreciate a well documented build like that and maybe have a few suggestions if you like.
    Personally I always like to start from something that can be modified. Something cheap, and easy to find. That's why I'm partial to the sleeper units. They're already done, complete, and there are millions of them, so they're cheap, comparitively.
    Maybe you'd like something like this as a place to start. Find one used off a wreck? Or an insurance auction?


    http://www.spacekap.com/en/diablo.html
     
  24. Stuff99

    Stuff99 Moderator Staff Member

    anyone ever try to get a s-10/ranger camper to fit?

    I was looking at putting a truck camper in the back of the liteace, it would fit, just need the mirrors!
     
  25. TamiPaulus

    TamiPaulus Member

    A truck camper is a home away from home on hunting, fishing and camping trips. Many of them are fully self-contained with a stove, refrigerator, bathroom and bed, offering the comfort of a house when you're on the road. This task requires less than 20 minutes of your time and a little patience. Get in your pickup, line it up with the front of the camper and back it up as close as you can. Exit the truck, and raise the camper up using the provided jacks. Beginning in the rear, slowly lift the jacks 2 to 3 inches at a time. Repeat this in the front of the camper until it is 2 to 3 inches above the pickup bed.
     
  26. Buckwheat363

    Buckwheat363 Member

    ya spaner i thought about retro fitting a factory one but i decided id be happier building from scratch....plus the company i work for has catalogues upon catalogues of hardware that i could put to good use, we also are an aluminum supplier.. so i can get all of my materials at cost and i like building things so why not. Those diablo caps are pretty cool but i dont like the look of the weight of them... around 800lbs then you still have to fill it with gear...
     
  27. rwb31

    rwb31 Member

    does anyone make a cab shell for these trucks? im up for fiberglass or aluminum. let me know ill send the dough. looking to make the truck like this .. anyone?

    [​IMG]

    Uploaded with ImageShack.us
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2012
  28. Buckwheat363

    Buckwheat363 Member

    rwb31, are you in southwestern ontario? something like that would be pretty straight forward, but im not up for long distance travel or shipping...
     
  29. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    Too many questions at once!!!
    Holy cow, I guess guys want some campers...and all the different configurations. I little shout out for the vendors...:)

    Buckwheat, I look forward to that build. I sure hope that you're really going to document via a "Build thread"; cu'z that shite would be cool...

    rwb31, if you want that exsact configuration, it can be had. What you want is a 4x6 U-haul trailer. Talk to a vendor and you can have that exact same thing, if that's what you want. Turn the sub-frame into a boat-trailer, and sell on Craig's list. Recoup all your costs. Just the labour you'll have to eat.


    TamiPaulus,
    If you had looked at the Diablo, you would have seen that it is in fact set-up just in this way. It does in fact have a four-point-lift configuration. Specifically for drop-and-pickup, type operations. Designed for the work-site, modified for the camp-site. Drop-it, and GO.

    AND, for Buckwheat, 200lbs can be lost from the original cofiguration, just by droping the shelves and such...It is a complete "shell". Think about it man, it's not a bad idea.

    Just the same, all and all, I'd go with a "sleeper-unit". It's really only 7" longer, there are 5th wheel air-dams out there for the front, and, dollar for dollar, they can't be beat.
    As always, It's just my opinion...

    And, BTW, the Diablo, or similar unit, can be redilly had in northern ontario, or quebec...


    [​IMG]


    4896mk0_20.jpg
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2012
  30. firejonny89

    firejonny89 Member

    I myself for what I would need I would just get a canvas topper and a sleeping bag and tough it out but my folks have a camper so I just steal it when I want to camp. But if I could a removable sleeping unit would be the best for me. Nice picture spaner those all look like full size truck ones thou :\
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2012

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