Pop Up Truck Camper

[Huntervh]

I have been researching the piss out of this and trying to find something that will fit in the back of my truck. Getting tired of sleeping on the ground while camping. I originally wanted a hard side but come to find out those things are freaking heavy!

 

Found a good deal on a pop up camper, according to the seller the weight is less than 1500lbs, according to the camper manufacture the weight of this camper dry is 1265lbs, so add the AC, water and other misc stuff it could get up to 1500.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think I saw in the spec sheet of my truck that the max payload is 1800lbs.

 

Would I be over-stressing the rear end if I were to tow this, most places I go to camp are within a 3 hour drive(Mostly Minnesota and Iowa), some of those times I will be towing a boat(see sig pic). It is a 8' floor, so a portion of the camper would be resting on the tailgate(thank God I did not buy a Tundra!)

 

I would add the Firestone air bags to help out the suspension, but I still want to make sure I am not going to break something.

 

Thanks!

 

Here is a pic of the truck camper

[VMax2007]

It would stick out beyond your tailgate about 8" or so. You may want to make sure that is legal and will clear your boat winch.

[onac255]

Those things are cool. How much do those things usually cost?

[Huntervh]

Those things are cool. How much do those things usually cost?

 

 

The one pictured is a 2005, guy is asking $4500 for it, hell of a deal considering it has AC. In the Minneapolis area, brand new with nothing added they are going for $8000, then I would have to buy tie downs, pay taxes and all that other crap.

 

The only problem is that the guy lives up in Northern Minnesota, so I might be making a road trip this weekend.

[ursandal]

That's alot of weight back there. I just bought a topper and built a bed for the back. Combined with a pop up canopy I stay pretty cozy during hunting season.

 

 

 

[Zembonez]

Biggest problem I see is having it stick out past the tail of the truck. When you turn, that trailer is going to hit the camper...

 

What about something like this?

 

 

Or buying a shell and doing this? (MUCH cheaper even including the shell plus secure storage for all of your stuff)

 

[Nick The Great]

I saw this on the local craigslist some days ago . . .

 

 

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/pts/1123650482.html

 

Kinda funny looking, but you could stand up in it.

[BLACK REV 800 X]

I have been researching the piss out of this and trying to find something that will fit in the back of my truck. Getting tired of sleeping on the ground while camping. I originally wanted a hard side but come to find out those things are freaking heavy!

 

Found a good deal on a pop up camper, according to the seller the weight is less than 1500lbs, according to the camper manufacture the weight of this camper dry is 1265lbs, so add the AC, water and other misc stuff it could get up to 1500.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think I saw in the spec sheet of my truck that the max payload is 1800lbs.

 

Would I be over-stressing the rear end if I were to tow this, most places I go to camp are within a 3 hour drive(Mostly Minnesota and Iowa), some of those times I will be towing a boat(see sig pic). It is a 8' floor, so a portion of the camper would be resting on the tailgate(thank God I did not buy a Tundra!)

 

I would add the Firestone air bags to help out the suspension, but I still want to make sure I am not going to break something.

 

Thanks!

 

Here is a pic of the truck camper

 

I actually went through the same deal a year ago. I have the same truck - 07 NBS Z71 CC 4X4 with the 6.0 and 4.10 gears. I bought a 2005 Polomino 1250 SB which is slightly bigger with the saddle bags on back. I tow a Sea Ray 200 Sun Deck also.

 

Overall, I had to add Timbren bump stops to keep it level, and use an 18 inch hitch extension to tow the boat. Overall, it works well, but I know I am right at the weight limit, and most likely will replace the tonge on the boat trailer to a longer model to get away from the hitch extension.

 

The truck has plenty of power, and can pull in OD, and stops fine. I think the rated payload is actually only like 1565 or around that area. I use a 3/4 inch 4 X 8 sheet of plywood underneath the camper, and both the plywood and camper stick past the tailgate by about an inch or so. For the amount of camping we do, I'd say it works better than buying a new bigger truck.

[CapitalTruck]

I've never been a real fan of those hitch extensions. How much more pressure can you apply to a nut when you turn it with an 18 inch pipe extention on a wrench? The same thing happens to your truck when yuou put a hitch extension on it. I've been thinking about a popup camper for my truck as well.