"New" Roamin Chariot on my Tundra

[Jake1eyedsnake]

Doober,

The rope around the popup portion is a bungee cord it helps tuck in the fabric when closing the lid. It works quite well and i dont have too many issues with fabric getting pinched unless it is very cold...

I am also curious about the front window, cause my Chariot didnt come with one. I got a quote from a camper builder up here in AK and if you wanted a opening window about 15"x24" it was $186 for the window and $170 in labor. That being over a third the cost of the camper I opted for a big chunk o insulation for now..

I am working on a battery and rewiring the electrical right now so I think I have a good handle on the wiring. In stock form the wiring I have supplies power for Running lights, back porch lights, one overhead fluorescent light and a light fixture on the back wall. Nothing is fused. I dont know what you have, but my wiring came out the front left corner from behind the Chariots data plate. They used a three pin ( not standard 4pin) trailer plug. From my plug the camper is wired like this

YELLOW: + PWR all interior lights, back porch light
GREEN: + PWR Running Lights
BROWN: - Ground/Frame ( the bedrails are connected to the aluminum frame and provide a good ground)

Hope this helps!

 

[doober831]

Thanks for the info Jake! Are the the same person I sent a facebook message to today? As for the wiring everything sounds the same as mine. It was a while ago that I tried to figure it out but I'll have to try again with your info. The colors sound like they match what I remember mine being. What are the bedrails you mention?

Could you send a pic of the mechanism that holds your roof up?

How did you secure the insulation? I'm assuming you used the rigid foam board stuff?

Thanks for responding!

 

[sourdough]

I picked up a used Roamin Chariot a couple months ago. I wasn't too impressed with the camper mounts commercially available so mounted some eye bolts on my tundra with threaded backing plates and locknuts, serves a similar function as the over priced happijack botton thingys, but mine only cost $20 total. I built some brackets out of 1/4 inch structural aliminum angle to mount some camper jacks to take the camper off and on. The camper was made for a ford ranger so is a bit narrow. For the front jacks I made a plate that extends the jacks out 7.5 inches so I can drive out from under the camper when taking off. I take the front jacks off when the rig is mounted and leave them at home. The camper was pretty spartan inside, but there was a table top. I took that out, cut in a hole and mounted a stove/sink SMEV combo. Sink draws water with a hand pump sucking out of a 5 gallong jug, the drain goes outside to a hose conection with a 8 foot length of hose to run the water away from the back of the camper. I built some steel backets, painted and mounted on the jack brackets to hook the turn buckles too. The attachment points that came on the camper sort of sucked. I want to mount a light weight awning on the back and/or side, put a solar pannel on top to run the lights and diamond plate surround the lower portion that is just painted, that is about it. Took it out for a maden voyage this month to LaPine state park and camped a few nights and skiid Bachelor. Had it out camping by Mt Baker last week camping for work.

Lived in Spokane for 24 years and never knew. Nice set up , I like both.

 

[Shap]

had the chariot out to NE Oregon and floated the Wallowa/Grande Ronde over labor day. No one else put on the river. On day 2, saw 1 mountain goat, 9 mountain sheep, 2 mink, 1 beaver, several osprey and eagles, a couple rattlers in camp.

 

[methowvalleyfolk]

I just drove from the Methow Valley (Wash.) over to Sandpoint, ID to pick up an older Chariot. It's in fair condition with just the stripped down OE. There is a problem with the wiring input. It is a three point flat connector, one shielded and two bare terminals. The strange thing is that the shielded terminal and the outside bare terminal both show continuity to the ground/frame. No external battery connection combination to that flat connector lights any lights. I am supposing that one of those g/f terminals must be what was once a positive line that is now somehow shorted to the frame. The only place I see the wiring exposed is at the front roof hinge joint where the wires make the leap from lower chassis to roof. Tomorrow I will try to break into those wires and connect battery power to see if I can light the interior or clearance lights. Does anyone that knows more about the wire routing than I do have any other ideas? I would hate to have to run surface wires to all the lights. Thanks. I will post some photos when I have fitted out the interior. Tom

 

[Shap]

mine has the same wiring, but I haven't tried to connect it to a battery. We have just been using our little electric lantern. I'll be curious to see if you find out anyting about that type of wire connector.

 

[EricL]

Want to add hydraulic jacks to my Roamin' Chariot - any way to know / insure I hit the aluminum frame when I drill to affix the mounting brackets?

Thanks,

EricL

 

[LuckyDan]

Though the Chariot has not been produced since about 08 or 09 the business that made them still has an address in Spokane. The following phone number may get you what you need:

(509) 209-1502

Good Luck

 

[Shap]

 

[ski3pin]

Looks like you folks are getting out and about and having fun! More!

 

[Shap]

Please note, if you are looking at this thread because someone has linked this to a craigslist ad to sell their roamin chariot, theirs is not like mine in many respects. If you are a craigslist ad poster use your own photos and not mine. The stove/sink combo I installed is not in a standard roamin chariot and the aluminum angle brackets on the outside corners that I built for attaching my corner jacks and to attach turnbuckles to my truck are also not like any other chariots out there. buyer beware of craigslist ad sellers linking to my photos and not using their own. You have to wonder about the character of a person that would post a link to my rig photos to sell theirs.
Cheers,
Shap

 

[Squatch]

That's a shame. I had someone steal pics of my Trooper to run what appeared to be a CL scam in Reno last year. It's unique and well known within the Isuzu circle and a forum member let me know. We flagged him endlessly and he kept reposting. Even after I ran an ad saying thathis was a scam ad and the truck was mine not his on the same CL. Contacted the seller several times and he wouldn't respond or cease. So I sent an Email to the internet crimes devision of the local sherrifs dept. They never responded but the ad disappeared the next day for good.

 

[Shap]

I don't think the craigslist ad for a roamin chariot that I am referring to is as bad as your story. They had a couple photos of theirs and also linked to this thread.

 

[Shap]

Had to put the old chariot on a "newer" 2004 tundra with 200K less miles

 

[Squatch]

Great stuff!

 

[LuckyDan]

Still looks pretty awesome

 

[BareBack]

Nice camper Shap! It looks a lot like mine.

I am particularly interested in your camper jack mounts....mine had them mounted in the front corners which I used one time to get it on and off my truck one time. It looks pretty dangerous the way they were on there, the angle looks terrible when raised to the height needed to get it on my truck. Basically it looks like it is ready to rip off and fall forward . I have taken them off and want to mount them like yours are with angle iron / structural aluminum.

Can you post a few close up pics of them for me please? Inside and out. Also, how long are they? My Chariot has the back awning and the bracket to hold the legs runs just above my lower window. I think I will try and make them as long as possible but I can’t make them the length of yours unless I remove that bracket. (If that makes sense).

I have a bit of work to do on it still but it is coming along.

Thanks in advance for any pics or insight to get them on there.

 

[Shap]

Still going strong, put-in at Boundary Creek on the Middle Fork Salmon River

Hot Crab Action

More on the Coast

 

[ski3pin]

Everyone sure looks cozy with your setup!

 

[b7bingo]

Still got that RC truck camper? How's the roof holding up? Leaks?