JohnF
Advanced Member
I am currently researching the used popup market. Have been for about 2 weeks now and have a couple of questions. I want to mobilize my ice fishing experience as cabins and hotels have stuck me to lakes with bad ice and lakes with good ice have sometimes failed to have cabin or hotels. I have a 1999 F250 4x4 crewcab that I went ahead and had the camper package included when I bought it. I am experienced with the RV (and every other kind of camping) lifestyle and currently own a 5th wheel. I have never owned a slide in camper. I will keep the 5th wheel for the times when we "live at the lake". Oh yeah, I have a boat I pull around too. When we have taken the 5ver crosscountry I absolutely loved that we could pull over near anywhere for lunch/nap/sleep/get the kids out of our hair.
Ok, so cold camping, freedom and mobility while traveling, pulling the boat to the lake for short solo trips -> slide in popup. (or... [in a wimper] the tent)
From my reading of the FWC fitment guide, my 99 F250 has a 3 inch taller cab. I have seen pics of platforms, setting campers on foam, etc to mitigate this, but, what is the important dimension? I grabbed a tape and visited with a friendly owner of an older popup camper and measured his as 45 inches from bottom to overhang. I am imagining that I will eventually come across that gem of a deal and need to show up properly prepaired slide my new camper in. If I bought the one above, should I have a 3 inch platform built or ??? I will not be taking out the 5th wheel hitch so I need a platform of sort anyway, but? I measured the bed to cab top but I imagine there is an allowance for twist/movement.
I see that some here bought a FWC years ago and have refurbed it, even multiple times, where would this as a plan break down? For example, you come across a late 80s grandby for $300. Assume travel is free and you will have FWC or ATC do your work. It is natural that the more that needs replacement the closer you will get to just buying a new one. Where does the idea break down? Bad sidewall? Bad sidewall and ...
I do imagine that if you have to strip to just the frame you probably should have bought a new one OR you meant it to be a personal project. (which I an not against!)
How hard is it to modify the wide pre-1990 camper to my narrow 1999 truck? Change of wood box or rework of aluminum?
And last for now, often asked and written about here and no doubt very subjective, here goes, 'cause I really want to use this in subfreezing weather: How comfortable can this be? I am not going to set the heat to 40 and use my -50 bag, that is for when I get the winter backpacking bug. 65 and keep it there. Is this the right sort of platform, what do I need to make it so, is it a new thing so old campers would need modification, yadda, yadda? Did the older campers have insulated sidewalls? Rather than a kit that I velcro all around the sidewalls I would rather see something like a quadruple insulated wall as I would just leave the arctic pac up anyways. Put some of that silvery stuff inside them like the ice fishing shantys have.
Thanks folks!
Ok, so cold camping, freedom and mobility while traveling, pulling the boat to the lake for short solo trips -> slide in popup. (or... [in a wimper] the tent)
From my reading of the FWC fitment guide, my 99 F250 has a 3 inch taller cab. I have seen pics of platforms, setting campers on foam, etc to mitigate this, but, what is the important dimension? I grabbed a tape and visited with a friendly owner of an older popup camper and measured his as 45 inches from bottom to overhang. I am imagining that I will eventually come across that gem of a deal and need to show up properly prepaired slide my new camper in. If I bought the one above, should I have a 3 inch platform built or ??? I will not be taking out the 5th wheel hitch so I need a platform of sort anyway, but? I measured the bed to cab top but I imagine there is an allowance for twist/movement.
I see that some here bought a FWC years ago and have refurbed it, even multiple times, where would this as a plan break down? For example, you come across a late 80s grandby for $300. Assume travel is free and you will have FWC or ATC do your work. It is natural that the more that needs replacement the closer you will get to just buying a new one. Where does the idea break down? Bad sidewall? Bad sidewall and ...
I do imagine that if you have to strip to just the frame you probably should have bought a new one OR you meant it to be a personal project. (which I an not against!)
How hard is it to modify the wide pre-1990 camper to my narrow 1999 truck? Change of wood box or rework of aluminum?
And last for now, often asked and written about here and no doubt very subjective, here goes, 'cause I really want to use this in subfreezing weather: How comfortable can this be? I am not going to set the heat to 40 and use my -50 bag, that is for when I get the winter backpacking bug. 65 and keep it there. Is this the right sort of platform, what do I need to make it so, is it a new thing so old campers would need modification, yadda, yadda? Did the older campers have insulated sidewalls? Rather than a kit that I velcro all around the sidewalls I would rather see something like a quadruple insulated wall as I would just leave the arctic pac up anyways. Put some of that silvery stuff inside them like the ice fishing shantys have.
Thanks folks!
