Hello Dolly! Roll That Camper Around

On an RV forum several truck camper owners brought up problems they'd been facing with their rigs. One said his landlord wouldn't permit him to "off load" the camper and leave it parked in the parking lot--it had to be on wheels with no jacks down. Another couldn't get his camper into his rented storage unit and off the truck--probably not enough clearance up above. What's to do?

Several enterprising TC owners came to the rescue. Think in terms of a truck camper "dolly," a small, wheeled platform that allows the camper to be pushed around in small areas, with less "head room" required. For the guy with the pesky landlord, he could simply offload the camper from the pickup, slide the dolly underneath, then put the whole rig in his parking spot. For the guy with limited headroom, a similar answer.

What to use as a "dolly"? One possibility is a 4,000 pound capacity "utility wagon," from Northern Tool + Equipment. At about $500, you'd then need to add your own platform materials, but the wagon comes with frame and tires. Click here for more information. Other truck camper owners have built their own dolly systems, much like this one. In any event, be sure to take the width of your rig and its jack system into account to ensure you can get the completed dolly under the rig.

Mercy Maud! Triple Slide Truck Camper Rollout

In our last entry we were standing their gape mawed in viewing an Arctic Fox double slideout truck camper. Well, it didn't take long, now we're open mouthing at a triple slide--this one likewise coming from an Oregon manufacturer, Host RV.

Host promoted their new 11' 6" behemoth as, 'like walking into a two-room apartment.' Under the mountain like moniker of "Everest," this big beast moves the entry door to the far right rear side of the camper. Step up inside, the first slide out is at the rear, housing a 60" wide sofa. To your right, the galley slide with stove and sink. Across from your entry point? The dinette slideout, with both dinette and refrigerator.

With a 70 gallon fresh water tank, and two 38 gallon tanks for waste water, you'll evidently need something beefy to haul this beast. The company advertises that the single slide model scales in at 3,295 pounds. How much those other two slides will add to the scales is left unsaid. Our calculator says just picking up the camper with three slides will set you back close to $38,000--and that's without any other factory available options.

Where will it end? We've seen a fifth wheel with a "second story." Truck campers may not be far behind. Check out the Everest for yourself here. By the way, if you decide to pick up one of these rigs beware: You'll have to roll out the slides before you can get in the door.