Ease "Saucer Separation" Anxiety

One of the biggest sources of anxiety for new truck camper RVers is getting that 'big old thing' into that 'itty bitty bed' on your truck. Loading a truck camper even for some of us experienced folks can cause butterflies or knots to suddenly appear in our gastrointestinal system.

Considered by many to be one of the "best" web pages out there on the subject borrows a few StarTrek terms to make the subject a bit lighter--even if your TC isn't. Make the jump to hyperspace and read Sterling's treatise on camper loading. Make it so!

Photo quantumdtell on flickr.com

Dodge Ram for 2009 - Spring Loaded?

No, it's not a new ploy toward greater fuel economy, don't think in terms of wind-up-trucks. Rather, Dodge has announced that it's 2009 model year Ram pickup truck will come--not with the usual leaf springs--but coil springs for rear end suspension.

While the company argues that the suspension system has been completely redesigned for good handling, some truck camper owners are reacting with suspension suspicion. Said one in a popular forum, "Many people buy trucks only for that truck 'look,' not the capabilities of a truck . . . These trucks are going to be marketed to that crowd, the boulevard cruisers."

Indeed, it's a purty small truck camper that can comfortably be toted on a 1/2 ton truck. We tried in years ago, beefing up the existing leaf springs and "porpoise-ing" around the countryside until we finally broke down and moved the rig onto a 3/4 ton unit.

Nevertheless, there is a review, including an interview with a Dodge suspension engineering team member found here. Really, this all goes back to the simple rule: Make sure you have enough truck to support the camper you want to tote. For a fuller discussion of that topic, check out an earlier post on this blog here.

Hey, on while we're on the subject of truck campers (aren't we always?), don't forget to read John Steinbeck's Travels With Charley, the definitive truck camper travel story, written early in the truck camper era. Check it out on the RV Bookstore.

Photo: kevin on flickr. com

Newbies Corner: Tips for Safe Camper Loading

Our first experience loading a truck camper was a gut-wrenching experience: We had nobody to rely on to tell us how to do it, and the equipment we were using was almost as ancient as the truck camper itself. By the time we'd gotten the seemingly huge (in retrospect, fairly small) camper on the bed of the truck, well, "We'll never take it off of there now!"

Loading a truck camper isn't something to undertake with levity. If the thing "gets away" from you, serious damage, injury, and yes mortality can be the end result. Camper jack manufacturer, Happijac hears you. If you follow this link you'll find yourself on their "Golden Rules of Loading and Unloading Your Camper." Read it closely, print out a copy, and stick it in your truck glove box, you'll be happy to refer to it a few times until you get the process down cold.

Take the Camper Off the Truck When Using It?

There's a question that gets plenty of bouncing about in the TC owner's circle. Do you, or do you not, want to take your camper off the truck when you're "out in the field."

For the most part, the majority answer a definitive: "That depends!" And the depends? The answer there ranges from, "If I have some other form of transportation (ATV, towed car, buddy's vehicle) I'll leave it on the truck," to "If I'm going to be in one spot for more than 2 or 3 days, then I'll take it off," to the "If I'm towing my boat with me, I take it off, because it's so much easier to launch the boat with the camper off the truck."

There are some who'd much rather leave the camper right where it is, and it sometimes seems to have something to do with the loading and unloading process. Newbies to the TC world often seem to have "separation anxiety," as does the distaff side in our family. Admittedly, it does take some amount of effort to off-board and re-board that big old camper. Seems like the older we get, the less inclined we are to go through the motions of driving out from under our big camper.

We did hear one that caused us a bit of a smile: One couple, presumably new to truck camping, was not open to the thought of staying in their truck camper when off the truck: They were afraid that somehow their weight in the "cabover" bed would cause the whole works to topple over on its nose. We have fifth-wheeling friends who are the same way--won't "live" in the trailer unless a tripod is set up under the kingpin. Well, let's put your mind at rest: It would take a very big amount of weight to ever "tip over" a truck camper. My unproven theory is that the amount of weight required to tip over a truck camper would probably "go through the floor" of the cabover section before the rig ever tipped.

What about us? We'll, I guess we fall into the, "That depends," category. The photos are out of our archives. At Bryce Canyon we camped next door in the national forest, but since we weren't too sure about our research plans, we simply left the truck on the rig. Worked out well for us, we had our "home" with us when we needed to rest from the rigors of high elevations. The lower photo finds us unloaded along the Oregon Coast. We could beat around the countryside to our heart's content.

Getting That Last Little Inch

Maybe it's age. Maybe it's bifocals. I'm not sure, but I'm not liking it. Some years back when we first were truck camper folk, it seemed so easy to "get the truck under the camper." Now I squint, crane my neck, break my arm, and express myself verbally in ways that aren't always befitting. Why does it sometimes seem so hard to get lined up for loading up the rig?

One of the more frustrating aspects is when "you're just about there," with the emphasis on the "about" part. You're lined up and ready to go, but you're just an inch or so "off" the mark. Here's a trick to give a try:

Crank the wheel hard over and pull ahead a few inches. Now crank the wheel back in the opposite direction and roll her back. That little bit of "shuffling" will move your truck tail an inch. Of course, it takes just a bit of practice--doesn't everything?

We'd love to hear your suggestions on how your making loading less stressful. Just leave them in the comments section.