Camper on Tacoma

Hi billyg!

I like those Camplites! Hadn't heard of them before. Looks like they don't offer the smaller 5.7 anymore. That's too bad.

Yeah, the low profile is nice and popping up is easy. That said, if I ever decide to go hardside, I"ll have to keep the Camplite in mind.

I added more suspension because of the locations I like to access for boondocking. FWC recommends airbags, but I wanted a little more height and off-road capability so I got the OME suspension.

Hoyden Hi I went through the process to weigh the camper because I didn't believe the sticker on the side of 900lbs. I do weigh in at 1100lbs loaded for the trip. The 2015 has more options to get 1200lbs we have all the comforts needed. If you will look at my "view profile" you can see what we have. I do like the super low profile your camper has. We added only supersprings and tires to make our plan work. Bill

SoCalDesertRider wrote:
To find the wet weight, load the camper with all the things you normally have when camping, then take the truck to a scale (local landfill scale works fine) and weigh the whole rig.

Next time you have the camper off, weigh just the truck.

The difference is the wet weight of the camper, assuming the truck has about the same amount of gas in it's tank and other stuff in the truck is the same at both weighings.

Yah, that's pretty much what I wrote - too much hassle! :)
Oh - for me, there is no "Next time you have the camper off" It stays on the truck :)
I go campering every other weekend or so.

To find the wet weight, load the camper with all the things you normally have when camping, then take the truck to a scale (local landfill scale works fine) and weigh the whole rig.

Next time you have the camper off, weigh just the truck.

The difference is the wet weight of the camper, assuming the truck has about the same amount of gas in it's tank and other stuff in the truck is the same at both weighings.

billyg wrote:
Hi what does your popup weigh ready to camp? I do like the very low profile your camper has. That will help keep it stable. My 2004 Toco carries a 2012 camplite 5.7 loaded 1100lbs hard side cabover queen. we have had no problems with our set up. Bill

This shows the 5.7 Dry is 1200 lbs.

http://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2015-livin-lite-camplite-truck-camper-floorplan-57-tr24266

I don't know what mine is 'wet'. I put water in the tank for the first time a few weeks ago, and there was a noticeable difference in handling. Not bad, just different. Otherwise, food, cookware, dogs, some clothes....

If it wasn't such a hassle, I'd like to find out 'wet' weight, but that'd involve taking everything out... weighing the rig, putting it all back in.... I'm not /that/ curious! Ha!

My Tacoma has OME full suspension and E-tires and I notice a little rougher than stock ride, but it's fine. Heck, it's heaven compared to my old 1965 Econoline, or an ex-boyfriends 1978 F-250.

And... it's a truck. If I wanted a super cushy, don't feel the road ride, I'd have gotten a sedan. :)

With the camper on it, I barely noticed a difference. Some with wind on a highway, but the low profile can't be beat.

hedgehopper wrote:

hoyden wrote:
The FWC and ATC are the only ones built with Aluminum frames.

Not true. The Phoenix has an aluminum frame. The model we owned was a little less than 1000# dry.

Oh that's right.
I wrote them off pretty quick after doing my research.

(Guh, that sounds rude. I'm afraid I'm too tired to work on my phrasing. What I'd found was more for sale than the others (which isn't necessarily a foreboding, but FWC people tend to have longevity in ownership, and that counted a lot for me), and more complaints on forums etc. From what I could tell, the best quality ones are the FWC and ATC)

hoyden wrote:
The FWC and ATC are the only ones built with Aluminum frames.

Not true. The Phoenix has an aluminum frame. The model we owned was a little less than 1000# dry.

Geewizard wrote:

tred0956 wrote:
Got a friend who has a 2007 Toyota Tacoma, 4x4, v6, 6 speed man trans, access cab, TRD Offroad package. He wants to get a slide in camper, something like a Northern Lite 6'10". Any thoughts or recommendations of other brands? Depending on who you ask, the truck has a payload of between 1200 - 1400 lbs. Anybody with experience out there?

I recommend you look at Outfitter Mfg. and their Caribou and Caribou Lite versions.

Last time I checked, all the Outfitter models were heavier than the NL 6'10".

tred0956 wrote:
Got a friend who has a 2007 Toyota Tacoma, 4x4, v6, 6 speed man trans, access cab, TRD Offroad package. He wants to get a slide in camper, something like a Northern Lite 6'10". Any thoughts or recommendations of other brands? Depending on who you ask, the truck has a payload of between 1200 - 1400 lbs. Anybody with experience out there?

According to the Northern Lite website, the 6'10", which is no longer in production, has a dry weight of 1050 lbs. The site says this model is suitable for a Tacoma.