Question for Four Wheel Camper owners and others w/no jacks

Only difference between a hard side and a pop up is the top 2 feet.

We have bears up here too, just smaller...

Found it:

"The forest service is allowing hard-sided vehicles made of metal or strong composite plastic to be used at the three campgrounds. Truck-box campers that have a 4-foot high hard side, in addition to a raised upper section, are permissible, but tents and pop-up campers are excluded, as is camping without a shelter."

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43511151/ns/travel-active_travel/#.WfXv3DPMyRt

SidecarFlip wrote:

bitster98 wrote:
Are you thinking about getting one of these ? Where are you going to be camping ? If it is anywhere that has a bear population you do not want a pop up. Get a hard side tc.

I already have one (Pop Up).Don't quite understand the bear comment. A bear will wail through a Filon side as easily as an upper tent side.

X2
The hard side walls on my pop up are right at 8' tall. If griz is trying to do a chin up he'll get a face full of bear spray or buckshot.



I camped at the above campground near Cooke City, MT right after two tent campers were killed by grizzlies. The warning about hard sides only applied to pop up trailers with the fabric within four feet (can't recall the exact dimension) off the ground. My camper was considered a hard side per the NFS at that time. I'll see if I can find the details.

realter wrote:

Do you have a standard 7' high garage door??

I have a 8' garage door and the campers solar panel just clears the header by a couple inches.

bitster98 wrote:
Are you thinking about getting one of these ? Where are you going to be camping ? If it is anywhere that has a bear population you do not want a pop up. Get a hard side tc.

I already have one (Pop Up).Don't quite understand the bear comment. A bear will wail through a Filon side as easily as an upper tent side.

Best deterrent for a bear is a magnum caliber revolver like a 44 Smith or a 460 or 500, we have all those btw.

Actually, the best bear deterrent is good housekeeping, but, my revolver is always close at hand anyway.

Are you thinking about getting one of these ? Where are you going to be camping ? If it is anywhere that has a bear population you do not want a pop up. Get a hard side tc.

458 Eur sounds expensive and I cannot understand a word....lol Looks to me like 2 interlocking steel plates (maybe stainless not sure) looks to be a pretty easy fab job.

The german FWC distributor wohnkabinencenter.de offers a quick release solution which they call d-jackers. See: https://m.facebook.com/djackergermany/

Scroll down on the page for detail pictures and video.

I have not seen it in person and I am not affiliated with them.

rottidawg wrote:
I have owned two FWC over the past 34 years.

An advantage of FWC is that it fits in the garage, is pretty much unnoticeable while driving and is the same length as the truck. So no need to remove it

Do you have a standard 7' high garage door??

rottidawg wrote:
I have owned two FWC over the past 34 years. My first was a new 1983 Grandby mounted on a new 3/4 ton Chevy 4wd. The factory (then located here in Colorado) mounted the camper with four elevator bolts bolted through to the bed of the truck. I had a rubber bed in between and that system worked great for twenty-five years of a four drive exploring, never an issue. For the few times that I removed the camper I used rental camper cable jacks....a rather spooky experience.

I purchased a new FWC Hawk in 2012 with the interior eyebolt and turnbolt system. I also got the jacks....a big mistake. The dealer used them to install the camper, I removed them and they have been collecting dust the past five years. An advantage of FWC is that it fits in the garage, is pretty much unnoticeable while driving and is the same length as the truck. So no need to remove it (for bulky hauling I have a 4x8 utility/motorcycle trailer).

FWC builds a tough and well thought out off road style camper.
Not for everyone but perfect for me.

That don't work for me because I use my truck as a farm truck in the summer, hauling fuel and pulling a gooseneck trailer so the camper has to come off and on regularly.

I set my unit on a motorcycle trailer as well. It's a bit overweight for the trailer but it just goes in and out of the garage.

I could never get my truck in the garage with the camper on, not even yours. My 350 Ford is 6 over stock to begin with and it just barely cleats the top of the door all by itself. I have maybe 3" to play with.

I'd have no problems with a Grandby (Woolrich Edition or Silver Spur or an Alaskan cab over, but thats maybe in the future. Maybe.