[ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+ Why A Truck Camper Part 1 of 2, A Closer Look at Why?

[garbinator]

Part 1 of 2

I am probably the only one in the bunch who runs in my travel group who runs a 19 ½ ft. fully self contained camper with all the amenities, including a propane powered gen set. My entire unit is older, but I didn’t wish to mortgage myself to death over the lot.

The reason I always wanted a cabover camper is simple. Portability. It’s also known as the SUV of the RV world. I suppose the primary reason we love it is at this point in our lives we enjoy getting into very tight campgrounds other units just cannot even attempt. Depending on the trip and time of year, desert dirt roads can at times offer-up washed out portions making it necessary to either get the shovel out or navigate your way around or possibly through it. With a 4X4 truck camper oftentimes these obstacles are not an issue.

Pretty much all sewer and drain pipes are not exposed to the various drag points such as rocks, washouts, down branches unimproved roads are generally known for. The four wheel drive pickup sits high enough within reason keeping all under carriage vulnerable areas out of harms way. Having low range capability offers the dry camper yet another important option once they leave the pavement. In the past, I have had my tree pruner sit on top of the camper with pruning shears at the high ready position, together with an FM walkie talkie, working our way into some serious backwoods country were only high ground clearance tent campers usually trod. So…portability, ease of negotiating very tight spots, simple leveling options, able to tow most toys with ease. A very important priority factor… makes for some of the worlds finest camp spots known to modern man.
Maintenance and repair.

With only a pickup acting as the modern day mule, the care and feeding it requires is that of any other daily driver out there. Rv repairs are oftentimes greater than your typical $85 an hour garage rate. Depending on your chosen poison, a Class “A” motor coach running a big diesel pusher can run as high as $150 an hour in repairs. Another truly big consideration is licensing, if you choose, there is none, if you only wish to be an honest Abe then you would register your camper with the DMV paying only a one time charge of $72. That’s it!
Economy of use.

My wife seldom refuses to go dry camping during mid winter. She knows I’ll keep her warm & comfy. Our camper sports only one deep cycle battery at what I believe to be a 94 amp capacity. During our waking hours we are not on the trail, we run our propane generator if we’re on a weekend only trip, if we are camping for weeks, we use a Honda 2000i for even more economy. I will speak of the propane generator later as that subject is probably the most talked about in all of the truck camper forums as a rule, generally, people don’t want anything to do with them because they are dependant on propane. Sad. On every campout we’ve been on with friends during cold snowing nights have us leaving our small 12 volt electric heater running at usually give or take 55 degrees (While Sleeping). As our small heater only manages to spew out just over 8000btu’s it translate into a unit that does not overly tax the battery. Nor does it tax the propane tank. Keep in mind our small area to heat, coupled with its excellent insulation qualities, combined with central heating ducts assures pretty even heat distribution throughout.

Now, how many times have I been in three axel toy haulers freezing my buns off all because they can’t run the 48,000btu heater for very long before the batteries die? All because they don’t wish to make a run down to Kernville for propane, or run their big generators from compartments with little to know sound proofing, all the while, their poor wives freeze! That translates to no heat at all during the coldest time at night. 5 to 6000 watt generators eat fuel at a pretty good clip per hour. Dry camping for weeks will soon prove the need for more fuel. Of course, the more people housed, showered and cooked must also prove an important factor. Then there is always the black tank to take into consideration. My point being, bigger equals larger area, greater comfort, enough room for an actual Lazy Boy rocker recliner, but requires quite a bit of fuel to maintain operationally.

Whereas the Lance camper, with only one battery, will only use just under half of a seven gallon propane tank in a 10 day period of daily use. Two people. That is with the alternating between Honda generator (battery recharging mainly) and AM propane generator use from using the microwave so much. In all actuality, I have only had to resort to my backup 7 gallon propane tank a few times. Each one was because we used the generator and the A/C dang near 12 hours a day and much of the night while camping in mid summer’s heat. When I say continuous I mean just that.

[truckmaniac]

The Garbinator’s rule of thumb: Always drive with tow/haul mode ON when hauling camper. You will experience one of the most amazing functions of the Allison transmission as it begins to since your slowing down and begins its down-shifting action. Oftentimes totally eliminating your need to brake at all.

DO NOT USE THE TOW HAUL MODE DURING ICY CONDITIONS!!!!

I was returning from South Texas to West Texas after a few days of fishing and ran into an ice storm just South of Sweetwater, where the terrain is hilly, with constant up & down grades. As I topped one hill, traveling between 35-40 mph, and started down the other side the Allison Transmission decided to "grade brake" (down shift) which engaged the surge brakes on the boat trailer that was in-tow and the fun began.

The entire rig (2006 Chevy K2500 4x4 Duramax, Brand New 2008 Lance 825 & 2005 Ranger Z21 Comanche) jack-knifed, did a 180 and flipped over. The truck & camper were "totalled", the trailer was totalled, however the boat sustained minimal damage, since it came off the trailer and landed right-side-up on the icy tall grass.

As a side note: I have always used the Torklift system with my truck campers. The camper did not come loose from the truck and is what kept the rig from "rolling". The Wrecker Service, since they knew it was a "total" didn't make any effort to "ease" the rig back onto it's tires, yet the camper stayed on. In fact, neither the Torklift brackets or Fast Guns were damaged. The owner of the wrecker service told me that he had worked 15 truck camper "flip or roll-overs" in the past 19 years and all but 1 were on single rear wheel trucks. In all 15 cases the campers came off the truck. Of the 15, 12 of the trucks were using the Happi-jack systems and the remaining 3 looked to be some kind of home-made rigging. He was definitely impressed with Torklift. I took his advice and now drive a Ford F350 1-ton dually.

[garbinator]

TruckManiac

This is a very tricky one to tackle, as each of us reading this has or has experienced what you experienced. I know personally my own circle of friends who refuse to operate anything bigger than a pickup 4X4 in such conditions, never mind an RV of some kind.

Much of my past driving experiences have involved all-climate on and off road to include heavy to light. I must include trailers of all types. Military, oil field etc etc.

You indicated your Allison downshifted causing your electronic brake controller to apply braking to the rear causing loss of control.

In my honest assessment do not believe that is what actually took place. You see the electronic brake control is not influenced by the downshifting of your transmission. It was created when you felt an increase in speed while moving downhill under such conditions wishing to merely slow down when suddenly you realized loss of control.

I submit it was due to your touching the brake with your foot. Your electric brake system is NOT tied into your Allison tranny at all.

It happens suddenly and without prior “emergency practice conditions” I assure you I have been exactly where you have been on more than one occasion. Even without the snow and ice!

You see, once the momentum of your rig takes over pushing like motion takes over and everything becomes nothing other than heavy objects moving in the downhill direction the incline takes you. It would be the same exact motion if you were moving at 5 MPH on a icy or slippery muddy road with an incline so steep your whole rig risks sliding into the embankment on your driver side door.

I will describe two driving methods I had to learn the hard way but learn and practice them I did.

Whenever faced with stopping while pulling trailer in slippery conditions always reach down and apply trailer brake first then slowly ease on the truck brakes never allowing your truck brakes to exceed your trailer… this causes or makes the trailer act sort of like an anchor. It’ll quickly put you right back in a straight-line if you’re even slightly twisted up. But then this will depend on the size and capability of your trailer braking system as well. The smaller the tires and brakes the lesser the effect of recovery.

Method # 2

While moving slowly, you suddenly realize your rig is slipping in a direction you don’t want it to go…

… as fast as you can put the vehicle into free-wheel. Meaning, out of gear totally. (clutch in) Off with the brakes, vehicle will suddenly straighten up on its own then reapply brake slowly to slow momentum. No one in here will ever be able to do this just by reading this, it has to be practiced before YOU learn to interrupt this momentum cycle thereby giving yourselves permission that it actually works and can save your butts. Without confidence, without prepping the “mind the hand, eye, and your brain to decide to act” cannot be expected to be dialed in together if and when the time comes. My very first serious practice of this came as a military Jeep and trailer driver as oftentimes we were sent in to such horribly difficult terrain I would find the whole rig sliding sideways completely off my direction of travel! Going down hill is scarier than going up. As I had to learn to handle both as one unit. Going downhill oftentimes had me using nothing but the trailer brake dragging it behind so as to keep the jeep straight, and yes I remained in low gear but stayed off the primary brakes.

Mud snow and ice.

This is why on all electric brake controllers there is a switch or “actuating switch or controller” is located in such a way so as to allow you to operate it in this fashion. There usually is a thumb depression on the actual switch, this is what its for.

I hope I explained myself without adding to much confusion to the issue.


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[truckmaniac]

TruckManiac


You indicated your Allison downshifted causing your electronic brake controller to apply braking to the rear causing loss of control.

In my honest assessment do not believe that is what actually took place.  You see the electronic brake control is not influenced by the downshifting of your transmission. It was created when you felt an increase in speed while moving downhill under such conditions wishing to merely slow down when suddenly you realized loss of control.

I submit it was due to your touching the brake with your foot. Your electric brake system is NOT tied into your Allison tranny at all.


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I agree that the electric brake system is not tied into the transmission. If you'll read my comments more closely, I never said that my accident had anything to do with the electronic brake controller.

What I did say was that the transmission grade-brake "down shift" caused the surge brakes on the trailer to engage and of course you know that with surge brakes, any loss of momentum by the tow vehicle due to braking, transmission down shift, steep down grades, running into a wild hog, etc.) will partially or totally engage the brakes.

I never touched the brake pedal from the time the accident started until I ended up driver's side down on the shoulder of the road.

When the transmission down-shifted (and it was a firm downshift that could be felt), it cause enough momentum loss that the trailer in essence, "pushed" against the slower moving truck and engaged the surge brakes, every so slightly. While the truck and camper were still moving in a straight line down the highway, it was the trailer that had lost traction and began jack-knifing. This in turn caused the rear tires of the truck to "break loose" and the next thing I knew, I was all over the road, traveling in "slow motion".

Even if I hadn't been towing a boat trailer with surge brakes, I'm not so sure that the firm downshift wouldn't cause the rear tires of the truck to loose traction momentarily.

I stand by my statement NOT to use the tow-haul mode on the Allison transmission when the roads are icy. Since I now have a Ford F350 with the TorqueShift transmission, I will also avoid using the tow/haul mode on it if the road conditions are icy, since it also "grade-brakes".