Hello, first time looking into this thread, so please be kind.

I am going to look at an older slide in camper Friday night. As of now, I know that it says "open road" on the front, 11' long with a toilet, shower, 2 sleeping areas and the stove, fridge and heat haven't been used in years. It is an older moder (don't know age) and the price is only $300 - (but that is a significant amount for me right now) but I don't want to purchase something that is going to be a complete money pit. I know I will have to put some money into it in order to get it to where I can use it.

Can you knowledgable gentleman give me some hints on what to ask the seller and what to look for. Now this is going to be for short weekend trips during the spring,summer,early fall so I'm not too worried about the heat department right now.

Is there anything that I will have to do to my truck to carry the load of this camper? I have had 3500# in my bed without trouble before.

I thank you all in advance,
Michael[IMG][/IMG]

 

the weight isnt the issue, some the older campers will not fit in between the tailgate openings on the newer trucks. measure your truck and take a tape measure with you for the camper. you have an older truck, so shouldnt be an issue, but it was with my friends '98

 

Very good point dodgezilla04, I had to drive away from a camper that I had bought could not get under it due to the width at the back of the box. Any way for $300 ya can't really go wrong. You will be surprised how much the toilet is used and the comfort that it brings,
If ya get a summer out of it then it is payed for. Go out and get a hotel room and you will see what I mean.
Look for rot and leaks in the roof. Hopefully you won't find any of that. Make sure the propane system is ok, don't want to blow up the first time out.
But all in all if you have to junk it at the end of the year at least you will have some fun times and memories that are hard to buy for $300.

 

I agree....if you only use it twice.....$300.00 will long be forgotten

 

Thank you guys, keep the ideas going.

Another question is how ho you hold it in place? is it bolted down or strapped down somehow?

Thanks again,
Michael

 

I fit fits in the truck, go for it! A little elbow grease can make it a nice, dry place to sleep and a ton of fun!

If it leaks or if there are any signs of water damage, walk away. Actually... RUN away.

 

Use some chain and turn buckles to tie down. Don't suck it down real hard, just enough to keep it in. Like the chains snug and no slack. You might need to add some belly bars on the frame of the truck.

 

Also, does the fridge actually work? If it doesn't, how important is that to you? fridges are very pricy. I had to replace mine. It was a PITA to replace and the unit it self ran me about $600. Just something to think about.

 

I took 2"X2" square tubing, welded on flat steel on one end to mount a turnbuckle and sliid them into each side of my truck hitch mount. For the front I bolted the mounts to the front of the bed and used turn buckles. You can get the mounts real cheap at www.jcwhitney.com or www.campingworld.com

 

You can buy front mounts that bolt on to the top of the box temporarily. I had some but didn't feel to safe with them. I rigged up a belly bar out of 2" square tubing and some angle iron and bolted it to the frame. I used eyebolts to hook chains with turnbuckles. On the back I took some 1 1/2 tubing with eyebolts and drilled holes in my hitch tube. They're held in with one 3/8" bolt. Best thing is I can remove them easy because they're real shin killers!

The roof of the camper is probably seamed aluminum sheets. I'd put money on the vents having leaked at some point. You can get a gallon can of roof sealer at Home Depot and seal the seams up in an hour. I'd go for it if it doesn't smell too musty. You can always sell it in the fall at the start of hunting season.

If you do any tent camping, you'll love having the camper. All you do is pull in, grab a beer and a lawn chair and you're camping. No set up! Woohoo!

 

don't pay for it til it's loaded, or at least jacked up,,,,

weight is on the jacks, will reveal a lot of structual defects,
test the floor also..

 

That being said, inspect the area around the jacks....wiggle them with wieght on 'em, and when the camper is sitting in your truck. If they move a lot the wood they're lag bolted to may be rotten. Also check for rot where the tie down points are. I had the two rear jacks rip out on my old Caribou, but I was doing a little off roading leaving a salmon hole....fixed 'em better than new with pressure treated 1x1 and lots of lag bolts....it was like an operation.
Look around alll the windows, under the sinks in the cabinets for leaks.
Somebody mentioned the propane system....you may have trouble getting someone to fill the tanks depending on the condition of them. I believe if they're horizontal, they don't fall under the new valve regs. Use a water/dish soap solution looking for bubbles to check for leaks.
Install a smoke & CO2 detector.
And for $300 enjoy the heck out of it.....I miss mine...see gallery.
Oh, the truck WILL handle differently with the extra weight and heighth.

 

Thank you very, very much guys. All good points to check out. I am going to look at it tonight.

As far as the propane system, I really don't care about that, I've done my share of cooler and BBQ camping and actually like it. I just thought it might be nice to have a solid shelter around me.

I hope it pans out. If there is any more things to look for please let me know, and thanks about the tie down ideas, I don't have a hitch so I will have to work something else out, But I do have an Arc welder

Thanks again,
Michael

 

He's got a first gen truck so size isn't a problem. Its only us with the newer fancy trucks that were cursed with a tapered box. Weight shouldn't be an issue. You'll need some tie downs and run some wiring to power it.

I see one jack is missing? That makes it difficult/dangerous to load/unload and jacks can range from $100-$300. Check the mounting points of the jacks, water gets in there and rots the wood the jacks can pull out.

Check for any signs of the roof leaking, thats always a big pits to fix. I bought my camper cheap cause the roof leaked, fixed the leak but it seems to come back every year anyway. Get up on the roof and check things out, look for cracked vent covers. Easy to fix($30) IF you can find them, some of the older ones you cann't get anymore.

Anyway for $300 if the roof doesn't leak and the corners aren't rotted out its a good deal, the rest is a bonus.

To get it home rachet straps going down to the frame will work just fine.

 

CLayH - good to see ya again, I didn't know you got rid of that sweet 1st Gen of yours.

Great points to look for, Thank you.

Michael