Freebird424
New member
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2008
- Posts
- 1
Hi, everybody. I'm a complete RV newbie. I shopped around for quite some time and found a sheep farmer who had a pickup camper right in the way of a fence he was building. I said I'd give him twenty bucks for it, and away I went. I'm storing it now and cleaning it up in hopes of hitting the road come springtime. The two major issues I'm facing (which I know have been addressed here, but just so everyone knows where I'm at) are:
-Weight. I've got a heater, stove/oven, and hot running water all hooked up to a standard propane tank, and that's about it as far as amenities. While relatively sparse, the camper is from 1975 so I'm sure it's construction isn't as weight-efficient as some newer models. My understanding is that it came as part of a "camper package" Ford truck back in the day. My truck is a 1996 F150, so my concern is obvious given that it's just a half-ton truck. The truck is rated for something like 6250 pounds gross. I have yet to take the whole rig to a scale, but my confidence isn't high. I've considered getting a trailer and making it into a towable - has anyone out there done this? The truck tows like a beast. I've towed sizeable boats and trailers with it with no problem. Making it into a towable would also remedy any issues with a top-heavy sway.
-Mold. I've searched thoroughly and I've only found one patch under the mattress pad that was likely never given a chance to air out from some slight leakage around the front window seal. My plan is to remove that piece of plywood, clean thoroughly underneath it, and replace it (after caulking all the seams, of course). Any suggestions would be welcome.
Like I said, this is all new to me. I'd ideally like to put it on the road at some point, but I figure worst-case scenario I put in a little elbow grease and make a little turnaround money. I appreciate all the help this forum has already been, and I will gladly offer any assistance I can. Thanks!
-Weight. I've got a heater, stove/oven, and hot running water all hooked up to a standard propane tank, and that's about it as far as amenities. While relatively sparse, the camper is from 1975 so I'm sure it's construction isn't as weight-efficient as some newer models. My understanding is that it came as part of a "camper package" Ford truck back in the day. My truck is a 1996 F150, so my concern is obvious given that it's just a half-ton truck. The truck is rated for something like 6250 pounds gross. I have yet to take the whole rig to a scale, but my confidence isn't high. I've considered getting a trailer and making it into a towable - has anyone out there done this? The truck tows like a beast. I've towed sizeable boats and trailers with it with no problem. Making it into a towable would also remedy any issues with a top-heavy sway.
-Mold. I've searched thoroughly and I've only found one patch under the mattress pad that was likely never given a chance to air out from some slight leakage around the front window seal. My plan is to remove that piece of plywood, clean thoroughly underneath it, and replace it (after caulking all the seams, of course). Any suggestions would be welcome.
Like I said, this is all new to me. I'd ideally like to put it on the road at some point, but I figure worst-case scenario I put in a little elbow grease and make a little turnaround money. I appreciate all the help this forum has already been, and I will gladly offer any assistance I can. Thanks!