ognend
Virginia
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Joined: 06/25/2011
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Hello all. We always take our camper off the truck when camping. This winter we are headed to SW TX and NM and it will take us 6 nights to get there, each night staying at a different place (we haul horses behind us in case you are wondering why so slow). I don't want to take the camper off each night and put it on - what do people do? Leave on bed attached to truck bed? Drop jacks enough to touch ground and disconnect from bed for the night while camper is still "above" bed? We have a slide out too so - can you open the slide if you are connected to the bed with your torklifts?
To add more info - it is a flatbed mounted Palomino 2910. Thanks!
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2021 Chevrolet 3500 DRW Cab&Chassis crew cab 4x4 6.6L gas with 9ft4" flatbed
2013 Palomino HS-2910 Max truck camper
2007 Double D all steel 2-horse bumper pull trailer
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srschang
Western NY
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Why would you take it off every night while traveling?? We drove 65 days, 14,000 miles to Alaska and back this summer and never took it off.
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mellow
Salisbury, MD
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I put my rear jacks down just to level things out for the slide and it helps with the rocking. Most people keep it on the truck while camping, one of the reasons a TC is great for people on the move. Way to much work to take it off and put it back on for overnight camping, maybe if you were camping at the same spot for a week and you needed the truck for other things.
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daily double
ketchum ok.
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Why would you take it off every night while traveling?? x2
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zb39
slippery rock
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Unless your slide hits something on your truck, there is no reason to take it off for the night.
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jimh406
Western MT
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If I'm level, I put the slide out. You can unlock the tiedowns to help level.
We almost never unload the TC while traveling.
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mkirsch
Rochester, NY
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Truck campers are meant to be used on OR off the truck.
Whoever gave you the idea that you HAVE to take the camper off the truck to use it, is mistaken.
If the truck sits level with the camper loaded, park the truck in a level spot, and use the camper exactly as you would if it were unloaded. There is no need to disconnect the truck from the camper, or lower the jacks.
That's how I always use my camper. I never take it off the truck while camping, never lower the jacks, never disconnect the tiedowns. I just use it.
I also carry some blocks to drive up on just in case I can't find a spot to park the truck and get the camper level.
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ognend
Virginia
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Sorry all, I think I was not clear enough. When we camp, we take the truck camper off at the final destination where we stay for days. All we have done is local trips where we get to camp the same day so the camper comes off so we can use the truck for local stuff.
This time around our final destination is 6 day drive away and at the final destination we are taking the camper off since we will be there for 6 weeks.
However, the trip there is 6 nights at different places each night - so I am not planning on taking the camper off. Since I have no experience camping with the camper ON the truck, the question is - can I open the slide while camper is on the truck with all the torklifts connecting the camper to my truck.
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towpro
Compass PA
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mine used to sit level loaded, so I would just put the jacks down enough to stop the movement while camping. in fact the camper stayed on the truck for 9 months out of the year, even while camping for several weeks in once place it stayed on the truck. I was either towing a motorcycle, or a jeep (for the sand of OuterBanks Beach) so no reason to move pickup once on site.
this was with the ArcticFox 990 which has a slide.
in fact this also applies to a MH if you think about it, box sitting on 4 weeks, as long as I was not twisting the frame on some strange incline we would open the slide all the time on the MH with the jacks, like eating in rest area, etc.
* This post was
edited 12/19/22 10:23am by towpro *
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mellow
Salisbury, MD
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ognend wrote:the question is - can I open the slide while camper is on the truck with all the torklifts connecting the camper to my truck.
If you are level and nothing is blocking the slide from opening then yes, you want to be level so the gears for the slide don't work harder than they already have to. I always make sure to set my emergency brake as well when parked, just my OCD self. You will figure out if you want all the jacks down or just the back jacks or no jacks your first night, depends on how stable you want the camper while in it, only takes a few minutes to deploy them to just touch enough to take a bit of weight.
Also make sure you lock your truck and have your keys with you and have a backup plan for if something happens while in the camper, know your exits. This world is a crazy place and you need to prepare for such things.
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