Hunters recall near-death experience in home brew truck camper

December marked the 50 year anniversary of a tale of survival for a pair of Pennsylvania hunters and a truck camper. Dick Lansberry and Bob Wise headed off in the woods on a winter's hunting expedition on December 2, 1961 in a home-build truck camper, built from wood and aluminum siding. Their one week planned trip turned into a nightmare that left both of them with missing toes and a big story.

Lansberry was a avid hunter, and to support his trips built a "portable cabin" on the back of his 1956 Ford 1/2 ton pickup. The well-insulated unit was eight feet long and stood six feet tall, sleeping two comfortably. Bob's regular hunting partner couldn't make the trip, so he talked Bob Wise into coming with him on the deer trip. It proved a fateful decision.

Perhaps the men should have known things weren't going well for them when on the sixth day out, the two were separated from one another and got lost in the woods. After wandering about, shooting rounds to attract attention, Dick Lansberry wandered into a hunting camp where he was finally turned around and pointed back to his camper. His friend Bob found him, and both were plenty tired out from the day's activities.

Lansberry's camper was outfitted with a kerosene stove for heat, and a 6" duct in the roof plus a partially opened window served for ventilation. Trouble was, the heater conked out sometime in the night, and early on December 7 Lansberry woke up, recognizing there was real trouble: He could smell kerosene fumes, but he was so cold he could barely move. Wise had fallen out of his bed and lay on the camper floor, and Lansberry couldn't wake him.

Bob Lansberry knew something had to be done, like relighting the heater. Yet the cold was so deep he couldn't even fumble the matches, nor turn the knob on the heater. Almost 60 hours passed while Lansberry faded in and out of consciousness. Finally waking again, he found the camper door frozen shut. Attacking it with a hatchet, his frozen hands fumbled and almost caused the hatched to hit his partner. Finally, after repeatedly pounding on the door lock with a hammer, Lansberry got the door open and stumbled outside.

Reaching the cab of the truck, one can only imagine the frustration Lansberry felt when he discovered he'd left the keys in the camper. After suffering a to-andl-fro trip, he couldn't get the keys to work the truck door lock. Back in the camper, Bob Lansberry said his prayers, figuring he and his friend had reached their end.

Almost.

Two other hunters happened on the scene some time later. they later described the sounds that came from Bob Lansberry's throat as, "mumbled hollering," as the frost-covered man fell to the ground at the end of the camper. Both Lansberry and Wise were literally frozen into unnatural positions; Wise had to be "jimmied" out of the camper door and into the passing hunter's vehicle for a trip to a hospital.

Doctors were amazed at the condition of their two patients. Gangrene was setting in on each man's extremities; they were both so cold that when the hospital staff put in urinary catheters they found ice crystals in their bladders.

After 11 days at a local hospital, both men were carefully transferred to a larger facility. There, hoof trimmers were used to cut away dead and dying flesh. It would be months before they finally got to go home.

While many would try and forget such an experience, Bob Lansberry has kept it close to his mind and heart, even writing a survival guide to help other outdoorsmen avoid the fate that he and his pal endured.

Both men remain friends--and continue to hunt--down to this day. No word on whether or not either of them enjoy RVing.

photos: chronicle.northcoastnow.com

Truck camper sales show increase

Hard figures are difficult to come by, but it looks like sales of truck campers are on the uptick. The Goshen News gives a favorable nod to truck camper sales after interviewing truck camper manufacturers and reviewing statistics from the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA).

"Hard" information on truck camper sales is difficult to nail down. That's largely because many states don't require truck camper owners to register their rigs, as they would do for travel trailers and motorhomes. Still, the RVIA reports sales of 2,200 units by 17 manufacturers in 2010.

For states that do require truck camper registration, hard information seems to support the RVIA "sales are up" conclusion. Statistical Surveys, Inc., says for states that do require registration, an overall growth of 2.0% marked 2010, with Maine topping the increase with 25% more sales in 2010 over 2009, followed closely by Michigan with a 24% increase. On the other side of the coin, Utah led the decliners, showing nearly a 23% falloff in sales.

Why the increase? Keith Donkin, the general manager for Northern Lite Campers, a builder in British Columbia, says he thinks size is a driver. "I think the trend people are seeing is a lot of baby boomers are downsizing their motorhomes and fifth-wheels and going into truck campers for driveability and ease of parking," Donkin told The Goshen News.

photo: R&T DeMaris

2012 Arctic Fox 1150

Arctic Fox, a division of Northwood Manufacturing, continues its line of four-season slide out truck campers with the 1150. Built with an aluminum superstructure, solid wood cabinetry, and insulated for winter use, this wet bath unit is definitely worth a look.

Eagle Cap rolls out triple slide

If you're looking for BIG in a truck camper, your wish may be fulfilled. Truck camper manufacturer, Eagle Cap, is rolling out its new 1165 model triple-slide, giving buyers a wide, 102" elbow room.

Eagle Cap calls Yakima, Washington its home base; up in the Northwest you can count on a wide range of weather conditions. To meet the demand, the company has designed in a four-season insulation package, which they claim is the best in the industry. Ceilings weigh in at R-17, walls at R-11, and a whopping R-22 in the basement and floor. Thermal Pane windows round out the 'keep out Jack Frost' package.

Supporting all this weather beating insulation is a blended frame construction of welded aluminum frame and fiberglass shell, with one-piece front and rear fiberglass caps. In the rain country, you'll appreciate that approach. The whole shebang sits down over the truck bed rails, and those slides go where? A rear sofa, a dinette, and kitchen roll on out over the end and edges. This allows for a rather unusual galley dimension for truck camper fans: A galley with a counter-containing-dual-sink island.

With all the interior space not much has gone to waste. There are three wardrobes and floor-to-ceiling pantry in the galley. More outside storage is available, courtesy of the side entry door, which allows "basement" storage if you will, at the rear of the rig. The new rig will debut at the Louisville RVIA show; then those coming off the production line will head out to dealers.

We're waiting on Eagle Cap for more specifications; we'll post them when they become available.

Arctic Fox lands on its feet with new "porch"

We don't know just how many Arctic Fox campers there are on the road today, but it seems like a bunch. Rolling down the road you'll see that fox logo on the rig, the critter looks cozy, almost like he'd like to wrap his tail around his nose for a good snooze. But even an arctic fox has to get up sometime and head outside. So what does an arctic fox call his back porch? Now it's called a Fox Landing.

Arctic Fox campers' mother company, Northwood Manufacturing, has gotten together with Torklift International to produce a new "innovative, expansive entry platform." We read that, "back porch," but that may be a bit too expansive. In any event, the gee-whiz engineers from Torklift (who manufacture those really gee-whiz camper tie down systems) has come up with a sturdy and practical solution to getting in and out of your Arctic Fox camper.

The heart of the matter is a large entry platform that mounts between the top of the bumper and the bottom of the camper door threshold. Step easily out of the camper--not down a huge drop--then descend from the platform via a set fold-away steps that mount either on the left or right of the platform. Essentially a trip up or down consists of four equal-height steps that make the journey a bit more residential, and a lot less like climbing the Matterhorn.

Ready to break camp? The steps easily (and quickly) fold up and out of the way. A single pin locks the steps in place, with no worries they'll drop down when you hit those proverbial bumps in the road. Now here's the fox snarl: The new landing only works on Arctic Fox rigs equipped with the most recent bumper. Got an older Fox you'd like to retrofit? The company says if you swap out to the new bumper, the Landing will work for you.

Prices? Check with your local Artic Fox dealer for a quote.

Travel Lite truck camper is mighty impressive

There isn’t much this 2012 Travel Lite 1000 SLRX Ulta doesn't include. See for yourself in this terrific video from Truck Camper Magazine that provides a comprehensive look (and tour) of this impressive RV. Is this really a truck camper? Outside, it's evident, but inside you might as well be in a roomy, luxury motorhome or trailer.

New small and light camper for full size trucks

Indiana camper builder, Travel Lite, Inc., says its new Travel Lite 770 Super Lite is both super-light and super-easy to afford. Base priced at $7,995, the 770 is built for any full size pickup, even short beds with 5 1/2' of bed space.

The base model scales in at just 1,335 pounds dry, while still running 12' long with a 7' width. Open the door and find wardrobe, porta-potti, icebox (upgradable to refrigerator), maplewood doors, stainless sink, two-burner LP stove, and a dinette convertible to sleeping use.

What makes the 770 Super Lite live up to its name? The company says it's using South American banak wood in the sidewalls. Banak is a Central or South American straight-grain product that reportedly scales in a 2.5 pounds per board foot, a little lighter than Douglass Fir at 2.6 pounds per board foot. That's not much of a difference, though, so the company must have found some other areas to trim weight.

See more on this new rig at the company web site.

Eagle Cap slides out new palatial double slide camper

Washington state based Adventurer LP has rolled out a new double slide 11' plus camper that we could best describe as palatial. Under the brand name, Eagle Cap, the new 1160 model could make even some die-hard trailerists rethink coming over to truck camping.

The company is touting this unit's construction, and the insulation values are impressive. With R-17 ceilings, R-22 in basement and floors, and R-11 in the walls, coupled with Thermal Pane windows as standard, taking this rig out in the winter or the heat of summer shouldn't be an issue. Holding those walls and windows together is a welded aluminum frame with a fiberglass shell (single piece front and rear fiberglass caps, to boot).

Now to that palatial bit: The EC 1160 is no skinny-minny. At 102" in width, the inside appearance and feel has got to be spacious. Add on the double slides and "camper claustrophobia" is a thing of the past. The unusual side-entry door allows for a rear sofa and rear storage bay.

Specs: Hard-side, dry bath, double-slide truck camper with a side entry that is made for long bed trucks. Interior floor length 11’6”; interior height is 76”. Dry weight 4,298 pounds with standard features. Tank capacity: 75 gallons fresh, 32 gallons gray, and 28 gallons black. Energy: accommodates two batteries and two thirty-pound propane tanks. The MSRP for the Eagle Cap 1160 is $36,295.Catch up on more details on the company website.

Tie-Down manufacturer offers giveaways

Washington State based Torklift International, manufacturers of some of the most popular camper tie-down systems wants to thank customers. The company says it often receives rave reviews from new or return customers. To show appreciation to their fan base, the company is preparing to give back.

"From August through December, we would like to play a game, thanking our customers," says Candice Bourilier, the company's marketing director. "Each month we will highlight a product and ask you to tell us about it. The top testimonials will be used on our website while the author is sent a product from our line."

To get in, the rules are simple. Each month, simply describe your experience with the highlighted product. If you testimonial us used on Torklift's website you'll get a product. You can also send a picture of yourself with the product and you'll be in for another prize -- a Torklift 35th commemorative anniversary hat or a Torklift battery-less survival flashlight.

Entries are being accepted now for August. E-mail entries to Boutilier at candiceb@torklift.com.

Tour the 2011 Lance 992 with two slide-outs

America's best-selling truck campers are made by Lance. That's been true for years and they stay number one by never resting on their laurels. Innovation and upgrades are the keys to the Lance philosophy. For 2011 they've come up with a solid 9-foot, 11-inch Lance-quality model with two slides, room to sleep four, lots of upgrades and all the bells and whistles you could want. No wood, no formaldehyde; no foolin'

A truck camper with a porthole

They say a picture says a thousand words and that's just as well because we can't think of a single thing to say about this. Wait -- we love the portholes in the door.

Is this really a truck camper? Talk about spacious!

It's hard to believe looking at the interior photo, but this is a truck camper. It wasn't too long ago that truck campers offered very cramped quarters. Then, the first slide-outs debuted, usually extending from the dinette, and that changed the game. Suddenly, it was possible take a few steps without hitting a wall or cabinet.

This 2011, 11-foot, six-inch Everest model from Host Campers has three slide outs, one on each side and one in the rear. The result is a living space comparable to that of a modest-sized motorhome.

This ain't your Daddy's truck camper, for sure.

The storage tanks are bigger than on most Class C motorhomes -- 70 gallons of freshwater and 38-gallons of both gray water and black water. Both the dinette and couch at the rear convert to beds, making this compact unit suitable for a family.

The secret advantage to a truck camper

If you already own a truck camper, then what we say here is no surprise. You already know "the secret." But if you don't own a truck camper, and you are searching for your "perfect RV," then here is a little secret (yes, it might seem obvious to present truck camper owners) that is often overlooked by would-be RVers when considering which type of RV to call their own.

In this photo, you will notice that there are two things missing: trucks. The pickups that transported the campers to the campground are gone. Maybe they're off at a nearby fishing hole, or down the road at the local general store. Maybe the owners of these RVs are touring the countryside.

Separating a truck camper from its truck is easy -- sometimes involving a hand-crank, but other times simply the push of a button. The "house" part of the unit can stay put while the automotive part goes sightseeing.

SO HERE'S THE SECRET: A truck camper is both a house and a passenger vehicle. With a motorhome, for example, if you want to travel beyond the campground, you must unhook the RV (which means unplugging from utilities and putting away everything inside to avoid flying objects), or tow a car along for local outings. With a travel trailer or fifth wheeler, you have two vehicles to deal with -- the tow vehicle and the trailer. A truck camper owner might say "That's way too complicated."

There is one downside to all this: some RV parks will not allow you to separate the camper from the truck (shame on them!). Thankfully, most public campground are fine with it.
 
And, one more thing that some would-be RVers don't realize is how roomy truck campers are these days. Check out some models at your local RV dealer. You'll be impressed.

For 2011 Lance matches classic designs with new innovations

In early 2011 Lance remains the best-selling truck camper in America thanks to its classic floor plans and innovative features. Here are just a few:

* Generator compartment will accommodate a Honda EU2000 portable generator
* Tule roof rack system
* 9000 BTU A/C unit will operate with 2000 watt gen
* Meets low emissions standards (no formaldehyde)
* Dry weight 2595 lbs. (2011 Lance 950 as shown in video)
* Overhead child bunk with safety restraints
This camper will fit on a single rear wheel 250/2500 series

Juno: The Truck Camper That Pops Up and Out

2011 Juno 8.5 (also available for long bed)

If you like to take the family or a couple of fishing buddies off the beaten track but prefer to keep your camper load light and low, this may be just the ticket.

The 2011 Juno (Outfitter RV Mfg.) is the only popup camper we know of that has a side door and a back wall that pops out to create a tent room. It is available in both short and long bed configurations. Packing an optional Honda generator, Xantrex inverter/charger combo as well as solar power, Juno can spend a lot of time in the boondocks with no need for dockside electricity. 

Click on floor plan to enlarge.

Outfitter Mfg.'s base list price for the Juno is $27,595. 

For more info go to www.outfitter.mfg.com

New hard sided pop up truck camper fit for Dora the Exlora

If Dora and her sidekick monkey, Boots, ever do an episode involving an RV, the new XP Camper may be cast in the rolling lead role. XP is a unique, hard sided pop up camper, manufactured to individual order by a San Francisco firm headed up by an RVer named Marc Wassman.

In what sounds to be a terrifically sturdy build, the company says they build the exterior of their adventurous camper from a "molded composite-over-form core wrapped with hand laid unidirectional fiberglass reinforced with carbon fiber and Kevlar." Should any of Dora's foes take after her with a AK-47, sounds like the bullets ought to just bounce off the rig.

What's with the almost mililtaristic design? Wassman says he was a truck camper enthusiast, discouraged by the evident flimsy design of typical truck campers. Disgruntled by rigs that broke and parts that fell off every time he left the main road, Wassman set out to design a new concept of a sturdy vehicle that users could really use--not have to fix--when out in the sticks.

RVers can buy the shell, or a turnkey complete rig, or pretty near anywhere in between. The price starts at $23,500 for a shell, and top out with a completed rig with many bells, whistles, and diesel fired appliances for $75,000. Diesel fired cooktop? Surely Dora would opt to burn bio-diesel for fixing up her frijoles. There are a few catches to be aware of: No standard pickups allowed: Only a flatbed pickup will do. And once you put in your order, be ready to wait a few months for delivery. Check out the full package on the XP website.

photo from xpcamper.com

Las Vegas dump station: A test of fortitude

"Sin City" isn't all glitz, glitter, and the din of thousands of slot machines. There is the "normal" side of an RVer's life that calls for our a routine. Take dumping holding tanks, as an example.

We recently were called in Vegas to help an ailing relative. (To be close by to help, we found ourselves parked, rather dubiously across from a truck stop, on the airport's incoming flight path, and not far from a fire station. Try putting all three of those together for a good night's sleep.) Being as frugal as we could with water, still, the time came when the tanks hand to be emptied. The nearest dump station was a couple of blocks away, at an RV "resort" who asked non-guests for $20 to dump. Sorry, the Scotch in our blood isn't measured in proof. We had to find a less-expensive alternative.

Only "9 minutes away" according to MapQuest was 'The Bus Stop,' a local business dedicated to caring for the needs of commercial busses--including a dump station with a $7 fee. Of course, weekend I-15 traffic turned that simple 9-minute trip into almost an hour-long nightmare of playing chicken with Silver Staters. The family tank dumping technician went in and paid the seven bucks and received directions to the dump station.

We've seen some real "hell hole" dump stations before, but this one had to be at the top of the list. Evidently, most bus station dump ports are nothing more than a grate over a pit. Driver positions bus over grate, opens valve (electrically), and 'let's her rip.' So, unsuspecting and uninitiated RVer rolls in, and you know the routine: Where does typical truck camper locate its dump connection? Under the camper! Try sliding under your rig to hook up a hose over a bus dump station.

We'll spare the sordid details, but it was the kind of dump to make you decide to skip the next couple of meals. The photo here was taken AFTER the real awful part was hosed down.

Suffice to say, the next time this little camper family needs to dump tanks, we'll drive the extra miles to find a dump station where you put your hose in a pipe, and leave the rest to the imagination. Reality in a Vegas bus dump station is just too graphic.

Smaller camper on a bigger truck

While some of us seem bent on going for the biggest camper we can load, there's always the other way to look at things. Sometimes, like one truck owner, you can find a nice camper, designed for a smaller truck than yours. What's to do?

Rick, a full-size Dodge truck owner ran into a great deal on a Pastime camper, designed for mid-sized pickups. If he attempted to load the Pastime onto his truck, he'd find the camper's cabover embedded in the truck cab--the camper was about an inch and a half "shorter" than the truck could accommodate. In addition, the camper was a wee bit on the "narrow" side. The camper jacks weren't wide enough stanced to properly go out over the sides of the big pickup.

It didn't take this ingenious RVer to figure some "work arounds." First, with the use of some 2x6" lumber, Rick built some "boxes" to fit in the bottom of his truck bed. The camper sits down on top of these heavy boxes (giving him some added "basement storage" accessible from the end of the pickup bed). To handle the "too narrow for the jacks" issue, he fabricated some add-on plates from 1/4" steel. These plates are middle-men between the camper corners and the camper jacks.

Loaded up, Rick says he has good clearance above the truck cab, and plenty of side clearance for the jacks. Even at highway speeds he's found that the truck suspension doesn't seem fazed at all by how high the truck camper rides, although he thinks he may add add-on springs or air bags for added security.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

source: www.truckcamperforum.com. photo: gasser41willys on photobucket.com

Bigfoot comes back

When Bigfoot Industries of Canada went down in the perfect storm of RV manufacturing disasters, it was a sad day for many camper fans. Considered by many to be perhaps one of the best made and durable campers on the market, it was a rough day when the firm hit the bankruptcy button. But earlier this week, the still-existing but long-time-static web site maintained by the new ownership group crackled with excitement:

"We are pleased to announce that Bigfoot RV is under new active ownership, and will soon be providing parts, service and new products to the North American RV market from its facility in Armstrong, BC, Canada."

For many the "pleased to announce" can be translated: "We are more than pleased to hear it!" Bigfoot campers, being constructed with heavy fiberglass, are a hard act to repair without turning to the factory for replacement parts. Happily, one of the first orders of business for the new 'active ownership' group is the provision for getting parts and service back on line for those with existing rigs. While there's still no formal contact information available on the company website, and no phone numbers to call, Bigfoot owners are undoubtedly anticipating a 'back in the saddle' announcement in the near future.

The second big push for Bigfoot will be the resumption of production of new units. Will the new ownership be able to fill the shoes left by their predecessors? They bought not only the company's intellectual property rights, they also have the physical molds for producing the old familiar campers. Time will tell how the new rigs will stack up against the old. We'll keep you posted on developments as we learn them.

photo courtesy bigfoot industries

Truck camper pet portals--a door to a new world

Traveling with pets just seems the natural thing to do. Sharing with Bowser or Fluffy the joys of the highway brings joy to both us, and our quadruped friends. But it does sometimes pose its own set of difficulties. In our case, where to put Ithmah's--the fur-balled feline's--sand box.

Our traveling research rig is presently an 11 1/2' truck camper--a far cry from the space afforded by our fulltiming fifth wheel. The idea of having a litter box underfoot in those limited few square feet of floor space was just unthinkable. There was, however, a plethora of space available outside the camper--yet still enclosed by the truck bed, in the wheel well area of the truck. The camper manufacturer had made that space available by putting access doors through the sidewall at floor level, but leaving one of those doors open to allow Ithmah in and out only stirred visions of blasts of hot or cold air, seasonally dependent. Tripping over that open portal--espcially during dark night trips to our own 'sand box' didn't sit well either.

The solution was waiting at the big box builder center: A small "pet door," installed in the already existing access door would allow our friend's access to her powder room, while the clear flap on the pet door would (generally) keep the outside and inside temperatures segregated.

What to do when the truck and the camper were separated? We've had some experience in this field--our fifth wheel is equipped with a pet door just under the dinette table; outside that pet portal lies another litter box--but this one, cleverly assigned to our "Kitty Kondo." The condo is a dismantle able (to lay flat for transport) secure "Arizona Room" with screened walls and rain-shedding roof, almost sized correctly. Actually, the condo was designed for Ithmah's predecessor who weighed in at a whopping 6 pounds wet weight; Ithmah tips the scales at 17 pounds, so the condo could stand to be a bit bigger. For our "research vessel" we'll have another, more appropriately sized condo constructed to cling to the side of the camper "box."


The Mechanics of It All

Adding a pet door to our existing access door wasn't all that difficult. It does require some careful planning, and measuring. Since walls (and doors) in many RVs are a lot thinner than in conventional land-based homes, you'll probably need to add framing around the perimeter of the "cutout" sized hole you make for the pet door. In our case, 1 x 2 lumber, laid flat against the existing door, was plenty thick enough to meet the pet door's requirements. But in haste to get the job done, the distance from the edge of the existing door wasn't taken into account. The full "width" of the 1 x 2 didn't allow original door to close. Carefully splitting the offending 1 x 2 in half solved that problem--but it goes to show the old saw is still valid: Measure twice, cut once.

When installing a pet door through anything other than the box wall, more caution needs to be exercised: Are there "vital organs" that might be in the way? Consider the possibility of water lines or electrical wiring. If in doubt, consult with an RV professional before sticking the saw tip in the wall. You'll also need to carefully apply sealant between the exterior wall and the pet door pieces to keep the weather out.

Picking out the right door is important too. Most pet doors allow for a method of securing the door to keep out (or in) your animal companion. It's also helpful to keep out stray critters--who needs a squirrel running around in their rig?

For the most part, the actual installation of a pet door is pretty straightforward, and the doors come with instructions--and usually cutting templates--from the factory. You'll likely need access to a drill and bits, plus an appropriate cutting saw. While most call for a simple saber saw, if you're cutting through fiberglass or metal siding, you may be in need of reciprocating saw--a "Sawsall" as most refer to them in the trade. Of course, when installing a pet door anywhere in the rig, keep in mind the future sale of your rig and take resale value into consideration.

The Psychology

We found that while our idea of the cat door into the wheel well seemed like a great idea to us, for some reason, Ithmah didn't initially cotton to it. We laid the brand new, freshly filled litter box in the wheel well area just inside the new cat door, and made coaxing noises to the cat. Ears went back, suspicious looks were the order of the day. After several attempts, we 'took the bull by the horns' and stuffed the reluctant feline through the new portal. A gray streak shot back out of the cat flap, and the suspicious looks turned rather murderous.

It's really amazing how long a cat can "keep her legs crossed." We finally relented and kept the original access door open. After holding out as long as she could, Ithmah crept into the new powder room, took care of business, and flew back into the camper. Finally, after a few trepidacious trips to the loo, we were able to induce her nibs to use the cat door. Since that time, it's been a lot easier on all of us.

It may take a little bit of work to adjust your pet to the new idea. In our case, it seems the confined, dark, wheel wells were the problem, not so much the actual pet door. When we get that new condo completed, I have a feeling it'll be just like home--Ithmah will never want to come back inside.

Keeping your camper warm

Keeping warm in the winter in your truck camper can be a tricky exercise. Insulation values for truck campers vary widely, both by manufacturer and age of the rig. Where you go is another story, too, since truck campers are more on the line of "go anywhere" rigs, it's not uncommon to find their owners tooling them around in the snow country.

The typical factory equipped heating system is a small RV furnace, equipped with battery consuming blower, often ducting heat around the rig, and sometimes down into the holding tank area. In below freezing areas, this is an almost essential part of life--keeping the holding tanks above the freeze point avoids damage and makes for an easier journey. We found this out with an older camper of ours one chilly November at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Water began backing up in the shower pan when the shower's "p trap" was frozen solid. No shower that morning!

But the furnace option is just that: An option. If you spend a lot of time away from utility hookups, boondocking out in the wilds, that furnace fan as mentioned, can chew up a lot of amp-hours. You might go to sleep one night in the cold country, and wake up the next morning even colder when you find your battery's been consumed by a hungry blower.

What options are there? We've often commented on "blue flame" style heaters, that take no electricity to operate and put nearly 100% of their heat into the rig. But blue flame heaters aren't without problems: Some RVers complain that a blue flame heater in a small area like a truck camper can cause eye irritation. An alternative that seems to give fewer problems is that of a catalytic heater or even a "brick" heater. Still, both of these heaters have to be carefully sized, as by their nature most have no thermostat. It's a matter of turning them on, and picking a setting like low, medium, or high.

Most camper owners will find that the smaller the heater, generally the better. We have a small "Mr. Heater," essentially a portable brick heater. Even set on the low setting, ours can "run us out" if the night cool isn't significantly below 50 degrees outside. We have sometimes found it workable to turn the heater on, set it low, and then adjust window openings up in the cabover bed area to moderate the amount of heat. Almost seems a bit wasteful, but the alternative is turning the thing off, then jumping out of bed to the morning chill, starting up the heater, then quickly trotting back to bed until the chill goes off.

In any event, should you chose to use any of these alternative heaters that aren't vented to the outdoors, carefully observe the manufacturer's instructions regarding fresh air being brought into the rig. Yes, they do consume oxygen, and having a window open a crack may seem wasteful too, but keeping you alive is obviously a much more important consideration.

Review of 2009 Arctic Fox model 865 truck camper RV

Take a fast-paced tour of the 2009 Arctic Fox truck camper RV. This non-slide model is well-equipped and smartly designed. It's amazing how much is packed into this compact RV.

RV battery charge wire--go heavy, but still go cheap

Perhaps one of the most common mistakes made on RV wiring--truck campers included--is the charge wiring setup. You can have excellent storage batteries in your camper, and a heavy alternator under the hood of the truck, but if you skimp on the wiring that connects the two, you're bound for disappointment. It's the old, "chain is only as strong as the weakest link," story. If your wiring is too small, the voltage loss in the wire will slow your charge rate down, even stop charging altogether.

How big should the wire be? It all depends on the how much current (amps) you'll be pushing through the wire, and the distance it needs to travel. Here's an example: Let's say you want to run 50 amps from your alternator back to your truck camper battery--and the distance is 15 feet. Technically speaking, you should do your figures based on double the distance--because the voltage flows two directions--to the battery and back. If you use the frame of the truck as a conductor (typically for the negative side of the circuit), you can use just the one way distance. Of course you still need to get to the frame of the truck.

So here's our hypothetical: 15 feet from the alternator to the camper battery, and five feet from the negative side of the camper battery to the truck frame. Total distance, 20 feet. Total current, ideally 50 amps. For a 12-volt circuit, you're looking at using 6 gauge wire. That's BIG stuff, and pretty costly, too. Here's a cheap trick: Shumacher makes a heavy, 18' set of jumper cables, made with 6 gauge wire. You can buy a set of those jumper cables at Walmart for less than I can buy 6 gauge wire at the hardware store. Take apart the cables and harvest the wire.

Of course, you'll need to use an appropriately heavy plug system so you don't have to "hardwire" the camper to the truck. Hit the local welding supply house and buy yourself a pair of welding cable plugs and matching jacks. Color code them with electrical flagging tape (red and black as an example) so you don't goof up the polarity. To keep our "male" plugs for shorting out against camper or truck when disconnected, we built a sheath to cover the "business end" of the plug out of appropriately sized plastic hose from the bulk section at the hardware store. Figure your wire gauge by using a table from the internet. Try http://www.rbeelectronics.com/wtable.htm for a starting point.

Here's the skinny on wide dually truck camper loading

As truck campers get heavier, the need for a dually pickup to haul the old RV becomes increasingly important. We hauled an 11 1/2' truck camper on a three-quarter ton standard 4-wheel pickup--for a while. But it was a seriously scary proposition, and there was plenty of white knuckling to be seen from the passenger side. We finally gave it up and made the switch to a one-ton dually pickup. We were certainly happy the camper was already equipped with swing out brackets.

If you're new to truck camping, you may have never heard of swing out brackets. This special camper jack hardware allows one to actually swing the camper jacks out away from the camper. Without them, you'll find the "standard" width camper is to narrow to be loaded up on a dually pickup, whose rear wheel fenders stick out from the side of the pickup. Still, even loading with swing out brackets can be trial some. Recently one RVer wrote regarding his new dually truck and camper, that even with swing out brackets, "I am barely getting an inch on each side. This is to close for comfort."

We've looked high and low and haven't found any brackets that "give" any more width than these brackets. With out Ford dually, we have about an inch and a half of space on each side if we precisely center our camper when loading. And yes, it feels way 'to close for comfort,' for us as well. So what's to do?

When truck camper owner says he lays blankets over the side of his fenders when loading and unloading, so that if the unthinkable happens, at least he can prevent a paint scratch. Another RVer suggests clamping plastic wire ties (as used in holding bundles of electrical wiring together) to the forward camper jacks, turned so that the wire ties are pointed toward each other. The ties are cut to a precise width, so that when the camper is backed under the camper at loading, if either of the wire ties begins to touch the truck fender it indicates a steering correction is needed to avoid disaster.

In any event, pulling in or out slowly and cautiously, making small steering corrections is the first order of business. We've heard of one camper fan can back in and load up his camper in less than eight minutes. Maybe so, but we're not working for even trying to meet his record. We'd rather take as long as it takes to safely--and with minimal stress--load up.