• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

JohnnyU's Crawler-Hauler "Build" Thread


wahlstrom1

J-man HD Mech
OTOTM Winner
2011 Truck of The Year
Forum Staff - Retired
TRS Banner 2012-2015
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
3,030
Reaction score
21
Points
0
Age
36
Location
Edmonton Alberta
Transmission
Manual
Just gonna pull off the camper for truck haulin duties, and use it for camping/quadding?

Deer-hoof wheels = 5 on 4.5" BP...? How many lb axles and does it have brakes?

Camper might be a bit heavy loaded up with gear/water etc and a quad on it.
 


JohnnyU

"Outlaw"
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Sep 23, 2004
Messages
4,291
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Chillicothe, Illinois
Vehicle Year
2008
Make / Model
Chevrolet
Engine Size
Ls2
Transmission
Automatic
Just gonna pull off the camper for truck haulin duties, and use it for camping/quadding?

Deer-hoof wheels = 5 on 4.5" BP...? How many lb axles and does it have brakes?

Camper might be a bit heavy loaded up with gear/water etc and a quad on it.
They're 3500# axles for now (with brakes), which I'm not super happy with, but it gets the job done and was the right price. I can easily swap axles later.

That's exactly what I'm thinking, use the trailer with camper for ATVing, as that's 90% of what our trips would be, then pull it when I wanted to take the truck somewhere. I don't think the truck would fit with a sleeper up front anyway, so I'd need to pull that or stretch the trailer to use both.
 
Last edited:

JohnnyU

"Outlaw"
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Sep 23, 2004
Messages
4,291
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Chillicothe, Illinois
Vehicle Year
2008
Make / Model
Chevrolet
Engine Size
Ls2
Transmission
Automatic
I wouldn't mind having an ambulance.

Now before you laugh, think about this....

These squads can be had with a turbo diesel, dually rear on a F350 or better chassis. Think of all the space you could convert to a camper and the towing ability.
It had crossed my mind, but I already have the turbo diesel tow rig and trailer, so that's kind of a moot point. I was eying a 32' tandem dual GN trailer that would have let me do about anything I wanted, but it was 5X the cost, and almost 3X the empty weight.
 

wahlstrom1

J-man HD Mech
OTOTM Winner
2011 Truck of The Year
Forum Staff - Retired
TRS Banner 2012-2015
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
3,030
Reaction score
21
Points
0
Age
36
Location
Edmonton Alberta
Transmission
Manual
Ah, if they're 3500lb's I wouldn't worry. If the truck doesn't fit with the sleeper then I'd do the camper just for room and keeping the wife happy while camping. A lot more ammenities and nicer all around.
 

JohnnyU

"Outlaw"
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Sep 23, 2004
Messages
4,291
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Chillicothe, Illinois
Vehicle Year
2008
Make / Model
Chevrolet
Engine Size
Ls2
Transmission
Automatic
Ah, if they're 3500lb's I wouldn't worry. If the truck doesn't fit with the sleeper then I'd do the camper just for room and keeping the wife happy while camping. A lot more ammenities and nicer all around.
I'm usually by myself on ATV trips, unless I pick up a SxS. I would like to do that in the next couple of years, but for now, I realy only have to worry about me on those kind of trips. My wife is more of a cabin camper, or at least we typically stay in a cabin when we go up to Door County, Wi, or similar.

I'm just thinking that this would be a nice upgrade for myself, of course, I'll need approval from my CFO...
 

88_Eddie

Well-Known Member
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Oct 1, 2009
Messages
6,610
Reaction score
155
Points
63
Location
Raleigh, NC
Vehicle Year
1988, 2000
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.9L, 4.0L
Transmission
Manual
if it's just you i'd find a camper shell in decent shape and throw a air mattress in the bed to sleep.

when i go on trips by myself, i take a single person aero bed. i can inflate/deflate it with an inverter i have in the car and if i fold the seats down, it fits perfect.
 

JohnnyU

"Outlaw"
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Sep 23, 2004
Messages
4,291
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Chillicothe, Illinois
Vehicle Year
2008
Make / Model
Chevrolet
Engine Size
Ls2
Transmission
Automatic
if it's just you i'd find a camper shell in decent shape and throw a air mattress in the bed to sleep.

when i go on trips by myself, i take a single person aero bed. i can inflate/deflate it with an inverter i have in the car and if i fold the seats down, it fits perfect.
Only issue there is that the trailer prevents that being that it's a Gooseneck....
That, and I wouldn't want to have to clear all the gear out of the truck bed to sleep. I'd rather sleep in a tent than a topper without much ventilation. Sounds hot. The sleeper will have an HVAC system when finished.


If I didn't have some sweet camping gear, I'd do something similar, but I'm mainly looking for thermally-adjusted comfort, and additional dry storage for camping gear. Air matresses suck, it's all about the air pads.
http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattresses/camp-and-comfort/basecamp/product
 
Last edited:

88_Eddie

Well-Known Member
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Oct 1, 2009
Messages
6,610
Reaction score
155
Points
63
Location
Raleigh, NC
Vehicle Year
1988, 2000
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.9L, 4.0L
Transmission
Manual
yeah, i guess that would be difficult with a hitch in the back. i'm at work, i'm not thinking.

i crack all the windows in my EX, i usually go to the mountains, so it's pretty pleasant at night.
 

Explorin94

Active Member
Law Enforcement
Firefighter
EMT / Paramedic
U.S. Military - Veteran
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
2,243
Reaction score
19
Points
38
Age
52
Location
Farmington Il.
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Automatic
Will the front of the camper fit over the goose neck? If so I would jump on it depending on the price of the camper. Then agin you could make it work too. The biggest part of that too is how in thee h. e. double hockey sticks are you going to load and unload the camper? The trailer is wider than a normal truck bed so the stilts won't work. That is unless some Johnny Engineering came into play? Plus you could get or make some storage boxes to put under the side voids of the camper top (would make it more stable). Also look into loading the 4 wheeler or SxS from the side of the trailer.
 

JohnnyU

"Outlaw"
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Sep 23, 2004
Messages
4,291
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Chillicothe, Illinois
Vehicle Year
2008
Make / Model
Chevrolet
Engine Size
Ls2
Transmission
Automatic
Will the front of the camper fit over the goose neck? If so I would jump on it depending on the price of the camper. Then agin you could make it work too. The biggest part of that too is how in thee h. e. double hockey sticks are you going to load and unload the camper? The trailer is wider than a normal truck bed so the stilts won't work. That is unless some Johnny Engineering came into play? Plus you could get or make some storage boxes to put under the side voids of the camper top (would make it more stable). Also look into loading the 4 wheeler or SxS from the side of the trailer.
I don't know what the floor-to-overhang distance is, but that was my intention. I would probably have to build a sub floor platform to raise it up over the neck. There would definitely be some Johnny Engineering involved in loading/unloading the camper. :D

I'm thinking about heading back down my original path of the short-depth sleeper as just a climate-controlled sleeping quarters.
 

88_Eddie

Well-Known Member
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Oct 1, 2009
Messages
6,610
Reaction score
155
Points
63
Location
Raleigh, NC
Vehicle Year
1988, 2000
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.9L, 4.0L
Transmission
Manual
an HVAC system would be cool. you should look into throwing some solar panels on the roof for power. oh and you could put a gravity fed water tank on there too. oh and machine gun bunker
 

JohnnyU

"Outlaw"
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Sep 23, 2004
Messages
4,291
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Chillicothe, Illinois
Vehicle Year
2008
Make / Model
Chevrolet
Engine Size
Ls2
Transmission
Automatic
So I found this on the Chicago Craigslist, this might have potential....

 

88_Eddie

Well-Known Member
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Oct 1, 2009
Messages
6,610
Reaction score
155
Points
63
Location
Raleigh, NC
Vehicle Year
1988, 2000
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.9L, 4.0L
Transmission
Manual
that from a semi?
 

wahlstrom1

J-man HD Mech
OTOTM Winner
2011 Truck of The Year
Forum Staff - Retired
TRS Banner 2012-2015
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
3,030
Reaction score
21
Points
0
Age
36
Location
Edmonton Alberta
Transmission
Manual
Yes sir, it's a low top sleeper.
 

JohnnyU

"Outlaw"
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Sep 23, 2004
Messages
4,291
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Chillicothe, Illinois
Vehicle Year
2008
Make / Model
Chevrolet
Engine Size
Ls2
Transmission
Automatic
Seller says its from a Peterbilt, it looks to be about 60" deep. I have to call the guy back and get some more information.
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Truck of The Month


Kirby N.
March Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top