Slide on camper Info

Hi Barry 2.
We had a slide-on on an F350 4x4 for 10 years.
Weight is a real issue. you must be careful.
Fitting water tanks under the chassis is best to keep weight low.
Putting them on and off is a bit of a pain. Eventually we fixed ours in place and left the legs home.
Extra fuel consumption is a non issue. It will always be less that the towing alternative.

We did many ks of 4WD exploring and loved the freedom of not towing (except for the occasional boat).


Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

Barry, I had a slide-on for twelve years and reckon it was the most versatile and convenient camping set-up available. I carried it on a HZJ75 which was also my work truck and daily drive, win win.
With the camper fully loaded with extra fuel and water of course it affected fuel consumption but not nearly as much as towing my new caravan which has replaced it. Any truck driver will tell you it's easier to carry than to tow.
To answer your concerns we did many trips the longest was four months and never suffered cabin fever.
Mine came with mechanical jacks (4) and loading/unloading was never a problem, unit held onto tray with four turnbuckles, the originals were diecast which didn't last so I replaced them with larger good quality tiedowns.
Much more user friendly than a 'van, we went places you couldn't/wouldn't take a trailer camper or caravan.
I fitted a long range fuel tank and a water tank under the tray which as Peter says lowers your centre of gravity but I don't know if that is important. What is important is to fit air bags, initially I fitted the red PolyAir bags but found they died after a couple of years so then fitted the PolyAir bellows type, in a word, brilliant.
I've crossed the Simpson and done most of the treks, (solo) and never had any problems mechanical or otherwise, camped in some amazing places, just thinking about it gives me itchy feet. Happy to answer any questions.

rr

Have used a slide on for nearly ten years now first a Heaslip on a Land Rover Defender 130, now a Utility Camper on a F250.

Greatest thing since the centre pole tent!!

Comfort and quick setup of a CT or Van with out the hassle of towing. Plus you have the freedom to go where your car will go.

Weight is a real issue you need to be super careful.

Off road depends on the slide on. Some manufacturers come from a Caravan mindset others from a off road mindset.

if you're after a bit of comfort but still want offroadability without too much weight then have a look at these, saw one at a show a few years ago and was very impressed the only thing that held me back was the price, about $30k.

http://www.highrise.com.au/ute.html

Have had several & have been mounted on Landcrusier (FJ45) & Nissan Patrols 6wheelers & ford F350. The F350 was the best on road & did not change much in its overall ride & performance. There are + & - in all as you will be aware, I now have camper type side on that I built myself & for my use (off road) found this the best for my use,(see profile photo)
In the van type check how its made & frame as all of ours, did not leak at home but with the twisting in the bush all leaked (tray was a very solid steel) the centre of gravity was a shocker, fuel consumption was down by about a 1/3 & if a head wind even worse, remember if driving in treed bush tracks as most are 2+ mtrs wide over head, you will find it hard negotioning these without causing damage, look out for how the layout is going to suit you, most have rear door that can be a issue if you are towing (you can get in & out but is normally not as safe) & side doors can be a problem in towns (car parks) as normally not enough room to let the stars down, in our Winnebago pop top version it had the 4 seasons hatch wright in the correct position so I could stand & use stove etc without having to pop the roof. But if you choose this way try & get all the heavy items as low as possible & do not compromise on the suspension up grade. I found the removable mechanical jacks harder than the hydraulic jacks to put the van on & off but would choose mechanical jacks as they did not add & extra 175mm to the width & remember to take the jacks with you, if you need service/breakdown with car you can leave van at caravan park etc & not be homeless while it is being repaired & is easier to find someone willing to work on it

Barry - I too was keen to avoid towing. We went for a Carry Me Camper on the back of a Defender 130 Dual Cab. Love it, but not quite the 'caravan' set-up you are after. It is a bit untested yet, only just finished it - but am hoping it will given us the independence we are looking for. Its ex NSW Rural Fire Service and has a whopping 320ltr water tank as part of the tray which will test the suspension when fully loaded. I'm currently getting around 12.4lt per 100km with the TD5. In theory it has wind up legs, but I have no interest in taking it off, and so it is permanently bolted down.

*Weight is a huge issue. Many slide on campers weigh 500 to 600+ kg dry so very difficult to stay anywhere near GVM.
* The more that sticks up the more you'll pay at the fuel pump. Low profile campers are not only more efffient but far more stable.
* As above 4x4 ability is directly in proportion to weight, width & height.
* Unloading a camper can be awkward & time consuming particually bracing them so they are stable. Some systems are better than others. On the Patrol below air suspension is used to raise the car, fit the legs then drop it down to remove. If you don't want to compromise on offroad ability these types of units are worth looking at.
Full sized slideons like the Supreme are a bit tall & wide limiting them somewhat on narrow tracks or steep terrain.
Cheers Craig.................

We have a Carry Me Camper on the back of a 79 series landcruiser.
Main points:
1) Weight, we have had a GVM increase done so we are now under the GVM. The units themselves are heavy, add water, fridge etc it ends up heavy.

2) At similar speeds you loose a bit in economy but not that much.

3) Ours has been across the Simpson 3 times, down the CSR, Connie Sue, Anne Bedell, Gary Junction Hwy. Most of this done as a single vehicle. Our trips are usually six weeks.

4) I have reinforced the tie down mechanism so it now stays put. It is easy to get on and off. Our issue is that the jacks are well over a metre high to get it off the vehicle. So they are a bit unsteady (possibly assisted by me giving it a nudge while jacked up a few tiimes).

5) it is simple and quick to set up. 10 minutes tops to set up or pack up. If we decide to put the sides down add 5 minutes to both.

6) We spent quite a bit of time getting ours set up to our requirements. It now suites the type of travell we do.

Steve