FWC/ATC with a pass through?

[Ruffin' It]

I love the idea of a Four Wheel Camper/All-Terrain Camper, but I REALLY want to be able to go from the cab of the truck to the camper without exiting the vehicle. Does anyone either make a product like that OR has anyone retrofitted a FWC to allow for this? I don't worry so much about cutting up a truck, but I'm afraid to hack into a camper myself.

Thanks,

Tyler

[kcowyo]

I haven't seen anything like that. I understand the appeal, I would like that option too. But by cutting into the camper you may be compromising the integrity of the camper's frame, weakening the unit as whole.

Have you considered the Blazer Chalets and maybe upgrading some of their features? I like them a lot and even their dated color schemes are kinda retro now. That concept has a loyal following and a knowledgeable owner base still out there.

Chinook camper bodies are still out there and can be added to a 90's Toyota truck. The Chinooks would likely need some upgrading as well. Comments I've read regarding camper bodies permanently fixed to a cab & chassis, expressed concern & doubts whether it would be flexible and/or rigid enough to withstand the rigors of off-road travel.

Those were just opinions. I have yet to visit with anyone who has owned and traveled extensively off-road, with a fixed cab & camper combo.

[Willman]

EarthRoamer does...with a price...

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f374/nicwillman/DSC03657-1.jpg

Nice rigs...run into him on my way back from the 07' Trophy in Page, AZ

Huge drool factor!

[Mobryan]

Which just goes to prove, TMAI is still a viable engineering principle ;)


For those of us with platinum plated tow hooks, that is :D :D :D



Matt

[Lutzy48]

Take a look at the Tiger CX line. My unit is bult on a Ford F-350 4-wheel drive extented cab chassis with a 6.4L diesel engine.

[kcowyo]

Nice Tiger Lutzy.

I didn't consider suggesting a Tiger Provan, but I really like those units. Owners seem to hold on to them too, so there must be some good build quality there. The used ones I've seen for sale still bring a premium price so the resale must be strong too.

I definitely see the appeal of the Tiger CX.

[VikingVince]

Take a look at the Tiger CX line. My unit is bult on a Ford F-350 4-wheel drive extented cab chassis with a 6.4L diesel engine.

Hello...just wondering...are you the guy on the Tigermotorhomeowners website who has pics of his Tiger going offroad in Moab?

[VikingVince]

Nice Tiger Lutzy.

I didn't consider suggesting a Tiger Provan, but I really like those units. Owners seem to hold on to them too, so there must be some good build quality there. The used ones I've seen for sale still bring a premium price so the resale must be strong too.

I definitely see the appeal of the Tiger CX.

KC...I've been interested in the Tiger CX for a number of years. If you're not familiar check out www.groups.msn.com/Tigermotorhomeowners
There's lot of useful info/praise/issues/problems etc

[Lutzy48]

Hello...just wondering...are you the guy on the Tigermotorhomeowners website who has pics of his Tiger going offroad in Moab?

No, but it is the same setup as mine only he is running a gas engine and I opted for diesel.

[Ruffin' It]

Take a look at the Tiger CX line. My unit is bult on a Ford F-350 4-wheel drive extented cab chassis with a 6.4L diesel engine.

I gotta say, that is hard to argue with. It's a little larger than I prefer, but not much. Great, now I've got yet another option to consider.

[kcowyo]

KC...I've been interested in the Tiger CX for a number of years. If you're not familiar check out www.groups.msn.com/Tigermotorhomeowners (http://www.groups.msn.com/Tigermotorhomeowners)
There's lot of useful info/praise/issues/problems etc

We're sniffing the same glue Vince. I have that page bookmarked and peak in there on occasion. Thanks for passing it along.

I've seen the pics too, from the guy who took his through Moab. Quite the testament I thought. He is very proud of his CX in his posts. I like the 6'3 interior height and the layout. The overall profile is appealing for a hard sided camper. The lack of layout opitons doesn't bother me as it seems to be a good design. A passenger seat that swivels 180 degrees would be a nice addition.

The only drawback to me, is that it's a single purpose vehicle. I would want a commuter vehicle for daily running around too. If time and schedule allowed for more extensive travelling, the Tiger CX and the Sportsmobile would be my two primary choices.

Sorry to keep muddying the waters Tyler....:oops:

[Ruffin' It]

actually, I appreciate all the mud I can find. It helps me think about (the vast array of) things that I haven't thought about yet; like a Tiger. Semi-related thoughts are encouraged!



Sorry to keep muddying the waters Tyler....:oops:

[akphotobob]

Isn't the Four-Wheeler camper just a standard slide-in? If so, doesn't it have a window that matches up with the pick-up window? I assume it does. If so, then all you need is a sliding window on the truck and replace the standard window in the camper with a slider. It may be a unique size so you may have to go to a glazer to get one custom made, shouldn't be a problem though. They make boots that are designed for this exact purpose (seal the gap between camper and truck) but you may end up having to fabricate that as well (maybe an upholstery shop?).

Of course this is going to be a small space and if you are a big guy you literally may not fit. And even a small guy would have to shimmy through. Maybe the glazer could think of a way to replace both windows with something larger and easier to get through. Just an idea. Bob

[VikingVince]

We're sniffing the same glue Vince. I have that page bookmarked and peak in there on occasion. Thanks for passing it along.

I've seen the pics too, from the guy who took his through Moab. Quite the testament I thought. He is very proud of his CX in his posts. I like the 6'3 interior height and the layout. The overall profile is appealing for a hard sided camper. The lack of layout opitons doesn't bother me as it seems to be a good design. A passenger seat that swivels 180 degrees would be a nice addition.



Hey KC...yeah,that guy is proud of his Tiger...and he sounds like he's an experienced offroader. I just wonder though how the Tiger would hold up over time if frequently subjected to that terrain...although the pics he showed looked like Class 1-2 and not severely cross-axle. From what I can see, the Sportsmobile is better designed to handle the torsional forces of offroading. Sure do like that Tiger though...although there are several incidents on the website of new units having leaks and the sleeping area looks a little cramped...if you know what I mean :o ...nothing is perfect I guess.

[Ruffin' It]

The unflattering dance I'd have to do to wiggle through the window opening aside, I really want the pass through for my dogs to be able to go with relative ease from front to back. I don't think my two 80 lbs, 8 year old dogs would be able to fit. I like the thought though, thanks.

Tyler

Isn't the Four-Wheeler camper just a standard slide-in? If so, doesn't it have a window that matches up with the pick-up window? I assume it does. If so, then all you need is a sliding window on the truck and replace the standard window in the camper with a slider. It may be a unique size so you may have to go to a glazer to get one custom made, shouldn't be a problem though. They make boots that are designed for this exact purpose (seal the gap between camper and truck) but you may end up having to fabricate that as well (maybe an upholstery shop?).

Of course this is going to be a small space and if you are a big guy you literally may not fit. And even a small guy would have to shimmy through. Maybe the glazer could think of a way to replace both windows with something larger and easier to get through. Just an idea. Bob

[mog]

The unflattering dance I'd have to do to wiggle through the window opening aside, I really want the pass through for my dogs to be able to go with relative ease from front to back. I don't think my two 80 lbs, 8 year old dogs would be able to fit. I like the thought though, thanks.
Tyler
I had a FWC camper on my CrewCab F350 (I loved the camper, but it would not fit my new truck). The window crawl-through worked only for my kids when they were younger then 10 years old. Just a tight and awkward opening. For dogs if you have a supercab or crewcab, you could make a step/ramp set-up for both sides, and I'd think a 80 lb dog could make it fine. But without some sort of access 'helper' on either side, it would be more of a younger, smaller, crazier dog's realm.

[Carlyle]

We have the same style window arrangement in our current hallmark and will have the same in our Alaskan. I asked if it could be larger, but the answer was no due to structural integrity. We have the donut foam cushion along with a round tube with stiffening on each end. Between the two the crawl space is pretty much w/o wind noise on the road and no problem for the dog to get through. I can crawl through in a pinch and it's handy to reach things in the rear seat, but definitely could be larger, oh well.

[77blazerchalet]

There are the 4Wheel campers made for Blazers and Broncos that allow wide open pass-through. Here's a link with a bunch of photos http://www.pbase.com/shellyandjim_pics/1980_chevy_blazer&page=3 photo below is from that site. For a Bronco version, refer to this thread, the craigslist ad link is still functioning there: http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11111

I have my bias for Chalets, but was kickin' around the concept of a smaller "motorhome" in this thread: http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10162 When I was a kid, I fell in love the with motorhomes since we had a 20' Superior. No mater where you go, there you are when you stop, you just turn around and walk back into the rest of the "house", especially handy in a downpour. Somebody posted a similar design in the Dream Expedition vehicle thread: http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ronaldbrunner.ch%2Fpr ojekte%2Fhdj100.htm&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8

[kcowyo]

Excellent links and idea 77BC.

Those do come available on Craigslist and eBay fairly often. Could be a great solution for him. Good call. :beer: