Four Wheel Camper - A Review

[david despain]

this has to be one of my favorite threads on this whole board
waiting with baited breath for the next installment. and after the camper story is done just make something up!

[VikingVince]

This guy buys a FourWheel camper and turns into a combination of Ansel Adams and Ernest Hemingway. I knew those campers had lots of potential but this is new ground!!!...love those pics...thanks KC

[BKCowGod]

Yah, I'm getting a definite Steinbeck, Travels with Charley vibe here. You gonna name your Toy Rocinante?

and we demand updates!

[Maddmatt]

Well now I'm not going to get anything done today, waiting to find out what happened in Soda Springs! Nice write up, to say the least.
-Matt

[kcowyo]

Wow, I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this! I didn't mean to get off on an artistic rant, I need to get back to more product info. I wish I had known the weather was going to be so miserably cool. I would have picked up a roll of black & white film. Hopefully the rest of this will keep everyone's attention, so where were we? Oh yeah.....


Sir, may I see your license and registration please? - Making my way south towards Bear Lake and I stop in Soda Springs, ID for a fresh cup of coffee and new batteries for the camera at a convenience store. The rain had stopped and I was walking around the camper, looking it over in the parking lot and stretching my legs, doing my Ewan and Charley impression. I was leaning against the truck and eating the second half of my breakfast burrito when I noticed a local patrol car cruise by. A couple of minutes later he came through the parking lot and drove right by me. "He's checking out my cool new camper," I tell myself and I throw him a wave between bites. Shortly thereafter I'm back in the truck continuing south out of town when I notice the white cruiser behind me. It's a small town on a major holiday so I'm sure this is the same guy that cruised me a minute ago. I check my speed and seatbelt, all OK but he's still behind. Just about then he hits his lights and I start to slow down and pull over, wondering what I could have been doing.

Before I go much further let me give a little personal info first. During the week I'm a mild mannered sales professional with two kids who probably wouldn't draw a second glance on the street from most people. However, when I'm on a trip I sort of slip into my travelling alter ego. I get decked out in camo, beanies, shades and don't focus on hygene. I travel alone a lot and I prefer not to draw attention to myself. Kind of the same reason I like to keep the truck looking stock. Basically I'm going for the Bohemian~Redneck~OG~Rebel without soap~anti-social look. I think I pull it off well -



Let me also state that most of the guys in COD 4X4 that I roll with are cops or ex-cops. I have no problems with cops and I wouldn't want their job. A lot of them are good guys who are trying to make a difference in their communities and according to my friends some are on a power trip and just like to bust people's chops because they can. Whatever their deal is, I don't care, just leave me be, ya' know?

So I'm coming to a stop, realizing to an officer I may look like some dirtbag but knowing I haven't broken any laws. I pull out the license and insurance and he comes up to the passenger side of the truck. He explains that the reason he stopped me is that he ran my plates and they came up being registered to a red van. OK, so why was he running my plates? I wasn't speeding or weaving or running with faulty lights....? So I tell him to double check as these plates have been on this green truck for years. Clearly he's peeking around the cab and trying to get a look in the glovebox as I fish out my registration. Now I have nothing (much) to hide and I certainly don't want to be hard to get along with. I've had one speeding ticket in the last 12 years, so I'm not exactly public enemy #1. He states perhaps dispatch ran it as a car instead of a truck and he goes back to his car.

A few minutes later he comes back and realizing he's wasting our time, but before telling me that, he asks where I'm going, where I've been and a few other questions. Clearly he's fishing and hoping to spot something in the vehicle to justify his stopping me. As if I was stupid enough to have something I shouldn't or dumb enough not to hide it if I did! Finally his mic squawks to life that the plates are registered to a green Toyota and my name. He's all apologetic and encourages me to have a nice day and good trip. I return the sentiment and pull away trying to remind myself that this guy has a job to do and with out of state plates and looking a little scruffy, I probably look like the closest thing to a drug dealer that he's seen there in Mayberry. It's Easter and I'm going to forgive my fellow man. Even if the SOB did kill my buzz.........


****** Up next, actual product info with more interior pics. Really...... -

[kcowyo]

Oh yeah, and I got a camper too - So it wasn't all rain, wind and cops this weekend. I actually have a camper that I've searched long and hard for and so far I'm thrilled with it. I mentioned briefly how easy it is to set up, now I'll elaborate with some pics. The top is fastened down by six tension clamps. There are 2 on the front and 2 on both sides. To set up camp you must first release the clamps on the outside -







After releasing the outside clamps you then crawl in the camper to raise the top. Here a few pics of the interior with the top down. This is how much room is still available with the top down. Also visible in these photos is a black box that houses the auxillary battery and fastened at the base of the counter is the table leg. A fire extinguisher is mounted right beside the stove top.









First the rear must be set up. Simply unsnap the strap that I have the white bungee threaded through in the above pic and push up. The bi-folding rear wall locks into place and reconnect the strap to hold the wall firmly up. Then the front, over the bed, can be set up. Same thing, release a snap strap and grab hold of the metal triangle extension. With a shoulder firmly under a ceiling brace, stand up. The wall locks into place and then attach triangle brace out of the way to the ceiling. The following pic shows the rear up and about to push up the front -



The front wall, locked in place with the brace fastened out of the way and the bungees holding the windows taut, still in place -


With the top up, simply release the 2 bungees and you're done. Pull open the velcro fastened windows, that have two covers, one to match the interior and another behind it that is opaque. Or pull both of those down and enjoy the large screens and fresh air.

I'm going to edit a few earlier posts to add more photos, including the full bed opened up and a turnbuckle photo if my description confused more than it helped!

We still haven't gotten to the lake yet nor made it back to Wyoming. And I haven't even mentioned the Spring storm that dumped 8 inches of snow on us our first night back home. Stay tuned for more ramblings from the road!

******To Be Continued..........

[flyingwil]

...Sir, may I see your license and registration please? - ... He explains that the reason he stopped me is that he ran my plates and they came up being registered to a red van. OK, so why was he running my plates? I wasn't speeding or weaving or running with faulty lights? ...

Great write up so far! Please e-mail me since PM's are down (you can get my e-mail from my profile).

One of my buddies is a cop and it standard that they run plates in front of them to look for stolen vehicles, stolen license plates, ect. So don't feel like he was picking on you... he probably was checking out your sweet camper and decided to run your plates since it brought his brought attention to your vehicle. So many it wasn't as much of a buzz kill as you may think.

[jeffryscott]

dang it KC, I want more. Don't stop now, the kids are asleep, the wines kicked in and this is awfully good reading. Keep it coming ...

(I have fond memories of sailing on Bear Lake as a kid, even though the wind stopped and we had to paddle back to shore.)

Can't wait for the rest of the installment,

Take care,

Jeff

[Jonathan Hanson]

KC, darnit, you're reeeeeaaaaaallly making us miss our own Four Wheel Popup with your superb report and superb photos. Thanks for putting so much time and effort into this story.

[kcowyo]

Sorry for the break folks. Work and kids were wondering where I'd been. Again, I'm really glad everyone is enjoying this. I did take it out again this weekend and spent a superb Saturday night next to the Popo Agie River in Sinks Canyon.

I'll be back tomorrow with more!