pop up question?

[zukrider]

Is it safe to assume that the typical pop up is always wider than the trucks there designed for? obviously one thats wider on a tacoma is about the same width as a tundra and such. but the one for a tundra is usually wider. right?

is this different among the different manufacturers?


the reason i ask. i am getting a 75 chevy short bed. i plan to ditch the bed, buy a FWC or similar, and build a flat-bed for it. i am not rolling in money, so the whole plan will revolve around the best camper i can get. i found a 8' FWC needing a fridge or furnace for $400 the other day, but alas, im not equipt with money for the purchase right now. my limit is absolutely $1500, including building the bed and the toolboxes to fill in the bed rail spaces.

now, this wil get wheeled. not HARD necessarily, but the chance it will is better than not. and i always build my junk capable of Holy Cross Trail. So i think i will benefit from a pop-up thats a similar width as the truck. should i be looking for a mini truck version, or the mid size if such a creaure exists?

any and all info/suggestions are much appreciated! i would love to build a hard side to my "specs", but thats just not gonna happen right now.

thanx, Joe

 

[tanglefoot]

Yes, a pop-up camper is generally wider than the bed sides of the truck it goes on. However, since you have a flatbed in mind, flatbeds are also generally wider than the truck beds they replace.

Yes, width also varies by manufacturer. Four-wheel and ATC campers are generally built on the narrow side while other manufacturers build in some extra width. The full-size camper width of Four-wheel and ATC campers is usually right around 80", which is a good width for a flatbed on a full-size chassis.
Campers for compact trucks range in width from 69" (Four-wheel and ATC) to 75" if you want something still narrower.

You can also re-build the bottom of a pre-existing camper so that it has a square base and uses all the available space of a flat bed. Have a look at this build:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/61346-Four-Wheel-Camper-Flatbed-Conversion

 

[zukrider]

thank you for the reply. i actually just went through the entire thread and posted a few questions. i wont be using a mainstream flat bed. i will build it around the used camper i end up with. ideally, id rather not be wider than the truck, just incase i end up in some tight narrow spots.

 

[Mc Taco]

Look at SLO_250's thread about his Skamper pop up.

I think I've linked to it here:
www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/38813-Budget-Skamper-Fix-Build

His pop up seems to be just as wide as the bed rails at the bed rails. Obviously it is wider at the trucks roof line due to the sloping of the cab. Plus it is just too cool to not check out.

 

[Ponyracer]

If I was going to offroad much I'd buy a mid sized camper that would be about the width of the cab then build a minimal steel flatbed for it to sit on.