Inside the Outside

In this post we will take a very close look at the 840's outside covering and features. Also, we will try to find anything at all to pick at -- hey, I told you we would be turning a critical eye on things! Some would say that I am obsessed with this thing but I just view it as an in-depth look at the state of the Wolf Creek's Evolution. I promise to have enough photos to make it meaningful.

Above is the fresh water fill. This orifice accepts a narrow diameter water hose for filling the fresh water storage tank. Since it is narrow it is designed with a vent immediately next to it so that it won't pressurize the tank and expand it, possibly damaging surrounding structures. Be sure to fill slowly and allow the port to "breathe." You can fill until the water exits the vent. It has a lockable cover.

This is the shore power hook-up for 120 volt power. It is a twist lock connector and has three conductors. It is rated for 30 amps and Northwood provides a 20 foot, heavy gauge cord with the camper. This will power the interior and exterior outlets, air conditioner and microwave, along with providing power to the 12 volt converter. Note that the interior 120v outlets, A/C, and MW do not work off the 12v system by itself. This is also a way to continually keep the battery system maintained when not in use. I keep it plugged in at home.

The 840 has two 20 lb. tanks stored upright in their own compartment. It is vented to the outside and has an unlockable door. This is code I believe. They are regular tanks that can be replaced or filled at any convenient location. No weird tanks that have to be certified or filled by special dealers. The door is about 2/3 insulated and there appears to plenty of room to extract the tanks.

This is the propane control valve that switches the tanks automatically when one is emptied. I still haven't figured out how to read it properly. The compartment is sealed from the interior and is pretty simple.

Our camper came with one battery located in an outside accessible compartment. It is a box that is sealed off from the interior also. There is room to fit two batteries and I will be sticking another one in there asap. The compartment also has two wires that are part of the pre-wired solar panel hook up. The dealer made me a jumper for a second battery for free. Not sure I want to keep this lead acid battery but we'll see. Would rather have a matched pair of 6 volt deep cycles. This box has a vented door that locks.

This is the control interface and venting for the hot water heater. There is a drain at the bottom, a gas jet, and an electrical control too. This thing will work on either gas or shore power. If you are getting your camper out for the first time or just after filling the water, flip the pop off valve a bit to make sure it is full of water before heating or you may burn the element out. In order to use the electric side there is a switch at the lower left corner that must be turned on for it to work. Be sure to open the interior bypass valve too. It's under the sink. Basic stuff for any RV'er but it was all new to me!

The "City Water" connection. It is where you can hook up a hose that already has water pressure from the campground or wherever. There is a check valve to prevent water from going into the fresh water tank but you also need to get a pressure regulator from an RV dealer to prevent weird high pressures form somewhere else from blowing out your camper's pipes. Why they don't just incorporate one into the design or furnish one is beyond me. They are really cheap at less than $10 if you shop smart.

Be careful attaching your hose. The plastic fitting feels robust but could easily get cross threaded.

Satellite and other video hook ups. Nuff said.

The gray and black water drain is located under the driver side rear apron and has an access door for it from the camper rear wall. Great placement and easy to deal with. Works well and is sealed up tight.

Above the septic drain I found this wire harness that leads over to the right rear tail light assembly. As it makes the turn at the top there are a couple of wires that divert into the camper and the opening is not sealed. This is a place where water and debris from the tires is kicked up so I am suprised this was ignored. I will fix!

There are about three places on the underside of the camper where there are penetrations that are covered by this plastic corrugated material. They are not always sealed. I will fix these too. This one is the gas line starboard amidships.

This is the outside shower port. Has its own door and must have the included hose and sprayer connected before use. Pretty neat -- you either love 'em or hate 'em.

This is a shot of the side where the previous pics were taken. You might be able to pick out all the openings from this angle.

So that is all I have time for right now. More pics have been taken and more critique to follow so stay tuned to the obsessive TC channel! TTFN...

Sewage Junky?

Yes, it is fascinating to work your own portable septic system. I have memories of Dad working in the back yard trying to get the drainfield to take more water. It always seemed to happen over the holidays too. No, this type of camper doesn't need anything but a suitable receptacle occasionally to be perfectly happy.

The sewer hose is typically found inside an RV's bumper, and we do have the space there allotted for it. However The Wolf Creek has another tube mounted outside the camper just above the truck bed for another hose. Here's a pic:

This was a stroke of genius in my opinion. What can we do with the other storage spot? Well fishing rods of course! The bumper tray even has a slide out tray to hold other items. It's also locked, which is a good thing for expensive rods.

Murphy's Law Takes Effect

We finally made it home with our new Wolf Creek 840 today, after a month's worth of travails. Our initial effort was thwarted by a truck breakdown. A month ago I started the truck to pull it under our camper only to have it go berserk. After a week of towing and diagnostics it appeared that the previous week's repair had introduced a metal part into the intake of cylinder #7 and that did not set well with the valves, glow plug, injector, or piston. Long story short -- new stuff in the motor and now she runs like new! So a new trip to the camper dealer was scheduled.

The run to Boise was uneventful except for the really bad ride near Glenn's Ferry. I felt like I was on the back of a bucking bronco what with the 80 lbs in the tires and the new upper and lower stableloads engaged. As we arrived at Nelson's RV we were greeted by Carl, who was witness to our aborted attempt a month earlier. Carl is one of those guys who really knows his business, or at least puts up a darn good show of it! He told me that he figures he's prepped hundreds of truck campers for folks over the years.

Since we had done the walk-through the month before I backed right up to the camper and followed Carl's instructions as he guided me underneath. I had never done this before yet I swore that he had me crooked as a dog leg until I stepped out and found the camper sitting square and even. Carl got it on with less than a 1/4 inch of difference between the two sides. I began to listen to him with more confidence as he continued to talk about what to watch for and how to do things. sometimes you have to swallow your pride and ego and admit when someone has a definite leg up on you!

Here's the Admiral and I posing as proud new TC'ers in front of our new WC 840. We have been waiting for this day for a long time.

Upon leaving the dealership I immediately pulled over and called the insurance company so I could cover any subsequent accident I might have. Having taken care of that we then proceeded to drive to Bruneau Dunes State Park for our first night. They had a site with water and electric so I could run all the appliances and systems and check them out for problems. There were none except for operator error (couldn't figure out the lack of hot water until I found the bypass valve, then all was well).

 

This camper is really quiet. We couldn't hear the kids next door screaming, the dogs barking or the wind howling. I have a feeling I will come to appreciate it! Anyway, I will post some real data and first impressions in the next post.

The Suspension Be Bumpin'!

Just a quick note -- we took the truck to town this morning and I drove around a bit to test out the Stableloads engaged on the city streets (they're the worst in the county). The ride into town on the interstate was a bit stiffer than usual but not too bad. It is a truck after all. There were no funky slapping sounds or squeaks from the springs as some have reported.

Railroad crossings were their usual annoying bumpy selves and the truck is a bit higher in the rear than normal. I did not have to readjust my mirrors or driving to accommodate. All in all a satisfying performance from the Torklift enhancements -- unloaded.

Tomorrow will be the test of how the rig handles the camper on the highway. The Central Idaho section of interstate 15 is known for its high winds and has some sections of pretty bumpy concrete. There are wind turbines along the way and lots of places we can pull off and spend the night if we choose. No worries there.

I will chronicle the dealer visit on this blog and will continue to assess my strategies and results. As a first time camper buyer/user it will highlight the stresses and joys of the entire process. I love new learning experiences and intend to find out everything I can about this new method of adventure.

See you soon!

All Jacked Up with No Place to Go or Stableload Lovin"

I got home today to find Fed Ex had delivered the Torklift Stableloads but before I could even open the boxes the phone rang and I was told my truck was ready at the dealership. Away I went to pick her up -- I had some preventive maintenance work done so that she wouldn't resent the new camper on her back. She's a 2006 Ford F350 diesel with the 6.0 motor and I've been wanting to bullet proof the motor for years. Mission accomplished! No more blown EGR cooler worries. I expect to get another 150k miles out of her before she needs to retire. We'll just see what happens.

The Drill Device as it arrived from Torklift

When I arrived home I set the shop up to do the Stableload install. I jacked the truck under the hitch with a floor jack, cinderblock, and short 2x6 board to allow the suspension to drop and open the spring packs. Take my advice, go ahead and raise the truck completely off the ground at least an inch or two, you'll need the space.

A floor jack is a lovesome thing

I needed to drill the lower overload leaf springs only at the forward end because the rear of the leaf already had a hole in it. After marking the hole locations I fussed with the drilling device Torklift sent me but gave up on it for a while. Marking the spring was easy. Getting a bite with a drill bit was harder. The directions call for you to use a 1/4 inch drill bit to make a slight pilot hole of 1/8 inch diameter. I gave that up and tried the supplied bit (one of four) and it worked much better.

Wedging my arm against the concrete I thought I had it licked. Shavings began to peel off the bit, stopping periodically to lube it with oil. Then the progress slowed and my arm began to tire. I returned to the drill device and took more time to get it set properly. It was problematic because the springs have a rounded end and my hole was a bit too close to permit the device to bear against it properly. Great, now I need to drill the other side to match, don't I?!!

Assembling the Wedges

After getting the device set and the drill running with one hand I began cranking up the pressure with a socket in the other. I didn't even bother lubing the hole. She was finished in about a minute! I did have to reverse the drill a few times at the end to get the hole cleaned out but it worked really well. Should have started with it. The second hole was done much quicker with less effort still using the same drill bit. I have three left for other projects.

This end of the leaf had about 7/16" space above it to mount the Stableload wedges and I knew it was going to be tight. The rear ends had plenty of room and I could just drop the bolt in easily. I had to wait for SWMBO to get home to assist me on the tight ends. It took a crow bar and bracing against the rear axle to get the overload spring away from the spring pack in order to drop the bolt in. I also cut the bolt by 3/8 of an inch to make it shorter. Finally achieved the install after fussing with it for an hour.

This was the easy end!

The wedge packs ended up being 3 deep on the rear ends and 2 deep on the fronts. I will probably have to adjust the fronts down to one wedge, but we're going to try it under load first. In all the install of the adjustable lower Stableloads took me about 3 hours, but I'm slow with my own stuff. I like to digest it fully and work relaxed.

Next up was the upper helper spring Stableloads. They are a breeze to install once the original rubber bumpers are removed. I fussed with getting them off for 30 minutes before I figured out an easy solution. Use two giant screwdrivers and grab them with one hand to keep them together while prying and the bumpers come right off.

Prying off the factory bumpers

I'm glad I didn't destroy them or cut them so that I can reinstall them during non-camper periods. I figure the ride is going to be way too stiff to leave them on with no weight. The lowers I can swing out of the spring pack if I jack the rear. I like that.

So, there you have it. Stableloads installed a full day before I need them. The trip to Boise to pick up the camper is going to be a rough ride but an adventure never the less. Lots more to come on actual performance so stay tuned.

Which Came First, the Truck or the Camper? or Fishing for Bolts

My truck came first. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I bought a truck. I thought that truck was the most beautiful thing I had seen (except for SWMBO, that stands for She Who Must Be Obeyed of course). I also thought it could tow the Titanic and carry fifteen sumo wrestlers with room for more. Boy, was I mistaken!

Turns out that all these pick up trucks on the market, used and new vary considerably in their ability to carry sumo wrestlers or any other payloads of consequence. It all depends on a complex ratio of truck weights and factory capacities... and how much you want to play within the rules. So my advice to those who are seeking the holy grail of truck camper freedom should do due diligence and copious amounts of research until their eyes glaze over and they have an epiphany: My truck's probably not big enough!

So the question becomes, "What can I do to my truck so that I don't crash and burn at the first stoplight upon leaving the dealership loaded with a new camper?" Allow me to chronicle the events of my efforts to solve this truck camper (TC, remember?) conundrum.

Today -- Tie Downs
Tie downs are the things that keep the beast in the bed of the truck and restrain it from any untoward false moves that may cause damage or injury. These come in three distinct varieties. Happijac brand, Torklift brand, and DIY brand. The DIY is not a good solution for those of us who care a thing about liability and culpability while the entire rig is careening down the road, so that leaves us with the two commercially available brands -- there may be others but they were not available at my dealer and they had to written into the note, ergo my choices were limited.

I selected the Torklifts because they had such a loyal following online. not because they were the most expensive and I like to throw money away. They are made specific to truck model and bolt directly onto the truck frame resulting in a very, very strong attachment, virtually guaranteeing something else will break first when you have a problem. Sounds okay to me!


Tonight I got home and the Brown Truck had dropped off three boxes. Inside were the Torklift tie downs, so I immediately got to work installing them on my 2006 Ford F350.

The rear ones mated right into the factory hitch ends. I did need to use a file to clean the inside of the hitch tubes before they allowed the tie down mounting tube to seat properly. Time for rear: ten minutes.

The passenger front side mounting plate went on in less than ten minutes as well. Piece of cake.

The driver's side frame mount was evil incarnate. Of the three large bolts used, one must be fished between the fuel tank and the frame. It has a metal plate and large star washer on it to make things even more interesting. The fish wire provided by TorkLift is an ingenious device that I shall keep, but I cursed it tonight.

If there were no other truck parts in the way it would have been pretty easy. However behind the frame (or inside it really) runs a wiring harness and two aluminum (fuel?) lines. This took me about 3-4 hours to get the bolt to slide by. Many coarse words were uttered and my arms and neck are completely worn out. Eventually I was able to leverage the wires and lines out of the way to allow that fool-headed star washer to pass by and let the bolt seat properly. A telescoping magnet helped me recover all the hardware when it got lost in the frame periodically. It is VERY tight around the frame and fuel tank in that location.

Then I was able to finagle the mounting plate into position only to find that the bolt holes were slightly off, so I had to file some metal away for a tight fit. Getting that plate in there without pushing the fished bolt back into truck frame neverland was tricky. I ended up with several flat washers extra but I have no idea where they go. I now understand why TL keeps the driver's side front mount last in the assembly sequence. If most people ran into that much trouble first thing there would be a large amount of returns!

Anyway, it is now installed and I look forward to camper delivery next week. Next time I might just pay the exorbitant shop fee -- lesson learned. I do appreciate the heavy build and apparent strength of the system. It is no wonder they hold campers so securely. This stuff is really strong. Heavy too. I will not be worried after torquing down the bolts to 40 ft-lbs. If something tries to take the camper off the truck it will definitely be the camper that gives out first.

I will receive my StableLoads early next week. I ordered both upper and lower models. We'll see how easily they go on and I will follow-up with a review of the entire TorkLift system after we load the camper and drive back from Boise. It's a 4 hour trip so we will both get a chance to check it out. It will be a good test of interstate roads and windy areas. In a couple months I should have enough data to comment on how it handles the Idaho forest service roads. 

Update: I found out why I ended up with a bunch of extra flat washers. They are now in their proper positions on the truck. Sometimes it doesn't pay to work really late when you're tired. Now the wait for the suspension mods to arrive.

Why a Truck Camper or The Swiss Army Camper Alternative

So the question becomes, "Why buy a slide-in instead of a much larger trailer that has more room?" That is a valid question. Let me attempt to explain the thought processes of a very feeble brain that has been damaged by years of loud music and poor diet.

First of all, almost all RV's are compromises between cost and construction -- this is similar to boats. There are really no important generic construction quality differences between the types of RV's. Instead, quality is a characteristic of a particular manufacturer or brand. The majority of RV's are built cheaply on assembly lines by people that appear to be recruited daily from urban street corners and put to work with a minimum of training. "Here, stick some staples into that until it doesn't come apart. Drive the screws in deep until the wood splits." An exaggeration, but not by much!

This is a brand new camper on a dealer lot! NOT the one we bought...

Quality
Good, reputable RV brands are typically family owned businesses that actually place a premium on quality workmanship and reliability. All one needs to do is look "under the hood" at wiring harnesses, cabinet construction and plumbing details to see the differences. I have seen brand new campers on dealer lots that have literally been coming apart at the seams. Most camper brands are pretty predictable concerning quality control, whether good or bad. Price is always a reliable predictor of how much attention has been paid to construction, so you generally get what you pay for. Truck campers have been built for decades and have been around since the truck was invented. The brands associated with them have often been around for many years too. In fact, some brand names have been bought and sold several times -- be sure the quality has stayed up to snuff if you are considering one of those.

Flexible
Second, we needed a solution for our camping wants that included flexibility. A trailer limits where you can travel by determining how far off paved roads you can go. We actually see ourselves "boon docking" on forest roads once in a while in order to get away from the herds of humans attempting to do the RV thing. A truck camper (TC) also has the ability to enable the truck to tow a trailer with other toys on it, whether it be an ATV, boat, or simply more camping stuff. After all, one can never have too much stuff.

The TC enables carefree traveling. Reservations become a thing of the past as you travel according to personal whims. To stop for the night the TC owner can simply find the nearest Wal-Mart, Flying J, rest area, or other public access to pull over and park. There is no set-up, nothing to do but exit the truck cab and disappear into the TC. Since ours will have no slide out section it will won't take up more than a typical parking lot space.

The TC can be unloaded anywhere that is relatively flat. That means the truck becomes serviceable as a tour vehicle while the camper remains at the camping spot. Electric jacks, one on each corner of the camper make this an easily accomplished five minute load or unload. The jacks even come with a wireless remote! No more having to tow a "toad" vehicle behind the motorhome or having to tow a chain of trailers down the road like a traveling circus.

Footprint
Most national parks and state parks have rather limited capacity for trucks with trailers, and fees are higher for those few spots. TC's are often not regulated like trailers and can slip in under the radar. TC's are also more compact and have virtually no footprint, which kind of helps with the wilderness ethic. They are self-contained, most having their own water, grey water, and black water tanks. Virtually all TC's have DC battery systems to power themselves for days, if not weeks away from electrical hookups. These systems are also charged by the truck when it is in operation.

TC's come in various sizes and configurations ranging from ultra light off road adventure models to giant, Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe behemoths that weigh in at over 5000 lbs. In all of these TC's the owners have made the choice to live a more spartan camping lifestyle than those that require the weight, size and space required by a typical travel trailer. It is a decision that is not made lightly. Many try the TC and find it too cramped. It is not a good choice for a large family with pets. However, there are some who make the switch to trailers only to find they miss the simplicity and freedom of the TC, only to make the move back. This buying and selling of campers is something that we did not have the capacity to afford, so we hope we have made the right choice.

Groovy
Third, TC's are COOL! They have all the amenities of a trailer albeit compressed into an area the size of a postage stamp. The brochures for these campers often have captions under the photos that say "actual size." They are the true swiss army knives of campers. Ours has an impressive list of options including; microwave, air conditioning, hot water, flush toilet, power outlets, USB charging plugs, queen size bed, dinette with table, refrigerator with freezer compartment, screen door and windows, a wet bath with shower, and an outside shower for when you want to really experience the raw outdoors. The camper is ready to go to places that have no facilities or hook ups because it has; two propane bottles, two deep cycle batteries, and almost 40 gallons of fresh water storage.

Warm
Fourth, TC's are often cold weather compatible. They have less area inside to heat and can be built to withstand the cold. Ours is four season rated, which means not only does it have a good heater but it has insulated walls and compartments. The containment tanks are heated and are located in a basement that has heat ducts specifically located to prevent freezing.

So that is why we feel the truck camper is the best solution for us.