OUTDOORSMAN

Well I picked up a 1997 sun lite 850. Its a nice little slide in that will compliment my outdoor adventures nicely.

It has a roof leak on the cab over area. The leak is right up on the seam where the aluminum and rubber roof meet right in the front. I paid $500 for it and feel like I got a pretty good deal. The rest of the camper seems very solid and leak free. So I have some questions.....

Has anyone here ever removed the aluminum siding to repair a leak like I have described? I am hoping for some insight so I may be made aware of any suprises I might find when I tear into it. I know I have some rotted wood, I can feel it on the roof and see it inside on the front wall. The bed area all seems really solid and the soft spot on the roof is only about 6 inches back on either side. I plan to replace the rotted wood, replace the rubber roof and reinstall the aluminum front panel and then install some new paneling in the front on the inside. If this repair goes well this should have been a great deal.

Next I need to wire my truck for it. I was wondering If I can wire in a pigtail to plug into my existing trailer plug or is it necessary to run its own plug up in the bed of the truck?

I need to get the tie down system on the truck as well. I used ratchet straps to get it home but plan to use turn buckles and chains and mount it from the frame. anyone have an opinion on that? lol.... I want to make it very strong, I plan to take this camper on some 2 tracks and may have to use 4 wheel to get through some spots. So I need it to be locked down good. I also plan to have it in the truck while launching the boat, I do not want to launch my camper as well. lol

Being my first slide in I am looking for all the advice I can get. I have a 34' tt that is a great rv, but the slide in is so much easier to deal with for short trips.

Thanks for reading and any comments.

here is a pic.

JPR Ram

Nice looking unit. I don't know about the repairs u gotta mess with, but as for the wiring, mine plugs right into the rear of my truck. Same location where I plug a trailer into. Since I also tow a trailer at the same time sometimes, I made my own "Y" that plugs into the the truck then to the camper and the trailer.

n2moto

Unless you want to tear into it which could cost you more than you paid for it. Get some of the roof patch stuff and glop it on over all the seams and screws.

herb

I considered getting one and wanted to tow my LONG trailer with it but was advised by nearly everyone i talked to that camper and trailer was not a thing to do ?

crobtex

A slide in and towing is not a problem if your set up for it. You have to be sure everything is HEAVY DUTY, especially the tires. Something like the pop ups reduce the weight and drag considerably. In fact, I'm looking for a used one right now.

herb

they seem pretty hard to find.

crobtex

I've seen several pretty good buys up in your part of the country. Try craigslist.com and rvtrader.com for your area.

JPR Ram

UMM, why? As long as you use a good "high weight rated" hitch extension and the appropriate hitch mount under your truck you should be fine. Here are some pics of my "superhitch"

Fueling around

OUTDOORSMAN
Nice looking unit. Big enough to give some creature comforts. Small enough to to allow trailer towing without getting into hitch extensions.
I have a 8.5 Cascade and tow utility (snowsled/ATV) trailer with ease. I also tow a couple enclosed tandem trailers. I do have to watch my turn radius especially when backing up. The corner jack will leave a nice crease in the trailer.

Camper tie downs is many choices on the market.
I borrowed a set of stake pocket camper tie downs to haul the camper home. I think your ratchet straps were more secure than those.
Tork Lift http://www.torklift.com/ & HapppiJac http://www.happijac.com/
The Tork Lift system is top of the line and the only one for heavier and longer campers, but does have a disadvantage. The front tie downs are too low for my 2wd truck. You won't have that problem in a 4wd truck
I went with HappiJac based on a friend's 10 years of use without any problems.

I added airbags to stabilize the truck especially in side winds. I went the cheap route without the onboard air system. A bicycle pump will do the job in less than 2 minutes. I have very good tires and keep the rear inflated to max with the camper. Fronts stay at 70 psi loaded or unloaded.

I power the camper lights and interior systems off the rear tow connect. I have a couple different setups for towing a 4 pin or 7 pin trailer. If you plan to use the 12v accessory power for charging the camper battery or for camping I would run a separate heavy cable directly from the battery to the truck bed.

Repairs? I would peel the interior panel(s) first being you plan to replace that. Possible you won't have to open the exterior skin. Be absolutely sure the leak source. Double check the roof hatch, corner molding, and running lights.
Good luck

06PSD4ME

Make sure you get a new light cover on the side there, alot of water can get into that hole.

herb

i have a heavy duty Reese equalizer hitch with sway bars. I was told that the truck would be hard to control with a camper on the truck so i kinda let the idea go. would sure save me some lodging $ when i am going accross country making deliveries

OUTDOORSMAN

Herb, there are a few truck campers listed here.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/cl...wcat.php?cat=5

If you have any questions about that site or the ads just ask. I am very familiar with it.

herb

thanks---just registered---wating for an authorizing email from them

OUTDOORSMAN

Fueling around, I called a couple of dealers in our area and noone stocks the torklift system. It looks like it will cost about $900.



It looks like a nice setup but I may not want to spend that much. lol... I only paid $500 for the unit. lol...

Danderson

I had the basic Happijac tiedowns on my '99. They survived thirty Baja trips without a problem. I've got the frame mount Happijac system on my '07 due to tissue paper thin sheet metal. My Northstar TC 850 has been faithful to me all these years(2000 model). On a SRW,I'd highly recommend locating a used popup. I spot them in the RV Trader and Craigslist here in San Diego frequently.