Trucks.

[AdironRider]

You could buy one of those bitchin cargo net thingy's like the rednecks used to rock in the 80's

[heckacali]

You could buy one of those bitchin cargo net thingy's like the rednecks used to rock in the 80's

Lol, I was about to post the same thing, but thinking more like the Miami mini truck vibe.

[::: :::]

Fair enough Chup. Mine has the multiple steppie thing, and so yeah 2 person job getting mine off and last time (and only time) one of em was a mechanic. Which I'm not. So I'm faced with:
1) Buying an aftermarket tailgate that doesn't have all the shit.
2) Having no tailgate
3) Figuring out how to remove the tailgate and disconnecting all the wiring shit (and then installing it) and trying to re-install and hook all the wiring shit back up every time I want to chuck the camper on. Which I'm very leery of because as I mentioned before it took an experienced mechanic with all the right tools easily 30 minutes to do
4) Possibly figuring out how to remove/install the gate without hooking up the wiring shit.
I talked to the dealer here and they said min 0.5hrs labour to take it off and min 0.5hrs to put it on. I don't want to spend $150 every time I want to go camping. Not to mention getting my truck into the dealer is a minimum 2 week wait every time.

So? Any ideas anybody?

i'd say: learn to do it...you may be not a techhead, but you're a smart guy; you've got the 30mins & just need a bud to hoist the other end
no reason to buy another tailgate, imo
(i'm no car/truck fixit guy either, but this seems like it should be just getting the sequence down)

[Conundrum]

Their labor rate software probably calculates 0.5 as the minimum for anything. I bet it's two plugs and lifting it on and off like Chup said. I've been wrong before though.

[thommy21]

I have the same tailgate and it takes about 10min to unplug the 2 connectors remove the 2 bolts on the side and slide the gate off. Key is to have it at about 45deg angle so you can slide the oval pin out of the slot. I’ve done it solo a few times but 2 people makes it easier for sure. I haven’t found dummy plugs for the connectors but haven’t looked lately. Had to get a secondary camera to mount on the back of the camper to get all the cameras to work.

[garyfromterrace]

I have the same tailgate and it takes about 10min to unplug the 2 connectors remove the 2 bolts on the side and slide the gate off. Key is to have it at about 45deg angle so you can slide the oval pin out of the slot. I’ve done it solo a few times but 2 people makes it easier for sure. I haven’t found dummy plugs for the connectors but haven’t looked lately. Had to get a secondary camera to mount on the back of the camper to get all the cameras to work.

Is there a trick to unhooking the connectors? The mech I watched do it had a fuck of a time. Enough of a hassle that I was totally turned off doing it myself. I tend to break shit like that.

How about the feeding the whole wiring thing through the little hole. That also made mechanic guy swear. That scared me too (not the swearing part, fuck... ) the feeding all the wires through the little hole part.

I have to admit you've got me thinking I'll give it the old college try.

[NW_SKIER]

Throw some ice in your whiskey and break some shit, man! That's the spirit!

[garyfromterrace]

Throw some ice in your whiskey and break some shit, man! That's the spirit!

Haha! Thanks for the rah rahs have to attempt it now.. fuck 🥃

[thommy21]

Is there a trick to unhooking the connectors? The mech I watched do it had a fuck of a time. Enough of a hassle that I was totally turned off doing it myself. I tend to break shit like that.

How about the feeding the whole wiring thing through the little hole. That also made mechanic guy swear. That scared me too (not the swearing part, fuck... ) the feeding all the wires through the little hole part.

I have to admit you've got me thinking I'll give it the old college try.

The optical connector is pretty easy just depress the tab and it separates quick. The larger rectangular one for the gate release is a bit of a bitch mainly when trying to release. The direction of the grey lever is a bit counterintuitive but once you know it’s not that bad. Did have some fuck you connecter moments the first time or two. Feeding the wires. I make sure when I pick up the tailgate I have the harness up and over the top of the gate then rest the tailgate on the bumper and feed the wires through.

[ötzi]

The optical connector is pretty easy just depress the tab and it separates quick. The larger rectangular one for the gate release is a bit of a bitch mainly when trying to release. The direction of the grey lever is a bit counterintuitive but once you know it’s not that bad. Did have some fuck you connecter moments the first time or two. Feeding the wires. I make sure when I pick up the tailgate I have the harness up and over the top of the gate then rest the tailgate on the bumper and feed the wires through.

good info thanks

[garyfromterrace]

good info thanks

Word. Thanks Mr. 21!

[grinch]

Nice truck G. My fave full size truck. Guy in our building has a new blacked out denali duramax. I drool everyday i see it.
Did you already get the camper? I now have the opinion that truck campers are a royal pita. Sucks putting them on and off. Like really sucks and then its stuck on there when you just need to go for a drive. A buddy has a duramax with a truck camper and he built a nice wooden box with heavy industrisl wheels that are used on heavy duty steel shelving. The box with wheels has the truck camper the same height as his truck box. With the camper on the box with wheels(the wheels spin around like shopping cart wheels) he can line the camper up perfectly for the truck on his perfectly flat paved driveway and that makes it much less of a hassle to load and unload. As soon as you try and load a truck camper the smallest uneven surface magnifies the task and they need to be straight going on because theyre hard to shuffle around after theyre are on and mine is fairly light. Im going to sell my northern lite truck camper. If i had to do it again id have kept my truck cap on and bought a trailer.

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

[El Chupacabra]

^^^ Tell me about your Northern Lite. Which model / what length bed is it for?

[grinch]

^^^ Tell me about your Northern Lite. Which model / what length bed is it for?

Its a '89. No window in the front. 1200lbs. . I installed plates to shuffle the fron jacks out a few inches to ease offloading and loading and eye screws to give better clearance for the front tie downs to fit my tundra . I have to replace the roofvent/emerge exit because some tweaker tried to break into it last fall. Furnace is a bit loud until it warms up too. I'd like to fix that
Here's the ad when i bought it last spring. Probably sell my tundra too. Tundra with a camper chomps gas so i find thats limiting my trips. No storage , etc. Motivated to sell


Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

[grinch]

Forgot pics which reminds me of the new backsplash

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

[El Chupacabra]

Thanks for the info and pics - you're in BC somewhere? Seems like Canada and the PNW are the places to find used fiberglass campers... Unfortunately just don't see many closer to me (Reno NV).

[mattig]

Just getting caught up here.

Taking off tailgates is easy with practice. It's easy the first time after a YouTube video.

Same deal with 2 connectors that can be sticky on my truck. Do your best to pinch the clip and pull hard. If you bang your knuckles, wear gloves. If you clean the connectors periodically, it can help. It's the dusty bullshit that makes em stick.

I have the Ford tailgate with the built in step. It's somewhere between a one and two person job depending on how large and frisky you are.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[thommy21]

To minimize some of the crawling under the truck when putting the camper on and off to release or find the optical cable I bought this extension. No tailgate. For some reason it also prevents total blackout on my display when using the turn signal. Cameras still don’t work but at least I don’t have to hit the X to get my radio or nav display to pop up

Pasternack p/n PE38748Z-xx - Water Blue FAKRA Plug to FAKRA Jack Cable Using PE-C100-LSZH Coax, where “-xx” is the length in inches.

I went with a 24” and can tuck it under the trailer camera covers on the bumper. I wish GM had the dummy plugs like Dodge does that keeps the camera circuit alive.

[grinch]

Thanks for the info and pics - you're in BC somewhere? Seems like Canada and the PNW are the places to find used fiberglass campers... Unfortunately just don't see many closer to me (Reno NV).

I was. Im east coast in NB now. I dont see as many truck campers out east. Good unit for someone but im not sure how much interest for them in the ec

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

[Supermoon]

Took my RAV4 into the dealer this morning and was asking them about the hybrid Tundras. Sales guy said they are getting a couple and that they are selling them for 10k over MSRP. Holy hell.

[Conundrum]

Saw the mpg on the hybrids at a mix of 21 for 4wd models. Sure the 60 extra horsepower seems nice but I have never wanted more in my '19. Seems like a miss on Toyota's part and I'm a fanboi.

[AdironRider]

I'm a fanboi and my 5.7 Tundra gets 15 mixed. A 40% increase in fuel economy is a miss?

I'm still a v8 guy so bring on the gas bills. So maybe it is.

[Conundrum]

I'm a fanboi and my 5.7 Tundra gets 15 mixed. A 40% increase in fuel economy is a miss?

I'm still a v8 guy so bring on the gas bills. So maybe it is.

The hybrid is claiming 2 mpg over non-hybrid city and no gain on the highway and for that you get 49 more horsepower. Claiming 40% improvement on worst in class mpg and coming in less than some gas only pickups when you're the auto maker that basically created the hybrid movement with the Prius... Getting in the HP arms race for fat Americans all given, yeah, a miss.

My hand calculated mpg is right at 16 at about 40k miles. I average about 12k per year. Sell my truck for mid $40s, buy a new hybrid for for over msrp in the same trim for around $70k=$25k delta. That difference at $5/gal basically pays for the gas for the next 80,000 on my current vehicle or over six years with my driving habits before I'd even put any gas in the tank of a hybrid if I got one. I think I'll wait six years and see if any manufactures will do better.

Sure, decent option for someone who needs a new vehicle but unless you "need" 49 extra horse, why not save the cash and get the non-hybrid? I was hoping for more from Toyota. They did at least get a true four door with a 6' bed so that's cool.

[Supermoon]

Yeah, the 10k over MSRP buys a lot of gas even over the new non-hybrid trucks

[Conundrum]

But, but, more 1/2 ton horsepower to tow your toys on the weekend man....