Camper's and RV's.

[Brent S]

Yeah I know all about towing with an FJ.
It's a white knuckle experience no doubt. I tried pulling my 20 foot Key West center console and it was exciting to say the least.
By the time you got to where you're going you needed a Xanax and a nap.

I have the load leveling/anti sway bars that really make it easy to pull but I don’t want to ever max out the weight limit on any tow vehicle. I’m mostly concerned about wearing out my tow vehicle or breaking down.

 

[Brent S]

Nice set up.
Our generator is a Honda EU7000 so we can run anything and everything at the same time.
It pretty much stays in the back of the truck,I'd love to leave it at the lease but it's too damn expensive at $5500 hundred bucks to risk it.

Hondas are definitely the best out there but they are also the most expensive. I only run propane through the generator so it keeps the carburetor clean and prolongs the life even of a cheaper one. Your wise to not leave that alone on any site.

 

[TexPrep]

We have a 34' Jayfilight that we bought about 15 years ago for 9,000. It is now at the BOL #2 and I built a pallet deck on cinderblocks, and used the old boards we had replaced on the deck at BOL#.

I used to spend summers in Estes Park living with (then) three kids and three dogs... while my middle son was at hockey camp in Boulder. Trying to "regular" camp for two months with all of those critters, was just too crazy. The RV made it much easier.

Ours has a shower and a tub, but the tub is so small...I like to SOAK up to my neck, so I built an outdoor "bath" to make do. I like it so much, that the "cabin" will have the washing facilities outside instead of in! Nothing more relaxing at the end of a hard day than a glass of red wine, hot as you can stand it water (I cheated), an aromatic candle, a serenade of creek frogs and a canopy of stars!

I have a portable washer but, no dryer, so that gets put on the fence for drying.

Love the tub!!!
I have a water heater I used before the camper that puts out tons of hot water.
I used it with my James Baroud pop up tent that I had mounted on my trailer for the SxS.
It had heat and A/C that would freeze you to death if you ran it on high.

 

[Brent S]

The great thing about it is the dual pane windows and the 45 gallon water tank as well as 45 gallon gray and black tanks.
You can set it up and be able to stay a long time.

So the most important part of all this is where are you going to explore next? I love being able to go just about anywhere and be able to bring my two dogs with us!

 

[EastenerWesterner]

You guys are nuts to try towing anything that big with an FJ. I would only do my 5x8 utility with a lite load or my 14 ft small boat.
Maybe I’ll think different once I get the small lift and Bilsteins on. But I don’t think the motor is enough.

 

[Brent S]

You guys are nuts to try towing anything that big with an FJ. I would only do my 5x8 utility with a lite load or my 14 ft small boat.
Maybe I’ll think different once I get the small lift and Bilsteins on. But I don’t think the motor is enough.

My 17’ camper is right at 4000 lbs and the FJ is rated at 5000lbs. That still gives me 20% padding from maxing it out. It doesn’t squat with the tongue weight either. The only time I really feel the trailer is when I’m going up a long hill. There isn’t a lot of power left over. But the 6 cylinder engine is one of Toyotas best and easily goes over 300,000 miles on average. It has done better than I expected so far.

 

[TexPrep]

You guys are nuts to try towing anything that big with an FJ. I would only do my 5x8 utility with a lite load or my 14 ft small boat.
Maybe I’ll think different once I get the small lift and Bilsteins on. But I don’t think the motor is enough.

Agreed...
I got rid of my FJ for that exact reason although I loved it for its off road capabilities.
To be honest I got tired of paying for the damage I inflicted on it offroading and just bought a SxS that I could trailer home if things went south.

 

[Brent S]

I decided to check the bearings on the camper before taking it out again. The camper is only 2 years old but my gut feeling told me to inspect it. Really glad I checked it! The drivers side brake was shot and a lot of the grease has melted out from the heat. I assume it got stuck and wouldn’t release. I assume this was only on this side as I still felt braking when I hit the pedal. Either way I ordered the entire new brake and drum assemblies for both sides. I would rather start with fresh brakes and bearings before tackling the mountains. So much for saying I was completely done modifying this camper…..

 

[Brent S]

Agreed...
I got rid of my FJ for that exact reason although I loved it for its off road capabilities.
To be honest I got tired of paying for the damage I inflicted on it offroading and just bought a SxS that I could trailer home if things went south.

Even though the FJ has amazing off road capabilities I’m wise enough to not beat it up at this stage in my life. I am satisfied to know though that it is able to get me out of most situations or unexpected road hazards though. I keep this toy in really good shape and can’t see trashing it by 4 wheeling. It’s a 2013 and still looks brand new. I have an old Jeep if I get the urge to go trail riding.

 

[Proud Prepper]

I took my family camping this weekend. I'm frying catfish and butterflied shrimp. French fries and corn nuggets. Some of us are making poorboy's on French bread.

 

[Harkin]

I had a 2008 Turtle Top Van Terra on a Ford E350 Super Duty that I got for 10K and a few years later sold for 22K. It only got around 15 mpg and we were wanting to do some longer trips was the only reason I sold it. Now I wish I hadn't sold it. The nice thing is you can put a queen either direction, install a really nice shower and separate toilet and have a full kitchen and lounge and still have space. BTW, I probably put 10K into it outfitting it, but it was the most comfy setup ever. If you have the time, DIY is a great way to get what you want.

 

[Brent S]

We pulled our rig out west and are in Vegas right now. Stopped all along the way and explored. Will backtrack to the Grand Canyon in a couple days and then head north towards Yellowstone. We aren’t on any schedules or specific routes but are just in explore mode. Had the tank on the water heater start leaking on our first day in Vegas. Got a shop to weld it and it leaked even worse…. So found a new water heater locally. It’s always something on any boat or RV. Otherwise the trip has been really smooth and relaxing.

 

[Brent S]

Staying a few days in Salt Lake City right now. Stayed at the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon after Vegas too. Will begin turning eastwards Monday morning and start heading back home to Georgia. No set schedule or route planned but will wing it day to day and explore whatever looks interesting. My only regret is missing Yellowstone. The weather has most roads closed with winter conditions. If I was just in the FJ I would go, but with the camper weighing as much as the tow vehicle I don’t think it wise to try snow covered mountains. So close, but will have to be a future trip hopefully.

 

[Brent S]

The camping trip was great, saw many amazing sights and bucket list views. Pulling the camper was tough on the gas mileage, especially out west at 5.50 a gallon, but it’s nice to sleep in your own bed anywhere you like. Stayed on some BLM lands in the middle of nowhere that were incredibly scenic. I’m still weary from the long drive of about 4000 miles. I did make a list of improvements I will do on the camper for the next trips. There’s always minor modifications you can customize to your own tastes. But overall, the trip with our two dogs went great. I hate staying in hotels while traveling. I’ve never felt they were clean…. Which is funny since the two dogs slept in our bed with us the whole trip!