anyone use a camper on their dakota? i'm wondering how well they handle it. i'd be putting it on a club cab (6ft box) and would probably upgrade the shocks. also, it probably wouldn't be much more than an import size camper or camperette, since i don't need to sleep more than myself usually. occasionally, i'd have a buddy or the girlfriend along. so it should be pretty small and relatively light. probably looking at about 1200 pounds max when loaded up with gear and water.

 

I don't know about a camper but I made a tent for the bed out of a canvas drop cloth and PVC pipe. Works great and I just fold in up and put it in the tool box when I'm not using it.

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that's actually sick!! how's the wind resistance? because if i go on a snowmobiling trip i could just sleep back there :P might get cold unless i open the rear split window, leave the truck running and put the heat on... or just use mad sleeping bags. how much did that cost you?

 

Or, buy a heater.

 

just buy a good sleeping bag. i have a great one from The northface. keeps you warm to 20F. the next level from that is lik 0F for like 300 bucks.

 

haha well I wouldn't drive with it up, but it literally takes 10 min to put up or tear down. The grand total for it was $50 and a day to sew it all up. I've spent a week in it with it raining everyday and was the only one dry at the end of the week. Side not water proofing spray is needed or a rainfly made of a tarp. I need to do a writeup on it I promised it over the summer but didn't deliver due to my parents getting a divorce and having to move. And now I don't have the truck here at school to take any good pictures. Basically I made a frame from 3/4" PVC pipe and then covered it with the biggest canvas drop cloth at Lowes, I think its 50x12 or something like that. Then i pinned up where I wanted to stitch and pulled it off and sewed it all up. Then secured it down with bungie cords. honestly it's one of the best mods I've done and its sleeps 2 comfortably. Just place some memory foam on the bed and take a good sleeping bag you'll be set.

 

I have a coleman -20 got it for 110 couple years ago I think that I got it at cabelas or bass pro

 

there is a company out there that makes tents like that for the bed of a truck.

1200lbs is within the payload rating of the Dakota, so you should be fine. She'll sag a bit, but not too bad.

 

that's a pretty sweet tent setup. it'd be perfect for some of teh backwoods camping i do. however, right now i'm gonna need the full deal (bed, sink, stove, fridge) since i may end up living out of it for a couple weeks while finding work in northern BC.

what's the payload capacity of a dakota? any idea how much a 1200lb camper would affect the fuel economy?