10' Cabover camper on a M1078

[Third From Texas]

Another option that is quite affordable is a retired ambo box. A 14' squad box can be made to fit quite nicely with very little overhang:

 

[Third From Texas]

And a 12' squad will of course work as well. Ambo boxes can be had for around $1500 if you hunt around.

Here is one done that retained the cargo bed.

 

[DARKOP]

OK, rough check with a tape is 7.6' x 12'

Third from Texas, thank you for taking the time to measure!

 

[BERZERKER888]

very clever

 

[Third From Texas]

If the camper has jacks, then this is totally doable. If you need the cab raised, just leg up the camper.

Go for it !

Someone sent me a pic from a FB group and said the comment was made that it would be pretty simple to deal with (even if you don't have a crane).

I love the look. In fact a big enough camper would look really sweet on a 1078 ! Mod the jacks so you can leg up from either the ground OR the bed (cab rise issue solved). Just another four pins to set and another button to press to raise the camper first (I bet that's a hell of a view from up there, too LOL).

 

[Godspeed131]

That’s kinda what I had in mine if I ever decided to put a box on mine, if it wasn’t to tall. You could modify the front slide out lift beams to work as jack pads for the camper jacks. It would work to lift the front of the camper to be able to lift the truck cab or gain clearance for the spare. Then use all the space in the bed under the camper where the wheel wells woud be for storage. And the back would make easily a perfect impromptu covered back patio or if there was enough bed left use the crane to load a small side by side or quad or a few bikes. Possibilities are what they say endless lol.

 

[Elk1111]

Just throwing it out there...has anyone put a small pop-up camper in the back? The pop up would be sideways and the beds would slide out the side. Seems like with the bed length it might even give you a little storage/porch space on the back of the truck.

 

[Mullaney]

Just throwing it out there...has anyone put a small pop-up camper in the back? The pop up would be sideways and the beds would slide out the side. Seems like with the bed length it might even give you a little storage/porch space on the back of the truck.

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That is a neat idea.
A popup would be low and close to the ground for some real out in the woods camping!

 

[Elk1111]

Just to be clear I mean put the pop up side ways in the bed of a deuce/5 ton /LMTV. I think if you found one the right size and took the axles off it would fit nicely and still leave around 6-8 feet of space on the bed.
You wouldn’t have any clearance issues while it was down but you would have plenty of living space once set up.

 

[Mullaney]

Just to be clear I mean put the pop up side ways in the bed of a deuce/5 ton /LMTV. I think if you found one the right size and took the axles off it would fit nicely and still leave around 6-8 feet of space on the bed.
You wouldn’t have any clearance issues while it was down but you would have plenty of living space once set up.

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Agreed! My close to the ground comment was the popup camper being in the bottom of the bed. Low center of gravity was my point. Campers pulled behind a truck, car, or van would be about 80 inches. Lots of room left out behind the popup for sure!

 

[Elk1111]

Oh....wasn’t sure what you meant. Someone loan me some money and I’ll get it built

 

[Third From Texas]

Just throwing it out there...has anyone put a small pop-up camper in the back? The pop up would be sideways and the beds would slide out the side. Seems like with the bed length it might even give you a little storage/porch space on the back of the truck.

Yep.

I have pics of a couple rigs that did that.

I'll see if I can locate them..

 

[Mullaney]

Yep.

I have pics of a couple rigs that did that.

I'll see if I can locate them..

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That would be neat to see!

I have an old Coleman camper that hasn't been opened in years.
Would be interesting to see the pix for sure.

 

[Third From Texas]

.
That would be neat to see!

I have an old Coleman camper that hasn't been opened in years.
Would be interesting to see the pix for sure.

I'll dig thru the files. I must have a thousand images in my build folders.

I want to say one of them was someone from here on SS even.

 

[Third From Texas]

Found this one, but not the ones I'm looking for. I swear one of them was from SS. Seem to recall it for sale a couple years back.

But it's been done. Lots...

 

[Mullaney]

Found this one, but not the ones I'm looking for. I swear one of them was from SS. Seem to recall it for sale a couple years back.

But it's been done. Lots...

View attachment 843248

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That does look like a neat idea.
Steps up - could be like a drawbridge on your castle with the addition of hinges.

 

[richingalveston]

adding a pop up to your trailer is popular with the mud boggers however in order to get a pop up narrow enough to fit the 8 ft width of the trailer you give up a lot. Most small pop ups don't have a bathroom and shower. Even the larger ones the shower is in the center of the pop up and the toilet is a cassette toilet. The fresh water tank is normally around 20 gallons. The fridge is very small and many times the sink has a foot pump.

The small pop ups are really just a glorified tent. There may be some small ones out there with better accommodations but just letting people know who have very little experience with pop ups that they are not quite like a trailer or cab over camper.

There are some nice pop ups out there but the majority are longer than 8 ft.

many people use a gooseneck trailer and put the pop up on the gooseneck part.

Using a pop up for an over lander you will not be happy with it, setting it up each night is not fun and you will not be allowed in a lot of places because when open you will be to wide.
As a weekender they are ok if you are going some place with a bath house. Before spending to much time on this idea you should really go look at an 8 foot long pop up and put in to consideration how you will use it.

I have not had one but I have helped a good friend who is now on his 4th pop up. They don't hold up well over time unless stored under cover.

 

[Third From Texas]

The small pop ups are really just a glorified tent.

That that's exactly why I just sailed past the idea years ago.

I camp on the Island 90% of the time and doing so in a "tent" is like rolling in cat litter after running a marathon in 100 degree heat..

My experiences primitive tent camping in arctic conditions also led me to conclude to never again primitive tent camp in arctic conditions.

But there are less extreme environments in between my two extremes.

In the end, as you say the smaller ones are glorified RTTs with wheels. I'd suggest looking at RTTs as another option.

I remember seeing an LMTV with a couple RTTs on top of the troop cover. It was pretty badass, actually. I don't think I save the pic, but I'll look.

*I spend more time looking for pics than I do working on the truck, LOL

 

[Elk1111]

I had a Colman pop up that I absolutely loved camping in as long as it wasn’t too hot. It didn’t have a/c. I camped all the way down to 0 degrees in it. My wife prefers the big trailer with shower and a/c but to me it’s not really camping.

 

[Third From Texas]

I had a Colman pop up that I absolutely loved camping in as long as it wasn’t too hot. It didn’t have a/c. I camped all the way down to 0 degrees in it. My wife prefers the big trailer with shower and a/c but to me it’s not really camping.

I tent camped with my Harleys for a lot of years. My brother would have none of it, though. He said he did enough tent camping in Nam.

I get it...