W3526602 Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Hi, We are considering replacing my ancient Land Rover S1, and not qyite so ancient Talbot campervan with Toyota Hilux pick-up amd demountable camper shell. What do you call that bit? Its not a caravan cos it doesn't have its own wheels, its not a camper cos it relies on something else to move. Wendy house? Checkout http://www.easycampers.co.uk/ if you don't know what I'm on about. There is a shell curently on Ebay,search on DEMOUNTABLE. Hopefully you do know what I'm on about, and can tell me if there is a discussion group dedicated to this type of....er...thing? Also, does anybody know anywhere in South Wales where we can go along and look at one in the flesh? 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Definately test drive before you buy. The ones I've seen on the road all roll a lot on roundabouts/bends and ride very tail down. I suspect the rear axle of the pickup is very close to the limit and, with some of the rear overhangs, the front wheels seem to be left with insufficient load for control.It seems matching the dismountable to the pickup needs great care.Also, investigate how easy they are to jack up and lower. Some are powered, others not, and some look a real fag to manipulate. Final point, you have to reverse back under the raised dismountable. There must be some tolerances for this to be possible, but do try to check if they are realistic when the pickup is on uneven ground and the dismountable levelled. I'm sure one gets the knack in the end, but I have heard a few funny graunching noises where it seemed the alignment wasn't quite right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amazon20RB Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Sorry about this very delayed reply. I've only just picked up on this discussion. I've recently transferred an older demountable (1995 Island Plastics Suntrekker) to a new pickup (2006 Ford Ranger) and it was not at all straightforward. Demountables and pickups have both changed enormously in design over the last decade. After doing extensive research into all of the available pickups, the Ranger emerged as the only one which could accommodate the Suntrekker and even then the process involved attacking the Suntrekker's fibreglass body with hacksaw, file, etc. and I had to get new fixing brackets fabricated. In the end the result was worth the effort - it drives really well - but there's always going to be an element of risk unless you can put the pickup and demountable together for a test drive before you buy! If you decide to proceed, try to buy a demountable on an old pickup then, if all else fails, you can always bail out and resell the whole outfit. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W3526602 Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Hi, Thanks for that. Search for DEMOUNTABLE on Ebay Autos. Currently a Suntrekker on a P100. Also search for ROMA* not forgetting the *, which is a wild card. 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amazon20RB Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 I just had a look at the Suntrekker on eBay. That's a VERY old one, certainly pre-1985 when the glassfibre body was first introduced. I think in those days it was made by a now-defunct company called Walkers of Watford. I would guess its construction will be aluminium skin over a timber frame which I think would make modification, if it were necessary, extremely difficult. The two Romahomes, made by Island Plastics who later made the Suntrekker, will be in glassfibre but were both designed to fit onto small FLATBED trucks, I don't think they would sit in the cargo bed of a pickup. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fetch Carry Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 We parked next to one of these at the New Forest last year, very nice inside an all, but when it came to put it back on the pickup, it took them close on half an hour due to the unlevel ground, it was an electric lift one, but it took the wife driving the pickup with the husband directing to get it back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W3526602 Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Hi, Currently the demountable idea is on hold, but not abandoned. We have a building plot which will hopefully be sold at auction at the end of this month. Then we were looking to move house, but locally...until a friend said they were thinking about moving to France complete with menagerie. Ooooooh! How about we join forces and buy a farm with two dilapidated houses, etc........ So something is going to happen, but we don't know what or when, but it had better be this year. We already have a place in France, just to complicate things. There was also a military ambulance pod, designed to demount off the back of a LWB Land Rover, on Ebay. But I don't want a LWB Landy, cos Barbara has problems climbing in. So still thinking it terms of Toyota Hilux, with a two berth box on the back. We are not looking for a status symbol, but it need st be something tidy. Golly gosh, doesn't life get complcated? 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 hi 602 ,try contacting the adventure dismountable and 5th wheel club.adress is in mmm clubs section.i know there are members in wales who may be able to help,or leave post for me to answer for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W3526602 Posted February 18, 2007 Author Share Posted February 18, 2007 Hi Northstar, Many thanks, I'll follow that up. I had assumed that demountables and 5th wheel were different. (OK, I KNOW they are different) and were not associated. Query on the side......does my long standing licence allow me to drive "arctics"? And is a 5th wheel camper an arcticluted trailer for the purposes of driver licencing? Something about > 20% of the trailers weight superimposed on the tractor unit? 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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