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Looking for a good "Camper Cat"

I'm thinking of building a "camper cat " with an 80's Sunrader or Chinook motorhome body (they built them on Nissan and Toyota pick up trucks )

Expecting to customize the motorhome shell to fit around cat motor and to clear the cat cab.


I'd rather have a camper cat instead of setting up the wall tent in the sub alpine this year . It's alot of work and this year the Conservation Officers ordered me to move after 2 months of "possessing crown land" and cutting dead standing timber for wood heat. Thinking an expedition style camper with diesel heat that I can move easily after every 14 day increment (the length of time you may camp on crown land before you legally become a squatter)


Not sure what cat would be best

Thinking maybe Pisten Bully 300

Always happy to hear your suggestions if you have something for sale that would work well , or just have suggestions.



Lousy photoshop concept image attached for an idea of what I'm thinking:




 

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Red130

Member
A full size camper might be tall (branch clearance) and top-heavy, and additionally all of the PB's have a bump-out on the bed for engine clearance. Have you considered a pop-up truck camper with a modification to clear the engine? Or don't like the idea of the soft panels?
 

teamster

New member
I've camped in the mountains for years in a wall tent using horses to get there, non winter of course. There's nothing warmer than a tent with wood heat. I've tried convincing the "domestic management" that I should take my 20' aluminum 4 place snowmobile trailer and make it into a winter camping unit. My plan was to make a removable insulated body that has a door large enough to drive 2 snowmobiles inside. Once at the camping destination, I would unload the snowmobiles and then fold down the beds etc and it would become camp. I would be pulling it with my Tucker. My thoughts, by pulling a trailer, I could break trail if needed, be able to use the Tucker without rigging out camp and just drive the whole unit up onto my gooseneck in one unit. Where I'm at there's lot of aluminum panels available that are 2" thick with insulation in between like a sandwich. This is what I would use to make the body out of, so you don't need to built a frame work for the body. By doing this the body is light enough and strong enough you can take it off the trailer, so it would be multi purpose. Just my opinion but a skied trailer is far more useful than mounting something onto a cat. :smile:
 

Red130

Member
Teamster that is good point. Then you can leave the trailer at the site and go off to get supplies or explore without lugging the camper around on your back, so to speak.
 

Nikson

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
its really up to the budget of the whole project... lots of options out there
 
I think the pull behind camper/trailer idea is a good one---propane heat / solar panels---easy to move for the rangers---than u still have your cat to run around in----build the trailer this year and try it out and next year build tip outs on it for more room
 

rockhead

Member
I think the pull behind camper/trailer idea is a good one---propane heat / solar panels---easy to move for the rangers---than u still have your cat to run around in----build the trailer this year and try it out and next year build tip outs on it for more room


Solar panels, in BC, in December ? :yum::yum::yum:
 
I happen to use solar battery maintainers on all of my heavy equipment year round ----sun or no sun----try it you might learn something
 

rockhead

Member
I happen to use solar battery maintainers on all of my heavy equipment year round ----sun or no sun----try it you might learn something

I happen to use several thousand watts of solar panels to power some exceedingly small loads, where no other option is practical. With days 8 hours long and an statistical average of 50 hours of bright sunshine in all of December there just ain't a lot of power there:ermm:.
So I throw it back to you, set up a camp at your home, in December, and see how far you get before your batteries are begging for mercy :smile:.
 

teamster

New member
This was my original "Schema Dream" before I decided I wanted something I could put 2 snowmobiles inside. This trailer is 22' long, I would change the fifth wheel pin to a 2 5/16 ball coupler, to allow more pivot movement. With a trailer this size or even a 18' single axle model you have all the luxury's of home and they sell for under $4000. I also considered rigging up a front set of skis, so it had 4, similar to what I pull with horses, they track better, than just 2 and don't slide side ways as easy. If you went to 4 runners, you could easily pull it with your existing cat. The picture for the horses is just for illustration, of 4 runners. Damn computer wont let me delete it.
 

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A full size camper might be tall (branch clearance) and top-heavy, and additionally all of the PB's have a bump-out on the bed for engine clearance. Have you considered a pop-up truck camper with a modification to clear the engine? Or don't like the idea of the soft panels?

Yeah not into the pop ups. I agree a camper with the cab over bed maybe high on the cat with the cab being 5' or so but I may mod the camper to be taller anyways.. As far as the engine bumpo ut goes, may have to set the camper back to clear, I'd rather not loos floor space inside the camper.

Branch clearance, yeah could be a problem but where i go is a clear road to sub alpine.

All good points, thanks
 
This was my original "Schema Dream" before I decided I wanted something I could put 2 snowmobiles inside. This trailer is 22' long, I would change the fifth wheel pin to a 2 5/16 ball coupler, to allow more pivot movement. With a trailer this size or even a 18' single axle model you have all the luxury's of home and they sell for under $4000. I also considered rigging up a front set of skis, so it had 4, similar to what I pull with horses, they track better, than just 2 and don't slide side ways as easy. If you went to 4 runners, you could easily pull it with your existing cat. The picture for the horses is just for illustration, of 4 runners. Damn computer wont let me delete it.


I thought of towing something up like a scamp trailer etc. but there are some steep hills, and turnarounds could be a problem. I like the idea of the camper because I'd fit it on a flat deck truck for use the rest of the year and have a better chance of selling it (If need be one day) if it works on a truck too.
 
I've camped in the mountains for years in a wall tent using horses to get there, non winter of course. There's nothing warmer than a tent with wood heat. I've tried convincing the "domestic management" that I should take my 20' aluminum 4 place snowmobile trailer and make it into a winter camping unit. My plan was to make a removable insulated body that has a door large enough to drive 2 snowmobiles inside. Once at the camping destination, I would unload the snowmobiles and then fold down the beds etc and it would become camp. I would be pulling it with my Tucker. My thoughts, by pulling a trailer, I could break trail if needed, be able to use the Tucker without rigging out camp and just drive the whole unit up onto my gooseneck in one unit. Where I'm at there's lot of aluminum panels available that are 2" thick with insulation in between like a sandwich. This is what I would use to make the body out of, so you don't need to built a frame work for the body. By doing this the body is light enough and strong enough you can take it off the trailer, so it would be multi purpose. Just my opinion but a skied trailer is far more useful than mounting something onto a cat. :smile:

Agreed. When the woodstove is raging in a canvas tent, it's amazing. Everythings dry. I've been burning wood for years at home and up at camp. But now I'm over it. Definitely not hauling wood up there and apparently I'm not allowed to cut any up there either, dead or not. Time for an Espar D-5 in a camper. I thought about a tow behind but too many steep hill sections to go up...then DOWN.
 
I think the pull behind camper/trailer idea is a good one---propane heat / solar panels---easy to move for the rangers---than u still have your cat to run around in----build the trailer this year and try it out and next year build tip outs on it for more room

I thought about a camping trailer but there are steep traverse hills (hairpins) to go up...and back DOWN.
 
its really up to the budget of the whole project... lots of options out there

I plan to make the camper work on my truck too so it wouldnt be limited to the cat and be worth going into it deeper.


Some pics attached of a project Tundra some guys are working on in Victoria Canada. I'm thinking the camper could be customized to work on both the Tundra and the Pisten Bully so it's all year round good times in the same unit.
 

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teamster

New member
The 24 passenger Tucker was called "Miss Piggy" because of the resemblance to Miss Piggy when looked at from the front. It sold couple years back for about $25000.
 

redsqwrl

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I like where you are going with the removable camper aspect.

ironically this is in the skunk works dept here at the compound.....
When I saw the Jayco in post # (x) I mumble to myself sonofabitch there are multiple weirdos on this planet.:wow:

the door is open to simulate a five man cab.

the Jayco has a furnace and forced air.

the guard rail are not safe in outagamie county...... (ski's)
 

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Red130

Member
Not to push the pop-up overly hard, but -- How about an Alaskan Camper? Warm, but with much lower center of gravity. Either bed mounted or put some skis or tracks under it? I'm just having a hard time seeing a Chinook on the back of PB300. I suspect the weight distribution is just too far to the rear.
 

JimVT

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
you have lots of movement in a cat . I am thinking some trailers may not hold up long.
 

teamster

New member
I think if you pulled it with a Tucker, or other 4 track machine, it would be far easier on the trailer than pulling it down some of the roads we pull these trailers on with a pickup. I know if I were to pivot one of those 2 track machines, with a camper on it, over a bank of some sort, my wife would come completely un glued, when she looked in side the camper.:whistling:
 

Outrider

New member
PB300 is a good cat, but hard to find. For heat, you should look at a espar cab heater system, they run on diesel, and minimal 12v or 24v power.

I also have a 1985 BR400 for sale, and it has a low profile cab, and its in BC.
 

Outrider

New member
A PB300, 260, or BR400, can easily take a camper. I have hauled many heavy loads on the rear deck, and just look at any catskiing outfit, they are carrying 3500+ lb on the rear. Same for towing I have hauled 20,000 lb. plus loads with three cats hooked up, and smaller loads on small trailers, and it is a pain unless you have a second cat to assist on the corners. I would stay away from a Tucker on the BC coast. You will need a BR, or PB to build road before a Tucker can make it where you want to go on the coast after a big dump. Ideally you want to look for a winch cat, the winches are roughly 3500 lb. so a camper will be easy for them, and they have beefier suspension . I am a big fan of the BR's, as they are easier to get parts at any hydraulic shop, or heavy truck shop. The PB's can be a little harder, but there are dealer in Kelowna, and Calgary that stock most. The PB's deck is set up better and will be easier to install a camper, and the deck is already set with a deck lift cylinder.
Again, stay away from a Tucker, if you are playing on the Duffy, or up at the meadows you want a BR, or PB.
 

Outrider

New member
Some towing pics.
 

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The 24 passenger Tucker was called "Miss Piggy" because of the resemblance to Miss Piggy when looked at from the front. It sold couple years back for about $25000.

That monster is amazing haha. It would never stand a chance going where we want to go in our snow on the coast !
 
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