Ready to see the Naked Hippies’ pickup get naked? 

It’s about time, don’t you think?  Ha ha!

We have lived and traveled in this Big Foot camper since 2010 … and have never taken the camper off our Dodge Ram pickup.

Now, as we prepare for the switch from a pick up camper to the Vanabode stealth camping lifestyle, our truck had to get naked.

We had to remove the camper so we can sell the truck separately from the camper and still have a place to live while we modify and set up the Vanabode.

I have to admit, I was pretty nervous about doing this.  After all, it’s our HOME and the camper has been resting on the truck for over five years.  All kinds of what ifs started spewing from my mouth.

• What if the support legs won’t hold the camper up?
• What if we can’t get the camper back on the truck if we need to?
• What if the camper tips forward because we sleep and get a bit rowdy on the front end where there is no support?

If this had been a reality show, you would have watched me stand close by with furrowed brow and an anxious look.

You would have seen Bruce read the instructions for removing the camper.  (By the way, we were extremely grateful to find these instructions in the truck’s glove compartment!  Can you say lifesaver?)  

And, you would have seen Ron, our dear friend, pull out the necessary tools and gadgets from his magic storehouse and just tackle the job without worrying about the what ifs still pouring from my mouth!

Uh oh!  The hydraulics aren’t working.

“I knew it!” Trisha mutters under her breath.

A quick call to  another dear friend in Eureka Springs, who is the official Naked Hippies mechanic provided the solution … get some oil and a plastic squeeze bottle to add the oil to the hydraulic canisters.

That’s all it took!

Bruce and Ron cranked the hydraulics to lift the camper off the truck.

And now … Our Naked Hippies’ pickup gets naked! 

 

I swear it kinda shimmied and shook when we “undressed” it!

We piled into the cab of the truck and took off for Home Depot to get concrete blocks to sit the camper on.

At first, Bruce was a little disoriented driving the truck without the camper on its back and without all that weight!   He had to get used to have a 360 view of all traffic again!

It was totally weird to not have Big Foot with us.

Now we’re wondering what kind of mileage the truck will get. It’s been pretty awesome in spite of the weight.  Bruce was getting nearly 20 mpg WITH Big Foot!

Lowering the camper onto the concrete blocks was a breeze. A successful job!

(AND, there IS support up front under the bed, too!)  WHEW!

Who wants to buy a Naked VINTAGE 1989 Dodge Ram pickup 350 with a Cummins Turbo Diesel?   This truck will run forever, or so we’ve been told by many mechanics.

Stay tuned … more adventures ahead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trisha
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P.S.  Everyone always asks … how do you afford to live and travel full time?  As long as we have our smart phone and internet … we can work on our online business.  We love the freedom!  Get our free ebook that tells the story of how the Naked Hippies came to be … and how we just didn’t give up on living this dream.  If we can do this, so can you!   Grab the free ebook here: http://trishahippie.com