New Sunline Truck Camper Owner

[Dano3500]

I just yesterday picked up a Sunline C-951 (not sure the year?) & just found this site today. I'd like to get an owner's manual? Camper is in decent shape but for the price (FREE!) I can't complain. Never had a truck camper (or RV exc. we had a travel trailer as a kid) but am quite familiar w/them and setting up trucks to haul them from a previous life and pretty experienced at hauling/towing. I wanted a TC for when I travel alone or at most w/one other person - Mostly to car shows/events and I plan on towing a car or cargo/utility trailer behind it depending on the event. I really wanted a 8' but actually the 9.5" seems perfect as it has a full (wet) bath that the 8' are often lacking. Didn't want to have to use a hitch extention if possible & I think at least with an open trailer I'll be ok. An enclosed might require a short extension.

It was listed on CL. I was 1st to contact & he gave me a week to pick it up - It was listed for $500 but when he called me back he said he really didn't want anything for it. Went from MD to NJ to get it. Wasn't sure exactly what I'd need and given the price didn't want bother the owner for too much info. so took lots of stuff w/me.

Truck ('92 F-250 XLT Diesel 5-sp.) was already set-up to haul weight (Hellwig overloads & rear anti-swaybar, Bilsteins, front add-a-leaf, 19.5" wheels/tires) as I regularly put 4k lb. in the bed. Truck looks awful but has pretty sound mechanicals for a 28 y/o truck w/300k mi. and everything works (A/C, PW, PDL, tilt, cruise, power lumbar, etc.). It's my beater truck but I actually really enjoy driving it - More so than some newer trucks that I've owned.

I made my own front frame mounts (ok but need some tweaking) and bought a pair of HappiJack bumper mounts and picked up some turnbuckles, quick links. etc. from existing.com (the HD stuff seemed junky) & had plenty of chain, ratchet straps, shackes, jacks, tools, electrical plugs, etc. w/me. The bed is rough (and bent down on one corner from too concentrated a load years ago) so I took a sheet of ¾" plywood & shimmed up the one corner (Didn't want to twist the camper) and picked up a really nice rubber bed mat off CL last week for $30. Was super excited when I removed the plastic bedliner for maybe the 2nd time in 20 years as I'd forgotten the truck had a factory 5th wheel plug in the bed!

Kinda sketchy getting it up high enough to back my truck under but after almost losing it once, re-set all the jacks and got it done. I was a bit concerned having never driven with a TC and hearing all the horror stories in my previous life but seriously, I could hardly tell it was on there. I'll have weigh it but I'm guessing it's 2200-2500 lb. dry.

So here I am - Super excited to have gotten it after wanting one for a while. Hope to learn some about the camper & what people have done to fix them up on here & decide how far I want to go with it - I tend to go overboard but for now just want to clean it up, get everything working and if anything get some modern jacks and add A/C (hopefully it's pre-wired?). Previous owner sort of re-did the interior. Not exactly to my liking but not bad. Will post some more pics once I get it cleaned up a bit and familiarize myself w/it.

 

[Sunline Fan]

That's awesome that it was free! Not something you find very often haha. Truck campers are definitely a much tougher sell these days vs. a trailer. Can't wait to see more pictures!

 

[Dano3500]

That's awesome that it was free! Not something you find very often haha. Truck campers are definitely a much tougher sell these days vs. a trailer. Can't wait to see more pictures!

Definitely a niche market but even @ $500 he said he was getting 5-6 emails a day about it. I could probably clean it up and get everything working, which is what I'm going to concentrate on for now, and sell it for $1500 but I'm thrilled to have it and I love how it looks so vintage on that truck. Even the stripe the previous owner painted on matches (hopefully the "P" will come off).

 

[JohnGB]

Welcome Dano,

Seems you have quite a find there. Good luck with your project and looking forward to seeing and hearing about your Sunline adventures.

John

 

[Dano3500]

Welcome Dano,

Seems you have quite a find there. Good luck with your project and looking forward to seeing and hearing about your Sunline adventures.

John

Thanks! Looking forward (I think) to getting into it.

 

[MACK C-85]

Welcome to a fellow Severn River Rat. [emoji41]

Well, OK you could be from the Magothy side!!!

I now live in Severn, but I grew up in Carrollton Manor. My parents still live there, so I'm in the Park a couple of times a week

SPHS Class of '76

Earleigh Heights VFD 1974 - 1988

 

[tlanders1970]

30 Amp?

I am a new owner and wanted to confirm something. I have a 1995 Sunline T-2053 Solaris 21'. Is the power hook up at a campground a 30 amp?

 

[MACK C-85]

I am a new owner and wanted to confirm something. I have a 1995 Sunline T-2053 Solaris 21'. Is the power hook up at a campground a 30 amp?

Most campgrounds are 30 amp.

Some may also have 50 amp and/or a standard 15/20 amp receptacle.

 

[tlanders1970]

on the door where the cord is stored it says for 110/125 volt ac 60 HZ 30 amphere supply

 

[MACK C-85]

on the door where the cord is stored it says for 110/125 volt ac 60 HZ 30 amphere supply

Yeap, that's the technical description of a standard RV hookup.....

Nominal 120 volts. (between 110 volts min and 125 volts max)
60 Hertz alternating current. (American ac is 60 Hz....most of the rest of the world is 50 Hz)
30 amps maximum amperage.

Be very careful that you are hooking up to a 120 volts RV receptacle, even though they are very similar in prong arrangement a 220 volt dryer receptacle will fry your campers electrical system.

Also be aware you have two electrical systems in your trailer. The 120v AC is when you're plugged in. Your AC and Microwave need this to run. Everything else runs on 12v DC. Your lights, fans, Your hot water, fridge, and heat work on propane, or they might be dual and can be on 120v AC when your plugged in or propane when your not (they need 12v from your trailer battery for controls and fans). Your batteries are automatically charged when plugged into shore power (120v AC).

 

[tlanders1970]

thank you!

 

[MACK C-85]

thank you!

To put electric in terms you might better understand...

Water....

Voltage is the pressure or how fast the water is flowing.

Amperage is the volume that is provided or how much water can flow....

 

[Dano3500]

Welcome to a fellow Severn River Rat. [emoji41]

Well, OK you could be from the Magothy side!!!

I now live in Severn, but I grew up in Carrollton Manor. My parents still live there, so I'm in the Park a couple of times a week

SPHS Class of '76

Earleigh Heights VFD 1974 - 1988

Thanks - Lived here for 5 years. We like it. My oldest starts at SPHS in the fall. We're on the Severn side - I could walk to your parents' in about 5 min.

Funny meeting local ppl on a national forum. I met a guy recently on Twitter that lives in Chartwood.

 

[Dano3500]

Yeap, that's the technical description of a standard RV hookup.....

Nominal 120 volts. (between 110 volts min and 125 volts max)
60 Hertz alternating current. (American ac is 60 Hz....most of the rest of the world is 50 Hz)
30 amps maximum amperage.

Be very careful that you are hooking up to a 120 volts RV receptacle, even though they are very similar in prong arrangement a 220 volt dryer receptacle will fry your campers electrical system.

Also be aware you have two electrical systems in your trailer. The 120v AC is when you're plugged in. Your AC and Microwave need this to run. Everything else runs on 12v DC. Your lights, fans, Your hot water, fridge, and heat work on propane, or they might be dual and can be on 120v AC when your plugged in or propane when your not (they need 12v from your trailer battery for controls and fans). Your batteries are automatically charged when plugged into shore power (120v AC).

Great info on the 120V RV hookup. I had the same question. I'm going to wire up a plug for mine at home and actually have an extra dryer receptacle but had only ever seen that configuration plug on dryers. I assume I can use the dryer plug and just wire it up for 120V (Not an electrician but pretty experienced w/it).

 

[MACK C-85]

Thanks - Lived here for 5 years. We like it. My oldest starts at SPHS in the fall. We're on the Severn side - I could walk to your parents' in about 5 min.



Funny meeting local ppl on a national forum. I met a guy recently on Twitter that lives in Chartwood.

I couldn't tell you squat about SPHS now. Completely different facility than when I went there. School and Athletic fields have swapped places.

We moved to S.P. in 1969, much different than it is now. My Dad was friends with several people who had summer homes in Carrollton Manor back in the 50s. I've been around there since I was born.

I rabbit and quail hunted with a VFD buddy all over where Chartwood is now. His Uncle owned from the old Earleigh Heights station on Truckhouse Road all the way out to Jumpers Hole Road.

My Great Aunt owned a big portion of the triangle between West Benfield Road and Benfield Blvd. and Veteran's Highway. Hunted all that before it was developed. Her house was torn down to make room for Veteran's Hwy. Before I-97 was built, Veteran's Highway was the northbound lanes of Rt.3. Southbound Rt.3 was basically the northbound lanes of I-97.

 

[MACK C-85]

Great info on the 120V RV hookup. I had the same question. I'm going to wire up a plug for mine at home and actually have an extra dryer receptacle but had only ever seen that configuration plug on dryers. I assume I can use the dryer plug and just wire it up for 120V (Not an electrician but pretty experienced w/it).

You could, just make sure you connect the hot and neutral so they are not crossed when you plug in.

Two other options....

1. An regular exterior (waterproof) RV outlet and box is about $25 on line. If you can get the power to the exterior wall, it eliminates pulling the cord through a door. Ours is plugged into the garage and runs under the door.

2. They make a 15 Amp (regular wall outlet) to 30 amp pigtail, that's great if you just want to keep your batteries up and maybe run the refrigerator. Not going to handle the full load, but we have our T-276 SR plugged into one and it works fine. With judicious usage, it will run the a/c.

 

[Dano3500]

I couldn't tell you squat about SPHS now. Completely different facility than when I went there. School and Athletic fields have swapped places.

We moved to S.P. in 1969, much different than it is now. My Dad was friends with several people who had summer homes in Carrollton Manor back in the 50s. I've been around there since I was born.

I rabbit and quail hunted with a VFD buddy all over where Chartwood is now. His Uncle owned from the old Earleigh Heights station on Truckhouse Road all the way out to Jumpers Hole Road.

My Great Aunt owned a big portion of the triangle between West Benfield Road and Benfield Blvd. and Veteran's Highway. Hunted all that before it was developed. Her house was torn down to make room for Veteran's Hwy. Before I-97 was built, Veteran's Highway was the northbound lanes of Rt.3. Southbound Rt.3 was basically the northbound lanes of I-97.

My grandparents lived in Annapolis in the '70's so used to come down this way from north of Baltimore quite often. Mostly down Rt 2 (I remember when the old tracks still crossed 100) and I always loved Fire Trucks so would stare at the "new" station - Didn't know the FD used to be on Truckhouse. I had something to do with the building of their brush truck several years ago (and also one @ Arnold VFD) & got to see the truck out on a Fire call after moving here which was pretty neat. Sometimes we'd go Rt. 3 to Benfield to Rt. 2 or to 178 so I was vaguely familiar w/the area before we moved here and remember when Rt. 3 had the north & south sides where 97 is now.

The house we're in was built IIRC in the early 60's. I'll PM you my address. You'll know exactly what house it is. Wouldn't be surprised if you knew or knew of the people who lived here. Their son was killed in a car accident - Prob. in the 80's but not sure.

Neat stories about before the area was developed. Crazy expensive now.

 

[MACK C-85]

My grandparents lived in Annapolis in the '70's so used to come down this way from north of Baltimore quite often. Mostly down Rt 2 (I remember when the old tracks still crossed 100) and I always loved Fire Trucks so would stare at the "new" station - Didn't know the FD used to be on Truckhouse. I had something to do with the building of their brush truck several years ago (and also one @ Arnold VFD) & got to see the truck out on a Fire call after moving here which was pretty neat. Sometimes we'd go Rt. 3 to Benfield to Rt. 2 or to 178 so I was vaguely familiar w/the area before we moved here and remember when Rt. 3 had the north & south sides where 97 is now.



The house we're in was built IIRC in the early 60's. I'll PM you my address. You'll know exactly what house it is. Wouldn't be surprised if you knew or knew of the people who lived here. Their son was killed in a car accident - Prob. in the 80's but not sure.



Neat stories about before the area was developed. Crazy expensive now.

The old (original) firehouse is a three bay building, near the Elks Lodge, on the opposite side of Truckhouse Road. There are murals painted on the doors, one is of a tank!

Earleigh Heights V.F.D. was chartered in 1918 and moved to it's current location in the late 50s.

My avatar and screen name is from my favorite piece of apparatus in my career a 1965 Mack C85.

 

[Dano3500]

The old (original) firehouse is a three bay building, near the Elks Lodge, on the opposite side of Truckhouse Road. There are murals painted on the doors, one is of a tank!

Earleigh Heights V.F.D. was chartered in 1918 and moved to it's current location in the late 50s.

My avatar and screen name is from my favorite piece of apparatus in my career a 1965 Mack C85.View attachment 7330

I've only driven down Truckhouse Road a couple times and really more on purpose than for convenience but now the name makes sense. Will have to go look for the old Truck House now. I like old cars, old trucks, know just enough about fire trucks (I have a book on specifically about Mack Fire Trucks) that I knew what the screen name was. I might even have an original C-85 brochure.

 

[Dano3500]

You could, just make sure you connect the hot and neutral so they are not crossed when you plug in.

Two other options....

1. An regular exterior (waterproof) RV outlet and box is about $25 on line. If you can get the power to the exterior wall, it eliminates pulling the cord through a door. Ours is plugged into the garage and runs under the door.

2. They make a 15 Amp (regular wall outlet) to 30 amp pigtail, that's great if you just want to keep your batteries up and maybe run the refrigerator. Not going to handle the full load, but we have our T-276 SR plugged into one and it works fine. With judicious usage, it will run the a/c.

I'll prob. get the exterior RV plug/box or a weather resistant box for the plug I have. No problem getting power to it. I'm going to put A/C in the camper (looks like it is pre-wired) & it'd be nice to be able to run everything if needed. Thx. for the info!