Like to share info, specs, etc

[Nonprophet]

Thanks to whoever set this site up!

The Wildernest campers are legendary--it was so sad to see them go out of business! But even though they're not being made anymore, there is still considerable interest in these great campers as evidenced by all the people participating here.

I bought a new Wildernest in 1990 for my Nissan ext cab 4x4, and then sold 5 years later with the truck--and immediately regretted selling the camper! I recently picked up a used one for my Tacoma 4x4 ext cab, and I've pledged to keep this one for as long as I can keep it working.

That being said, it would be nice if some of the former employees from Wildernest who might find this website would offer us some insider info on these great campers.

Specifically, it would be nice to know how many models were made, during what years, and how to decipher that info from the seril numbers stamped on our campers. Also, any info on spare parts, parts suppliers (i.e. I'm looking for a new set of latches and an upper gasket/weather-stripping) would be VERY helpful!

If it's of any help to anyone, I have an owner's manual that came with my new used one--and I'd be happy to scan it and post it here as a PDF file. Also, I remember a thread where someone was missing the 2 v-shaped aluminum brakets for the upper ventilation windows--again mine is complete and I'd be happy to take pics so other could fabricate a replacement set for themselves.

Mine came with the kitchen organizer, bedding and clotes hammock, and tailgate curtain, and I'd be happy to post pics and specs on those items too if it would be helpful. I also have the 2 original outrigger poles and the 3 fiberglass stays.

I look forward to hearing from other about these great campers!!!


NP

[gage]

I got new trimlock from precision replacement parts in monroe ,washington.---I live on vancouver island ( it RAINS here, doesn't it ) No leaks

[Nonprophet]

Hi Gage,

Do you happen to remember which bulb seal you bought from Precision? So far it seems like the best fit I can come up with is their Durometer series the UWS134. But because I can't take it in to them, it's a little bit of a challenge trying to find the right seal, so if you know which one you bought that sure would be helpful!

Thanks!


NP

[gage]

Ditto on the thanks -for whoever started this board. I found out most stuff on the internet. uws-141 is the stuff I used -25ft in the bag for under $ 50 bucks ( Canadian $ ), it took about 24 + ft for mine , most companies told me they would give me a price break at 1000 ft ( thanks alot ) I don't know if the same trimlock was used on all models, but mine had a round bulb with a piece joining the circle in the centre,plus it had lip of rubber coming off the base for half a centimetre (approx ) . Without going back to look at the profile you picked , checkout the flange thickness . On mine I wanted to have the flange tighter fitting because water can also enter by going around the flange, since it is horizontal . Let me know how it works out ,OK ? Gage

[Nonprophet]

Hey Gage,

Did you take your Wildernest into Precision and have them identify the bulb seal you needed? The UWS 141 looks very different from what I have now--though I do think it would work and might even work better than what I have now.

How long have you had it installed? No leaks yet?

The problem with the lid seal design IMHO is that the seal doesn't really seal at the flat space on top of the main canopy, rather it seems like it seals againt the bottom of the tent where it attaches to the top lip of the bottom/main canopy....I think just sitting still it makes a good seal, but I'm afraid that driving in the rain would really force the water up into the gap and get the tent wet. Wet tent=moldy tent=dead tent.

I also seem to get condensation on the inside of the lid--and that gets the mattress and curtains, etc wet/damp and then they can get moldy/mildewy when stored in the lid. I'm thinking about glueing some rubber-backed indoor-outdoor carpeting to cover the area where the mattress is to stop the condensation and also provide a little more comfort when climbing in and out of bed.

[gage]

I installed it last may- it has worked so far -I know it is a different profile, the original wasn't available. I didn't go to Precision in person . Unless you have ventilation you will have condensation. I replaced my mattress with two "Themorest " Much better and more versitile ,can take backpacking for instance. We made a fleese envelope to keep them from slipping apart and from chaffing in the fibreglass. I removed my tent one winter ( when I had leaks ) the band around the bottom shrank and I had to wet it and stretch it back ( a pain ) The material should be mildew proof , it will stain though.
Hey ,the design is what it is. It certainly could have been better, I can think of a hundred details , but bottom line I can camp anywhere I can get my truck- I've driven (four wheel drive) logging roads for 35 years. I can still throw a deer in the back, no sweat. That will mess up a camper good .I like the visability of a canopy and I drive on the Ferry as a regular vehicle, not overheight. ( if you are overheight you pay alot more and very often have to wait for a later boat. ) that really screws an already time consuming operation. Plus it realy offers no wind resistance ,,,narrow ,crappy, steep, or partly blocked roads can be negotiated most times. When I had kids we had a camper and although that worked for us then , don't need that anymore . _---------enough said Gage

[Nonprophet]

Hi Gage,

Got the seal from Precision today--it looks good, maybe even an improvement on the original. Given that I've got to loosen the hinges to replace the seal, I'm going to try and find some stainless steel replacement hinges and then seal those up good with silicone when I replace them.

Regarding the condensation, I should have clarified that I get condensation when the camper is closed sitting either on my truck or th stand I built for it. Condensation builds up on the underside of the roof (the bottom of the bed when open) and it keeps things wet/damp inside. I think if I glue some rubber-backed indoor/outdoor carpeting right on to the fiberglass tha this will stop the condensation, insulate the lid, and make for a little more comfortable feel to getting in and out of the bed area.

Anyone know where to get the National stainless steel hinges with the same hole pattern as the stock ones?


NP

[gage]

don't undo all the hinges at the same time. The ships chandler here only had two. check with a boat buider perhaps.
with regard to condensation . my thinking is glueing something in there will only provide more surface area for mildew/mold to grow on, think of it as a glass upside down, if you can provide ventilation or seal it off somehow in storage you may stop the moisture , but wait and see what difference resealing makes first,,,,,, that's my two cents , for what it's worth, good luck and keep us informed. Gage

[abeaudin1971]

I have a wildernest - the tent is no longer waterproof (found out the hard way on an extended road trip over xmas)

It's the original tent and there are a couple of small holes in the tent (to be expected I suppose) - I'm wondering if

a) I should wash down the tent and re-waterproof it (has anyone done this - advice etc?)
b) find some shop that could fab me a new tent.. (has anyone done this? - same as above - advice etc?)

This is the 6' Wildernest for trucks like Toyota Tacoma etc the small one..

As well, One of my springs broke - the ones that are on the right hand front and back that help lift the top open/make sure it doesn't slam closed - anyone able to source one of these?

Aside from the broken spring and the not so waterproof capability it's a wonderful camper (for the most part there isn't any rain here - I'm in California)

Thanks
-a

[Nonprophet]

Gage,

Well, that bulb seal I got (UWS 141) didn't work too well. It went on ok (it's kind of a pain loosening the hinges one by one to get the new seal on behind them--I was doing it by myself) and it looked okay, but here's what I found out:

The UWS 141 from Precision is really meant to seal side-to-side, not a compression seal top to bottom like the original Wildernest seal. Also, while I agree with you that a bulb seal could leak at the trimlock (the rubber-coated wire u-channel that fits on the lip of the Wildernet lid) the problem I'm having is that while the UWS 141 orginally fit on the lip nice and tight, now in the corners (and a few other places) the channel is actually opening up which of course will let in even more rain/water. I think the problem is that the UWS 141 is made for a flange thickness of 1.5mm to 2.82mm and the flange thickness on my Wilndernest lid is 4mm. So the UWS 141 fit on there, but I think it's too tight, especially in the rounded corners of the lid. Also, while it gives me a good seal down the sides, I took my turck out in the rain the other day and it leaks at the front and a little at the back.

Part of the problem in finding the right seal is that most of the bulb seal manufacturers use metric (mm) measurements. I went out and bought a digital caliper--for those of you who are thinking about replacing your bulb seal here are the measurements of the orginal:

Overall width (trimlock to outer edge of the rubber bulb seal): 32mm
Bulb seal width: 22mm
Bulb seal height: 18mm
Tricklock width: 11mm
Trinlock depth: 15mm
Flange thickness (the lip of the WN top) 4mm

That being said, I think the Precision UWS 106 or the UWS 134 are the closest replacement to what came stock. I'm going to call Derek at precison tomorrow, and see which one he thinks is best (1-800-367-8241)

As for the hinges, the ones that are on mine now (and there's only one set of holes drilled in the camper so I think they're orginal) are National Hinges brand 4" with 1/4" rounded corners. In stainless steel, that's a National part# V514rc 4x4 SS hinge. My local hardware store was able to order them for me for $12 ea. with no shipping charges.

Hope this is helping someone......



NP

[Nonprophet]

A,

Is the fabic itself leaking, or just the seams? If it's just the seams, get some seamseal form your local outdoor store and reseal the seams.

If the whole panels are leaking, I think I would buy some waterproofing spray (like 3m, etc.) from an outdoor store and clean the tent and try the spray.

First, you might want to call someone say at REI, and tell them that you have an older tent of theirs that is now not waterproof--see what they tell you.

Also, a while back there was a guy that was selling a new "spare" tent for a Wildernest, but it was for a full size WN and he was asking like $600 for it.....

Before I had a new tent made I'd seriously consider getting a tent/canvas/sail maker to make you a waterproof rain fly that would go over the tent when it rains. Most tents utilize a rain fly anyway, and it sure would be cheaper than getting a whole new tent made.

Lastly, a blue/poly tapr for $20 tied on with bungee cords would also keep the rain out.........

[Nonprophet]

Well, after spending quite a bit of time searching for a replacement bulb seal for my Wildernest, I think I found the best bulb seal replacement deal.

It's from Uni-Grip (http://www.uni-grip.com/Bulb_1.html) and it's their bulb seal# PTL-124

It just about exactly fits the measurements of my original seal from WN, and, it slopes downward a bit (towards the fiberglass lip of the bottom/main part of the camper where the lid seal "seals") so I think it will make a better seal. Also, they will sell it in 25' lengths (unlike a lot of places who have a 250' minumum!!!) for $1.25 a foot--a pretty good deal I think!

I just ordered some, and I'll share the results once I get it and install it!

[abeaudin1971]

Thanks for the pointers - the fabric itself leaks so it'll need to be resealed


Any idea on where I could source one of the springs or should I just pop by a machine / spring shop and see if they'd fab one?

-a

Nonprophet said:

A,

Is the fabic itself leaking, or just the seams? If it's just the seams, get some seamseal form your local outdoor store and reseal the seams.

If the whole panels are leaking, I think I would buy some waterproofing spray (like 3m, etc.) from an outdoor store and clean the tent and try the spray.

First, you might want to call someone say at REI, and tell them that you have an older tent of theirs that is now not waterproof--see what they tell you.

Also, a while back there was a guy that was selling a new "spare" tent for a Wildernest, but it was for a full size WN and he was asking like $600 for it.....

Before I had a new tent made I'd seriously consider getting a tent/canvas/sail maker to make you a waterproof rain fly that would go over the tent when it rains. Most tents utilize a rain fly anyway, and it sure would be cheaper than getting a whole new tent made.

Lastly, a blue/poly tapr for $20 tied on with bungee cords would also keep the rain out.........

[Nonprophet]

A,

I have no idea on a source for the springs--if you find one (which it sounds like you'll have to if one of them is broken) please let us know.

Good luck!

NP

[Steve in Colorado]

Nonprophet said:

Thanks to whoever set this site up!

If it's of any help to anyone, I have an owner's manual that came with my new used one--and I'd be happy to scan it and post it here as a PDF file. Also, I remember a thread where someone was missing the 2 v-shaped aluminum brakets for the upper ventilation windows--again mine is complete and I'd be happy to take pics so other could fabricate a replacement set for themselves.



NP

Did post the manual??? I need info on how to set mine up?
Tks Steve