1972 Compact Jr.

[Arizona3313]

I just picked up a 1972 Hunter Compact JR that is in good condition except for the popup canvas and a few other things that will need to be handled.. One of the things that confuses me is that some of the data on this camper talk about spring assisted roof lift.. The rig I bought does not seem to have any springs on it and is a little hard to lift.. Can any of you give me some info on the "springs" and how they are hooked up to the top assembly.. Also any technical data on this Jr model would be helpful.
Thanks

[Denece]

Can't help with the spring question, but did want to welcome you to Compact-ville.
We have the II so shorter ( lighter) roof section. Ours just has a scissors on each side with a short strut that holds the whole mess up via a wing nut. It's only hard to lift if it goes cockeyed.

Others here will be able to help you more.

Gotta love the beds in these!


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[Lora]

There seem to be two types of lift mechanisms for the Compacts. Our 73 has the scissor mechanism that Denece mentioned. Others appear to have four independent supports.

[Bob Miller]

Why don't you post some pics of what you currently have for a top lift/support system.

[Arizona3313]

The lift system on my trailer is just four metal arms that attach to what looks like heavy duty ball bearing drawer slides. The arms just move back and forth on the slides and as you lift the lid they lock into place when the top is up. I read some place that these slides have some kind of a spring attached to them and help put up the top.. I am wondering how the springs were hooked up to the arms and where on the body of the trailer they were attached..
Thanks

[john madill]

If you have the drawer-slide model there isn't any spring that I'm aware of.

And they don't automatically lock into place. There is a pin that goes through a hole in the metal arm and through another hole in the side of the camper fiberglass wall.

You can see it pretty well in these photos of the up and down position.

Also note the circular magnet that keeps the chain and pin from dangling when the roof is down.

I thought my slides could use a little lubricant so I sprayed them with silicone spray.

Now it moves TOO easily, wish I hadn't done that.

Congrats on the Junior, let's see some photos.

[Bob Miller]

This is the lift system on my Hunter Compact-II. It has a spring between the two bottom slides, but it does almost nothing to help lift the top. It does help the sliders move more smoothly, but that's about it.

[Arizona3313]

Thanks for the info on the top slides.. This info helps a lot.. Anyone pulled one of these with Rav4 V6, if so what kind of gas mileage did you get.. Also I am thinking that the Compact Jr will weight in at about 1300 when loaded..
Rollie

[Cathie Sadler-Pare]

I just brought home a 73 compact II, on the way home while it is completely empty I stopped and got it weighed. I was surprised. It is 1300 #'s dry.
I also have a Rav4 It can tow 1500#'s and others I know have easily towed 1800#. they said it affected the mileage but they love their adventures. I'll post my mileage after my first trip.

[Arizona3313]

Thanks for all of the feedback on the JR... I am in process of modifying it to put in a bathroom so us old people do not have to run out in the night and find a potty somewhere.. The data that came in on the top assembly was very helpful and I traced most of the problem to dirt in the sliders and the work the previous owner did in adding a fancy looking headliner to the top.. I will rework the top as I go on the rig..
The question of weight came up in one response and a friend of mine who worked for Allegro told me that when a manufacturer says the "dry weight" of a rig it means, no battery, all tanks including the propane are empty. and does not include a spare tire.

[Bob Miller]

We replaced the fixed loo in our Hunter-II with a Dometic SeaLand 975 Porta-potty mounted on slide out tracks.

[Lee Senn]

As to towing with a Rav4, we tow with a 2012 Rav . The 2012 Rav is the last of the V6s and is rated for 3500lbs. Our trailer is a 1981 Bigfoot weighing 2450 lbs, loaded for a one week campout, on a certified scale. Rav tows the Bigfoot quite well, including several trips from Twin Falls, Idaho to the Oregon coast which includes many trips over the Cascade and coastal mountains. We average about 12 to 14 mpg when towing at a max of about 62 mph. Great tow vehicle only major complaint is it is a real tail dragger. The Rav configuration is such that mounting a trailer hitch ends up with the hitch so low you will drag the rear end sometimes even without the trailer in tow also the Rav "trailer tow package" includes very little of what is really needed to tow, no hitch, no trailer wiring (not even a plug and play setup) all wiring for the trailer must be done from scratch. Hope this helps. Even with the above nitpics I really love the Rav and it is a great tow vehicle. We also have a Trails West Campster and when towing it mileage increases to 14 maybe even 16. Lee

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Lee Senn

As to towing with a Rav4, we tow with a 2012 Rav . Great tow vehicle only major complaint is it is a real tail dragger.

Mine drops 2" without the weight distribution hitch and maybe 1/4 inch with the WDH.
Since the OEM hitch is only Class II it is not sufficient for a WDH. My Toyota dealer brought in an installer who put on a Class III hitch receiver and wired the Prodigy brake controller ( that I supplied ). The OEM hitch was $900 with no wiring. The after-market installer charged me $650 for everything.
The tow package included a transmission fluid cooler and larger alternator and radiator.
Another reason for using a WDH is to move weight forward to the front drive wheels.

First pic is without WDH bars deployed. Second pic is with WDH in use.

[Lee Senn]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Mine drops 2" without the weight distribution hitch and maybe 1/4 inch with the WDH.
Since the OEM hitch is only Class II it is not sufficient for a WDH. My Toyota dealer brought in an installer who put on a Class III hitch receiver and wired the Prodigy brake controller ( that I supplied ). The OEM hitch was $900 with no wiring. The after-market installer charged me $650 for everything.
The tow package included a transmission fluid cooler and larger alternator and radiator.
Another reason for using a WDH is to move weight forward to the front drive wheels.

First pic is without WDH bars deployed. Second pic is with WDH in use.

As always there is the owners manual ubiquitous admonition to not use a weight distribution hitch ? I personally would use one anyway but with the Bigfoot and certainly the Trails West the additional drop on the Rav is minimal, my reference is to the fact that I drag without the trailer hooked up, it is not a major concern just a minor irritation. My install was similar to yours class III hitch and wiring, done by a local RV shop that I have done business with for many years at a cost similar to yours. My gripe here was that if you pay for a "trailer tow package" you shouldn't have to then spend another $600.00 to $750.00 to get the vehicle ready to tow. Again minor gripes and if Toyota still offered the V6 in the Rav I would march down and buy another one when I need to get a new tow vehicle. Lee

[Glenn Baglo]

It took me six years to finally get an answer to the question, "what does 'Toyota does not recommend use of a weight distribution hitch' actually mean?
I was told by Toyota Canada they don't recommend one because they do not have a relationship with an after market supplier of weight distribution hitches. So, it doesn't actually mean DON'T USE one. It means they don't have one that they recommend.

[Tom Trostel]

Your weight sounds about right for the Jr or II. We have always used a port a potty and have had no problems.

First Sight Of 1973 Compact Jr. Photo by tomNjo | Photobucket

[thing3]

We have a face book page that would be good for your Question Rollie.
Compact Jr (Hunter) tiny fiberglass RV... it is a closed group but if you send a picture of your jr to the admin he will let you in.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Campsters have the spring-loaded scissor. Works great but the top isn't as heavy as the longer Compact (Jr?)

[Cathie Sadler-Pare]

Will the facebook group be open to a Compact II joining? I love my little camper and keep a look out for any shared info I can find. I have been redoing the inside cabinets, going solar! replacing all the water and gas lines and just getting into new busbars and fuses. I tow mine with a Toyota Rav4 (4cylinder)
I love my little set up but you have to be patient on long uphills. If I wanted to visit the mountains I would have to look for a different TV. but for around the coast of California it works!

The more we camp, the more questions I have. FGRV is my fav

[Denece]

Yup! They let us in with ours!