How big is your Clam?

[Steph and Dud B]

Looking at Clams now. We often camp with friends who also have a small camper. Until now, we hung out in our fifth wheel in bad weather. That won't be an option anymore, so looking for a Clam the 4 of us can hang out in, even in the rain. So, it should have rain walls, too. We can get a smaller Clam and the add-on walls. I also see a 12x12' Clam "Pavilion" with roll down side walls built in. Wondering if that would be too large? So, does anyone have the large Clam and, if so, how do you like it?

[topgun2]

The 4 sided Clam is great for 1 or 2.  Three is a crowd and 4 can fit but you are going to be knee to knee.  Yes, wind/rain panels can be had for the 4 sided model.  Another benefit to the 4 sided model is that it will fit in the Oliver closet - the larger models will not fit in there.  Of course, the larger model can not only fit more people but in many instances it can be placed over a picnic table if need be.  These days there are Clam models that have floors in them too.

Good luck!

Bill

p.s.  Clam is a company that is very much like Oliver - if you have a problem, they will fix it.

[Mike and Carol]

We have the 5 sided Clam, brown with the tan top.  We also have removable side panels which work great in cold weather.  We put our Outlander fire pit in the middle and the Clam stays warm even in cold weather.  We can easily fit 6, 8 if we get real friendly.  It is not too big for me to handle alone and fits in our truck bed end to end.

 

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

Mike & Carol,

How do you store your Clam?  The long package will not fit fore & aft in our 5 1/2' pickup bed.  Not real excited about hauling it on the roof rack.  Everything else about the Clam looks real good.

[Mike and Carol]

We’ve got a Ram 2500 with a 6’ 4” bed, so it fits with a few inches to spare.  When we had a 1500 with the shorter bed it went in diagonally, wasn’t too much of an issue depending on how much stuff you carry in the bed.  Mike

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

Thanks Mike,

We have a 5.5' bed on the F150.  Probably go in sideways but not an ideal situation.  Otherwise, the Clam seems ideal.

[Mike and Carol]

We went sideways for a few years.  I just figured how to pack around it!  We’ve found we use the clam much more in cool/cold weather.  It goes up quick and comes down quick.  Mike

[topgun2]

I know of one F-150 owner that actually packs theirs on top of their tonneau cover.

While I believe that Clam makes a better product (at a higher price too), you might want to take a look at Gazelle.  They make a similar product that operates in much the same way as the Clam.

Bill

[Time2Go!]

We have the Clam Sky Escape Shelter which is one of the larger ones. It's 6 sided, measures 12x12. It is fully netted on all sides and top so you can see out to the night sky. It comes with the wind/rain walls, a rain fly top and a floor. You can use it in any combination. We have the shortbed F250 with the 6.5' bed and it fit straight in. We camped over Thanksgiving weekend with our grown kids & grandkids. 11 of us in all. On Saturday it rained from noon until 1am for 13 hours straight without stopping. It was great to have the shelter. We were able to fit everyone inside in chairs for dinner and during the day we had a smaller table set up for the kids to play games. It can be used over a picnic table easily without the floor installed. When the weather is nice we don't put any of the sides or top on and just use the netting to keep the bugs out.

[Steph and Dud B]

Thanks for all the info. We ordered a red Clam Sport and side panels. Buying some new Ollie toys for Christmas as we impatiently await our summer delivery.

[topgun2]

13 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said:

Buying some new Ollie toys for Christmas as we impatiently await our summer delivery

You're going to need a bigger store room!😆

[Ronbrink]

I was able to resolve the cumbersome stowage of my Sky Escape by installing an upper shelf under cap. The Clam is positioned diagonally along with the separate panel bag and assorted camp tables. This mod really freed up a lot of bed space for all of my other necessities!  
 

 

[topgun2]

Two generators?

[ChrisMI]

1 hour ago, topgun2 said:

Two generators?

Two is one and one is none ;)

[mossemi]

Very cleaver use of a pair of Gorilla Ladder Work Platforms.  I will try to remember this mod.

Mossey

[mossemi]

5 hours ago, ChrisMI said:

Two is one and one is none 😉

Must be why I always eat 3 donuts. 😋  And remember, ”you don’t have to be hungry to eat a donut"!

[Ronbrink]

Yep, two generators both dual fuel. The Oliver is my hurricane escape pod and the larger one has served me well for those  3-4 day mandatory evacuations. It will run 16 hours on a tank of gas, non-ethanol, and continuously during those times. I have also used it in roadside and parking lot overnight stays when the wife demands all of the comforts of home! I then got the smaller one primarily as a convenience for A/C on stops for meals or breaks when traveling; but have used it, on propane, for brief overnight stays, as well. I have solar panels atop my TV cap to run the Dometic dual zone and a DC-DC charger to keep the trailer batteries topped off. 
 

 

[SeaDawg]

Well, that's how you get that big Westingouse out of the truck bed. 

Care to share the info on the crane? 

[topgun2]

Another interesting use for those Andersen Levelers too.

You keep adding more "stuff" and ScubaRx will have to start thinking about a bigger truck. 😇

Bill

[Ronbrink]

The hoist is a real back saver, use it to load the generator, as well as the Dometic completely loaded and full 30# propane tanks. The ‘truck crane’ is marketed for a truck bed installation, but I modified it to mount on the tongue of the Oliver. I also added a strap winch for enhanced performance which involved some fabrication. The Anderson under the front stabilizer is a Rapid Jack put to good use!

[SeaDawg]

So, you only mount the crane when you plan to use it? Not permanently?

It must weigh 50 or 60 pounds, on its own?

 

[Ronbrink]

That is correct, this model is designed to mount behind the wheel well with the pedestal bolted to a truck bed, but in my application I collapse the boom and all for easy stowage under cap and the pedestal remains mounted on the Oliver. Your weight guesstimate is in the ball park for the entire unit, but the part I have to manhandle is probably a little north of 30 lbs. I can also use it to lift my folding ebikes in and out of the TV where kept when underway; the bike rack is transported on the front receiver hitch where it usually remains, especially when camping. 

[ScubaRx]

On 1/14/2022 at 12:34 PM, topgun2 said:

You keep adding more "stuff" and ScubaRx will have to start thinking about a bigger truck. 😇

Bill

This one big enough for you? We traded up to a 3500 from our 2500 to get more cargo carrying capacity this past fall. We are waiting on the topper for it. 

We ordered it in mid June and picked it up the end of September. Since we ordered on the first day that 2022’s could be ordered, we got it before they ran out of parts. 
 

We’ve had an electric lift in the Oliver garage for the past five years. We use it to lift and place all the heavy stuff.

Like the generator…

Or the toolbox…

And those propane tanks…

We also use it it lift the 12 volt Dometic refrigerator into the truck. 

[ShallowGal]

On 12/13/2021 at 9:20 AM, topgun2 said:

I know of one F-150 owner that actually packs theirs on top of their tonneau cover.

... and after an approximate accumulation of 18+ months of exposure, the cover disintegrated. However, the Clam itself is still fantastic. 

[Jstone]

Our Clam traveled on top of our Sequoia from our home in South Carolina to Hohenwald & back. I really think it looks like a body is tied up in a brown bag, but maybe my dark sense of humor has colored my perception. From a low point of view you can’t see “Clam” on the bag, so maybe I’m lucky I wasn’t pulled by law enforcement during my trip(lol).