Any truck reccomendations?

Never owned a truck and only had small suv and hatchbacks.
I know truck campers usually require 1 ton ones and know some 1/2  tons work as well. I'm basically looking for a great truck that is smaller in size since I'm so used to hatchbacks and SUVs. I'm sure some are out there that will hold campers too?

I'm thinking of like backing up and parallel parking.. lol

Truck campers tend to be very heavy. Thus, the need for heavy duty trucks. If you are planning to order a new truck, then the Ford F150 with the Heavy Duty Payload Package (HDPP) may have enough payload (cargo) capacity to safely haul a small camper. But, trying to find a used HDPP for sale is like searching for a unicorn.

However, there are a number of small, light, single axle travel trailers that can be towed with a 1/2 ton or smaller pickup. If gas mileage is your highest priority, a small TT might be a more doable option. Or, you might find a camper van that would work for you.

I've got a 24 ft TT and a 1/2 ton SUV and I don't have any trouble parking in a Wendy's lot or Walmart parking lot. Never felt the need to parallel park with trailer, but I'm sure I could do it. I'd just have to pay 2 parking meters and that would be a bummer!!!  ;D

nakamuru said:

Never owned a truck and only had small suv and hatchbacks.
I know truck campers usually require 1 ton ones and know some 1/2  tons work as well. I'm basically looking for a great truck that is smaller in size since I'm so used to hatchbacks and SUVs. I'm sure some are out there that will hold campers too?

I'm thinking of like backing up and parallel parking.. lol

Click to expand...

You need to be able to handle a fair amount of weight, which usually means a 3/4 or 1 ton tuck.  As far as backing up and parallel parking goes, I think the wheelbase is the biggest factor.  You can get a crew cab with an 8 foot bed, or a regular cab with a 6 foot bed, and pretty much everything in between. 

I would start by looking at the campers designed for short bed trucks.  Look at the floor plans.  Try to visualize yourself living in that space.  How often and for how long will you be in the camper?  Where do you intend/hope to go?  Temperatures and precipitation will control how much time you spend in the camper as opposed to outside the camper.  A lot of time inside usually means you need a bigger camper, which means the long bed campers.

How many people?  This will decide whether you need a crew cab or a regular cab, as well as influence the camper size.

Once you decide on a camper, you can then choose the truck that can best handle it.  https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/ has great articles in their Newbie Corner on matching a camper to a truck.

I would also favor the TT over the truck camper. With just the 2 of us I couldn't imagine less space. As far as backing.. If you get a TT....Just drive it to a empty parking lot and spend a couple hours backing up.

But it does come down to "How are you planning to make use of the RV?"

I second the Travel Trailer opinion. (or maybe it is third or fourth?)

My logic path:
You want a smaller truck, but slide in campers tend to be very heavy.
Truck will need to be a 1 ton and/or a 3/4 ton with a lot of extra suspension add-ons. ($)
The slide in truck campers are really small.  Not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind.
Slide in truck campers (new) are almost the same cost as a Trailer. ($)
Your camper will always be with you. The plus is, you can leave anytime and just leave, (you don't need to go back and hook up) and you are likely to be able to boondock in a lot of places a trailer can't. (when in university, a fellow student did exactly this in the parking lot of the art faculty building)  The minus, you will always use that extra fuel doing odd errands. ($)
The used slide in campers, tend to be used hard and put away wet.  So, they are really diamonds in the rough, if you can find one in good condition. You may only find one to fit your vehicle from a dealership lot. ($)

My overall suggestion is to go to some RV shows/ RV dealerships.... Take the RV dealers words with a grain of salt... the experienced people here will tell you that the RV dealerships don't have the travel experience (they spend their whole summer selling, not traveling) to back up their claims that your truck can handle the weight. (I agree!!)
Read about towing in the library on this site. Read the posts and ask lots of questions.
Take your time looking.
See if you can rent something to test it first.
Camp in a tent or cabin and talk with RV people in person.

Honestly, when you get used to the height and size of a bigger truck; it's a little unnerving to drive a car again!! I prefer a full sized truck to a car now. When I drive my husband's Buick I notice the truck tires are right at the top of the windows!!

I have a small pickup truck, Nissan Frontier. It has the turning radius of an ocean going barge. Our Nissan Quest, a van that is actually longer than the truck has a great turning radius. As for backing up and parallel parking, they are equally as easy. Parallel parking is something some folks can do and many can?t. In my opinion the size of the vehicle has nothing to do with how difficult it is to back up. However, that opinion does not apply when it comes to trailers. I think the longer the trailer the easier it is to back up.

We had a long bed Ford F350, single rear wheel, and put on a 10' Arctic Fox camper. We loved it and my only concern was the fact that the truck itself was heavy duty enough, but the weak point was the rear tires. They were the highest rated available, but we were loaded almost to their limit.

We solved the problem with a dual rear wheel conversion kit. Don't know if they are still available, but I felt a lot safer with the weight being carried on 4 tires rather than 2. However, the dual rear wheel factory fenders  were not cheap. I might have gone the junk yard route, but didn't think of it.

I would recommend you Honda Ridgeline. This one purchased brother of mine for similar reasons as you.. He wanted to start with something and he is very happy with his decision so far.

nakamuru said:

Never owned a truck and only had small suv and hatchbacks.
I know truck campers usually require 1 ton ones and know some 1/2  tons work as well. I'm basically looking for a great truck that is smaller in size since I'm so used to hatchbacks and SUVs. I'm sure some are out there that will hold campers too?

I'm thinking of like backing up and parallel parking.. lol

Click to expand...

I'll repost your question about truck campers and smaller trucks.
Truck campers come in different lengths from 6 1/2' to 11 1/2' and can weigh from 1800 up to 5400 lbs requiring a stout 1/2 ton or up to a one ton DRW truck.
  We have no idea what size TC your looking at so we have no idea on what size truck you need.

I would recommend narrowing down to a size/weight TC you want then ask what size truck it needs.