I'm a newbie here and trying to learn as much as I can. I'm thinking to be a fulltimers on my own in a year or two and I'm debating getting a truck camper or conversion van. I know that a MH has more room and niceties, but I'm not going to be able to afford one. So my question to the veterans is why you pick the truck camper as oppose to the conv. van.?
Why did you choose a camper instead of a van?
- Thread starter Jake123
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ZuniJayne
Well-known member
Jake,
I started fulltiming with a 29ft fifth wheel, then a 28 ft travel trailer. They both had their pluses. However, because there is only me and I don't travel fulltime anymore, I have gone to a pickup camper on my truck and tow a small 4wd vehicle behind me when I travel.
This allows me to leave the truck and camper parked while being able to explore (and go shopping/sightseeing) with my 4wd at twice the mileage of my truck, which is a 93 Ford F250.
The plus side of a van is that if set up well, you have all your cooking and toilet facilities on board and you can park pritnear anywhere. The downside is that you live in a very, very small area and you have to pack everything up and put it away to even go, for example, to the grocery store.
I started fulltiming with a 29ft fifth wheel, then a 28 ft travel trailer. They both had their pluses. However, because there is only me and I don't travel fulltime anymore, I have gone to a pickup camper on my truck and tow a small 4wd vehicle behind me when I travel.
This allows me to leave the truck and camper parked while being able to explore (and go shopping/sightseeing) with my 4wd at twice the mileage of my truck, which is a 93 Ford F250.
The plus side of a van is that if set up well, you have all your cooking and toilet facilities on board and you can park pritnear anywhere. The downside is that you live in a very, very small area and you have to pack everything up and put it away to even go, for example, to the grocery store.
ZuniJayne
Well-known member
Shayne,
Thanks! So I was lazy, and didn't spell it prit'near. You got the drift!
Thanks! So I was lazy, and didn't spell it prit'near. You got the drift!
PancakeBill
Well-known member
You do have lots more versatility with a TC and pickup, but in dollars, you can probably get the conversion less than buying the 2 uits. Alos consider that a TC and a PU will have to be 2 seperate loans.
Room, more in the TC. Bathroom in a conversion is alost an afterthought, close or bathroom, which do you prefer?
Room, more in the TC. Bathroom in a conversion is alost an afterthought, close or bathroom, which do you prefer?
re, won't be able to afford an RV so will have to have a van.
I don't think so.
Our best times RV-ing were in a C-class 22 ft RV. It was old and not very pretty but it had everything, ie a 4 burner stove and oven, a three way fridge, a toilet with a door that closed, a shower in the toilet where it was only just possible to have a shower, a dinette, a couch, an arm chair which doubled as the driver's seat and a king size double bed above the cab. What more could a person want?
We drove 5000km across Canada, up to Alaska, across to the Northwest Territories, up the Dempster to the Arctic Ocean and back (20,000 km in two months), with hardly a problem. We brought it to Florida and seeing that our lifestyle had changed, traded it for a much bigger Class A. But the old Class C was sold for $4000 lousy dollars and was in PERFECT condition to do a low-cost round North America tour. It's now 20 years old and I have lost touch with it in the last year.
My point is that you can buy a class C that will carry a couple whereever they want, and not cost very much. You have to find one that's good, and then change the belts, and hoses, and perhaps the muffler, and perhaps the brake linings and then you are ready to go. And you will be ready to go places that a 40 foot diesel pusher with 4slides, AC and granite counter tops isn't prepared to go in case he damages his enormous investment.
Rankjo
I don't think so.
Our best times RV-ing were in a C-class 22 ft RV. It was old and not very pretty but it had everything, ie a 4 burner stove and oven, a three way fridge, a toilet with a door that closed, a shower in the toilet where it was only just possible to have a shower, a dinette, a couch, an arm chair which doubled as the driver's seat and a king size double bed above the cab. What more could a person want?
We drove 5000km across Canada, up to Alaska, across to the Northwest Territories, up the Dempster to the Arctic Ocean and back (20,000 km in two months), with hardly a problem. We brought it to Florida and seeing that our lifestyle had changed, traded it for a much bigger Class A. But the old Class C was sold for $4000 lousy dollars and was in PERFECT condition to do a low-cost round North America tour. It's now 20 years old and I have lost touch with it in the last year.
My point is that you can buy a class C that will carry a couple whereever they want, and not cost very much. You have to find one that's good, and then change the belts, and hoses, and perhaps the muffler, and perhaps the brake linings and then you are ready to go. And you will be ready to go places that a 40 foot diesel pusher with 4slides, AC and granite counter tops isn't prepared to go in case he damages his enormous investment.
Rankjo
This has probably already been covered but a van is not anything like a truck camper so there's really no comparison. A more valid comparison would be between a truck camper and a motor home or a 5th wheel or trailer. The advantage over towed campers is the ability to tow a boat or other vehicle/trailer. The advantage over motorhome is not having to support another vehicle with engine, insurance, fees and all of the other stuff.
Plus, you gotta have a pickup truck anyway - right?
Plus, you gotta have a pickup truck anyway - right?
famousperson
New member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2008
- Posts
- 1
The concept of a conversion van has always intrigued me due to its compactness (I am a backpacker so less is more) and parkability. However, DW holds the compactness against it, and simply wanted more room. So that's why we got the camper, its relative spaciousness. And I have to admit, for camping and, I would certainly think, for full timing, it is more practical because of the room. It is luxurious compared to a van.
However, parking is another matter. The truck alone is bad enough, but adding the camper makes parking anywhere but in huge parking lots out of the question. Parallel park? Forget it! And our neighbors hate it. It blocks their vision as they attempt to get out of their driveways. So, because it is so much more pleasant when you get along with your neighbors, we inconvieniently keep it at a storage facility several miles away, and only park it in front of the house the night before leaving for a trip.
When I really feel the need for "compactness," I pack up my tent, sleeping bag and freeze-dried food and go off on my motorcycle.
However, parking is another matter. The truck alone is bad enough, but adding the camper makes parking anywhere but in huge parking lots out of the question. Parallel park? Forget it! And our neighbors hate it. It blocks their vision as they attempt to get out of their driveways. So, because it is so much more pleasant when you get along with your neighbors, we inconvieniently keep it at a storage facility several miles away, and only park it in front of the house the night before leaving for a trip.
When I really feel the need for "compactness," I pack up my tent, sleeping bag and freeze-dried food and go off on my motorcycle.
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