Why buy a truck camper

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Well it looks like Tom and I found something to agree on.

I don't like slides, for a number of reasons:

1) They lead to an impossibly cramped interior in those situations where it is inappropriate, impossible, or inconvenient to deploy the slide.  These include brief rest or meal stops while traveling, loading or unloading supplies at the beginning or end of a trip, overnight stops in non-campground locations of various kinds, and older campsites at state and national parks where clearance is a problem.

2) Visual appearance of the outside of the RV while camping is a big deal to me, and slides are ugly.

3) Comparing two RVs with the same floor space -- a longer one without slides and a shorter one with slides -- the one with slides will generally be heavier, with attendant consequences for axles, tires, hitch, fuel economy, ability to pass slow moving Ford escorts, and (for a tt or 5er) tow vehicle selection.

4) I like windows and skylights.  Again comparing two RVs with the same floor space the one with slides has fewer opportunities for windows and skylights.

5) Slides increase the encamp and decamp times.

6) Slides occasionally fail to retract leading to an inability to decamp.  While rare, this is a major inconvenience when it occurs.

7) Slides are a fruitful source of water leaks.

8) Slides pose problems in high winds: air and water leakage, and increased susceptibility to overturning (unless auxiliary jacks are placed under the slide).

9) Slides raise the CG and can lead to lateral imbalance, both of which reduce drivability.

 
I know this is an old topic, but one use for a truck camper, is to use it in "stealth camping" mode.
There are lots of places where it is difficult to find a legit camping spot, but you can park maybe half the night, get in the back of your truck camper, and nobody cares. An example is trailheads.
As a photographer, I like to be right on the spot before the sun rises.
So in national parks, the truck camper gives some "flexibility", in this regard.
I use a pop-up camper. So nobody thinks I'm inside if I don't pop the roof. I can get some Zs while waiting for sunrise.
 
I go to a Lot of antique engine shows. Many times the display areas, Camping and trailer parking is just in a Field with No improved roads. And you know what happens to Fields when it rains :(

A few years ago at the Baraboo Show we got 6 inches of rain on Sat night. Only way Class A's were moving was with 2 tractors ahead of them... I went out and got a trailer for a friend and then mine... No problem...

I'm usually by myself so room is not a problem. I have Queen Bed, shower if I need it, Now AC if I need it, and room to plug in the puter and TV if I so desire and it's so easy to get around in crowded areas with a short vehicle. The Cummins and 5 speed 4X4 usually gets from 15 to 17 MPG with just the camper or 12 to 13 with the trailer attached. I got a different camper last spring but you get the idea...
 

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I would take the versatility of a truck camper over extra space anyday. I've never owned one but its def on my list.  I currently own a short wheel base dodge ram 1500. For this light duty truck options are somewhat limited but after extensive research ive got it narrowed down to the palamino 1251SB which yields a price tag of $9000 which seems reasonable when i look at the fact that I'll have a compact rv that i can simply pull up in my apartment complex with and not have to pay for storage.  It's a pop up camper that has a low profile when not in use. I really like that.  It comes with toilet shower furnace hot water heater fridge stove and queen size serta bed over the cab. Air conditioning would be extra . Sometimes don't u just wanna fall off the grid for a day or two? Have u ever lost heat dead in the middle of winter and had to sleep in a freezing house?  Having one of these genius thought up campers would be your simple peace of mind knowing you have some type of temporary or emergency dwelling.  One other thing thats unlikely but possible.  In the rare event somebody with one of these suddenly became homeless for whatever reason....he'd still have a roof over his head along with all the basic needs to get by til things smoothed out. That sounds alot better than sleeping in some alley way. I've done my research and this camper setup would claim about 4mpg if left on the truck which it will be. I don't drive this truck daily my civic gets me to work throughout the week so i dont mind the extra weight being pulled around when i do drive it.  Let me know what y'all think id love to hear some feedback
 
Look at the Palomino brand very carefully.  Check construction, look at other brands and compare.  If it fits you and you are happy with the construction and strength go for it.  I have had 4 different TC's and had looked at Palomino a couple times, I always ended up with something else.  Good luck! 
 
Thank you for your response.  I think its neat that you've had four campers.  I can't wait to get my first one.  From a financial standpoint palamino seems to be a great starter unit but for the long haul if i had to get one camper and one only it would be a hard side with the insulated four seasons package which would run over $20k brand new.  Maybe by the time i purchase one my credit will be good enough to finance a more longer lasting design.  Which brand do you favor the most out of the four you've had?
 
First off, get a good look at the used market.  The economy has not been kind to the TC industrry.  Lance came out OK, and these are good units, but among the 4 (Sunline, Coachmen, Arctic Fox and AlpineLite), my favorite for many reasons was the AplineLite.  It was the last one we had and what we traded for our motorhome.  Mine was a 2002, had a slide, solar, genset, sat TV etc.  But the layout was the best with a 'dry' bath, IOW, the shower was seperate from the toilet and sink. 

Used you can find in the range of a new Palomino. 

One of the weaknesses in tc's is wooden frame, they don't last as long as the aluminum framed units.  My 1st three were all woodframe, and on all 3 I had some issues.  The Arctic Fox a year newer than mine went to aluminum framed.  I would go back to one of these, but again, best was the AlpineLite. 

SHop them out, where are you located? 
 
We thought we were going to get a crank down trail manor light,then we were sure a fifth wheel,we changed our minds quite a bit. Then we met a couple in there 80,s  . They invited us into there lance truck camper. They said they have owned fifth wheels ,class a ,and everything inbetween. They came back to a truck camper and it was there favorite. They had camp hosted all over the country. They were the friendliest couple,after that we went to hershey show and  checked out lance campers. We ended up buying a lance 1191 with tent fold down in the back. Also purchased  a 2011  f-350 . In the two years we have owned it ,weve gone camping all over and love it. The plan was eventually to get a boat. Just got a used 19ft montauk a couple months ago.Plan is to haul it behind truck camper and fish many lakes and bays and some offshore. For me dropping the truck camper is quick and easy to free up truck . A fifth wheel would have cost less,but for now chose this setup.
 
Thank you for your responses.  Its really nice to be on here getting feedback from people who have experience with this type of thing. I live in memphis tn by the way. I have family right off the tn river and that is the general area I'll be using my camper the most once i get one.  Ive seen aluminum framed campers on the market but never gave it much thought due to the price but whatever i end up with i want to last so im gonna look into those a little more.
 
I think one needs to figure out how they want to camp. My wife and I have gone from backpacking, tents, pop ups, travel trailer and a class c. What we determined was we just want to spend time in nature simply. We wanted something more than a tent but simple. No tanks, no roof air, no pumps you get the idea. We wanted a hard walled tent that we did not have to set up and take down and nothing I couldn't get fixed at the hardware store or Home Depot. We ended up with a stripped out TC with two very comfortable beds, a little sink and a vented gas heater as simple as a propane stove. Our water is gravity fed from a tank on the roof and our shower is a solar shower. Our longest time out has been two and a half months in campgrounds and the woods.
The way we camp is not for everyone, most peoples comment, but it has been the best times we have had camping. Just to give you a look from the far side of the continuum. I'm sure you have fun how ever you chose to camp in what ever you chose to camp in.

Happy Camping , Tom
 
OK, we have a Class A diesel, 38 feet, 11 inches, 8' plus mirrors wide, with two slide-outs and it's very comfortable and would be possible to live in full time.  We are currently in Mexico for 3 months and loving it . However, I want to add a truck camper to the fleet.  DW is mildly supportive.  I have a 2009,  one-ton Dodge Diesel (3500 heavy duty) with an 8' bed and have read about Arctic Fox, Big Foot, Lance, Adventurer, et. al.  Used ones seem like a good buy.  What would y'all recommend I consider?  I will add air springs for support and probably a few other external amenities as well.  I would like both solar and a generator and am open to other suggestions as to size, brand, and accoutrements.
Thanks and feel free to send email as I don't check this a lot. Happy Trails to you!
 
I think one really needs to know what type of places one will be camped at. If choosing a TC cause you have the truck to run around in is cool but at lot of camp grounds at least ones I have been at do not allow you to take the camper off!
 
Ironrat, very true, there are some, but after camping in a TC for many years, I found it was not worth dropping the TC unless you need the pickup bed.  I had set up my first TC with saw horses, planks etc so we could take it off and use the truck, but found it wasn't necessary.  If you were to want to spend some time at a place, it might be worth it, but I found having it with me, at the beach, at a park etc, it was nice having my stuff.  Going shopping, groceries can be put away.

With 4 different campers and about 12 years, I can count on my fingers the number of times we removed it for a trip.
 
In Australia we have a lot of Unconventional TC's that are optimized to wade through creeks, semi submerged and  not be bothered by the fine talc like red dust that is everywhere in the Outback
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDHch7bJp8c&sns=em
 

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Pierat said:
I would think the truck camper's endurance is pretty limited by small tank sizes, if nothing else. Also, some of the designs look top-heavy or have too much weight behind the truck's rear axle, or both. I haven't owned one, though.

I spent years camping with a truck and carrying only a coleman stove, a gallon of white gas, and a 5 gallon water container. Went anywhere and spent weeks in the back country on forest service roads and out in the desert. Now with a large cabover camper we have 25 gallons of fresh water, 40 lbs of propane, forced air furnace, propane cooktop, and propane powered fridge. We have enough water for a week and enough propane for a couple months. Our 200 Watts of solar charge the batteries the next day by 10 AM back to 100%. Quite luxurious and still able to go 90% of the places I took the mini-truck with its camper shell. More than 3/4 of the places we have gone in the past year have had campsites where any RV longer than 25 feet would not have fit and anything with a trailer or toad would have been crazy to try.

The half of the year when we are not traveling the camper comes off beside the house and a fiberglass cap goes on the bed. Then I have a perfect vehicle for picking up stuff at the building supply store or the local nursery or to transport our bicycles locked safely in the back for day rides or to take our little Porta-bote to the bay for fishing.

The Porta-bote is turning into a great choice as we carry it on a rack along the side of the camper and it takes 15 minutes to set it up and attach the outboard or the trolling motor and be out on a lake. We do not need a boat ramp and can beach launch. It will do 10 knots with a 6HP motor that weighs only 57 lbs. so it is not difficult to remove and store in the cab of the truck. We have a boat and no need for a trailer.

A motorhome or trailer would need to be stored at a public storage facility and loaded there as we have no room at our house and the logistics would make traveling a pain. The friends we know who have motorhomes and 5th wheel trailers all keep them at such places and would not dream of heading out for a 4-5 day trip while we can head out for a couple days without a second thought. That flexibility is largely what drove our decision to get a truck and a camper. 

Our trip in June will take us along the eastern sierras in California and more than half the trip we will be staying in "primative" dispersed campsites where we usually find ourselves having the place to ourselves. Our daily cost for campsites on our trips averages under $15 and we are by no means "roughing it".
 
All of the above.  If I had the capacity to tow one behind my motorhome I would, so we pull our VW Westy behind.  We sort of full time and having the MH hooked up, we can still run away to USFS and BLM places we couldn't take the MH.  When it was just the TC back in RI, I woould commute with it loaded.  Great place to have lunch and a relaxing rest.
 
I keep thinking about truck campers on and off. I have a regular smaller size motorhome which is great for wife and daughter trips. I would still like a truck camper for my own little short trips into more offroad places by myself. But I have a Toyota Tacoma, 4WD, extras for offroad, etc. But a smaller truck really limits my options. Best of all worlds is a smaller 4WD truck like this but I wish more companies made stuff for it.
 
We have a 45' motorcoach and pulled a 28 ft enclosed trailer (my garage with a Jeep TJ in it).  Bought it when we retired and went full time.  What a mistake.  Where can you go?  Just about no place, Interstate is your home, anywhere else you better be driving a mile ahead or find your in box canyon.  I am good driver and could drive the big rig trailer and all and got into the outback more than most would imagine.  But my hopes and dreams of parking at trail heads and unloading my Jeep to go deep just did not materialize...and yes I should have know this to begin with...Soon we got tired of beginning to look for a camp spot at 4 in the afternoon hoping to find one before dark, that and the never ending hassle, maintenance and challenges became more of a stress-work than a retirement.  Not to even mention the lack of a piece of terra firma under my feet I owned.  After 1 year it was so long.

We knew we wanted something else:  5th, pull behind, something and TC was not even in the running.  Who wants to live and play in the bed of a truck?  After several years of looking and reflecting upon what we had done and where we wanted to go we finally looked at a TC.  WOW, there is THIS much room and storage?  Amazing says wife.  Walk in shower, heat, AC, you name it, as well equipped as our MH and everything we have been looking at.

The more we looked and researched the better the TC looked.  Several years ago we bought a Arctic Fox 1150, 4 season camper and loaded it onto a F 350 crew cab, long bed, dually...that has been going on 4 years again and we are as happy with it today as the day we bought it.  We (me and wife) and our 4 dogs, 3 weigh less than 14 lbs and one weighs 80 lbs and they love it as much as we do.  We lived in it for 3 months when we moved from Az to Texas (while we were having work done on the place we were buying).

As or towing, again been there done that and with a 350x series truck you can tow more than most other rigs out there.  We often bring a trailer (holds stock for our business) and on several occasions I have the TC and have pulled 8000+ lbs behind that.  As for launching a boat.  I see no issue with that, BUT you would need to take into consideration the steepness and condition of the launch ramp.  My truck has 4x4 and would consider that mandatory if you want to launch with the camper on the truck.  Some boat ramps are VERY steep and require 4x4 even unloaded especially if you are going to unknown locations.  Here in Texas we have seen a couple of years of drought and lake levels in some places are way down and below the concrete line of the ramp.  This gets folks in trouble quickly if they are not prepared for it or have the vehicle for it.  Drive down some ramps with 4000 lbs of TC plus a boat and the ramp is slick with water and often slime/moss and you may need a winch to pull you out.  I am winched and have had to pull some folks back up the ramp.

For all the reasons listed the TC is the answer in our book

 
After I bought my Fleetwood Bounder 33U I was thinking of selling my F550 and Lance 1120 Camper. I have decided to keep the camper for many of the reasons already noted. I like to get out on my own on occasion, and the TC allows me the freedom to do just that. After a year with the Bounder I am thinking of going back to the TC, cut my losses and sell the motor home. I enjoy driving the F550 turbo charged diesel and camper combo, I don't so much enjoy driving the V10 MH.
 

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