Truck Camper Pros and Cons??

[kisatchie]

Like many have already stated, it's a pain loading and unloading a truck camper, especially when you have no one to help line you up, etc.

[Tvickers]

I bought a Palomino Backpacker popup truck camper last year after spending months (maybe years) researching bumper pulls and 5th wheels. I chose a truck camper for the ability to go anywhere and the ability to tow another trailer. I love the camper! Yes, you will sacrifice space, but as a solo traveler that doesn't bother me. Although, I'm not sure I could fulltime in it. Maybe one day I'll try it. My favorite resource for researching all things truck camper was https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/ . There's a ton of info on this website that was invaluable to me, from finding the center of gravity of my truck to the pros and cons of softside and hardside campers. I highly recommend it.

Good luck to you!

[Mr Towed]

I will just agree with others that have recommended at least a 350 dually. Even with a 350 Dually my friend's big Lance was a handful on the road. I was actually surprised by how big it felt inside compared to the fact that it was mostly contained within the pickup bed.

One place where the truck campers seem to excel is on the beach, where often times trailers are not allowed and a class C may not fair well on the sand, due to often having low ground clearance and somewhat lower power and very street-focused tires.

[Royaume]

Try renting a truck camper, e.g., from CruiseAmerica. See if you like it. Theirs are made by Lance, fitted onto a Ford F-150. I drove one 4,000 miles through the Yukon and Alaska a couple of years ago. Perfect for just me, or a couple. Handled very well, comfortable, easy to drive and park, and stood up well to crosswinds. Only problem was dust entering through the back door, which I then tried to prevent using weatherstripping with some success. (I drove hundreds of miles on dirt roads. What an amazing adventure!)

[SS Sixteen O four]

If you love the outdoors then a truck camper is for you. If your favorite pastime is watching TV indoors than get yourself a Travel trailer. Its all about the freedom when you have a truck camper and right now my FREEDOM is my only concern.

[Mr Towed]

Originally Posted by Royaume

Try renting a truck camper, e.g., from CruiseAmerica. See if you like it. Theirs are made by Lance, fitted onto a Ford F-150. I drove one 4,000 miles through the Yukon and Alaska a couple of years ago. Perfect for just me, or a couple. Handled very well, comfortable, easy to drive and park, and stood up well to crosswinds. Only problem was dust entering through the back door, which I then tried to prevent using weatherstripping with some success. (I drove hundreds of miles on dirt roads. What an amazing adventure!)

You sent me on like a 2 hour long search for rental truck campers, which lead to looking at rental camper vans, class Bs, etc. We are on the east coast and we really want to hit the west coast but with out current employment situation, the 2 or so months we'd need to dedicate to that trip aren't really feasible, so renting something out there seems like a potential option that we could spend a week or 2 out there, and eliminate the week of driving in each direction (although we'd love that part too). The worst part is that we've dedicated so much effort into making our camper just how we like it with all the little things we like to have with us, so we'd really miss that aspect of it.

[Mr Towed]

Originally Posted by SS Sixteen O four

If you love the outdoors then a truck camper is for you. If your favorite pastime is watching TV indoors than get yourself a Travel trailer. Its all about the freedom when you have a truck camper and right now my FREEDOM is my only concern.

I agree that truck campers seem to be used by people who want to go somewhere and want to bring a place to sleep with them. We are somewhere in the middle, where we usually use our camp site as a base to do day trips and retire to at night. We have done renovations to our trailer and have included NO televisions in the remodel. We rarely spend the day at the campground unless it's AT a beach or something. We like the aspect of being able to leave our little home at the campsite and not have to pack up to drive away. Now, of course you CAN leave a slide-in at the site but it's not very often i see it done, so i get the feeling it's more pain than it's worth if it's only for a short time.

[Qwkynuf]

Originally Posted by Mr Towed

I agree that truck campers seem to be used by people who want to go somewhere and want to bring a place to sleep with them. We are somewhere in the middle, where we usually use our camp site as a base to do day trips and retire to at night. We rarely spend the day at the campground unless it's AT a beach or something. We like the aspect of being able to leave our little home at the campsite and not have to pack up to drive away. Now, of course you CAN leave a slide-in at the site but it's not very often i see it done, so i get the feeling it's more pain than it's worth if it's only for a short time.

We spent the first 3 months of the Covid lockdown staying at a campground in our little 21 foot trailer with a slide - great way to distance from others if you aren't a social butterfly. One of our neighbors seemed to be living in a truck camper. He had it off of the truck and set up on cribbing. He would leave every morning at 6am, presumably to go to work, and come back in the early evening.

I am perfectly comfortable with my own company and can spend *days* just reading books - but that would probably be a little too claustrophobic, even for me.

[BadlandsBob]

I love my truck camper. I have a smaller Palomino SS500 Badlands edition which is a pop-up on my Chevy Colorado Crew Cab. It is small (designed for this size truck) but it has everything I need. I primarily travel by myself and it’s perfect for that. My wife did come along once and though it was a little tight, it worked. My goal is to be outside so hopefully I won’t be inside long other that to sleep or prepare meals. It has everything that I need. Though it doesn’t have a bath, I have a camp toilet and an outside shower. I have also only camped where facilities have been available but I could boondock as well. Additionally, it has a two burner stove, a small 3 way fridge, a furnace (which worked really well when I camped on a few cold nights), an on demand hot water heater, and a 9 gal fresh water tank with a electic pump, and a sink with a hot and cold water faucet. I carry a 6 gal container if I need more if I’m not hooked up and need to add water. I also have a roof mounted solar collector and 2 - 12 volt batteries. I can hook up to electric and water at campgrounds if necessary or needed. It weighs just under 1200 lbs and when I drive, I can hardly tell that I’m carrying it. I will feel it on some bumps.

Some back story: My camping experience was tent camping and we did rent a few pop-up campers over the years. After I retired, I wanted a camper. I went to many rv shows and dealerships over 3 years before I settled on a 2020 GeoPro FBS. I loved it! I got it in May of 2019 and went on 4 trips. My wife was not interested and traveling by myself made this TT too much for me! It worked very well with my Colorado given that my towing capacity was 7K and the FBS was less that 1/2 of that. With camping hard to come by early with Covid, I decided to sell it. I thought I would get killed on the sale given that it was used and I bought it new. Well, I made almost 2K over what I paid for it (I had 3 full price offers in less than 24 hrs, one coming from a guy in Arizona) and I kept the brake controller and rear observation camera that I bought because I thought I’d eventually get something else and I did. I know that Covid is bad but the lack of RVs paid off for me. I settled on the Palomino after some searching and like I said, it’s perfect “for me”.

The pros are that it gets better gas mileage (16 vs 10 mpg), I don’t have to pay tolls like I did with the TT (I live in Illinois where with just my truck most tolls are 75 cents but the trailer was an additional $3.00 per toll), and it fits in a regular parking space. Several have said it’s hard to get on and off the truck. That’s not the case with me and I have done it by myself just being careful using my mirrors and getting out to check my progress. When I wasn’t using it the last few months not camping, I just left it on the truck and used it like it was when it wasn’t mounted. My typical mileage around town was surprisingly about the same as when it wasn’t mounted. I think when it’s on the truck and parked at my house whether in the street or my driveway, it’s not treated as a camper in the eyes of our local ordinance. For the winter, I lowered it onto a homemade dolly and wheeled it into my garage. I did winterize it which took less than 10 minutes not having to deal with a bathroom.

The only cons has been the interior size to only a minor degree (the over cab bed is almost a king and very comfortable), and being able to travel somewhere without breaking down camp. I am an avid cyclist so I always have my bike with me (which fits in the camper standing without taking off the wheels) that I can use to get around. As others have stated, if I were to stay in one location for any length of time, I could just easily take it off the truck. Some say that storage is a issue but I have plenty of space available and since I have a crew cab, I have the whole back seat if necessary.

I’ve taken it on 3 trips. My first was a 4 day trip to Door Co, WI which was about 550 miles round trip. It couldn’t have gone better. My second trip was 3 weeks long and about 3,000 miles through the New England states to bike and see the fall colors. Wow what a trip. I couldn’t imagine making that same trip in my TT by myself. I hated everything that I had to do to set that up and pack up. By the way, to raise my roof, it’s motorized and is controlled with a wireless remote so that I can monitor it from the outside. My last trip was a short 3 day trip to a campground on the Wisconsin/Illinois border in early November when it was unseasonably warm.

One more pro that I discovered on my way out to NE was my ability to stealthy camp. I was able to sleep overnight (and save some $) in the camper in a rest area without putting up the roof. Yes, there is a third bed made from the dinette that I could comfortable sleep on. When the roof is down, I only have to bend down a little to move around. When the roof is up, it’s over 7’.

Sorry that this was such a long read but I got excited to finally reply to something that was of interest to me. I started following this forum when I got my TT. It’s an awesome resource and there was finally something about truck campers. Hopefully down the line there will be more. Truck campers are definitely not for everyone and many have weighed in on the pros and cons. For me, it’s just what I need to easily see the country mostly by myself. So many people have stopped me to see the camper and give me such positive comments and complements. My goal is to bike in every state in the lower 48. 32 down!

[stephndudb]

Originally Posted by Mr Towed

We are on the east coast and we really want to hit the west coast but with out current employment situation, the 2 or so months we'd need to dedicate to that trip aren't really feasible, so renting something out there seems like a potential option

We did that a couple of summers ago. We'd done the cross country trip with our own rig before but our friends and sister/BIL were joining us this time and they all had a 2 week limit. Flew to Phoenix, rented 2 Class Cs from CruiseAmerica plus a Suburban as our communal around-town ride.

The CA Class Cs were real junkboxes but they got the job done. Having the extra Suburban was great. We could all get in it to travel around the national parks, go shopping, to a restaurant, etc and one couple, or just the girls, or whoever could take off in it as needed for special needs, or just a break from the rest of us. Went to Grand Canyon, Four Corners, Moab, Bryce, Zion, Vegas, and finally returned the Class Cs and headed to Disneyland in the 'Burb before flying home. Great trip!

Like I said the CA rental MHs were really beat up but they ran well, got the job done, and CA was pretty good to deal with. Might consider one of the other rental operations if we did it again, but CA was the cheapest by far. Can't speak about rental truck campers per se, but we did have a blast renting RVs across the country, and saved time and wear/tear on our rig to boot.

[Royaume]

We recently purchased a 2016 Ford F350 FX4 with a Cirrus 800 camper, to replace our Epro trailer towed behind a Jeep Grand Cherokee. We like remote boondocking and the truck camper is more sturdily built for driving on rough roads. Downsides are poor gas mileage and a bouncy ride (it’s a big truck!). So, it all depends on your interests and priorities.

[aircommuter]

I have a truck camper too. Eagle cap 950 single slide. Holds plenty of water, and holding tanks are reasonably sized. Built in generator, solar and two Gc-2 batteries. Hauling it with a 2004 Dodge. Average mileage is 15. Just the two of us it’s fine. Like you said it depends on what you want to do.

[REL]

Check the inside of the glove compartment door for the weight limit for bed campers. They are different from what's posted on the yellow drivers door sicker.
At least it's that way on my Chevy. Assuming Ford is similar.

[aircommuter]

Maybe because you have a short bed? Mine doesn’t say anything about it.

[Rednight]

Well that is what I am experimenting with now. My glovebox says 1975# and this is dry at 1750#. The 200 mile drive home with it was fine, crappy IL roads and pay a little more attention to those yellow curve signs like pulling a trailer. I added electric leg jacks, already has dual batteries and solar installed and functioning. Wet bath, heat/ac, stove, sink with outboard drain, really comfortable bed! It is a little more open and akin to camping in a fancy high wall tent. I can open the screens practically 360 degrees for fantastic views. For me it is about practical functionality. I am single and also have a 30' toyhauler. For 1 person it is a lot more pia hitching the trailer/equalizer, spotting and backing than just whipping in to wally world and park anywhere. Loading and unloading is still cautious but knowing where you are at in the mirrors and tape measuring down one side as you back in gets you pretty proficient. The remotely operated jacks really improves this experience. I was a Navy amphib sailor and we might go out for days or weeks at a time on our small boats and landing craft. I have done the bath out of the steel helmet thing and I am just thrilled every time I step in this thing. For rainy days I have added a 19" tv, swivel mount, amplified antenna, plan on adding maybe a bean bag chair for creature comfort enhancement. Near term I plan on air bagging the truck, new shocks due anyway, and adding a light tow hitch rack for entry little giant ladder and blue tote if I carry... My kids live a thousand miles east or west so there are a lot of little county and state parks along the way. Oh and I want to add a rear sliding glass so I can open it and the camper window, let my kitties rip back and forth. We will see how it works out.