Camper Living

[Ballenxj]

Anybody doing this? Do you like it, or do you feel cramped for space?
I sometimes try to imagine myself doing this, and I think it would be alright, but I have never actually done the camper thing before.
Comments?

 

[masterplumber]

I haven't lived full time in one, but my previous rig was an 8' Four Wheel Pop Up truck camper. I did spend up to 2 weeks at a time in it, and had it for 10 years. It was mounted on a 4x4 1 ton truck so it would go pretty much anyplace I wanted to go, and I did camp in some amazing places. When I was traveling alone it had enough room for me, but even with one other person it was cramped. I think it wasn't so much the actual square footage, but rather the layout that was the problem. We were always having to move out of each other's way, and move things to get to other things. The best part, but this would be the same with a van, is that it was very easy to drive down the road and we could park anywhere as the camper wasn't any longer than the truck. But no stock van would go to the places I took that truck , and it was basically stock except better tires, shocks, and a winch that i only used to pull other people out, or move fallen trees from the trail.

I do have friends that have traveled the world in various truck campers as a couple, spending as much as 3 years living on the road at a time. They have managed well, but they have been methodical about their prep of the trucks and campers, and chose their life deliberately.

 

[akrvbob]

Let's define your terms. By camper do you mean a slide-in Camper on a pickup truck? You may also want to define the size. Big difference between a 12 footer with triple slides and a pop-up on a Tacoma.

I lived in a home-built shell for almost 3 years. It was the size of the pickup bed which was 6 x 7 feet so it had 42 square feet. It had a small cab-over, but it was just storage. It was on a F150 4x4.

I loved the 4x4 and it's ability to get really remote in the backcountry. I'm planning on switching back to one again but with a slightly smaller camper.
Bob
Bob

 

[Gary68]

your physical size would play a part in it,i'm starting to envy my 5'6" neighbor,all the options he has

 

[ilovemyvan]

Gary said: your physical size would play a part in it, i'm starting to envy my 5'6" neighbor, all the options he has

I put up with so much aggravation being less than five feet tall that I laugh quietly at my husband's crooked neck and bended knees in the van.

Thanks for the good laugh Gary68

-Nicole

 

[Ballenxj]

Let's define your terms. By camper do you mean a slide-in Camper on a pickup truck? You may also want to define the size. Big difference between a 12 footer with triple slides and a pop-up on a Tacoma.

Hi Bob, sorry, I should have said a slide in camper with the basic amenities, ie small range, shower, toilet, and overhead bed. 
Gary, I'm 6 ft, 230 lbs.
I'm not sure I want to go this route, but like the mobility I might gain. 4x4 would be great for the ability to go places most folks won't, however most folks might be surprised at the places I've gone with a 2 wheel drive with a limited slip differential. 
One thing I would like to keep is the ability to tow my 6x10 enclosed trailer, so I wouldn't want a super long extended camper.
I appreciate all the replies, and please keep them coming.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

One thing I would like to keep is the ability to tow my 6x10 enclosed trailer, so I wouldn't want a super long extended camper.

They make extension bars that allow you to still tow a trailer even with the super long extended camper on.  Using one of these bars DOES reduce the amount of tongue weight the hitch can safely handle, though.

If you weren't already familiar with this site, you should spend some time there going through the back articles:  http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/

Regards
John

 

[Ballenxj]

If you weren't already familiar with this site, you should spend some time there going through the back articles:  http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/

Thanks John. I'll have a look.

 

[akrvbob]

It sounds like we have very similiar ideas. I'm planning on selling my van this fall and getting into a 4x4 pickup with a very small camper. Maybe even just a tall shell.

Big campers are much too limited in where they can go for me. Traction has nothing to do with it, it's their length, width and height. Plus there weight is preposterous. Medium campers are 2000 pounds and up plus all our stuff. Big campers are 4000 pounds and up. A very small camper is around 1000 pounds.

Bob

 

[Queen]

I was looking at truck campers this week, trying see if they made one for the Nissan Frontier (they do) but as I perused I kept seeing some of those gigantic ones, some were close to $50,000!!! Not anything I'd ever want to try to take into the back country.

 

[akrvbob]

But the great thing about those huge campers is the moment you drive them off the lot, they start falling apart!!! You get to spend $1000s in repairs!

They are so overweight they cut every corner to cut weight so they end up being total crap.
Bob

 

[rvpopeye]

I've lived in a variety of rigs from a shortbed PU with a home made height extended cap to a 29' class A.

I did best in the PU. Working my way back down the size ladder. Now in a 23' 1 ton Chevy chassis class C.

Next , maybe a 19' Toyota chassis moho , (really wish I could get away from vans because of the pain of working on their engines).

Then maybe a 1 ton PU with a home built camper on the back.

I really like the Ambo thread !!!! That is a nice rig , green with envy......................

 

[Ballenxj]

Big campers are much too limited in where they can go for me. Traction has nothing to do with it, it's their length, width and height. Plus there weight is preposterous. Medium campers are 2000 pounds and up plus all our stuff. Big campers are 4000 pounds and up. A very small camper is around 1000 pounds.

WOW! That is more weight than I had anticipated. What truck would you need for the big 4000 lb camper? Since there are 2000 lbs per ton, you would  need at least a  Deuce and a half?

 

[Queen]

But the great thing about those huge campers is the moment you drive them off the lot, they start falling apart!!! You get to spend $1000s in repairs!

They are so overweight they cut every corner to cut weight so they end up being total crap.
Bob

Had a buddy back in the early 00's who bought a new truck (duelly) and a $35,000 TC to go in it, he drove it around the Southwest in nicer campgrounds and did fine, when he tried taking it up forest service roads in northern NM he actually had the wall separate from the roof in one corner, guess it couldn't take the flexing... for $35,000!

 

[highdesertranger]

yep your typical rv no matter what manufacturer is not built to handle off road. 1x2 or 2x2 wood stapled together with aluminum siding stapled on will come to pieces off road. the wash board roads will vibrate your dental fillings out and unimproved dirt tracts will flex rv's to pieces. so without spending big money for an expedition type rv, you better stay on pavement. highdesertranger

 

[Ballenxj]

yep your typical rv no matter what manufacturer is not built to handle off road.  1x2 or 2x2 wood stapled together with aluminum siding stapled on will come to pieces off road.  the wash board roads will vibrate your dental fillings out and unimproved dirt tracts will flex rv's to pieces.  so without spending big money for an expedition type rv,  you better stay on pavement.  highdesertranger

I understand that Lance Campers are built to a higher standard. They are more than a bit pricey though.

 

[akrvbob]

There are no trucks that can safely carry the monstrous 4 slide campers long term. I had a friend with an F550 and a 4 slide camper. He said it was over-gross and he had to add air bags and heavy shocks to make driving it bearable.

Of course there's all that extra weight but ZERO extra braking power. You tow a 4000 pound trailer and you get extra braking power with it.
Bob

 

[Trout]

I joined this forum under Trout Valium in Wyoming a few years ago, but unfortuneately I couldn't get back on so now it is just trout..

I picked up a used 1977 9' slide in for my F-150 while in the oil field. It had the shower/toilet unit, 3 burner stove/oven/heater (propane), fridge, hot water on demand, all in all not a bad unit. The vent/window in the cab over sleeping area had been changed to a larger one, 12"x24". While at the river I could open that up and get cell reception to talk with the wife back here in Vermont. The camper weighed in at 2,400 pounds without the water and propane.

During the summer months I had it really made. We worked 14 days straight and 7 off. I would drive to the river and camp there, and once took a coworker with me to Yellowstone for the week. There was always plenty of room for me and wasn't to cramped with him in there, but his gear was back in garrison.

As it turned colder (freezing) it would have been a problem to shower and use the toilet. Fortunately I had the truck stop across the street from work and they would let me shower for free. Else wise I would wash up at work if the opportunity presented it self. My little buddy heater would warm it right up quickly and a can would last me a few days .

The oil field was slowing down and Mary and I missed each other terribly so I sold it and came back home. I will always remember with fondness the simple pleasures that camper had given me.

 

[Canine]

I live in an 8' S&S with my 45# dog. It is kind of a pain to maneuver around the dog, but it is OK. Getting up and down into the sleeping area of the overhead is kind of a pain and I'm an agile dude. I really, really like that it is one unit and I have a much easier time parking and backing up. I am currently working on building a camper for my flatbed truck with toolboxes under the flatbed for extra storage. The slide in campers waste a ton of space when making room for the wheel wells. I dislike the furnaces they put in there because they use a lot of juice (electricity). I don't like the fridges, either. They are insulated very poorly. They always end of leaking. Holding tanks, cords, plumbing, etc., create openings to the outside that allow cold, bugs, and mice in. Since I use 5 gallon buckets, I have no need for fancy faucets, showers, toilets, holding tanks, etc. All I need is a well insulated box that I can modify to suit my frugal needs.

Trying to use anything synthetic or composite for a build is crazy expensive. My ideas keep falling through. I may need to learn how to weld because that would solve my problems with framing right there. However, I'm really interested in making something that is modestly priced and at a construction level that is more friendly to the construction novice.

I won't live in a store bought camper because it won't hold up to cold weather and heavy use. They are made for camping and are made out of the cheapest crap I've ever seen. The hinges on my cupboards almost bend under the weight of the doors. I hung a wet pair of pants on one door and tweeked it. The screws are super cheap, too. I didn't know screws were made that cheap. I'm assuming the same mentality went into the rest of the build.

If I have to, I will do a cargo trailer, but I have a couple months of good weather yet. If I am successful making a strong camper that can handle the cold, windy winters of Eastern Montana, I will let the forum know how I did the build and what went into it.

 

[Ballenxj]

I picked up a used 1977 9' slide in for my F-150 while in the oil field.  It had the shower/toilet unit, 3 burner stove/oven/heater (propane), fridge, hot water on demand, all in all not a bad unit.  <---snip--->  The camper weighed in at 2,400 pounds without the water and propane.

Hi Trout, thanks for your input. Your post again makes me re ask my question about weight.
In a post above it was mentioned that a large slide in with slide outs could weigh somewhere north of 4000 lbs. (2 tons)
You mention that your camper weighed 2400 lbs. (over a ton by a substantial amount), and you had an F150 which I believe is rated for a half ton?
Will somebody please explain to me how this works? Are these trucks being way over loaded? Aren't they exceeding the gross vehicle weight allowable by law?
 Is this safe to do, or am I thinking incorrectly here?