New from Illinois

[user 22017]

Hi,

Thanks for all the valuable advice in this forum.

I've been reading and watching vids (esp. Bob and Carolyn) on RVing and boondocking for several months. I'm not yet ready to go full time, but I did purchase a pickup truck ('95 Ford F250 with 93K miles) last week. Now I'm deciding between a camper or a topper for the truck. I'd love to do this in a small motorhome, but I can't fix mechanical things so I'm trying to stay low tech. Also, I know I won't be able to afford repairs on an RV.

I work part-time as a substitute teacher and turned 60 this year. As I write this, I'm realizing I need better planning. More reading!

Again, thanks to everyone for being so forthcoming with advice. I appreciate all you do here.

Carla

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Carla! A camper will give you a lot more room and comfort but check the weight limits on your truck. It's easy to overload a pickup and sellers, whether you go to a dealer or an individual, are not trustworthy sources for this type of information. Good luck with your search!

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[user 22017]

Thanks rvwandering

I'll read more about slide in campers. I love the really old ones, but I'm worried about high winds on the highway. I've read that they can make the truck hard to handle. Maybe a popup slide in camper would work. Ideally, I want the smallest (or lightest) popup I can find that will fit a long bed (8 foot). Price is an issue. I'm looking on craigslist for ones under $3K.

I found a Callen topper that I'm interested in, but at my age I'm not 100% convinced that tent camping is realistic (for camping more than a night).