Truck camper or rental

[OrcaSalmonSeaWolf]

Hello Folks and thank you for letting me share.
Last year i purchased an older tundra and a pasttime truck camper, airbags and tie downs, great rig. at that time i was looking at living out of it because of lack of affordable housing here. and i much enjoyed it. out of the blue i came upon a SUPER affordable tiny space to live and do art, thing is it is off grid and month to month rental.

now, i am in a self imposed stressful dilemma. i use the rig for daily driver because every week on my days off i like to go out to the coast. but taking the camper on and off every week is a hassle... my thing is, that in town driving to work i get 10 to 11 mpg, hwy almost 14. my point is that im going crazy thinking i need to get something smaller and fuel efficient. on top of that the thought of even getting into a new rig and trying to sell this one is stressful too. i just cant make up my mind. go smaller or hold on to what i have in case rental doesnt work out or i want to go full time someday. again, thsnks for even reading this if you've made it this far. any reflections back to me on this would be really helpful as i keep bouncing around in my head with ideas, etc. peace.

 

[twomountainlions]

Are you shopping for a new vehicle or used one ...used ones are always a gamble/repairs are expensive. Selling a truck is kind of stressful, I recently had to sell one, ended up selling to a dealer taking a loss because selling on open marketplaces is kind of wild now and not always safe. It wasn't like selling a vehicle back in craigslist days, for sure. And if you got Toyota Tundra in a good shape I personally wouldnt let it go, may be unless you are getting another Toyota with better miles. Then truck camper, have you checked if you take a loss by selling it as these are vehicle specific, it might take time to sell. This is your insurance against things going bad with a rental, Id let a few months pass befire Id even start thinking

 

[Morgana]

A lot depends on your budget. You don't have to share that with us, but you should figure out for yourself exactly what you could afford to buy, and what you can afford to risk. Really think through the details. The worst-case scenario as well as the best.

How well does your current vehicle run, and how well do you know it? Is it worth taking a chance on another vehicle (used, I'm guessing) that may have unexpected problems?

So you're putting the camper on for your coast visits, and taking it off for the work week? Is there an alternative to the camper for those short trips (a tent? doing something with the cab to make it sleep-able?)? Or, looking at it from the other angle, is there a different way to get to work?

If your housing future is already uncertain ... and housing costs in general are also still rising ... and nobody knows what's going to happen to the economy come January (that's not a partisan statement; both parties have said that) ... that's uncertainty x3, which is a lot. I'd take a really hard look at your priorities and see which are essentials and which are nice-to-haves. And then decide how much you're willing to risk.

Sometimes it's hard to know how you're going to feel about doing something until you actually do it ... but there's a lot at risk here. So I'd say do the cold hard math very carefully. And (what I have to tell myself when I get in this kind of fix, which is ~often), it's OK to give something up.

Good luck, and meanwhile congrats on the tiny home!

 

[bullfrog !]

A older Tundra with the timing belt V8 is about as good as it gets. Maintenance costs are now where the cost of new truck payments. It should last at least 300,000 miles if not closer to 500,000 miles with enhanced maintenance. Not to mention lower insurance and taxes due to its age. There are newer technology loading and unloading systems that simplify the process other than simple side jacks, even a back up camera can be assisted by targets and things as simple as hanging a tennis ball from a overhead structure on the camper to touch a side mirror can make it easier. Quick release type anchors should also be considered. Many hunters simply transport their camper then unload to hunt with combination jacking and tie down systems so look at some of those forums. If what you have is serving your needs you most likely won’t be able to find a replacement if you change your mind later. Full time living can be a heavy proposition and anything getting over 10 or 11 MPG is a good setup in my opinion. Plus you have the option of having a tow vehicle as well. Cheapest new high efficiency cars are over $30,000 so those extra MPGs are expensive! I would look at alternatives for transportation In addition to your Tundra like an electric bike, ride sharing or even public transportation.