Van versus Truck with a Camper?

[Willy]

Branches, not trees. It also comes under the heading of trail/road maintenance and, at least here, isn't frowned upon. ..Willy.

 

[akrvbob]

I agree 100% that trees intruding is the main reason why most people can't get into most areas. that's one reason I've been so happy with the van and 6x10 cargo trailer combo, I can go down almost any extremely narrow and low road that a regular van can go down.

That's why my tentative plans are to save the money and put a locker on the van rear-end instead of switching to a 4x4. I might also get a winch. That's $2000 versus $10,000 to $15,000 for a new-to-me truck and camper

A van with a locker and winch should go everywhere I want to go.
bob

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Another benefit of the truck camper vs van is if you need to bring your vehicle to a mechanic (which could take days, perhaps weeks to fix) you can take the camper off and temporarily put it in a relative/friends yard. Therefore, you have a place to stay while your vehicle is being repaired. In a van which is your house you either have to couch surf and be a burden to someone or pay big bucks for a hotel.

 

[RVTravel]

Bob, if you did the truck/camper would you still pull the cargo trailer?

I'm giving serious thought to going back to the truck and camper.
Bob

 

[akblack10]

It seems I'm the only one that has a problem taking a large camper off road?? I mean, how is it you guys get down narrow heavily treed roads with something so wide and tall? That is 90% of the "off roads" we've driven, and have never been able to get down them with our hard side camper. It's a whole different story when we had our pop up camper, but the truck we have is still very wide and long (quad cab, long bed).

AimlessWanderer, I have taken my Truck and Camper off-road a lot, but I am very careful no matter where I'm going! If you are in a forest with lots of branches hanging over the trail, I agree, probably not a good idea to go too far! I have lots of 'Mojave Pin-striping' on my truck and camper from branches but have not lost any parts yet!
It brings me back to…"there is no such thing as a perfect vehicle" for all purposes (or terrain). I think trailers are a bad idea for off road travel, even the one's built for off-road. Those wonderful looking trailers you see with the roof top tents and safari chairs set-up with both the husband and wife dressed in all white, complete with pith helmets… they look wonderful, maybe they are if you are traveling in the Australian Outback or on a safari in the Serengeti, but try to back up that trailer and truck combo on a dead-end trail with 6 inches of clearance on either side… not fun!
Funny story…..A friend of mine was moving from Bakersfield to Philly with a UHaul truck and pulling a trailer with a car on it. My friend passes the driving to his wife and decides to take a nap… next thing he knows she is waking him up at 11:00 PM to tell him she is "stuck." She got the urge for a coffee and tried to pull the UHaul with Trailer thru a drive-thru… took them 45 mins to get un-stuck…. McDs was not too happy…. Don't think they ever got the coffee….

 

[akrvbob]

RVtravel wrote:
Bob, if you did the truck/camper would you still pull the cargo trailer?
=======

I honestly don't know. I'm considering three choices:

1) My ideal is a small camper like a Capri on a 4x4 1 ton single rear wheel Dodge Cummins. If I went that way I would not pull the trailer. I'm figuring $15,000 for that

2) Or, I could just get the truck with a medium height shell and tow the cargo trailer. I figure about $10,000 for that.

3) Put a Detroit Locker in the rear and get a plate mounted winch that can go in either my front or rear receivers. I figure $2,000 for that.

Money will be the deciding factor so I'm very likely to go with #3. I really think it will take me 99% of the places I want to go because I am not a serious off-roader. It's the most comfortable of the three and I enjoy leaving the trailer in storage and driving just the van for adventure trips the most of the three.
bob