Upsizing from a Truck Top Camper?

By Truck Top do you mean one that fits in the bed of a pickup. Some of those are larger than you think but I wouldn't want to full time in one. But there is a forum here for those Truck Campers (TC). The larger ones require large dual rear wheel pickups. That style of camper is probably best for boondocking and camping in the out country.

Fivers are limited to areas with at the minimum a good dirt road whereas TC can go almost anywhere the truck can go. That's keeping in mind how high the TC is. So yes we sort of miss out on not having a TC but after spending months in a fiver I suspect that the TC would start shrinking fairly quickly. And you give up huge amounts of storage and tankage.

Yes a TC would be a solid 6000lbs of payload plus the very heavy dually truck required for that... The late model large sliders are big and heavy, but would that be big enough for full time life.? Then one would likely need a flatbed with metal cabinets to have more storage space unless one pulls trailer..... that space is already in the bottom of the 5th wheel.

It seems the 5th wheel is must more livable. More space, more water, more gas.

I have both, 30 foot fiver and an 8.5 foot TC. TC too small for vacations, and fiver too big for adventures.

We went from a camper to a her because we are getting ready to retire and the thought of many months in the truck camper was not a pleasant one. We loved that pickup camper and travelled it it, but after we retire, we plan on being snow birds and spend several months in our 5er during the winter.

We love the 5er, but with the pickup camper we could pull a trailer behind with a motorcycle in it. Now we aren't sure how to haul a motorcycle, or even it we can and that is a disappointment.

Good luck.

klr650goldwing wrote:
We went from a camper to a her because we are getting ready to retire and the thought of many months in the truck camper was not a pleasant one. We loved that pickup camper and travelled it it, but after we retire, we plan on being snow birds and spend several months in our 5er during the winter.

We love the 5er, but with the pickup camper we could pull a trailer behind with a motorcycle in it. Now we aren't sure how to haul a motorcycle, or even it we can and that is a disappointment.

Good luck.

Fiver toyhauler?

rickeoni wrote:
I have both, 30 foot fiver and an 8.5 foot TC. TC too small for vacations, and fiver too big for adventures.

X2

Sold our Snowriver TC a few months after we bought our first Fifth wheel. That was the number one stupidest thing I ever did.

I'm not trying to take the topic away from the OP, however, neither I nor my wife wants to spend several months every winter living in a garage. We have a 2 inch receiver hitch on the front of our truck. I'm hoping we can haul some sort of smaller bike up there when we hit the road. More research needs to be completed.

Ours is kind of sized between a truck camper and a full sized FW at 21'. We (2) manage a couple months with no problems but I think full timing would be out of the question. I do know of single folks who full time in one but no couples.

We can manage some limited off road boondocking but you have to scope it out first. I do know of at least a couple folks who pull an Escape with 3/4 and 1T pickups, they can be lifted high enough for those bed heights so you'd have a few inches more body to ground clearance then I have. Of course the axle stays the same.

My main concern is turning around if I need to, hence I can't just blindly drive down any dirt road I see.

klr650goldwing wrote:
I'm not trying to take the topic away from the OP, however, neither I nor my wife wants to spend several months every winter living in a garage. We have a 2 inch receiver hitch on the front of our truck. I'm hoping we can haul some sort of smaller bike up there when we hit the road. More research needs to be completed.

Most front receivers are only rated at 500# vertical load so check that rating. Also that weight comes right off your payload capacity of the truck.