Advice on TC for 12 month trip to Europe
Hi. I'd appreciate some advice on which TC to buy for my trip. I'm a full timer in a fifth wheel and F350. I'm planning a year long European trip. This post is only about the vehicle. I'm not wil...
Forum Discussion
The smallish class B campervans that are popular here are not for everyone. Pretty cramped, many problems with condensation.
The class C campers have better floorplans and often offer a better space economy.
Most of them all are based on some front wheel drive Ducato or Transit or the like. With a lot of weight on the rear axle, they tend to get stuck on wet grass ;-)
Also, they are mostly stickshift. Auto trans can be had, but is not as common as you would expect.
RVing is an optimizing game. You really need to optimize your rig for your specific needs, as there is nothing out there that does everything equally well.
If you go the truck camper route: Northstar has an official dealer in Germany and they offer campers that are adapted to our local standards. It might be an option to bring your truck and buy/resell the camper locally. Or bring a TC on the truck and sell it here before you return. The market is small and a bit volatile, though. Ups and downs to all approaches, I guess.
Popup campers are a possibility, but you need to be pretty robust if you want to travel in one for an extended period of time in cold/wet weather. They are watertight and heated allright, and there are some threads on this forum that discuss the pros and cons. Just find out if it is right for you beforehand.
You do not need separate insurance for a truck camper here - in that case it is just cargo on a truck that needs insurance to be operated. Of course, then the camper also won't be insured... Insurance can be had, but is not mandatory if you go the cargo route.
What probably makes insuring a vehicle complicated when you do not have a residential addrss is, that contrary to the US, the insurance is mostly tied to the vehicle and not to the driver. So anyone who takes your car for a test drive is insured, regardless of his own insurance status. But if they cause an accident, your premium goes up.
The visa thing is obvious in hindsight. I know it exists if I want to travel to america for an extended time (>90 days). There must be solutions to that, many people are travelling longer.
Keep collecting information. Eventually, you will know what is best for you.
The class C campers have better floorplans and often offer a better space economy.
Most of them all are based on some front wheel drive Ducato or Transit or the like. With a lot of weight on the rear axle, they tend to get stuck on wet grass ;-)
Also, they are mostly stickshift. Auto trans can be had, but is not as common as you would expect.
RVing is an optimizing game. You really need to optimize your rig for your specific needs, as there is nothing out there that does everything equally well.
If you go the truck camper route: Northstar has an official dealer in Germany and they offer campers that are adapted to our local standards. It might be an option to bring your truck and buy/resell the camper locally. Or bring a TC on the truck and sell it here before you return. The market is small and a bit volatile, though. Ups and downs to all approaches, I guess.
Popup campers are a possibility, but you need to be pretty robust if you want to travel in one for an extended period of time in cold/wet weather. They are watertight and heated allright, and there are some threads on this forum that discuss the pros and cons. Just find out if it is right for you beforehand.
You do not need separate insurance for a truck camper here - in that case it is just cargo on a truck that needs insurance to be operated. Of course, then the camper also won't be insured... Insurance can be had, but is not mandatory if you go the cargo route.
What probably makes insuring a vehicle complicated when you do not have a residential addrss is, that contrary to the US, the insurance is mostly tied to the vehicle and not to the driver. So anyone who takes your car for a test drive is insured, regardless of his own insurance status. But if they cause an accident, your premium goes up.
The visa thing is obvious in hindsight. I know it exists if I want to travel to america for an extended time (>90 days). There must be solutions to that, many people are travelling longer.
Keep collecting information. Eventually, you will know what is best for you.
