Does this make sense?

I'd rent the house out and not sell it unless you wanted to sell it anyway.
Real estate is a good investment, RVs are among the worst.

Thanks for the feedback BadgerMcAdams. Appreciate the effort. There is a Midwest TC rally coming to Branson, MO next month. It's a two hour drive for me. I plan on visiting and checking out the rigs and of course try to get a feel for this type of travel. It may scare me off and I'll be done with this dream, we'll see.

I would try and rent one first and go out for a few days vs. jumping in and buying a used truck/rig or some combination of both. My reasoning...

While it may look like a blast, you are still, for all intents and purposes, living in a box in the back of a pickup. Yes, the TC's have slide outs, and indoor plumbing, but it is still going to be less room than an average bedroom.

1) Go out and try it first in a non-hookup (boondocking) area. This would give you the experience of having to use Water/Power Management. Use too much water or battery and you will have to break camp to get more water or find a charging point for your batteries (Read up on Solar power on this, lots of good information out there)

2) See if you can sleep in the bed with no problems. While some have Full size and bigger beds, not all do - my 1991 Six-Pac model 78S for instance has a 3/4 Full bed. They can get a bit claustrophobic feeling at times. One person probably not so much, but if you are one who likes to stretch out, find one with a big sleeping area. Especially if you are planning on Living in it for a year or more.

3) The kitchen area - cooking on the stove in a TC is different than cooking on a full size stove at home. Most have 2 or 3 burners, some have an oven. Some even have a microwave (but unless you have a genset built in or have a generator you can haul around, don't plan on using it much if at all). Cooking on these stoves is possible. But the sizes of your pots and pans will have to be smaller than what you may use at home. Also remember, you have to have storage for all of these items (we store ours in the oven with padding in between for protection).

Note: The generator (portable or built-in) requires fuel, Either gas or propane. Which means you will have electricity as long as you have fuel for them. You will have to either go get more, or carry extra if you are staying put for a while.

4) The Fridge - While some can be fairly big having separate freezer and fridge compartments, some are not that big (mine is only 3.2 cu. ft. - A Dometic 2310). Which is actually about the size of a largish cooler. Space can be at a premium, this will help you determine what you need and what you don't. While on fridges, there are two types that are generally being used - Absorption Fridges (the propane type) and the DanFoss Compressor type. The first can be run 3 ways...Propane, 120v, and 12v. Propane is great, as long as you have propane. remember you will be using that propane with the stove, water heater, and camper heater. Usually, you can get by for quite a while this way. 120v electric will run your fridge forever, if you have a place to plug in. 12v on an absorption fridge is not a good idea, it can drain your battery(ies) in a few hours if left to run continuously. The Dan Foss compressor fridges are used in boats and in commercial over the road trucks. The compressor is extremely efficient, and can cool down quickly on minimal power (compared to the Absorption type). The prices on them are a bit higher, but if you have a good solar set up, you can run the fridge almost indefinitely.

5) The bathroom - While my camper doesn't have a bathroom, many of the large TC's do. They are toilet/sink/shower combos where everything inside gets wet, or you have a small basin area to stand in and a curtain to keep the water off the cabinets. Imagine taking a shower in a phone booth. If you are like me, (6ft./ 250 lbs) it can be a bit of a squeeze. Also, showers are quick. Campers generally have 5 to 6 gallon water heaters. And not to mention, the whole water conservation thing...Taking a few 6 gallon showers can cut pretty deep into your capacity.

That is just some of the things that came to me...I am sure that there are others here who have 10 times the knowledge and experience that I have. If you are serious about this...Rent a camper for an extended weekend. See how you like it. Then, go to some dealerships (if you have one close by, I live in Phoenix, you can throw a stick and hit half a dozen RV places) and crawl inside a camper. Sit in it...Crawl up in the bed, act like you are cooking, Sit (Notice I said SIT) on the toilet to test one for size...If you are seriously considering living in a Box in a Pickup Bed, make sure it is something for you first.

The truck camper rentals come with lot of limitation and are not cheap.
I figure it out decades ago to shop for new toy, or new vehicle when I don't really need it.
This way you have a chance to run into exceptional deal, like my aluminium frame, slide camper for $4500.
Being self-employed and willing to travel sure helps.
Good luck on your shopping.

I think Lwiddis is right. Easiest solution is to just rent one for a long weekend. Go from there. I have a 1/2 ton Silverado, but I have spent many hours researching varies TC topics including payloads, I know I might as well have a Prius. I do know I want a pop-up since it's only me. That puts me into a 3/4 ton as I would not want any mods to make it work. Plus my truck has 205k miles, do not want to take that on a long trip even if I could.

If you have a truck, it would be easier to brainstorm. I think you should go West, and buy a used TC. Then, either sell it or keep it.

First decision, what kind of truck do you want long term?

"I know I could rent a TC now but am not sure a quick get away would really give me the feedback to determine if this is what I really want to do"

I disagree! Rent for a couple of long weekends. Then you can proceed or move in another direction. The size of the rental will tell you bigger, smaller or about right.