Full-timing in truck campers?

Before we got our truck and then our trailer, we did a lot of research: read, spoke to people, visited several RV parks, made multiple visits to a large consignment shop, visited various forums, went twice to the Casita factory, and even went to an Escapees boot camp. This was my first foray into getting info about truck campers. (It was the one type of RV we did not do any research on so I know next to nothing about them.) I really do appreciate all the info, advice and suggestions.

Thanks!

Hi Harry. Welcome to the TC Forum. You’ll find there are many knowledgeable people here and they are more than willing to help, share information or point you in a direction that you might not otherwise, considered.

Just a comment here. When a person posts a good and different question than the norm, you should expect a response. In this forum you should expect a response with inquiries for further information. To post a question and then not come back for two days, well, that is not a nice thing to do for those that wanted to help in answering your question. Lets move on.

Many of us are familiar with your information you shared, but there is an unknown amount that is watching, lurking, and learning, so no matter how many times a question comes up like yours, it provides new information and experiences to be shared. So no thought or question is too simple.

As for Escapees, it is just as I described earlier. It is set up for those that truly wish to relinquish themselves of some of the hassles of traveling, whether overseas on a junket, long trips to Alaska, or possibly Snowbirding or semi Fulltiming (sorry, semi is like being a little bit pregnant). I would share with you, that there are about 5 other mail forwarding services that provide the service you described, with the personal contact out there. Escapees is not unique. If it works for you, don’t change, as they provide a great service. You just pay more for it.

Sounds like you are in a good spot to make some choices and put into action some plans. My first recommendation is not to plan for Fulltiming, now. Use the apartment and closeness of your family to put your project together. While it is good to have a big picture outlook, it is not really good to jump too fast. Transitioning from a larger Travel Trailer to a TC is going to be a bit of shock. Yes, we are all aware of the advantages of a TC. But, if you do plan on Snowbird style Fulltiming, a Travel Trailer is probably going to work very well for you. Plus you already have it and it is paid for. A TC becomes a shock to most people when they start looking, new or used. Then, you need to decide what you wish to do with your TC, move around, RV Parks, Campgrounds? Go out and see sights and then return after 3 week, 3 months or 3 years. All these type of situations require different set up. Which is time and $$$$. Not knowing how big your Checkbook is, I can only assume you have a budget. Then you need to plan. Then chose how your truck and TC will work and work best for each other.

After all that is done, you need to embark on some trial trips. Might as well find out if this is really what you want to do. Personally, I would just go on a long trip, with your camper and truck. See the fall colors of the east. By then you will find out if both or one of you really wish to be away from family that much. For after you leave Chicago, you sure don’t want to return back there until the spring and life in the TC is manageable. Because you truly don’t want to consider life in a TC when it is 20F or colder for extended periods of time.

Looking forward to your feedback. We have one poster here that began a thread and quickly shared that he wanted to tell us what he is doing and was not interested in the least what we suggested or shared. His thread has resulted in his posts and no one commenting. We would be more than happy to help.

What you might start with; What type of Truck Camper should I consider for long term or Fulltiming? Then, whether you want or don’t want a slide.

Congratulations on the new Grandbaby!

b

Folks:

I’d like to thank everyone for replying. The recommendation to look at the archives of Truck Camper Magazine was very helpful.

The reason I asked the question here and not in the “Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle” forum of Escapees is I figured that the folks here are hard-core truck campers and I might get a different point of view. I was right!

I guess it’s my fault; I thought I had put the question as simply as I could but it seems that by not elaborating I caused more confusion than I should have. For that I apologize and thank the people who took the trouble to answer.

I thought that if there were couples out there full-timing in a TC, or if anyone knew people who were doing it, they’d post, otherwise I wouldn’t get any replies.

I didn’t expect folks not be sure what I meant by full-time. This post is the first time I’ve seen other meanings besides living in your RV all the time, regardless whether you were travelling North America or staying put in one place. Even people who spent four or six months in their RVs would describe themselves as part-time full-timers.

We lived in our own house in Houston for 25 years. We bought a Dodger Ram 3500 Crew Cab Long Bed 3.73 SRW and an Arctic Fox 30U with a Hensley Arrow and sold the house. We lived in it about a year while I finished working and retired. The 30U is great to live in.

We were supposed to travel when I retired, (I had planned to be in Alaska this summer,) but one of our kids had our first grandchild in April. She asked Mommy to help her out for about three months. We drove up to Chicago, stored the rig, and moved into an apartment a few blocks away from them.

Three months has turned into six months so far, and it will turn out to be at least a year because we made an agreement with the landlord. I didn’t believe it, but being a grandparent is incredible. As I told my daughter, “The grandchild is better than the Grand Canyon.”

We have no idea what we’ll be doing after March. If we can get a good deal on an apartment and can afford to stay, we will. If not, we’ll move back to our home on wheels, the AF 30U.

If we stay, the next question is what to do about the truck and the trailer. The trailer represents a kind of security, a place to live. But as a practical matter, a truck camper would be better for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it would cut storage costs in more than half. (We’re also paying to store the truck and using our Honda Fit when we need to drive, which is not often.) It would also be easier to take the truck camper out on the spur of the moment if we want to take a trip of a few weeks or a month or so. And, a truck camper can go a lot more places, a lot easier, than a truck and a 30’ trailer.

So, if we stay in Chicago it seems the TC would be more convenient than the combination we have now. Thus it might make sense to sell the trailer and get a truck camper. But I’d lose the “insurance” of a place to live, unless it’s possible to full-time in one. That’s why I asked.

I apologize for this long drawn-out post. That’s why I posed a one sentence question.

With regards to Escapees, it’s a great organization. One of the things it provides with its mail service is a legal address that takes care of the many problems people who don’t have a fixed location might have. For example, our vehicles are registered at our Rainbow Drive address, I get jury summonses for Polk County. I just received my absentee ballot for the November election from Polk County. It was sent to where I’m staying in Chicago. The folks in the Polk County government are very understanding and helpful to Escapees, and the people running the Escapees mail service are wonderful. I highly recommend them.

Again, thanks everyone.

2oldman wrote:
You could go to fulltiming forum and search tc, or truck camper, or camper.

joe b. wrote:
Actually SKP is what members of the Escapees Club refer to themselves as, for it you say SKP rapidly, it sounds like, Escapees. LOL

People unfamiliar often refer to them as "escapes."

Or it could be that is their logo header on their forum:
Escapees RV Club (c)

You could go to fulltiming forum and search tc, or truck camper, or camper.

joe b. wrote:
Actually SKP is what members of the Escapees Club refer to themselves as, for it you say SKP rapidly, it sounds like, Escapees. LOL

People unfamiliar often refer to them as "escapes."

Actually SKP is what members of the Escapees Club refer to themselves as, for it you say SKP rapidly, it sounds like, Escapees. LOL

trail-explorer wrote:
What is an SKPer?
I've never heard that term before.

Joe.b, is referring to the Escapees Club. I came from their HDT (Heavy Duty Truck) forum when I learned about the RV.net forum. It is an amazing group/entity/corporation that fills a niche’ for people that often want a turn key operation. Some just don’t wish to learn the hard way or experience the steep learning curve of Fulltiming. So they choose Escapee Camps. Joe b explains it very well.

joe b. wrote:
There really are at least two distinct groups of full time RVers, IMHO. Those that travel, using their RVs as a home while they are involved in many activities, hiking, fishing, photography, working, enjoying different scenery, etc and the full timers that live in their RVs, while seldom, if ever moving them. This forum seems to have more members that fit into the travel group.

By going to Google Sattellite and viewing the SW side of Tucson, AZ you will see many communities with built infrastructure to accommodate these “Fulltimers” who travel south, park for the Winter and then head home or to another RV Park in the North. Many of these communities have these sites for sale. You get a community with swimming pool, bus tours to surrounding attractions and Casinos, as well as laundry, movie nights and the list goes on and on. As well as a Tuff Shed, platform deck sized to meet your threshold of your RV doorway. And yes, these individuals consider themselves, Fulltimers.

Most of the people on this forum that claim to be Fulltiming, are as joe.b shared, staying in campgrounds permanently or in one location, like a work site or in a family member’s back yard or driveway. There are lots of definitions for Fulltiming and I personally have no problem accepting all of these types. I only have control over my own, moving all the time, not staying in campgrounds and often found in remote areas for months at a time. I sold all my properties and home in 2008 and moved into my TC fulltime in 2009. So, I have nothing to go back to.

But, there is often confusion in how one uses the term Fulltiming. Truck Camper Magazine once featured a couple that they announced in the title line; Fulltiming in a Truck Camper. When you read the article you learn that they actually go on vacations in their Truck Camper. As they have a 5th wheel parked on their property in Texas and live in that location and often strike out for summer months in their Truck Camper, returning to their 5th wheel for the remainder of the season. Are they Fulltimers? Are they Fulltimers in a TC, as Truck Camper Magazine positioned it? You decide.

For me, what matters is that we are all out enjoying our TCs, working on them, personalizing them for our own needs and uses. As well as dreaming of future adventures. As for those that do Fulltime, there is a wealth of information we are able to gain from many of these people in using TCs, even for just a weekend.

Safe Travels and hope the OP is out enjoying their Adventure in their TC.

b


edit; corrected spelling on word

I was asking myself the same question. I think its this , not 100% sure .

http://www.skpsaguaro.org/

What is an SKPer?

I've never heard that term before.

I guess Harry is off full-timing :h :)