Going from pop-up to hard side, big mistake?
I've got a Palomino Bronco pop-up TC on a 3500 SRW Dodge Diesel short box. It's only about 1200lbs empty and the truck pulls as if it's not even there. I've got stock suspension and air bags. I'm g...
Forum Discussion
Dadwolf brings up an important issue regarding a small hardside compared to a more spacious soft side. How much tolerance do you have to claustrophobia? Jeanie and I have no claustro and find it comforting to snuggle up into the cave for the night in the middle of the forest...or the desert... or city center.
Generally, form follows function: the old engineer's adage. We followed the path of many on here with car camping; tent camping; backpacking; camping in a station wagon; then a pickup; then one day happened to look in the Recycler (a So. Cal. kind of Craigslist) and found a small, 3 yr. old, hardside Lance camper for $6500. We wrapped up the deal within a few hours. It was just fate, not any advance planning that brought us to this point. Except for the lack of a four season package (who needs that in So. Cal.?) we have gotten used to having one of the smallest, narrowest, least tall, lightest full service TC around. Yes, @ 10 foot, 2 inch, height is an issue that we try to resolve by having the truck as low as we can and using common sense when we're in the woods. Have we ever been stopped by being too tall to continue? Yes, my son Matt was on the Usal Road with the rig and met a downed tree across the roadway which he could have passed if he were only 8-1/2 feet tall.
We are planning a 16 week trip around the boundary states (U.S.), counterclockwise and I cannot think of a better platform for Nat'nl Forest/Nat'nl Parks/ grasslands/monuments/BLM/public campgrounds/State Parks/County parks/stealth camping in cities/weekly fine hotels as a modus operandi through 28 boundary states.
I am no expert on soft side campers so I cannot respond as one who has had both. Everyone has differing requirements. My brother has a long bed OUTFITTER! that he likes a lot. It may be only him, but he has had a lot of trouble with it. But now he's used to it and can fix anything.
So, in the end, would it be a mistake to go to a small, hard side camper on a one-ton? Not by me. You can see by the various answers how across-the-spectrum we TC people are. Younger folks like the soft sides better as they have a lower height; are more in tune with nature and more like tent camping which many just came over from. Older folks like the lack of noise and lack of set up you get with a hard side.
But only you must weigh all the pros and cons and move away from your indecision.
jefe
Generally, form follows function: the old engineer's adage. We followed the path of many on here with car camping; tent camping; backpacking; camping in a station wagon; then a pickup; then one day happened to look in the Recycler (a So. Cal. kind of Craigslist) and found a small, 3 yr. old, hardside Lance camper for $6500. We wrapped up the deal within a few hours. It was just fate, not any advance planning that brought us to this point. Except for the lack of a four season package (who needs that in So. Cal.?) we have gotten used to having one of the smallest, narrowest, least tall, lightest full service TC around. Yes, @ 10 foot, 2 inch, height is an issue that we try to resolve by having the truck as low as we can and using common sense when we're in the woods. Have we ever been stopped by being too tall to continue? Yes, my son Matt was on the Usal Road with the rig and met a downed tree across the roadway which he could have passed if he were only 8-1/2 feet tall.
We are planning a 16 week trip around the boundary states (U.S.), counterclockwise and I cannot think of a better platform for Nat'nl Forest/Nat'nl Parks/ grasslands/monuments/BLM/public campgrounds/State Parks/County parks/stealth camping in cities/weekly fine hotels as a modus operandi through 28 boundary states.
I am no expert on soft side campers so I cannot respond as one who has had both. Everyone has differing requirements. My brother has a long bed OUTFITTER! that he likes a lot. It may be only him, but he has had a lot of trouble with it. But now he's used to it and can fix anything.
So, in the end, would it be a mistake to go to a small, hard side camper on a one-ton? Not by me. You can see by the various answers how across-the-spectrum we TC people are. Younger folks like the soft sides better as they have a lower height; are more in tune with nature and more like tent camping which many just came over from. Older folks like the lack of noise and lack of set up you get with a hard side.
But only you must weigh all the pros and cons and move away from your indecision.
jefe
