Need advice on my first camper truck
Hi. I'm a long time camper and sometime van dweller, but now I've repurposed and am looking for a vehicle to carry an 8-ft Alaskan camper (which I'm also searching for). I do a lot of travel in remote...
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Get gas not diesel. Back in the day diesels were a very good option, diesel was cheap and no DEF, but now diesel can be way more than gas, and the DEF laws make your cost per mile decrease. Manufacturers have to tune the engine to comply so mpg's are not as good, the DEF cycles burn a lot of extra diesel and really lower mpg's when it is cycling (burning out the exhaust), and diesels can cost more to maintain, so the benefits have narrowed quite a bit over gas. Gas engines are easy, start in the cold, are lighter etc... Not as fun driving gas as diesel when loaded down as the diesel just has so much power, mostly thanks to the turbo, but gas will get it done.
You wont have a huge air drag on the Alaskan camper since it folds down.
8 foot camper needs an 8 foot bed, if I understand what u meant by 8 foot. dont put an 8 foot camper in a 6 foot bed.
Don't over-think the motor size. A 3/4 ton truck will have the motor plenty for what you need, esp since your TC will fold down.
Regular cab, do they exist, lo? Get a king cab at least as you will appreciate the extra storage room when camping.
3/4 ton SRW will be fine but likely you will need to beef up the rear suspension with air bags or an extra leaf or something, otherwise the rear will be sagging. More modern trucks will have airbags already and do all this automatically.
Agree, no DRW off road.
Cooling will most likely be adequate, again that Alaskan folds is huge. My full size TC did not fold and I never got above 195 degrees even climbing steep mtns in the desert, but it was a turbo diesel which had a lot of air going through, if that matters...
Gas might run hotter, still I would not fear this.
As for off-roading, with a TC this is no Jeep anymore. That TC will be rockin-n-rollin back there as the tie-downs are not meant to hold it like it is bolted in. Some wiggle is always there.
Tow a Razor or motorcycle, park at the trailhead and ride the of-road vehicle to get your off-road kicks, it will be cheaper in the long run than trashing your truck.
You wont have a huge air drag on the Alaskan camper since it folds down.
8 foot camper needs an 8 foot bed, if I understand what u meant by 8 foot. dont put an 8 foot camper in a 6 foot bed.
Don't over-think the motor size. A 3/4 ton truck will have the motor plenty for what you need, esp since your TC will fold down.
Regular cab, do they exist, lo? Get a king cab at least as you will appreciate the extra storage room when camping.
3/4 ton SRW will be fine but likely you will need to beef up the rear suspension with air bags or an extra leaf or something, otherwise the rear will be sagging. More modern trucks will have airbags already and do all this automatically.
Agree, no DRW off road.
Cooling will most likely be adequate, again that Alaskan folds is huge. My full size TC did not fold and I never got above 195 degrees even climbing steep mtns in the desert, but it was a turbo diesel which had a lot of air going through, if that matters...
Gas might run hotter, still I would not fear this.
As for off-roading, with a TC this is no Jeep anymore. That TC will be rockin-n-rollin back there as the tie-downs are not meant to hold it like it is bolted in. Some wiggle is always there.
Tow a Razor or motorcycle, park at the trailhead and ride the of-road vehicle to get your off-road kicks, it will be cheaper in the long run than trashing your truck.
