New guy here needs help

If I were in your situation I would consider getting a TC without a slide. Unless you are a much larger person, the you may not need the added room. I think forgoing slides will save weight, save money, and be more convenient if you frequently stop/drive.

If yiu are buying new truck, I would suggest getting 19.5 wheels from factory if you can...it makes life with a big TC so much nicer...look for post about tires and wheels...there was recent one for a SRW unit. Aftermarket is good too.

joeythe3rd wrote:
What is "SRW" sorry new to the abbreviations. Thanks so much for all the help.

SRW = Single Rear Wheels
DRW = Dual Rear Wheels

sabconsulting wrote:
Hi and welcome to the forum.

First decide the type of camper and truck you want before looking at specific brands.

You sound like someone who matches my truck / camper requirements - maybe not, but this is what I would consider - but there are many options out there and this is just one set of options:

You sound like you don't need a huge amount of living space (more of an outdoor person + dog), hence a slide with its extra space, but also weight, cost and often height is probably not for you (these campers often have basement storage - very nice, but makes the whole camper taller which compromises offroad ability).

If you want to drive offroad then you would benefit from a single-rear-wheel (SRW) truck with 4x4. Double-cabs give you extra space, but lengthen the wheel-base limiting offroad ability a bit. Personally I like a supercab - a bit more storage for things like hiking and climbing gear, spares, etc.

Gasoline or diesel is your choice - pluses and minuses in both camps.

I would get more truck than you think - i.e. I would get an F350 (1-ton) SRW or other-brand equivalent - gives you more options for which camper you want. It is too easy to underestimate the truck you need for a given size of camper.

You need to decide whether you want hard-side or pop-up. I've heard good things about some pop-ups in cold weather, so don't rule them out, but people who own them on this forum can give you their opinions.

All but the smallest campers have bathrooms. Bigger ones have a dry bath - separate shower from toilet, which is nice, but needs a bigger camper - consider if you need this.

Once you know the type and size of camper then you can consider whose brand you want.

I mentioned 'offroad' above, but remember that if you are just thinking of driving down a forestry track then almost any truck camper will be capable of that, including the really big ones - my suggestions above assume you want to go further offroad, maybe not extreme Jeep trails, but places where weight, height, width and clearance are a consideration.

Steve.

Steve,

Thanks so much. I didn't consider a lot of your suggestions, like I said I am just getting into this. I don't think I will do a much extreme off road, just don't think I necessarily want to stay in a fancy rv park all the time. I like to be out in the wilderness, so yes I will take all this into consideration. I guess when I think about boonedocking across the united states I really don't know what's out there and where you can go legally. I suppose any state or federal forrest land will most likely have decent enough roads to get me away from folks but not stress a "bigger" camper too much. I looked at an AF 811 and 990 today along with a similar Lance. Really like the extra room with slide out, but again how much time will I spend in the camper? Who knows. Thanks for the advice. Any good sites to find used rigs that you know of?

Joe

kohldad wrote:
How cold of temps are you expecting to see? Unless you are talking a lot of temps below 0*, you don't really need a four season camper.

You mention off-road, so would really caution on slide out units, large units that have large rear overhangs, and possibly even tall basements. Also, may want to stay with lighter weight campers so you can stay SRW.

Since it is only you and your best friend, anything in a 9' or 10' should do. Without knowing all the details, especially like new, used, or budget, I would suggest something like a Lance 845, 915 or 1010. Something in the Bigfoot 1500 series or a Northern-Lite would also work. Then there is also the non-slide units like Adventurer.

Strongly recommend figuring out the TC then worry about the truck. This way you want buy a DRW then only a 2,500# camper or vice a versa.

Thanks for the advice. Looked at Lance and AF today. 811 and 990 series. Both pretty nice. Figure I am probably going to end up with a dually either way based on what I want. Didn't see any non slide units today that I liked. Really like the extra space with a slide. What is "SRW" sorry new to the abbreviations. Thanks so much for all the help.

Bedlam wrote:
Are you looking at buying new or used? I know of someone who is letting go of a truck outfitted for TC use on the left coast.

Looking at both. Looked at AF and Lance today, New...Very nice. What does he have??

hanzfranz60 wrote:
I recently inspected a Lance truck camper that was sitting on the bed of an F350 pickup. This truck camper had airbags installed on the chassis, the camper had a rear and roadside slide, and an amazing amount of room for such a vehicle. I was impressed with the quality of the Lance unit! While up on the roof I noticed how sturdy it was and what a great job they did on all the roof seals. As an RV inspector I was really impressed with this companies work, both inside and out!

I looked at Lance and Artic Fox today. Both seemed really nice, and from my discussion with the dealer I should be considering a dually based on the size camper I want. Thanks!

Hi and welcome to the forum.

First decide the type of camper and truck you want before looking at specific brands.

You sound like someone who matches my truck / camper requirements - maybe not, but this is what I would consider - but there are many options out there and this is just one set of options:

You sound like you don't need a huge amount of living space (more of an outdoor person + dog), hence a slide with its extra space, but also weight, cost and often height is probably not for you (these campers often have basement storage - very nice, but makes the whole camper taller which compromises offroad ability).

If you want to drive offroad then you would benefit from a single-rear-wheel (SRW) truck with 4x4. Double-cabs give you extra space, but lengthen the wheel-base limiting offroad ability a bit. Personally I like a supercab - a bit more storage for things like hiking and climbing gear, spares, etc.

Gasoline or diesel is your choice - pluses and minuses in both camps.

I would get more truck than you think - i.e. I would get an F350 (1-ton) SRW or other-brand equivalent - gives you more options for which camper you want. It is too easy to underestimate the truck you need for a given size of camper.

You need to decide whether you want hard-side or pop-up. I've heard good things about some pop-ups in cold weather, so don't rule them out, but people who own them on this forum can give you their opinions.

All but the smallest campers have bathrooms. Bigger ones have a dry bath - separate shower from toilet, which is nice, but needs a bigger camper - consider if you need this.

Once you know the type and size of camper then you can consider whose brand you want.

I mentioned 'offroad' above, but remember that if you are just thinking of driving down a forestry track then almost any truck camper will be capable of that, including the really big ones - my suggestions above assume you want to go further offroad, maybe not extreme Jeep trails, but places where weight, height, width and clearance are a consideration.

Steve.

Thermal Pane windows make a big difference in the noise reduction and heat/AC in my AF 811. I added them after the fact, but still haven't upgraded the cabover windows.

best camper for winter camping is either a Bigfoot or a northern lite go basement model on whatever you buy with heated tanks and thermo pane windows. Good luck, these campers are all fiberglass so will have the least amount of maintains required.