Hi, brand new here and have lots of questions about TC's. I have so many I am probably going to break it down into a few posts. First a little about me. I am living in Alaska for almost 60 years now, and am not new to RV'ing. Most of my experience was with a 26' travel trailer, and a 29' class C although I have owned TC's in the past it was so long ago I don't know if my experiences with them are still valid.So my situation now is that we are retired (finally!), sold our tired old Coachman 29' last year and the wife and I want to try going with a used pickup camper for boondocking around Alaska, and the western provinces and territories of Canada. We have a 2006 Chev 2500HD ext cab that we are getting ready to drive out to the Pac N.W. next week to look for a well used (but not too used up)camper to bring back. My initial questions are: Where are the best places (regions, states cities etc) to start looking? We have found quite a few on Craigslist and the listings seem to be more than a few months ago when we began looking so that has been encouraging. Another question, can we, as US citizens buy a TC in Canada, and what if any duty will we have to pay when we declare it at the border? The reasons I am thinking about Canada is the exchange rate is favorable and the prices seem quite reasonable. For instance I saw a nice looking Bigfoot in B.C. that was priced within our budget which is pretty remarkable considering what those sell for up here!Well I have lots more questions but will save for another post.Thanks!Dave

Arktikos wrote:Another question, can we, as US citizens buy a TC in Canada, and what if any duty will we have to pay when we declare it at the border? THe Alaska Dept of Licensing / Dept of motor vehicles should be able to give you all the details about what taxes, duties, license fees would nee paid on a unit purchases in Canada, eh.

Hey I live in Haines, Ak I have a Bigfoot and love it. I would call the border for the question about import cost. My guess if you stay in Canada for enough days it won't be much. There isn't any tax or licenses for a camper in Alaska. I bought my Bigfoot in Juneau but they certainly don't come up very often.

rutzbeck wrote:Hey I live in Haines, Ak I have a Bigfoot and love it. I would call the border for the question about import cost. My guess if you stay in Canada for enough days it won't be much. There isn't any tax or licenses for a camper in Alaska. I bought my Bigfoot in Juneau but they certainly don't come up very often.Hey, small world! We live in Haines too! How do you like your Bigfoot? The one I saw was in lower BC along the way to WA and it was around $4K CND if memory serves. That is about our price range for now. See if my wife likes campers before spending more for a better one.

Artikos,Welcome to the forum. It is a wild and crazy bunch here with no shortage of opinion on what you should do. There is consensus on a few things:1. If you are planning on using your GM 2500HD as a camper carrier, your options are more limited than if you had a 3 or 4 series truck. Another thing: is it a short bed or a long bed? If short, your options are further limited on models that will fit. Don't let that deter you if that is the case. We are stuck with a 2 series truck and a short bed camper that we REALLY enjoy and have gotten used to; especially good for boondocking.Other even more tangible questions are:1. How are your knees, back, and general health? That may be a leading question, but you must face it realistically. If either of you have physically limited motation, a camper may not be the right choice. Why? a. The set of wobbly steps you must climb every single time you enter. b. The two big steps to get up to the bed and out of in the middle of the night. This is the built-in limiter for TC-ing. 2. If you are physically large, be sure to try out the 'fit' in the tiny WC they call a bathroom. Go thru all the motions. Lay on the bed. Open all cabinets to see how facile they work. I have an acquaintance who TC's a small hardside and he is 6'7". This is not a marriage made in heaven, but he makes it work. It's still 5 quarts in a 4 quart jar. 3. To set up a camper for boondocking requires some alternate think. Get a TC with large tanks. Solar Power is good for boondocking. 4WD is desirable. If you can swing it, a pop top camper will slink between and under the trees easier than a hardside. A hardside is quieter with nothing to set up. A hardside is easier to 'stealth camp' in cities. We've done that a lot, using Tioga George's and BKA's techniques. Getting a truck camper set up for boondocking has more to do with the truck than the actual camper.4. One more intangible is: how is your tolerance to small spaces? Claustrophobia? Some people cannot take the 'closed in' feel with a truck camper. Jeanie and I love going into 'the cave', (or love's grotto) with most of the windows blocked out. If i were to recommend a TC for a short bed, 2 series truck, brand new, it would be the Lance 865. They cram a lot of cozy features into that space, and it can be taken off-road. Our's is an earlier version of the 865. But, there are many good brands to peruse. If you decide on something, be sure to make a very complete inspection for leaks, bad finish, poor workmanship, all systems go.Let us know how it goes.regards, as always, jefe at the big Indian Cave in Death Valley N.P. last week:

jefe 4x4 wrote:Artikos,Welcome to the forum. It is a wild and crazy bunch here with no shortage of opinion on what you should do. There is consensus on a few things:1. If you are planning on using your GM 2500HD as a camper carrier, your options are more limited than if you had a 3 or 4 series truck. Another thing: is it a short bed or a long bed? If short, your options are further limited on models that will fit. Don't let that deter you if that is the case. We are stuck with a 2 series truck and a short bed camper that we REALLY enjoy and have gotten used to; especially good for boondocking.Other even more tangible questions are:1. How are your knees, back, and general health? That may be a leading question, but you must face it realistically. If either of you have physically limited motation, a camper may not be the right choice. Why? a. The set of wobbly steps you must climb every single time you enter. b. The two big steps to get up to the bed and out of in the middle of the night. This is the built-in limiter for TC-ing. 2. If you are physically large, be sure to try out the 'fit' in the tiny WC they call a bathroom. Go thru all the motions. Lay on the bed. Open all cabinets to see how facile they work. I have an acquaintance who TC's a small hardside and he is 6'7". This is not a marriage made in heaven, but he makes it work. It's still 5 quarts in a 4 quart jar. 3. To set up a camper for boondocking requires some alternate think. Get a TC with large tanks. Solar Power is good for boondocking. 4WD is desirable. If you can swing it, a pop top camper will slink between and under the trees easier than a hardside. A hardside is quieter with nothing to set up. A hardside is easier to 'stealth camp' in cities. We've done that a lot, using Tioga George's and BKA's techniques. Getting a truck camper set up for boondocking has more to do with the truck than the actual camper.4. One more intangible is: how is your tolerance to small spaces? Claustrophobia? Some people cannot take the 'closed in' feel with a truck camper. Jeanie and I love going into 'the cave', (or love's grotto) with most of the windows blocked out. If i were to recommend a TC for a short bed, 2 series truck, brand new, it would be the Lance 865. They cram a lot of cozy features into that space, and it can be taken off-road. Our's is an earlier version of the 865. But, there are many good brands to peruse. If you decide on something, be sure to make a very complete inspection for leaks, bad finish, poor workmanship, all systems go.Let us know how it goes.regards, as always, jefe Thanks for your reply..To answer your questions, Our Chevrolet 2500 is new to us, actually we just bought it and haven't yet brought it home. It is a 4x4, 8' box and has 75,000 miles on it. Seems to have good stiff springs and plenty of power, but I do share your concern for camper weight. I would prefer something shorter, even if we forgo the shower or even toilet as a good porta potty works well for us! Besides it is much easier to find an outhouse or outher facility where a porta potty can be dumped and I just know those small tanks in a TC will fill up way too fast.Health wise we are doing good for our age. We both hike daily and my wife goes to exercise class several times a week while I have my own exercise class with the splitting maul right at the woodpile! As for the size restrictions, I am fairly big, 6'-2" but think I would be fine. As for claustrophobia I think we will be fine as we sometimes go overnight camping in our 20' boat and that thing has a really tiny cabin and when the wind and waves are hitting it sometimes it feels like sleeping in a washing machine! We have also been doing some tent camping, but I don't really care for sleeping on the ground. Also the bears being around make me get less than a restful nights sleep. The same concerns go for a tent camper or a pop top camper. I like having a more solid wall between us and the wilds!I like your setup in the photo. Our 2500 doesn't have the ground clearance that your Dodge has, but we are not planning on really getting very far off road with ours. In Alaska you can get far into the wilderness and not be really offroading. The flip side is that it is tougher to get a rig off road here without getting buried up past the axles in muck, something that went out with me in my 20's! Not like the great open deserts that you are probably used to.. We have a little 1000 watt Honda gen that I plan to take on our excursions, and a solar panel or 2 might be in our plans as well. I keep thinking for the boonies having an outside showerhead would make more sense than devoting a good piece of the camper to a bathroom. Not sure if my wife shares this sentiment however! Actually the last camper I owned 25 years ago had a bathroom that I used justfor storage. Thanks again for your insight!

New member here with a bunch of questions. | Good Sam Community

jefe_4x4
Explorer
Mar 12, 2015
Well....that plan came together rather quickly.
Congratulations. Now for the 'period of adjustment' we all had to go thru to learn all the ins and outs of TC-dom.
jefe
Reddog1
Explorer II
Mar 12, 2015
Arktikos, I really hope you enjoy your Bigfoot as much as I have enjoyed mine.

Wayne
Arktikos
Explorer
Mar 12, 2015
Reddog1 wrote:
Arktikos, I really hope you enjoy your Bigfoot as much as I have enjoyed mine.

Wayne

Wish it was a Bigfoot as I have been wanting one of those for years! Actually we went with a different idea, more boondocks style which to me means smaller and lighter with less frills. Our new camper is a Adventurer 8 foot cabover that doesn't have a bathroom. I think for the most part it will suit our intended use pretty well. It is in very good condition with no leaks. Also it has good cold weather properties.
Arktikos
Explorer
Mar 12, 2015
jefe 4x4 wrote:
Well....that plan came together rather quickly.
Congratulations. Now for the 'period of adjustment' we all had to go thru to learn all the ins and outs of TC-dom.
jefe

Is it any worse than Tent-dom? :)
Reddog1
Explorer II
Mar 12, 2015
I am sure you will adjust.

Wayne
rutzbeck
Explorer
Mar 12, 2015
I like Million dollar falls but I have another hide-away on the pass I use more often. Have fun.
Arktikos
Explorer
Mar 12, 2015
rutzbeck wrote:
I like Million dollar falls but I have another hide-away on the pass I use more often. Have fun.

Yep, there are lots of back roads in the Haines Pass area. Ever camp up on the Kelsaw river road (Out of Mosquito Lake)? Nice back there too but just passed through with the Jeep till now. Good blueberries!
Moose10
Explorer
Mar 12, 2015
Welcome to the forums!
Have you really exhausted searching in AK?

Just found this in Chugiak....much closer than the PNW too.

Lance

I bought my sweet Arctic Fox used in Soldotna a couple years ago. Keep looking and/or post a want ad!
Good luck. TCing is the way to go in AK.
Arktikos
Explorer
Mar 12, 2015
Moose10 wrote:
Welcome to the forums!
Have you really exhausted searching in AK?

Just found this in Chugiak....much closer than the PNW too.

Lance

I bought my sweet Arctic Fox used in Soldotna a couple years ago. Keep looking and/or post a want ad!
Good luck. TCing is the way to go in AK.

Hi Moose, thanks for the link, I might have gone for that one as it seems like a very good buy. However last night we bought one here in Haines. It is a lighter weight one, 8 foot and 1900 lbs. I always wanted a lighter weight TC for those back roads that make you feel like you are going to lay it on its side with a heavy camper. I don't know if this is going to be the one, may end up selling it if my wife misses a hot shower too much, but she has been a tent camper her whole life so might not miss the lack of a bathroom. The camper we bought is a 2005 Adventurer.

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