Full-timing in truck campers?
Are there any couples out there full-timing in a truck camper? Thanks.
Forum Discussion
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.
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.
