Forum Discussion

WVbassmistress's avatar
Aug 18, 2015

"Scarcer" than hens' teeth

Several of us on the forum have noted how rare TC's are east of the Mississippi. The past 2 weekends really brought that home to me.

Two weekends ago, we fished a tournament on Bluestone Lake in southern WV. To our surprise, there was another truck camper about 3 sites from us. Of course, we struck up a conversation about how hard it is to find these things in our state. Funny...it was like being a member of a very select club!

This past weekend, on another trip to another local lake, we had at least 2 people come up and talk to us about the camper. Not to mention the "head turning". I think the fact we were dragging a 22 foot pontoon made the rig a little obvious. We shared our story about the why's and how's and they asked the where's. Me being me, I always opened the door and offered a tour. Everyone is always so surprised how nice and well equipped these things are inside.

When I was showing horses, I was dubbed the "Cruise Director". If anyone showed the least interest in what we did, I would take them from stall to stall introducing them to the horses and letting them pet the ones that wouldn't bite their hand off. Now, I LOVE showing off my truck camper. What a great conversation starter!!

I have noticed another thing the TC has changed in my life. I called my husband yesterday on the way home from work to tell him I saw a truck camper on an exit ramp headed out towards our house. In my childish manner...I wanted him to go look for it!(I also saw it this morning boon-docking at the Walmart out my way - Bigfoot on a purple truck towing a cargo trailer) Then he proceeds to tell me that HE saw one as well - a Coachman. It hit me as really funny that now truck camper spotting is some kind of game that we have developed.

It just hit me that this box on the back of our truck has had an effect on our life that are not so obvious at first. We have hit a new level of "team work". We can take the tailgate off and on, load the camper, hitch up the boats without a word...just kinda move as a single unit.

I know this has been a topic before...but do you have little ways it has changed you and your life? Or am I just romanticizing it?
  • weedrancher wrote:
    There’s definitely romance in your story but DW and I also TC spot. It’s almost like “slug-a-bug” without the slugging. I’m not a social kinda guy but DW will give a “cooks tour” to almost anyone that inquires about our camper. One of the benefits of the TC is that I get to camp with my best friend.;-)


    I thought we invented "truck camper slug" ! BTW, I camp with my best friend too.
  • I thought I was the only one who feels like this. We see few TCs here, so it's quite an oddity. Getting it on and off the truck usually draws a few lookers.

    I too love showing it off. (You all know too well how proud I am, I've been reminded). This last trip, I walk out of a store to find DH giving a tour to a guy with an Eagle Cap. His had no slide and he was shocked to see how much space we have. I'm glad I always have it clean and neat...just in case.

    Having a TC is like being in a club of sorts. We don't have to worry so much about site size, now we worry that the boat will fit. I'm much more apt to strike up a conversation on a truck camper because so many mods get done to save space or increase battery power. We learn so much more.
  • Truck Campers are very commonly seen here in Michigan all 12 months of the year. Very coomon to see at least a dozen or more a day on the roads, in campgrounds, and on owners properties on or off the truck. A lot more when traveling. TC's are used a lot when towing a loaded snowmobile trailer going far a weekend or just going snow skiing, cross country skiing, or snowshoeing, etc and staying overnight in. Thousands of miles of groomed trails, ski trails, and so much public land, many ski resorts, and countless hills and public huge forests to play in full of trails. About 50 CG's in Michigan are open all winter long and most are in the northern half of the state including the U.P. where it's sparsely populated and is a winter wonderland to enjoy. Gorgeous! Some of the CG's have heated bath houses and showers all winter also and dish washing rooms too and the sites parking areas and roads are kept well cleared of snow. Many of them are often full in winter as we have been going to them for neraly 40 years now.

    Why are the TC's being used in winter? Simply because who would want to pull a TT or 5th wheel or drive a MH on snowcovered or some slippery roads as it can be very quick to lose control of and crash. Stopping a big rig on snow or slippery roads is very iffy at best. Jackknifing is a constant threat and happens so fast. Also add in that the plowed out campsites are often quite short in length in winter.
  • We too do the "there's a TC" routine. In 4,000 miles to Georgia, Florida, Gulf Coast and home to Oklahoma we only counted 17 and that included the ones parked by houses and in fields rotting away. I'd visit more but DH says i visit took much and too easily. Oh well,he's kind of a sour puss sometimes anyway. The height of any trip is seeing another Shadow Cruiser. Actually located an 8.5 hard side just down the road from us and at Lake San Cristobal by Lake City Colorado one actually pulled into the campground by us. Theirs was a '95' they bought new and was on it's third truck! Ours is a '90' 9.5. We always get excited seeing anyone TCing anywhere. Most are friendly folks, others not so much, and all are enjoying their TCs as we do. Definately has changed us,for the better I believe.
  • I always wave at other TC's I see on the road. We have a lot more TC's out here in Colorado and of course we reside right off Hwy34 which goes to Estes Park so we see many types of rigs all summer.
  • There’s definitely romance in your story but DW and I also TC spot. It’s almost like “slug-a-bug” without the slugging. I’m not a social kinda guy but DW will give a “cooks tour” to almost anyone that inquires about our camper. One of the benefits of the TC is that I get to camp with my best friend.;-)
  • Even in Ariz campers at campsites and people at the parking lot will ask about my camper.
    I leave it on the truck all the time.My SWAG survey shows 10% of RVs are truck campers,maybe 15% are popups and of the popups maybe 10%are Palominos