Truck camper alternatives

SidecarFlip wrote:
I quit going to RV and boat shows long ago. Between the outrageous parking fees, the price of admission and the stupid concessions prices, it's not worth it for me. 3 bucks for a watered down Pepsi with no carbonation and 4 for a soggy baked (microwave) pretzel.

I dislike crowds anyway. People today have no courtesy or manners. Last RV show we attended, wife and I were looking at a high end motor coach and someone had stolen all the knobs off the radio....

People are animals.... dumb and inconsiderate animals.

Actually this show saved me a lot of time, money and research. Driving to all the different RV dealers out there is almost impossible with my schedule, then trying to make small talk, be polite to the salesman who follow you around and try to convince you to buy their product that you know you dont want. You have the majority of all rv dealers and products at the Pomona show.

$10 parking isnt so bad, i brought 3 water bottles in my back pack with me and some snacks. I went through every RV dealer I wanted to and several vendors and I was out within 4 hours. Crowds are slow on weekdays. Come to think of it, it was a huge bargain. Seeing all the potential product I want to buy in one location and making a decision.

You know what is expensive buying an RV that doesnt work out for you 6 months down the line. You know what is even worse, paying top dollar for an RV when you find out a week later you could have bought a better product and a much better price if you did a little "shopping around". I hate buyers remorse.

On to the other topic. Yes, there are shitty people out there but for the most part RV crowd are good people. Im sorry you have such a view of this and the world, it really isnt that bad. But I am sure yu have seen different things to make your decision. IMO, most people are good, there always exceptions. Hope all works out for you

Travels with Yoly wrote:
Having gone through 4 pull behinds in 4 years, we finally settled on a TC. Best decision we ever made. In addition to the points already stated about lower maintenance and "no tag fees" we found a couple more attributes that we find somewhat important. One is toll road fees based on number of axles and ferry boat fees based on overall length. Another is much cheaper insurance ... not a separate $250 policy but a $26 addition to the truck insurance policy.

After just returning from a 9,500 mile trip in our first TC I discovered one of the best attributes. I'm a videographer and take about 50 Gbs of video a day on the road. I find it possible now to pull off the road at almost any point I desire simply because the camper will park in any space big enough for a truck and I can maneuver almost any tight space. Everytime I get back into the truck after capturing a roadside attraction, I find myself muttering "couldn't do that with a travel trailer" :-)

But a 25ft Class C rv could do the same?

Having gone through 4 pull behinds in 4 years, we finally settled on a TC. Best decision we ever made. In addition to the points already stated about lower maintenance and "no tag fees" we found a couple more attributes that we find somewhat important. One is toll road fees based on number of axles and ferry boat fees based on overall length. Another is much cheaper insurance ... not a separate $250 policy but a $26 addition to the truck insurance policy.

After just returning from a 8,500 mile trip in our first TC I discovered one of the best attributes. I'm a videographer and take about 50 Gbs of video a day on the road. I find it possible now to pull off the road at almost any point I desire simply because the camper will park in any space big enough for a truck and I can maneuver almost any tight space. Everytime I get back into the truck after capturing a roadside attraction, I find myself muttering "couldn't do that with a travel trailer" :-)

brholt wrote:
Depending on where you live the difference in registration fees can be enormous.

I live in Seattle. By far the largest component in registration costs is the Regional Transit Authority Tax (RTA). The tax for a car or motorhome is 1.1% of the value of the vehicle per year. But note, the value of the vehicle is not what you paid for it but is MSRP x (depreciation), And they define depreciation:

WA Depreciation schedule

This means the motorhome with the MSRP of $100,000 that you negotiated the sales price down to $75,000 will cost you $1,100 in just RTA fees in the first year (plus other state and city charges). When it rolls around to get your tabs in the second year the state says it will have only depreciated 5% and you will have to pay $1,045 just for RTA.

And don't think buying used helps you either. The state still charges you MSRP * (their depreciation schedule) independent of what you payed.

Now, compare that to my truck camper. The camper itself (A1150) has a Total registration fee of $15.25. The truck (2013 F350 DRW), being over 6,000 pounds is considered commercial and is exempt from RTA fees. Total charge is $139 a year.

(To show you how crazy it is my 11 year old scooter costs my $157 to register.)

Honestly, I don't see how y'all tolerate that. I just renewed license tags for our 5th wheel and the Jeep GC. Total was $205. I think the 5th was about $130, Jeep the rest. I think my Ram tags will be about $75. No tax or registration for my Bigfoot. Insurance is covered by truck policy.
Now property taxes...we have plenty of that, but no state income tax.

joeshmoe wrote:

cartmancartman wrote:
I went to the local RV show yesterday

We're thinking about going on sat. How was it? Was the admission+parking worth it? $45 for two just to get in seems a little steep.

It was great! Saw alot of the RVs I have been wanting to see for a long time all in one place. I am glad I went as I crossed alot of potential RVs off my list.

Parking was $10, $15 entry (ridiculous IMO) but Ford was giving away free tickets at the door if you test drive one of their trucks. $8 for a slice Pizza and $4 for a soda, I got business handled quickly there and went to a restaurant down the street.

If you are in the market for a new rig, worth checking out.

SidecarFlip wrote:
I quit going to RV and boat shows long ago. Between the outrageous parking fees, the price of admission and the stupid concessions prices, it's not worth it for me. 3 bucks for a watered down Pepsi with no carbonation and 4 for a soggy baked (microwave) pretzel.

I dislike crowds anyway. People today have no courtesy or manners. Last RV show we attended, wife and I were looking at a high end motor coach and someone had stolen all the knobs off the radio....

People are animals.... dumb and inconsiderate animals.

I also don't do shows, last one I was at I was 7 in 1968, I remember A man making us a sign with a router and spray paint then he sanded it, he was done in like 3 minutes

SidecarFlip wrote:
I quit going to RV and boat shows long ago. Between the outrageous parking fees, the price of admission and the stupid concessions prices, it's not worth it for me. 3 bucks for a watered down Pepsi with no carbonation and 4 for a soggy baked (microwave) pretzel.

I dislike crowds anyway. People today have no courtesy or manners. Last RV show we attended, wife and I were looking at a high end motor coach and someone had stolen all the knobs off the radio....

People are animals.... dumb and inconsiderate animals.

Thank you for that honest assessment.

BTW, I agree:B

I don't think the younger set today are all that interested in Truck Campers. Maybe an older used one, but new, don't think so.

When you factor in a capable truck and camper, you are in motor coach land. Kids today are about 'roughing it' with their I-pads and electronics....

SidecarFlip wrote:
My wife and I both are havong issues getting into the cabin over bed, why I bought a ladder.

Said before and now again, TC builders need to address getting into and out of the cabin over bunk.

I noticed that for 2018 Lance has tried to address the aging TC population with multiple steps and a handrail for getting into and out of the cabover bed area.

I quit going to RV and boat shows long ago. Between the outrageous parking fees, the price of admission and the stupid concessions prices, it's not worth it for me. 3 bucks for a watered down Pepsi with no carbonation and 4 for a soggy baked (microwave) pretzel.

I dislike crowds anyway. People today have no courtesy or manners. Last RV show we attended, wife and I were looking at a high end motor coach and someone had stolen all the knobs off the radio....

People are animals.... dumb and inconsiderate animals.