Pros/cons of class B and P/U slide in?

[mt-ed]

I'd appreciate any comments. Which would be best to purchase, a class B rig, or, a new P/U and slide in camper rig? If a person needed to purchase a new P/U to properly support a larger slide in camper, wouldn't it be just as good, if not better, to just get a class B rig? Thanks in advance....oh.....if you need more information to answer this, please post them as well!!

[goreds2]

From what I hear, most Homeowner Associations (HOA) will allow a Class B to be parked on your property. I am not sure about Pickup Truck slide ins.

[Photomike]

SoCalDesertRider wrote:
Cut out the access port in the back wall of the cab and put the boot between the cab and box body. Then build the inside how you like, adding windows, vents, door, cabinets, appliances, batteries, solar, air conditioner, etc, however you see fit. Add tool boxes under the body sides for secure outside access storage, maybe hang a generator under one side of the body too and hang the waste tanks under the body down the middle.

If you buy a reefer (refrigerated delivery truck) body, it will already have excellent insulation and a super cold, self-powered air conditioner!

Cannot say I have not thought about it. Biggest draw back at this time is needing the 3rd seat.

[Reflex439]

Photomike wrote:
BUT as I have talked about on other forums a huge drawback for me was the fact that I could not go from the front to the back without going outside.

This was one of the top 5 factors that pushed me into a Class B, the other was I wanted a standard size vehicle for access, parking, etc. So it was a small C or B. I didn't want another Class A, way to big for the two of us.

Other than the convenience of going from front to back without exiting the vehicle, was security. If I was ever boondocking and needed to leave quickly from a situation I wasn't comfortable with, I could just drop into the drivers seat and leave. I would not want to be stuck in the back of a truck camper wishing I could drive away and not being able to. Granted, not a concern in campgrounds, etc, but if you boondock it could very well be a concern. I always park such that I can't be blocked in without multiple vehicles, and have two direct easy exists. I just feel much safer.

[hardride]

If you want or need four wheel drive, MB now offers one that several conversion companies offer. I assume that they are rather pricey but the mileage should be better than other four wheel drive MH's. I think that Roadtrek currently offers the CS Adventureous on the MB 4X4 chassis.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

Photomike wrote:
GREAT question.

For years I owned a truck camper and I loved it!!! Some of the things that I liked were:

1 - Easy to drive, daily driver
2 - 4x4, go anyplace
3 - Could seat 6 in the cab
4 - Lots of room (the cab over bed is a great way to save sleeping space)
5 - Loved the fact that I could pick the truck / camper combination and change as I like

BUT as I have talked about on other forums a huge drawback for me was the fact that I could not go from the front to the back without going outside. It was hard for me to move my gear every night and back every morning from the front to the back (camera gear). I found out the last day that I had it that the issue was the climbing of the stairs and trying to get in out of the narrower door that was taking so much out of me.

So now I am looking for a Class B or a small C, issue is that there are not a lot to choose from at what I would call a reasonable price and with what I want. I ruled out the Mercedes diesel as I have heard a lot of issues with the engines and transmissions in them and there is not a service place close by. Most class C's are over 24' even when they say 22' (they do not take into account the cab when measuring) so they are out. So I am now looking at either a Roadtek or a short Lexington. Good thing about the Roadtrek is that the bed can be set up and left set up for the day, Lexington the bed is in the middle of the camper so would need to be made up. I want a vehicle that I can use to shoot from, work from, sleep in, live in when needed and still drive daily if I have to.

I have also thought about making my own but with the vehicle costing $35,000 - 50,000 alone this would be more expensive that I like. The good thing is that if I make my own I could build it exactly the way I want and with only the options that I want.

If you want to make your own, you could buy a 1-ton 4x4 crew cab cab/chassis truck of your favorite brand and buy a delivery box/cube van body to put on the chassis.

Cut out the access port in the back wall of the cab and put the boot between the cab and box body. Then build the inside how you like, adding windows, vents, door, cabinets, appliances, batteries, solar, air conditioner, etc, however you see fit. Add tool boxes under the body sides for secure outside access storage, maybe hang a generator under one side of the body too and hang the waste tanks under the body down the middle.

If you buy a reefer (refrigerated delivery truck) body, it will already have excellent insulation and a super cold, self-powered air conditioner!

[Traveling_Pa]

You can take any van to Sportsmobile, Austin TX and they will convert it any way you want.

[Photomike]

GREAT question.

For years I owned a truck camper and I loved it!!! Some of the things that I liked were:

1 - Easy to drive, daily driver
2 - 4x4, go anyplace
3 - Could seat 6 in the cab
4 - Lots of room (the cab over bed is a great way to save sleeping space)
5 - Loved the fact that I could pick the truck / camper combination and change as I like

BUT as I have talked about on other forums a huge drawback for me was the fact that I could not go from the front to the back without going outside. It was hard for me to move my gear every night and back every morning from the front to the back (camera gear). I found out the last day that I had it that the issue was the climbing of the stairs and trying to get in out of the narrower door that was taking so much out of me.

So now I am looking for a Class B or a small C, issue is that there are not a lot to choose from at what I would call a reasonable price and with what I want. I ruled out the Mercedes diesel as I have heard a lot of issues with the engines and transmissions in them and there is not a service place close by. Most class C's are over 24' even when they say 22' (they do not take into account the cab when measuring) so they are out. So I am now looking at either a Roadtek or a short Lexington. Good thing about the Roadtrek is that the bed can be set up and left set up for the day, Lexington the bed is in the middle of the camper so would need to be made up. I want a vehicle that I can use to shoot from, work from, sleep in, live in when needed and still drive daily if I have to.

I have also thought about making my own but with the vehicle costing $35,000 - 50,000 alone this would be more expensive that I like. The good thing is that if I make my own I could build it exactly the way I want and with only the options that I want.

[garmp]

Our Sportsmobile conversion van sits in our drive way and is our second vehicle. Home Owners Assn says nothing. It's a van. A truck camper would have all the natives forming a lynch mob.
Just food for thought.

[My_Roadtrek]

The Duramax is really loud in a Van because it's right next to the driver/passenger. The dog house doesn't help much with the noise. Not very relaxing on long trips.

[KD4UPL]

SoCalDesertRider wrote:

Unfortunately, both Ford and GM quit offering diesels in their vans a long time ago (I think 2009 was last year for diesel E-series). So if you are buying a new or newer used class B conversion van or class C van-chassis RV based on the common E-series or G-series vans, you're stuck with a gas engine.

This is where a pickup & camper has a great advantage. You can get any of the big 3 brands of 3/4-ton and up trucks with the diesel.

Chevy has been offering the Duramax diesel in their vans for many years. You can buy a new one right now with it. I don't know how common it is to find one in a motorhome but I don't know why you couldn't get one.

[mt-ed]

Thank you all for such informative comments. They have been very helpful clarifying aspects of my decision making. They were exactly what I was hoping for...so again....thanks very very much!

[NoVa_RT]

As others have said, a Class B has a big advantage in driveability & gas mileage. I have no problem doing highway speed on the interstates, can get in/out of regular gas stations, can park most anywhere (including my own driveway without blocking another vehicle), and consistently get 15 MPG. There are plenty of options, both gas & diesel.

However, I usually camp in state & local parks; if I was going to mostly boondock in rough country, I'd probably choose differently. Price might also matter to some.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

On the fuel mileage issue, with these heavy vehicles, be it a class B, C or pickup & camper, having a diesel engine is a big plus for both fuel mileage and power, versus a gas engine.

Our '05 E350 cargo van with the diesel got great mileage (15-25mpg, depending on speed and load/towing). It also had plenty of power, more than needed most of the time.

With a gas engine big enough to have the power, you don't get the mileage. With a gas engine small enough to get the mileage, you don't get the power. With the diesel, you get both.

Unfortunately, both Ford and GM quit offering diesels in their vans a long time ago (I think 2009 was last year for diesel E-series). So if you are buying a new or newer used class B conversion van or class C van-chassis RV based on the common E-series or G-series vans, you're stuck with a gas engine.

This is where a pickup & camper has a great advantage. You can get any of the big 3 brands of 3/4-ton and up trucks with the diesel.

[Jim_Carolyn]

I've owned 3 Class B's and now we have a 2015 Artic Fox 822 and 2015 GMC one ton SRW crew cab.

I've wanted a truck camper for several years because all we do is boondock camping and have gotten stuck in wet grass or mud with the calss B, but my wife didn't want me to get a truck camper. She didn't want to loose the versatility of getting up and using the bathroom or getting a fridge snack without stopping.

Now that we have a truck camper, there are issues. For one, the ride is no where near as comfortable as the Class B's were. Another is that stepping up into the camper is much harder especially for my wife - of course she's only 5' tall. Still another is the installing and removing of the camper on and off the truck - not that it's difficult, but it does take a little more time. And let's not forget the gas mileage - since we have a gasser, we only get about 8.5 miles to the gallon when loaded. I'm not that big on gas mileage, but the Class B's got 15 miles to the gallon so fill ups are more frequent now.

But, I love the Truck Camper. There is no campsite that I have to avoid or worry about getting stuck in. If I want, I can remove the camper and have use of the truck for whatever purpose. It's roomier inside and the bed is out of the way and stays a bed. The fridge is much bigger (6 cubic feet) so we can bring more goodies. I can level the camper simply by using the electric jacks. The bathroom is bigger. It holds more water (50 Gal) and the waste holding tanks are bigger so we can boondock for longer periods if we want to. We can go camping in the winter without worrying about the the tanks or water lines freezing freezing.

All that and I still have a truck when I need a truck.

[jrobe]

The biggest advantage of a Class B or C is the pass-through from the cab to the living area. This is great for traveling. I would be reluctant to own a pick-up camper because of this.

One alternative is a Tiger RV - http://www.tigervehicles.com/tiger-models/cx/

It is a 4 WD truck based RV with a pass-through. I rented one in Colorado last fall for a few days just to try it. It was well built and the living space was very well designed. The one I rented was built on a Ford F350 with 4WD. I took it on many beat up mountain roads in Colorado.

The only thing I didn't like about it was that it requires a heavy duty truck to handle the weight of the RV (similar to a truck camper). It was the worst driving vehicle I have ever driven. On rough roads, it was miserable. Maybe it could have been modified with a better suspension but to support the weight of the RV it just needs to be a big, heavy, stiff vehicle. I decided I would prefer the more car-like ride of a van and give up a little off-road capability since the majority of my miles are on blacktop anyway. Again it all depends on your use.