Any 1st time pickup TC out there to give their thoughts

[wantabe351]

Ive camped in a tent since a child until back surgery had me needing a mattress, as it goes by a TT for a yr and then upgrade to a 5th wheel. After wearing that one out bought a Montana 3400L in 2011 and I enjoy camping with my wife, But when I want to goto a Nascar event or on a solo camping trip,I find that size of a RV is Too much..Now I've wanted to buy a used slide in TC to use for my solo adventures, Now for years dreamed of traveling with a TC but she has no desire to travel in anything that small, me it would be cool-I Think?? Here what Im asking has anyone with a larger RV bought a TC to use for ease of the trip or just be able to go where most cant go...I also travel out west to the Rockies every other or 3rd year for a month or 2...Explain your thought's on this the good and bad.....As for TC cost is a factor so used in the age of 2009 to 2012, watching for water damage price of 12 to 18K$....Ive got 2005 Dodge Dually with CTD,4.1gears and I modified the trans and truck to tow Heavy...Plus to pull my MC along with me would be the icing on my cake....Thanks

[jaycocreek]

Here what Im asking has anyone with a larger RV bought a TC to use for ease of the trip or just be able to go where most cant go

Yes, we were living in a 35' Jayco fifth wheel and we bought a 8'6" truck camper to go hunting and fishing in..The fiver was just to big and heavy..Three of us and a dog did fine in the TC for hunting/fishing and camping where a fifth wheel or travel trailer could never go..

I usually just left the TC on the truck living in an RV park not wanting to pay for storage on it..Then we would take it off at a friends house to move the fifth wheel and put it back on the truck...

All this in Coeur d'Alene Idaho where using a TC on days off was necessary to get away from the crowds..

[Grit_dog]

Well, you have the rig to haul most any TC you would like to.
Camping solo, pretty much any TC is big enough for 1 person.
That said, features vary by model and mfg and while we camp with 4 people and a slide out is a bonus just for space, you may not need that and can get a comparable non slide for less $ than a slide out.
The other features I honed in on were tank size. If you're boon docking, more water capacity is better, fridge size. Not much room for coolers so it's a great convenience to have all the cold good in the fridge and a separate freezer. Generator is a must for us. Pros and cons with built in vs separate. Noise in the camper, ease of service and propane use being the downsides for me with a built in unit.
Location, as you may be aware, TCs are pretty scarce on the east coast, maybe an excuse for a road trip! As for care, I'd pretty much only look at older TCs that I could reasonably ascertain had been stored under roof or at least a cover for most of their life.
Good luck in your search, their dime a dozen out here, alot to choose from. If you can't find what you want back east, might have to take a road trip!

[ardvark]

I think you will find a good many folks in the same frame of mind. We still own our fifth wheel which we now keep at the beach, but we tired of the limited number of spaces available for large RVs (which has only gotten worse), so we now travel exclusively in our truck camper (second one actually).

Whereas we were always worred about finding a place to stay that was some place we actually wanted to stay, our TCs has made finding a place to stop so much easier not to mention taking on fuel and not having to worry about about getting blocked in at the pump.

We still think all types of RVs are fun and have owned multiples of each, but for pure simplicity and spontaneity, we think it is hard to beat a truck camper (and my wife loves it too)!

The cons? Space for sure. If you need multiple flat screens or two recliners, a TC is not for you. I also worry that even answering posts like this, those of us who are already into TCs will encourage what seems to be increasing numbers of folks who trash our wilderness areas. Finally, it is a rarity that you luck out and get a TC and truck combo that handles well right out of the gate so mods and add-ons are somewhat second nature to TC owners when starting out.

In the end, everything in life is a trade-off, it is just what you are willing to trade.

Steve

[ppine]

I bought a TC first and put it on a one ton Ford. It felt topheavy in the wind and on windy roads. My girl put it best. "Too much trouble to load on for a short trip, and too small for a long trip." I like trailers.