Could someone help with cost estimate for TC and truck?

[livemusic]

Several months ago I made a post wondering do I really need a 3/4 ton pickup... I have a 1/2 ton Nissan Titan (thread: https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28626641.cfm). I still have not bought anything other than a tent, lol.

Well, the tent is brutally hot here in the summer and it gets worse each summer it seems. I fish at night a lot and I tell ya, leaving the river at 2am is just hard at my age. I'd so much rather just camp. I did buy a tent. I knew it would be hot at night (78 degrees and high humidity) and it was! No kidding, if I keep using the tent, I am going to buy a 5,000 watt window unit a/c. I laughed when my friend used one but not after he slept like a baby, lol, while I roasted.

But ya know, it's not easy camping. Sand friggin everywhere because we camp on a sandbar. So, I'm thinking I should again consider a TC. After much thought, it is my preferred choice at this time. I can't go a TT route because I need to pull my boat.

I am considering buying a 3/4 ton or 1 ton and a TC. I could keep my Titan, I love the truck. It is 8 yrs old and has 160k miles and it has been a great truck. If I buy a larger truck with TC, it could be largely dedicated to that purpose... TC use. Plus, I have some land and pulling a lo-boy trailer hauling this and that is helpful.

Could anyone help with a guess of prices? For a truck, I would not buy every bell and whistle, those options seem ridiculously expensive. What is a decent range estimate for a 3/4 ton truck? A 1 ton truck? A TC?

A google search showed pretty fancy 350 Fords over $60k, but that was not negotiated price. I am not married to any brand. I generally favor GM trucks, but I am open to anything.

It's possible this could be a purchase to last me the rest of my life unless I want to upgrade, lol. I am age 62. So, I am not afraid to buy quality.

I also thought maybe I should just test the waters and buy a used whatever TC for this Titan. I would hate to spend $60-$100k on a truck and TC and find out it's not for me. That's an expensive experiment.

I also am not at all afraid of buying used.

Thanks for this helpful forum. Sorry for all the questions, lol. Everything is so expensive!

EDIT: Helpful answers so far. BTW, it would be used for me, alone, and also me and gf. She's tough, she camps well, lol.

[Steve_in_29]

Leland1950 wrote:
At a show this Spring, a dealer had a "SHOW SPECIAL" a 3500 Ram with a Hemi and a Host Mamouth for the low, low price of only $99,900!

Nearly everyone couldn't believe things cost that much.

My truck, an f550, would cost $70,000 today with all the mods that I have, so 30,000 for a Host wouldn't buy it. Need another 30k.

That's why I'm building my own which is still going to run around 16 before it's done. (1200DS)

$99,900 is nothing to the guy that can afford to keep fuel in the truck when that Hemi is hauling a large camper.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

The cost of a truck and camper can range from $500 to $150,000. Somewhere in there, you will find one you like.

[Leland1950]

At a show this Spring, a dealer had a "SHOW SPECIAL" a 3500 Ram with a Hemi and a Host Mamouth for the low, low price of only $99,900!

Nearly everyone couldn't believe things cost that much.

My truck, an f550, would cost $70,000 today with all the mods that I have, so 30,000 for a Host wouldn't buy it. Need another 30k.

That's why I'm building my own which is still going to run around 16 before it's done. (1200DS)

[67avion]

I believe its good advice to go with FourWheel Campers and your present truck. They are some of the best made in the industry and they'll hold up under tough conditions. I am not sure about the AC requirements on the Four Wheel, but it shouldn't be hard to check.

[lonegunman]

I bought the my truck for 15k under sticker, it had sat on a dealer lot for 8 months. My camper was 35% under list price too. You can get 100k worth of truck/camper for 65k if you shop carefully.

Buy more truck than you need a one ton is about 300 bucks more than a 3/4 ton so pay it and be done with it.

[mkirsch]

whizbang wrote:
+1 on the suggestion to try a Four Wheel Camper. That's exactly how we started out. Find out if you like truck campers before you spend $80,000.

The flaw in that logic is, you may not like camping due to the lack of amenities. Doing your business against a tree and not being able to bathe for days might not be your cup of tea. You'll look at that fancy shell and think, "You'd think something this expensive would at least have a BATHROOM, ya know?"

I'm not sure why a manufacturer can't build a TC with a bed, sink, shower, and toilet, and keep it under 1000lbs. TCs with these basic amenities always end up being "lead sleds" weighing a minimum of 1600lbs dry, which eats up the available payload of most every 1500-series, F150, Tundra, Titan size pickup truck on the market. Everything you put in the camper, everyone in the cab, is overloading the truck, and you'll be hard pressed to hit the road at any less than 1000lbs overweight.

[Buzzcut1]

livemusic wrote:
Why do people buy 4wd? (EDIT: I meant for TC use.)

I know what we use 4wd around here for -- mud. But on larger trucks, even a 1 ton dually, why would you buy 4wd? What is the benefit? Is it snow? Reason I ask is I can't see people mudding with a 1 ton carrying a TC. Sorry for more ignorance, lol.

As a sidenote, for just regular 4wd pickup use, around here, about 90% of them never see offroad, lol. Seems an unnecessary expense for most. Then again, we rarely have snow, they are just for mud around here.

so I don't get stuck while winter camping

[Steve_in_29]

livemusic wrote:
Why do people buy 4wd? (EDIT: I meant for TC use.)

I know what we use 4wd around here for -- mud. But on larger trucks, even a 1 ton dually, why would you buy 4wd? What is the benefit? Is it snow? Reason I ask is I can't see people mudding with a 1 ton carrying a TC. Sorry for more ignorance, lol.

As a sidenote, for just regular 4wd pickup use, around here, about 90 percent of them never see offroad, lol. Seems an unnecessary expense for most. Then again, we rarely have snow, they are just for mud around here.

To get to places like this Baja beach.




That required making it through this first.

[whizbang]

+1 on the suggestion to try a Four Wheel Camper. That's exactly how we started out. Find out if you like truck campers before you spend $80,000.

[sonuvabug]

livemusic wrote:
Why do people buy 4wd? (EDIT: I meant for TC use.)

Well ... for a few reasons. First I bought my truck used so I had no choice ... the truck came with 4x4 (which I did want). Second, winter/snow provides the most opportunity for me to engage and utilize 4 wheel drive capability and every Canadian winter I think I'm happy I have 4x4. Rarely do I need it in non-winter months as we stick to asphalt and tame gravel roads for the most part and where we drive, hopefully I'll never need to engage 4x4 with our TC.

Besides, with the weight and completely different handling properties of my truck with the TC mounted, I don't like going up a steeply angled gas station driveway let alone take the whole set-up off-road. But hey, that's me and to each their own.

[rottidawg]

livemusic wrote:

....do you mean a TC made by the Four Wheel company? I assume the latter, because you used capital letters for Four Wheel. If the latter, yes, I have been looking at those. Def a worthwhile option, assuming I use it with my Titan.

I have to be able to tow my boat.

If your interested in FWC campers go to the Wander the West forum for specific info:
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/forum/17-truck-campers/

Great campers with an aluminum frame built for backcountry use. They are somewhat spartan and not inexpensive. Many use them on 1/2 ton trucks although I prefer a heavy duty platform.

[livemusic]

GeoBoy wrote:
Why not get a popup Four Wheel Camper, with the equipment you need, and put it on your Titan? If you like truck campers, keep it and slide a new Titan under it when the time comes. If not then sell the camper.

Do you mean a popup trailer that you tow? Or do you mean a TC made by the Four Wheel company? I assume the latter, because you used capital letters for Four Wheel. If the latter, yes, I have been looking at those. Def a worthwhile option, assuming I use it with my Titan.

I have to be able to tow my boat.

[GeoBoy]

Why not get a popup Four Wheel Camper, with the equipment you need, and put it on your Titan? If you like truck campers, keep it and slide a new Titan under it when the time comes. If not then sell the camper.

[mkirsch]

2WD vs. 4WD is one of the more controversial topics on this board. You may not want to broach that subject here.

A lot of TCers do go off road. Not "mudding" but down unimproved roads to get into remote locations for "boondocking." They get into some pretty rugged territory.