Lebeter wrote:
DJ, looks like you have a popup right? I'm guessing a hardside would add some more weight up high so I understand the concerns others are mentioning. I contemplated a popup but thinking about a year long travel potentially and not just weekend camping. So i'm afraid i'm not prepared to deal with constant setup during stops. I axed the travel trailer already due to parking limitations and access. I may have to drop the lift which unappealing but possibly necessary. I guess I need to visit some other 4x4 or offroad forums and get some realistic expectations for degraded driving.
IMHO it would all depend on the size/weight of the hardside. CTraveler and Jefe 4X4 run hardside campers over the roughest trails imaginable for a TC. But they are not huge campers. I would not hesitate for a minute about using their campers on my truck.
95% of my camping is local as I live in the best state in the union!! :B But I do make an occasional long trip to the SW. If I were going to do that as a steady diet as you seem to be, I would also opt for a hardside for the same reasons mentioned hundreds of times throughout these forums.
First you need to decide if you want to off road. And I don't mean just dirt or Forest Service roads. I've had that dually I pictured on the first page over some pretty rough stuff and it is stock height. That should help in choosing your camper.
Once you get your camper, try it. If the handling is unacceptable then lose the lift. JMHO
