Full timing in a truck camper.

[Superwrench]

The wife retires in 18 months and we are planning on getting a truck camper and living in it full time. Were wondering if others are doing this. we are in the process of clearing out our house and making decisions. We plan on selling our TT a Thor Citation 30T and going to a TC so if something happens to me my wife can drive the truck home. She has trouble hitching the TT (Reese dual cam) and backing. We have been camping since we were children 60 years. We started with tents then ultra light off the back of our BMW motorcycles. We are considering taking my Triumph Truxton with us. I currently have an 04 Ram 3500 Dually regular cab CTD Getrag 6 speed 4x4. We are planning on getting a new Host Mammoth. We can survive with out all the junk one normally has to have. We are open to suggestions.

[bka0721]

Yes, one can full time in a Truck Camper. But, not everyone full times. Some just take long trips and then return home, after a year or 6 months away. To truly full time, one needs to sell the home, move onto the road and leave everything behind. Not many can deal with that. Especially with family, children and grandkids. Or maybe they use this to visit family and friends while seeing this great country. Everyone seeks different things. Often one does go out on the road and finds it is not for them and returns to a stick frame home and or apartment. Nothing wrong with that.

For me, this coming June I will be starting my 9th year on the road. With more than 3,100 nights out on the road I have spent 64 of those nights in campgrounds. With that factor I chose to set out to avoid campgrounds and cities, that is my choice. Not one many others have had. For this to be done successfully, planning is a must, as well as preparation.

But one does not need to get ahead of oneself either. Try not to plan too far ahead too. Many will want to help and or give advice, but many are vacationers and weekenders. While good experience, they don't have all of the answers. Take in the information and weigh what works best for you and your choices and dreams.

I have and have no plan on stopping anytime soon. I sold everything back in 2008 and it took me a year to put my project and rig together. But, back then there was not a lot of help out there to do what I am doing. But I have spent a lot of time sharing what I have learned and you are welcome to contact me. Send me a PM and I can give you some of my hard earned lessons. One of the things that I did to make my life successful was cure my power issues. In doing so I haven’t plugged into an electrical source for more than 6 years. Meaning I acquire my own from solar. With this experience I have shared much of this in many articles I have written on this very subject, starting with this one;

Full Time travel in a Truck Camper Clicky

Yes, one can full time in a Truck Camper.

b

[Jfet]

work2much wrote:
End of June will mark 8 months for us minus a couple weeks at home in March/April. to buy new truck and Taxes... We are in Fairbanks Alaska right now with our 2 60 pond dogs.

We will be on the road for at least 4 more months before returning to Bay Area to see family around the holidays briefly before heading south for the winter to states we have never been.

Yes, it can be done. It's actually pretty awesome.

Did you winter in Fairbanks???

[work2much]

End of June will mark 8 months for us minus a couple weeks at home in March/April. to buy new truck and Taxes... We are in Fairbanks Alaska right now with our 2 60 pond dogs.

We will be on the road for at least 4 more months before returning to Bay Area to see family around the holidays briefly before heading south for the winter to states we have never been.

Yes, it can be done. It's actually pretty awesome.

[71stpsde]

Superwrench wrote:

GeoBoy wrote:
Super,
You can get a Ram 5500 with a pickup bed. You should also take a look at an AF 1100 series TC with a dry bath., nice camper with fewer slides.

Dodge only shows the 5500 as a cab chassis. Are you putting a bed on it? Also it only is listed with an automatic. I owned a transmission shop and prefer manuals. I used to build 2 transmissions a day. The wife wants slides so she will get them. AF was my choice till I saw the Host.

There is a company in Ft. Worth, TX that makes a custom 9ft bed for the Ram cab and chassis trucks. It's about $10k. http://www.genesistruckandtrailer.com/home.html

[cdbinns]

Check out Truck Camper Magazine. They have several articles on full timing in a truck camper. Just type 'full timing' in the search box and they will pop up.

[Hemi_Joel]

If you get bilsteins, don't get 4600's . They are not sufficient for a big heavy camper. They are more of a soccer mom SUV shock.

[Jfet]

Yesterday was the one year anniversary for us after selling our house and setting off full time in our truck camper.

It is a home built truck camper but it is a truck camper and we are full timing in it. So far so good!

[Superwrench]

JimK-NY wrote:
The wife wants slides and a dry bath. Sounds like you are set with a choice that is good for you. Sounds like the only issue is the truck. That Host is really big and heavy. You need to look at the tire load ratings and consider an upgrade if needed. You might want to consider added springs, or airbags or upgraded shocks.

The truck is due for new tires due to age. My pull offs are knee deep in tread. I always go for the max tire and require new date code. I don't wear them out. Also will be new Bilsteins, air bags with compressor, all fluids, hoses, and belt. Q

[Superwrench]

GeoBoy wrote:
Super,
You can get a Ram 5500 with a pickup bed. You should also take a look at an AF 1100 series TC with a dry bath., nice camper with fewer slides.

Dodge only shows the 5500 as a cab chassis. Are you putting a bed on it? Also it only is listed with an automatic. I owned a transmission shop and prefer manuals. I used to build 2 transmissions a day. The wife wants slides so she will get them. AF was my choice till I saw the Host.

[Superwrench]

jefe 4x4 wrote:
A lot of cogent issues brought up here. Full timing will not be our lexicon, but long term traveling is and continues to be. I believe that anyone, no matter what age or stage, will not know if the Full Time TC game will work for them, until they try. Everyone reacts differently.
I do have these observations after the O.P. more fully explained his predicament.
1. Claustrophobia. No one knows if that will be an issue until some time has passed while living in the TC.
2. Climbing those steps, both the entry and the big ones to the cabover bed. How are your knees, back, and general strength?
3. Is there enough space to stay reasonably out of your mate's way?
4. Do you fit and can operate in doing all the the wet bath chores?
5. Do you have enough storage? With a TC, you had better not be one who must take everything with them to feel comfortable.
6. If not going on dirt roads much, do you really need a 4X4 TC?
7. The rule of thumb is: the longer your are out in a TC, time wise, the larger and more comfortable you want the camper to be.
8. And the last thing is your flexibility and adaptability to new and different situations.
Of course this does not take into account your other interests in life. If you have few things to connect you with the area you currently live in, the easier it will be to cut those ties.
There is only one way to find out if you and yours are good candidates for full timing: jump in with both feet. If it doesn't work out, you will just have another path to follow.
I do know this for Jeanie and I: namely, the less 'stuff' we take on long trips, the freer we feel. Good luck and do report back on your findings.
jefe

I agree one does not know till they try it. If we can sit for two weeks in a 3 man tent while it rains a TC won't be a problem. Most of the time we will be outside. The steps have been a concern however my fall two weeks home from my liver transplant was due to passing out as I got onto my porch. I cracked two ribs and messed up the back beyond repair. I have to be careful at the gym. But I think I will be ok. No wet bath wife demands a dry bath. Other than kids and grandkids our only reason to stay in TN is low taxes. No income or personal property tax. Plates are $100 a year. TN does have a 10% sales tax and they tax food. Since my teaching subject is mechanics Chrysler let me attend training for free and gave me "friend of Chrysler letter" cheaper than employees. I got my dually at an even better deal. The dealer knocked off the price of the Cummins and the 4x4. I got a $50K truck for $30K. I'm glad I got the 4wd because it will get stuck on wet grass. I am of the school that 4wd is for getting out of trouble not into it. We are not into sports or activities beyond a day at the range punching holes in paper. Mostly we read or surf the net on our phones. Compaired to motorcycles we will have plenty of storage space.

[Hemi_Joel]

The only time I lower the jacks is if it is so windy that the camper is rocking from it. Putting he jacks down, but still leaving weight on the truck really makes it solid. With the jacks up, walking around causes some rocking, but that doesn't bother me. It's easy to put the jacks down using the remote, but I am concerned that I will forget and drive off with them down. I have drove off with the slide open many times. 😮

Learning more about your situation, I think a big 3 slide truck camper will be perfect for you.

[GeoBoy]

Super,
You can get a Ram 5500 with a pickup bed. You should also take a look at an AF 1100 series TC with a dry bath., nice camper with fewer slides.

[JimK-NY]

The wife wants slides and a dry bath. Sounds like you are set with a choice that is good for you. Sounds like the only issue is the truck. That Host is really big and heavy. You need to look at the tire load ratings and consider an upgrade if needed. You might want to consider added springs, or airbags or upgraded shocks.

[Superwrench]

discovery4us wrote:
well now you have opened a whole new can of worms. You are going to need to pull a trailer for the JAG. You can't leave it behind, it will feel unloved and we can't do that to a JAG:)

The Jag will be finding a new home as well as the BMW motorcycles. My 15 Hemi Challenger RT Plus will stay at my daughters as will my Triumph Truxton and $250K of Snap-On tools.
One thing I am curious about is stability when parked. Do you find the TC rocking when you walk in it? Do you use the jacks as stabilizers? The only time our TT was stabil was when we set it on 8 piers of concrete blocks. Being a Navy Corpsman on a Destroyer Escort I do fine. Never got sea sick even in a typhoon. The wife prefers stability. We toured a WWll diesel sub and just walking through she got sick. Perhaps not being able to see outside. We figured on using the bath for emergencies, on the road, at night, bad weather. Also planned on using the outside shower, and doing the bear thing in the woods.

[jefe_4x4]

A lot of cogent issues brought up here. Full timing will not be our lexicon, but long term traveling is and continues to be. I believe that anyone, no matter what age or stage, will not know if the Full Time TC game will work for them, until they try. Everyone reacts differently.
I do have these observations after the O.P. more fully explained his predicament.
1. Claustrophobia. No one knows if that will be an issue until some time has passed while living in the TC.
2. Climbing those steps, both the entry and the big ones to the cabover bed. How are your knees, back, and general strength?
3. Is there enough space to stay reasonably out of your mate's way?
4. Do you fit and can operate in doing all the the wet bath chores?
5. Do you have enough storage? With a TC, you had better not be one who must take everything with them to feel comfortable.
6. If not going on dirt roads much, do you really need a 4X4 TC?
7. The rule of thumb is: the longer your are out in a TC, time wise, the larger and more comfortable you want the camper to be.
8. And the last thing is your flexibility and adaptability to new and different situations.
Of course this does not take into account your other interests in life. If you have few things to connect you with the area you currently live in, the easier it will be to cut those ties.
There is only one way to find out if you and yours are good candidates for full timing: jump in with both feet. If it doesn't work out, you will just have another path to follow.
I do know this for Jeanie and I: namely, the less 'stuff' we take on long trips, the freer we feel. Good luck and do report back on your findings.
jefe