"Import" in full sized truck?
Hey everyone. First post, new to the truck camper world (still camper-less at this point).
I'm looking to add a truck camper to my fleet of toys. I really enjoy fishing and like to get out on a number of trips each year. Up to this point I've either been tenting it, sleeping in my boat with the full top up or sleeping in the back seat of my truck. I live in Saskatchewan and prefer early and late season fishing, which means my present accommodations haven't been all that comfortable. I also like the idea of mobility, being able to go from one lake to the next without the added driving back to a camp site or having to set up camp somewhere new every day. A truck camper seems like an obvious choice.
My present truck is a 2004 z71. Payload rating is 1569 Lbs. Boat is a 2013 Crestliner Fish Hawk 1650WT. At this point I'm not entirely certain what the trailer tongue weight is, but I'd guess in the 200 Lbs range. The truck has been very good to me, as reliable as I could ask it to be over the last 8 years and at this point I've love to stick with it rather than upgrade. I intend on adding air bags to my rear suspension, but obviously weight is a limiting factor for a camper. And to make matters worse, I want a hard side and not a pop-up as I think condensation would likely be a constant battle in the near-freezing temperatures I regularly encounter.
Going with a minimalist, sub-8' camper would likely get me in the ideal weight range. Basically, most "import" campers are pretty much what would be ideal for me. I've noticed some manufacturers list the campers in that category as being too small for a regular sized pickup, some don't. I'm curious as to what the limiting factors are? I would imagine box height and box to cab roof height play some part. Could one not build a spacer platform to raise it up if needed?
I'm hoping I can stick to a used unit, but prospects are pretty hard to come by in this area and it might come down to having to get whatever I buy shipped to me sight unseen. So I want to be sure of what will or will not work for me.
I've found a used unit, an '03 6.5' built by Sundowner in Calgary. Not a big company so there is next to no information about their products online. It looks to be sitting in the back of a Colorado or Canyon without a whole lot of room between the camper and the roof of the truck, which is what got me wondering if such a thing would work in my truck or not.
Thanks in advance for any insight.
I'm looking to add a truck camper to my fleet of toys. I really enjoy fishing and like to get out on a number of trips each year. Up to this point I've either been tenting it, sleeping in my boat with the full top up or sleeping in the back seat of my truck. I live in Saskatchewan and prefer early and late season fishing, which means my present accommodations haven't been all that comfortable. I also like the idea of mobility, being able to go from one lake to the next without the added driving back to a camp site or having to set up camp somewhere new every day. A truck camper seems like an obvious choice.
My present truck is a 2004 z71. Payload rating is 1569 Lbs. Boat is a 2013 Crestliner Fish Hawk 1650WT. At this point I'm not entirely certain what the trailer tongue weight is, but I'd guess in the 200 Lbs range. The truck has been very good to me, as reliable as I could ask it to be over the last 8 years and at this point I've love to stick with it rather than upgrade. I intend on adding air bags to my rear suspension, but obviously weight is a limiting factor for a camper. And to make matters worse, I want a hard side and not a pop-up as I think condensation would likely be a constant battle in the near-freezing temperatures I regularly encounter.
Going with a minimalist, sub-8' camper would likely get me in the ideal weight range. Basically, most "import" campers are pretty much what would be ideal for me. I've noticed some manufacturers list the campers in that category as being too small for a regular sized pickup, some don't. I'm curious as to what the limiting factors are? I would imagine box height and box to cab roof height play some part. Could one not build a spacer platform to raise it up if needed?
I'm hoping I can stick to a used unit, but prospects are pretty hard to come by in this area and it might come down to having to get whatever I buy shipped to me sight unseen. So I want to be sure of what will or will not work for me.
I've found a used unit, an '03 6.5' built by Sundowner in Calgary. Not a big company so there is next to no information about their products online. It looks to be sitting in the back of a Colorado or Canyon without a whole lot of room between the camper and the roof of the truck, which is what got me wondering if such a thing would work in my truck or not.
Thanks in advance for any insight.
