Back to truck campers

[billy1davis48]

We have been trying everything out like 5vrs TT, Motorhomes and van campers and just can't seem to leave alone the one type we have had before. The only problems we can think of is the swaying and needing to take our bed with us every where.
Are their others that have coped better with these issues and how? I understand many have good luck with thicker sway bars and both back and front
But that leaves taking your bed with you as an issue that could cause us to sell and get something else.

[Grit_dog]

billy1davis48 wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
If you don’t like any means of RVing, pick up another hobby?

YOu are not a helpful guy but I am sure you already have been told that.
But everyone else ...thanks so much.

Anytime!
I thought I was being helpful....I could also provide many suggestions to control body roll or help control it (I say "or help" as you haven't provided enough info to make any specific, sound, suggestions).

But If you've "tried out" virtually every other popular type of RV excpet for pop up camp trailer and can't get past "taking your bed with you", which I presume means you think you cannot or won't unload your camper at a destination, then my suggestions stands. As it seems like every means of RVing has at least one deal breaker for you.

Cheers! Good luck finding the right setup for you.

[billy1davis48]

Grit dog wrote:
If you don’t like any means of RVing, pick up another hobby?

YOu are not a helpful guy but I am sure you already have been told that.
But everyone else ...thanks so much.

[Grit_dog]

toedtoes wrote:
I believe when the OP stated "taking your bed with you" they were referring to having to take the entire camper with them on day trips, rather than being able to "drop" their trailer at a campground and leave it behind for day trips.

Agreed.
Strange thing is that is actually an advantage of a TC not an issue, as the OP framed it.
Most TCs other than really old or ultralight ones, afford the option of doing either. Leave it on and take it with you, or dump it at camp and drive around a "normal" vehicle.

But, back to my first post in this thread....

[toedtoes]

I believe when the OP stated "taking your bed with you" they were referring to having to take the entire camper with them on day trips, rather than being able to "drop" their trailer at a campground and leave it behind for day trips.

[mkirsch]

Isn't the point of having any kind of RV "taking your bed with you?"

Swaying comes from carrying too much weight. That can be addressed in three ways:
1. Aftermarket suspension add-ons
2. Less camper
3. More truck

Well, I guess four...
4. Get mad and sell it

[Photomike]

I had my truck camper and I loved it and the only reason I sold it was because of my health issue and climbing in the stairs and moving all my photography gear in and out.

I then went to a class c which was amazing but did not fit down the roads that I liked.

I then went to a Ford Transit that I converted myself and I really love it. But a truck camper keeps calling me because having the bed over the cab of the truck frees up so much extra space without adding the unnecessary length to the unit.

I have seriously considered going back to a TCer but I love my van and the ability to move from the driver's seat into the back and vice versa with no hassles is the biggest selling point.

If you're concerned about how it handles then don't go overboard with the weight of your camper. My unit was quite light and it handled amazingly well.

The only real drawback that I had was where I live is very windy and driving down the highway into the wind you could feel the camper catching the wind and lifting. I do not experience that with the van.

If I was to do it again I would get an oversized truck to haul the camper. For instance if the camper said it would fit on a 350 I would get a 450 or a 550. Just to have that extra ability to handle the weight to me as well worth the cost.

[JimK-NY]

There are compromises involved with every RV. For any camper, especially an TC, size and weight are big limitations. TCs seem to keep growing in size and weight. All those comforts of home sell. Then you pay the price with the cost of a large pickup and often poor ride quality. All that weight can limit travels to paved or improved gravel roads. Anyway there is no reason for me to continue to dwell on the downsides of size and weight.

To my way of thinking a TC can work really well for a couple or maybe a couple with one or two small kids. Room for 6 probably means a different type of RV.

There are a couple of compromises that my wife and I have found that work for us. First we want our comforts that starts with a queen sized bed facing north-south. A bathroom with shower is essential. We found that a wet bath really makes sense. The clean up after a shower involves shaking the shower curtain and running a squeegee across the walls and floor. That seems a small price to pay for saving the extra space needed for a dry bath. Next we decided on a TC without any slides. That means we have a narrow aisle, room for a decent dinette but no additional seating.

Again think about the compromises. On the light end there are small popup TCs. IMO those are suitable for week long trips but not for prolonged use and comfort. On the high end there are TC with multiple slides, dinettes plus couches and all sorts of amenities. Before that point I would opt for a different type of RV.

[SoonDockin]

There is no perfect solution. Where are you driving that sway is an issue. One a flat road? Something is wrong. Having a solid base is a big help.

My F450 and huge sail was quite stable driving I70 when semi's were being blown off the road in April of 2022. My previous class C sprinter chassis 25 footer would have never been able to maintain 60 mph in those fierce winds. I was towing a 20 ft box trailer with about 3000 lbs in it. Again a solid base. The whole rig never felt like the wind was going to push me off the road.

[Grit_dog]

If you don’t like any means of RVing, pick up another hobby?

[jimh406]

My combination handles well. Lots of things could be impacting the sway including being overloaded, not enough air in the tires, tires not rated high enough, worn suspension parts, etc.

Describe your rig and what have you tried to fix your sway issues.

It's possible for all types of RVs to handle poorly or good.

[stevenal]

My answer to sway was Stable Loads and aftermarket anti-sway bars. Other swear by their duallies for that purpose.

I'm with those above, who like having everything along when on sightseeing day trips. Others here will say dropping the TC and using the unloaded truck for day tripping is the way to go.

[Golden_HVAC]

I guess the advantage of the truck and camper is that you could use the pickup when you have a place to unload your camper. I have seen some campgrounds that allowed unloading the camper at the site, but some have rules against that. Electric jacks can be helpful, and unload the camper in a few minutes.

But I guess the easy way to go camping is a class C motorhome, in the 18- 24 foot long range, perhaps with a rear full size bed, (sometimes with the bath on the drivers side) or queen in the back with a split bath that is forward of the bedroom. It would end up about the same length of the truck camper, without the very high center of gravity. Being built into the van chassis, the water tank, and most of the weight is not 3 feet off the ground, like in a truck camper.

I had a truck camper, then moved up to a 27' class C, and then up to a 30' class A without a slide out (1997 model). I liked each of them, and each was a improvement in water tank size, stability, and easy use. The camper had about 20 gallons of water, the class C about 25, and the class A has 100 gallon fresh water tank, 17,000 GVWR, and 2,734 pound of cargo rating (including water and anything else you might want to add to the RV).

I lived in the class A, and was able to get 3 weeks without refilling the fresh water tank, and dumping the black water.

I don't think I would ever move back to a camper, but might get a A-Frame hardside pop up, like Aliner. That is something that is light enough to tow with my Ford Edge, and get about 15 MPG, instead of the 7 mpg of my class A motorhome.

Even at 7 mpg, the motorhome did not cost all that much in fuel, because I never really drove it over 5,000 miles in one year, so the $1,200 insurance and fuel costs of around $2,500 a year made up most of the cost of owning it.

[toedtoes]

Every RV type is a matter of finding the one with the most pros and least cons and that will be individual.

With a truck camper, yes, you would generally be taking your "camp" with you everytime you want to drive somewhere. If that would be a problem really depends on where and how you will be camping.

If you are setting up a base camp and then taking a bunch of day trips, then the TC is less than ideal unless you can tow a small car or scooters, etc.

If you are doing a lot of one night stops until you reach a destination and then staying place for a while (no day trips), then it would be a good choice.

Some folks use a TC to sightsee, however they might park it at the RV Park and use uber, public transit, etc to get around.

You just have to decide if you can work around the negative of a TC in your personal circumstance and if those workarounds are easier than any inconvenience.

[Mote]

We like ours because we can take everything with us where ever we go. I have food allergies so we don't eat out. So having our kitchen and bathroom with us where ever we go is awesome.
We were hiking at the Grand Teton's a couple of years ago. Once we got done we got in the camper, cleaned up, ate some lunch use the RR. Couldn't do that if we'd like a 5th wheel back at the campsite and just drove the truck.