steveh2112
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Re: truck camper vs. popup trailer
bobndot wrote: You are optimistic about getting into a 14 year old camper while on a vacation far away from home. Do you plan on bringing along your tools while on vacation ? You plan to sell this by the time you unpack it and board a plane back home ??? :? :h Keep it simple. Van : You have one vehicle to deal with . You park it anywhere, its your cabin as well as your vehicle. You can also be stealth while parked in a parking lot somewhere , saving money right ???? Sleep on an inflatable air mattress or find some good backpacking pads. Good ones do a very good job and don't leak air. Plus, when you rollover the person next to you won't smack into the roof of the van. I use one of these power packs that for my laptop, dvd player, cell phone charger. It has 12v outlets as well as an inverter with 110v outlets. It can jump start your truck if need be as well as inflate tires. I recharge mine while i drive from my trucks 12v. outlet plug. If you buy one,make sure it has all those features with a large 22 ah AGM battery built in. Good ones are over $100.00 . portable 12v power pack general quality camping supplies camping shower enclosure water heater electric porta-potty All this stuff can be resold with minimal depreciation and repair costs. If the weather is real bad or you feel the need for a break, use the motel. At the end of your 6 mo. vacation, i think you will be a lot happier and have more assured trouble free adventure. This is supposed to be a vacation . You wont want to be spending it in rv repair shops with $100/hour labor rates. P.S. the porta-potty can be secured down to the van floor so it can be used while traveling. Its quite an adventure to go to the bathroom at 60 mph.... driver should keep a smooth gas pedal and no sharp sudden turns. :) Bob great links, especially that hot water shower thing. thanks Bob i've been around in circles on this for a while but come back to what you said, keep it simple. nice clean cargo van and an SUV tent for somewhere to sit and watch some tv on my tablet in the evening.756Views0likes0CommentsRe: truck camper vs. popup trailer
thanks for the tons of advice. i didn't realize about tie downs and didn't realize my gas mileage would be so bad on a truck camper. shame, seems like a good idea but i guess the devil is in the details. the cargo van idea is starting to sounds a lot more appealing. looks like i should get about 16 to 20mpg on a lightly loaded van. staying in motels misses the point of the trip altogether. i'd rather stay home in my own bed than travel the US staying in motels and hotels. we already tried that once and quit after 3 weeks.755Views0likes0CommentsRe: truck camper vs. popup trailer
hmknightnc wrote: steveh2112 wrote: just for an example, i'm looking at this truck and this camper purely for example of course, just to get an idea what things sell for this time of year for the people who like to tell me i post too many questions, isn't that what forums are for? its not necessary to read all the posts if you don't want to my original idea by the way is to get a naked cargo van and just put a few basics inside like a mattress, SUV tent, chemical toilet, etc. i'm still thinking that may be the simplest (but definitely not the most comfortable) option That's actually a pretty good deal and should be able to sell it for that after 6 months. Couldn't tell if the TC met your requirements for shower/bathroom though. Doubt it given it's vintage. Truck on west coast and camper on east coast is a problem. like i said, just an example for price371Views0likes0CommentsRe: truck camper vs. popup trailer
SteveAE wrote: Steve, Here is a different twist for you to consider. Since you plan to stay in motels (and I assume eat out) occasionally, I suggest that you save yourself a lot of time and money and just get a nice mid-size vehicle that gets good gas mileage (4x4 if interested in back road travel and camping). Then bring along a tent, sleeping bags, a small stove, some simple cooking supplies, and a small cooler. Maybe even toss a couple bikes on the back (on a hitch mounted rack), a canoe on the roof, and a couple backpacks in the truck. I suspect that traveling this way, you would find it a lot easier to explore the US and go where ever you want than if you were lugging a RV around. My wife and I traveled this way for about nine months (I think we stayed in a motel twice) and it was the best trip ever. However you do wind up making your trip, have fun. Steve when i lived in the bay area, i would drive my explorer up to Yosemite a couple of times a month for climbing trips and sleep in the back in some of the camp grounds outside the valley it was ok for a weekend but 6 months! still at least i was sleeping inside something, not in a tent, which i'm not interested in at all. the problem with SUVs for me is i'll be carrying around seats i don't need, when what i need is space, hence the cargo van idea i'm not interested in a conversion van, i think too had to sell fast371Views0likes0CommentsRe: truck camper vs. popup trailer
just for an example, i'm looking at this truck and this camper purely for example of course, just to get an idea what things sell for this time of year for the people who like to tell me i post too many questions, isn't that what forums are for? its not necessary to read all the posts if you don't want to my original idea by the way is to get a naked cargo van and just put a few basics inside like a mattress, SUV tent, chemical toilet, etc. i'm still thinking that may be the simplest (but definitely not the most comfortable) option371Views0likes0Commentstruck camper vs. popup trailer
i'm planning a 6 month coast to coast trip (CA to NY) from April to Sept next year. we are a couple, 55/45, planning a mixture of RV/camping and discount hotels when we can find them on groupon/priceline etc. saving money is a priority, more than comfort, so we are thinking truck camper or popup trailer but i've been in neither so was interested to get some advice. first off, the most important thing to us is, we must have a toilet and hot shower as neither of us want to deal with camp ground facilities for that. everything else (besides sleeping) we can compromise on. so it seems to me the advantage of a truck camper is its better for driving around than towing something. i also assume its cheaper on gas? also, since there's no wheels to go wrong, i'm thinking less likely to have mechanical issues and also, no need to register it with the DMV? i'm guessing the popup trailers are a bit more spacious for an equivalent 2nd hand cost and usually have more features? maybe more comfortable? note that we haven't got a vehicle yet so i figure get the camper first then buy a vehicle to match another big factor is we need to sell everything in September as we will be flying home to Thailand, so what would be easier to sell off season? i'm interested in your thoughts on this? in my situation, which way would you go? steve8.5KViews0likes30CommentsRe: beginner advice on campground selection please
obgraham wrote: You are trying to plan a USA trip the way you might in your country. That is going to be tough. I suggest you find another couple to buddy with -- we do stuff in odd ways here the only friends we have that i would consider spending 6 months with just built a house and are pretty broke. they would love to go but not possible next year. anyhoo, we are planning to do a European trip with them in about 5 years when i'm officially retired and hopefully getting some of my US social security money back by the way, i've done plenty of road trips in Thailand. i live in Phuket (south) and my wife is from the north and Thailand is as long as the US north to south so i'm no stranger to eating up the miles.256Views0likes0Comments
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