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Truck and camper owners

5K views 50 replies 27 participants last post by  sublloyd 
#1 ·
Wife and I are looking at getting a truck and camper combo so we can tow a boat and go camping. Needs a shower and toilet. Looking at get a fairly new truck and best deal on camper we can get. If some of you experienced people out there can help me with the learning curve on this maybe I can do it right the 1st time.
 
#2 ·
best advice I can give you is make a deal with local dealer to lease you a used one for 3-4 day trip and then if you like the system then buy a newer one or whatever from him. I bought as new lance ( top of the line) for the same reason as you and after one long weekend on coast I cleaned it up and sold it! I would do hotel and truck pickup for coast trips or tent and real camping if in the mountain lakes.

The only truck camper I could possibly tolerate would be one of those giant double giant slide ones that require a dually long bed diesel.

I have had 2 pull trailers, 2 5th wheels and one 4x4 class C f550 rv in the last 10 yrs so wasnt my first rodeo.
 
#13 ·
Agree 100 percent. Wife and I felt like to sardines on all but the biggest camper that ran 50K or more? We stop at luxury hotels with king beds, and sometimes not, only to find that if we bought a camper, we would run into the same thing with our last travel trailer we did have. No one wanted to mess with septic tanks and other stuff anymore. We show up, stay in a hotel, fish or whatever and leave.
 
#3 ·
Learn about how to spot a TC with issues, and you can save money on used. Rv.net Truck Camper forum is a good place to search/learn. Don’t forget to search the archives or use google search. Feel free to ask questions there. It would be impossible for you to ask a dumber question than has been asked there.

Most people trade RVs, so the less you pay the less you lose when you trade. Find the models you like and then find out what truck you need. The longer the TC the more trouble it is to tow a trailer.

If you don’t have an issue with parking a DRW or are not a hardcore off roader, buy one. I’ve carried the same camper on a SRW and DRW. The DRW means I don’t have to worry how much I carry or what I tow.
 
#4 ·
You will love a pickup camper if you want to tow something like a boat! We absolutely love ours. We are on our 2nd lance. It's a 950s. Single slide unit wet bath etc. My parents are on their 2nd lance as well. They have the 1050s. 1ft longer but gain a dry bath and little more counter storage space. I'm a lance fan. Built well but lighter then arctic fox which are nice too. Buy used but go as new as you can afford. We all haul them on single wheel rigs. I frequently tow a 22ft Northriver seahawk and a 20ft car trailer loaded with a tricked out jeep and 4wheeler. 0 issues as long as you set the rig up right. I can go down the gorge at 80 with 1 finger on the wheel. Current haul rig is a newer f350. W/ upgraded tires good for 4080lbs a piece, upgraded shocks, 7500lbs air bags, upper and lower torklift stable loads, hellwig big wig sway bar, torklift frame mounts and supper hitch and super truss. We used to have a 43ft triple axle toy hauler and would constantly take 2 pull rigs for the boat etc. We go camping, hunting, fishing, vacation to be outside. All I want is someplace dry and warm or cool to sleep, toilet/shower and minimal cooking as we do most outside. We will never go back to something bigger as its not needed. The slide is a huge thing though in cabovers. We have 2 adults and 2 full size dogs in ours. I could go on and on about why I love them and prefer them over any trailer.
 
#5 ·
If you can, get a camper with a pop out, the extra 2 ft make a heck of a difference. We have a 10ft camper, with the dinette pops out. Me ‘nd the missus are a couple large people, with the dinette moved out, we can actually pass each other with minimum crowding. We have a shower/toilet combo that only fits one of us at a time, but then only one of us can use the bar of soap at a time anyways. Dealer said the camper could be hauled by a 1/2 ton truck, we have ours on a 3/4 ton. Pretty stable On single rear wheels, even on mountain dirt roads when camping/hunting. Never hauled it with dual rear wheels so can’t compare. Try to get one with the metal frame instead of wood.
 
#6 ·
I have a Cirrus 820. Great camper. Wet shower, we have never used. Remote camping, has an outside shower, we can use. At a campground, we use the campground showers. I have a 2019 GMC Denali now, but use to have a 2004 Chevy 2500hd. Air bags and Hellwig sway bar on both trucks. May be near weight limit. Rides nice, no problem towing trailer. We looked at a lot of campers. Son in law has a Lance, which we were thinking of getting, but when wife saw the Cirrus, was love. Is MORE expensive. There may be used now, as they have been out a few years. We got at Apache in Salem area. They are good place to look at campers as they carry a huge selection of different brands. You can stay at motels cheaper, but the convenience is great. We camp at some remote lakes and rivers. Cost of my rig new on truck is around $110k. New. $80k truck, $33k camper. The cirrus, has no wood on the frame and outside, and a decent size refrigerator-freezer which is good. Nice storage. Things to look at on a camper. Do not like a wet shower, but as I said, remote, outside shower. Had a 26’ class A motor home years ago. Dry shower, etc. very nice for traveling. Problem we had with the MH, was bought used, and did not find some of the problems before I went on a 7 week sabbatical across country.
 
#7 ·
pickup campers are great. easy to park and can get into rougher spots. but they arent for those that spend much time inside. but you go camping to be outside. we go in ours only a few times a day for something and then go to bed.
the more amenities you get the heavier it is and the less places you can squeeze into and less fun driving it.
your holding tanks are small so no long shower or washing lots of dishes unless you have a place to drain your water. or you only go for 2 days.
you learn quickly to save water. and electricity.
i lived in one for two years straight.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Here is my setup; long bed single axle Duramax with Eaglecap 950 camper (welded aluminum frame). Camper has wet shower, slideout and propane powered generator. We have no problem with a wet shower, we just dry off the floor and toilet with a couple of paper towels after showering. Califbill, I could not imagine using a gross campground shower and not using the clean, private shower in the camper...

When we use the camper we are usually either towing the boat or horse trailer with two horses - you could not do that with a travel trailer. We have had the camper since 2009 with only a couple of maintenance issues (replaced water pump and the circuit board that controls the furnace).

Setup accessories include heavy sway bar, air bags and the Supertruss for towing. Next time I need new tires I am going to get "commercial truck" rated wheels and tires for a higher weight load.

I built a pole barn to store the camper in. Leaving a camper, motorhome, travel trailer, etc out in the sun, snow and rain is not a good thing.

 
#10 ·
If you drive your rig unloaded as daily driver I would keep a set of stockers.... My dad is running and has been for awhile American force beast 19.5 wheels and michelin xds 245/70r19.5 on his 07 classic duramax. While the weight rating part is great something like 5000lbs @120lbs of air for the tires cant remember the wheels... They don't handle near the same and ride very stiff. Keep in mind those commercials arent rated for very "high" speeds either. Not that he follows that to a T. But hes paranoid about blow outs from overloading. it also wasnt a cheap upgrade. I think he has atleast $4500 into the setup.
 
#11 ·
19.5s with Vision wheels are more like $2500 at Les Schwab. Keep in mind there is a big difference in prices in 19.5 tires and wheels just like any other size. If you are considering 19.5s, also consider 18s because some are rated all of the way to 4080. Sure, you could be over the rim rating by about 300 lbs, but also higher than the stock tires of 3760 or so.

19.5s have a different type bead and so they aren’t very good much lower than 70 lbs. 18s can go down around half that with no issues which is useful if unloaded with a much better ride.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Yes he could have done it cheaper but he shopped around to get the best price he could for what he wanted. He much preferred the look of the American Force's so he spent more $ there. While the vision wheels are tuff they just dont look super appealing. Also wanted a commercial tire that was more of a true all season and had a snow flake rating which cost more there as well. If someone wanted to save some money period I wouldnt shop at Schwab.... The good part is while expensive to start they do last for ever and pretty much impossible to blow. Im running the stock 20in wheels on my super duty with 295/65r20 (35.4x11.8) with a rating of 4080 and am happy. Ive ran this size on a few rigs for awhile and never had an issue. Just need to watch wheel ratings. Most stock wheels are descent but aftermarket ones are all over the place. Some are descent and some are terrible. Even though they are 8 lug wheels. I have seen more then one crack....
 
#19 ·
Lot of practical info already posted. You said you would like to do it right the first time, then here are the nice to have and more then doable. After three cabovers, 3/4 ton to 1 ton gas burners, we have a great combination now. Truck should be a Dually with a diesel, you pick what brand, that's a different discussion. Ours is a Ram dually cummins crewcab 3500 4x4. The camper should be minimum 10' with a slide or two with a dry bath. Ours is the Arctic Fox 992. What's nice about AF is they are full wall slide, makes a big difference inside. In the two years of owning this camper, we have made a few 10 day trips and dozens of three and four day trips. The camper holds 49 gallons of water, this allows the two of us shower daily on the shorter three and four day trips, we do try to stay where's there's hook ups whenever possible. The factory installed propane generator is great, I don't need to haul gasoline, AF gives you two 7 gal. Propane tanks, we never get low on any of this trips, love that. We never worry about running out of power. The downside of T/C is there is not a lot of storage. I tell my wife that I want to trade the pick up bed for utility bed, that add so much more storage, but she thinks their ugly. I had a 24' travel trailer, so truth be told, a T/C is no where near the space of a trailer, but you have to leave the boat behind. We love the flexibility of a T/C, walk in a couple different models and get the most truck you can buy under it,,,gregg
 
#20 ·
As to hotels and camping. Wife and I use hotels when traveling to hotel destinations. The camper is for remote areas. Some years ago, 4 couples drove to Alaska. Us in the 2004 Chevy, with a Palomino pop up slide in camper. No shower, and porta potty. One couple with a 30’ 5th wheel, one with a 19’ hitch trailer and one with a pop up tent trailer. 5th wheel was nice for room, as well as the 19’ trailer. The tent trailer is worthless on such a trip. Too long to put up and take down. The truck camper was the ideal setup for such a trip. Would have been even better with the Cirrus camper. Long stretches with no lodgings, and would they have room when you got there? The truck camper allowed us to get in to places the others with trailers could not go. Campers have their place. Hunting and fishing is nice to have a campground next to the waters you are fishing. Also, we eat healthier with the camper, instead of eating all meals out.
 
#22 ·
Our set up, we can stop when ever we like and have all the same amenities as a motel, no, actually more counting making meals. We usually stop at a Casino or truck stop, pull in the back where the dog can relieve herself and stretch her legs,,,gregg
 

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#23 · (Edited)
While duallys do drive nice with a camper they aren't always practical. SRW are just fine if you set them up right and dont go over board on your camper. Only reason I would go dually is I went to something like the lance 1172 double slide. I drag my camper and jeep into some pretty crappy locations during hunting seasons. Between all the time I'm up in NE oregon I usually am coming out in a good amount of snow. Like 1-2+ft at times. Duallys get stuck in wet grass.... Just one example That keeps me srw. Heres a pic of my setup, i also tow my NR seahawk with 0 issues. Ive been all over the west and have been very happy. I've settled on a setup/accessories that does well after going through a few tow rigs. My previous rig I even went as far as having custom rear leaf springs built. It was overkill...
 

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#26 ·
We're pushing 5klbs with the Arctic Fox, going to need the payload of a Dually for anything of that weight. I did the 3/4 ton route with our 9' Lance, no slide, wet bath. it's all we had at the time, then we got a 1 ton Chevy gasser, big difference between the two of course. Wet bath campers are a pain if you want to shower daily, the dry bath is much more accommodating and feels more like a bigger rv when showing. My Skipjack is close to 7k lbs on the trailer, love the engine brake on the grades and coastal roads. I researched T/C's in the10-11' range for sometime and narrowed it down to a few models and the 992 checked most of the boxes. Nothing wrong with a newer Lance, we almost went that way. Some of the things to compare are size of the tanks, more is better, a bigger fridge, a 7cf two door is really nice, holds a good amount of food cutting down on extra ice chest needed. True 4 season rated should be on your checklist. And as previously noted a slide. Some campers have small slides for the dinnet, or even smaller for the kitchen. Ours is the full 10' wall slide, that was a big part for us. I can shower and dress in our bathroom, crazy how they figured how they maximized that footprint. The only thing I would change out is the dinnet to a lounge sitting that is offered as a option. It would be nice to stretch out on a lounge for a nap instead of climbing up in the bunk, the dinnet would be better for a young family though. Really do a lot of research including the Camper forums to zero in on a model the works,,,gregg
 
#25 ·
If you plan to buy a big camper with slide get a dually truck. Most truck camper combinations are over weight before you add trailer tongue weight. You are doing it right by asking.

How big is your boat and how much tongue weight does it have? If your truck camper overhangs the back of the truck and you need to add a stinger that weight distribution greatly affects the handling of the truck be smart and do it right and you will love the outcome do it wrong and you have a dangerous rig going down the road.
 
#29 · (Edited)
The last thing I'd be putting on my truck is a leveling kit to haul a camper. Your camper will do the leveling. I also do not recommend air bags for hauling a camper they make the ride bouncy and sway side to side more, a rear sway bar is the best aftermarket add on you can do for hauling a camper comfortably if your truck doesn't already have one. Personally I have a 9' host bobcat camper and haul a 24' boat or enclosed trailer. We use the camper around 75 days a year for fishing and hunting. We removed our bathroom as we find most all truck camper bathrooms a pain to fit in, and we don't care for dumping the sewer, unless you get a giant camper which makes using it a chore to drive. I also have had pop campers and campers with slides but prefer the most basic camper with a wide open floor. The pop up or slide both require extra time to deal with before going launch the boat in the morning. One thing to add. Whichever camper you choose be sure to get fast gun tie downs and wireless electric jacks. If i were buying a new camper ight now I would order a capri cabover model and choose your options to fit your needs.
 
#33 ·
i will agree and disagree with ya. I was the one talking about a leveling kit. I would not do it if your going to leave the rear end 100% stock but with a few other add ons it wont hurt the driveability or safety at all. Ive always leveled my rigs as I refuse to run anything smaller then 35 ish tall tire. I take my rigs way to many crappy places and need every bit of tire I can get while still keeping it realistic and safe. I've accomplished this a couple ways. Either a 2in block in rear, add a leaf or now my current preferred method of torklift stableloads. I run both the top and bottom. The bottoms are adjustable to fit each rigs spring pack. I use all the 3 wedges and use air bags while camper is off to raise up the rear to make the gap between the main pack and lower overload bigger then normal ride height. Then turn in and engage the the stable loads and let some air out. This makes my rig sit with a factory rake empty before the camper and both top and bottom overloads are already engaged which eliminates a lot of squat. Im an airbag fan as well but people do use them wrong with campers. 1 don't T them together so they can't push air back and forth. Also you cant run to much air in them. I run about 45lbs in mine fully loaded. To much and you will lift your rig off the overloads both top and bottom if you have them both and then it will be like a trampoline affect. There is a sweet spot in there where it will help level a little and still not negatively affect sway and bounce. I have onboard wireless air so I can easily fine tune it. Also the hellwig big wig sway bar or similar is a must. Ive set up 5 different camper rigs and have helped many friends and family members. I dont know everything but have tried alot of different things and feel like ive found the sweet spot. Atleast for me. I tow a 22ft NR seahawk, car trailer and enclosed many times a year all over the west and do it comfortably and safely. At least I think so.
 
#31 ·
I can only speak to what I've done to my Dually, I replaced the factory sway bar with a Hellig Big Wig sway bar. Big difference in sway control over the factory bar. I disagree with not adding airbags. No they don't control sway, I didn't notice more sway though. But the truck rides Sooo much nicer on the highway when the camper is on the truck. I add around 70lbs of pressure and get about a inch of lift. The truck is still on the overloads, but it's a much smoother ride on those concrete highways. One thing to keep in mind when playing around with different tires, especially going taller is you change your gearing ratio advantage adding the load to the drivetrain. You can end up going down a rabbit hole with cost if your not paying close attention to how much you change things. I'm running 12x34" tires from the factory tires, I don't remember how much smaller they were, 2_3" inches smaller i'm guessing. I can still run uphill I-80 Donner Summit and Ashland grade with the camper on and towing the Skippy above legal speed with some peddle left, but the torque drop is noticeable to me. Without a load I can't tell any difference since going to bigger tires,,,gregg
 
#34 · (Edited)
I have no idea what kindof $$ your wanting to spend... How new of rig and camper you want. Whether you prefer ford, chevy, dodge, etc etc. But here's something I came across... It looks fairly set up. That 07 classic duramax has the much sought after lbz motor and 6 speed Allison. Has low miles... While I own a lance the Arctic fox is a very nice camper. Just a little heavier...this rig is fairly turn key. Not sure what other suspension upgrades they have done? Obviously has air bags. Could always add a good sway bar $350 ish and lower stable loads $300. Better shocks $100 a piece. And maybe upgrade tires depending on whats on it. But already has torklift mounts, hitch and super truss, fast guns etc.. Not many pics of camper but looks like in descent shape and has things like onboard generator etc so may be fairly well outfitted as well. I see setup rigs like this every so often. Sometimes can save some $ and hassle of setting something up and multiple purchases which has some value as well. Also lets you take the whole setup on a good test drive and see how you feel about it. I do personally feel they are a little over priced on this one... But most people have some wiggle room. Just figured I would throw it out there.
https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/rvs/d/portland-camper-pickup-combo-rv/7154341827.html
 
#35 ·
That silverado looks to be in incredible shape.

Heres a nice looking setup in Chehalis
https://offerup.com/item/detail/883337643/?_branch_match_id=746512538639228442

My understanding with air bags is that they wont push air from 1 side to the other. You still have the same amount of volume on a corner. 1 side will get shorter and fatter. The other side will get taller and skinnier.

The advantage to running air lines independently is if you have a slide that adds a bunch of weight to 1 side you can even things out by adding nore air to that side.
And yes I'm a huge fan of air bags for hauling and towing.
 
#36 ·
Keep in mind a LOT of guys are running WAY over on the truck. Hence the need for 19.5s and air bags. Which don’t increase payload, GVWR, GAWR.

Has there ever been a camper made that didn’t weigh a whole bunch more than listed?

My hunting partner now runs an F450 dually for his lance 11’3, he used to run the same camper on a 3/4T and 1T pickup, was plagued with cracked wheel and tire problems until he went to 19.5’s. Following him out of our hunt unit last year on a FS road, the sway (ram 2500 with overloads and air bags) freaked me out so much I video recorded it so I could show him later.

He is STILL slightly over capacity when he tows a trailer + TC with the F450 (14000 GVWR, 9900 rear GAWR). He only knows because he actually weighs it.

It was interesting to chat with him on a recent trip in the camper. Night and day difference in the trucks and he feels so much better when he hauls his family/kids on trips. After 20 years of using a 3/4 or 1t and his third 11’+ camper.

Make sure you get enough truck. Don’t trust any numbers folks say if they aren’t from a scale.
 
#37 ·
Yes, get enough truck for the camper you like.



Don't put a 5000lb loaded and wet camper on a 2500.



DRW pickups are the best for hauling larger 4-5000lb campers, can't argue that. SRW 350/3500 is fine up to around 4000lbs, provided your E rated tires are up to the load.



All E rated tires are not created equal, some are good for 3000lbs and some are good for 4000lbs each.
 
#38 ·
Two many post to read them all so some of this might have already been said. We run with a 2008 Chev 3500 drw and a 2010 AF 1150 and pull ether our 16ft drift boat or 2005 NWJ. I've added a Torklift Super Hitch and use the 4ft extension, Torklift Stable Loads and Firestone Air Bags. Were very happy with the set-up, about 10 years and counting. I might of been ok without the airbags and ran with Stable Loads only. I think if you need to use a extension to you boat trailer the super hitch is the way to go. Were happy with the wet bath option, you will always have wet towels and rain gear that needs storing. We dry camp a lot not counting showers we go 2 wks between tank dumps, 2 wks on batteries think ice cream bars in Arizona. RV.net is your friend, maintenance is important, They all will leak, Chev, Ford, Dodge, Lance, Artic Fox, Your hamburger is only as good as the guy that made it that day, that applies to RV's as well, have fun and be safe Grant.
 
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