Boy, you're not kidding about that one. I wasn't looking very hard when I came across mine. I just got lucky that the uncle of a friend had this one and wanted to get rid of it. For $350, I sure couldn't complain.
I have seen CL ads in years passed for FREE ones, but I had the existing truck camper and it's not easy to remove. It takes at least 4 people, preferably 5-6. It has no jacks and has no bottom to it, so you have to be careful and just lift it up and set it down. When out on the road, I can't just get rid of it hardly unless I already for sure have something else lined up. Plus like I said, it's a shell. I have a bed frame setup bolted to the truck side rail and bed floor right now because I needed something to put a mattress on to get it up off the floor and to have storage under the bed. I also had a heavy duty plastic drawer unit (the grey one walmart sells in the hardware section) in there so I'd have to do something with that etc. So that camper it has now makes it impossible to easily change to something else. I'd have to get rid of it first so the bed can be empty and the tailgate removed.
There is this to allow you to tow a trailer with a longer slide-in, but you need an expensive Torklift SuperHitch to use it.
https://www.torklift.com/rv/supertruss
So yeah, my ability to tow would dictate what camper I could get too, unless I get an expensive superhitch and supertruss setup. I'd rather just get an 8ft long one and not worry about all that. Or drop the trailer at my mom's and forget about it and go out in the truck without the camper on it and my gear just in the truck bed/back seat for bare minimum tent living until I can find a good slide-in along the way. Bu again, that's risky. I should have that back in early 2017 right after I got the truck but I decided I didn't want to risk trying to live that way. That's WHY i got the truck though, for a slide-in. But then I found it was impossible to get one easily and in a hurry. I had a rotten garbage fiberglass shell for a couple months until I found the one it has now. I gave away the fiberglass one to the seller of the one I have now, since I could only use one.
I've also considered getting an older Toyota or Honda minivan (V6) and living out of one of those but with a big dog that's not very roomy. Stick the cargo trailer behind it and it'll probably get the same MPG as the F250 with the existing camper and trailer. Those fuel efficient Toyotas and Hondas lose MPG hard when you add wind resistance. The Pontiac Vibe (Toyota Matrix/Corolla) lost about 5mpg with just a Yakima roof box and the hitch mounted cargo box. The car wasn't roomy enough for me + dog for full time living. Maybe if I had the cargo trailer I have now, it might have been doable with a tent, but it would probably get low teens mpg and put a lot of strain on that 4cyl Corolla engine. An early 2000s Taurus wagon would do better, if I wanted to get a cheap car to pull that trailer with. My mom has one and due to something that came up before I left, we had to tow it around town a few times and the car did find with it, even loaded with my tools and scooter. It's no speed demon and stopping is something you have to account for, but it did ok. Buying another vehicle means starting all over, AGAIN, and then having 3 vehicles (truck, motorhome, something else).
For now, I might as well stick with the 8mpg motorhome since it's very comfortable for full time living and it's seemingly reliable. I carry full coverage on it (it's $57/mo, including trailer loss coverage and roadside/towing for the RV+trailer). My main concern with the RV is the transmission. It's the weak point that could go any time. I did service it with a new filter and pan with a drain bolt for easier fluid changes. The old fluid didn't look too bad and the pan didn't look too horrible (I think) for metal muck. It does have that weird delay(?) issue when shifting up to 2 and 3 (never harsh) but I read that it could just be a band adjustment issue. But regardless, it's a nearly 36 year old transmission. it goes to 2nd at about 27mph and 3rd at about 35-37. Always at those points. Sometimes doesn't downshift back to 1 (goes down to 2 and stays) unless I come to a full and complete stop. (so at yields, I end up in 2nd gear at 2-3mph). Manual shifting works fully with no delay, so I don't think it's the clutches. On the plus side, it's a C6 so they are one of the cheapest transmission rebuilds. But regardless, that's the downside of a motorhome. My house has to be in the shop. It can't be dropped at an RV park like a slide in or trailer.
Well as I said, I'm gonna stick to the motorhome for a while I'm REALLY hoping to have my debts all paid off by around August 2021 along with having a small amount of savings again (I have been saying that for years now...). If the RV's trans starts to truly act up, if I'm within 1000 miles of my F250, I'd probably try to limp it back there. That drain bolt pan can make it easy to mess with the fluid via an additive for a short time then drain and put proper fluid back in, as easily as an oil change. (I've been watching a trans shop on YouTube where the guy says if you use AT additive, use half a bottle, but don't leave it in long term because it totally destroys the seals, not just swells them. Run it a few hundred miles then drain the pan and replace with fresh AT fluid)