Truck bed camper thoughts.

[notenuftime]

I am in between a decision and are asking for any advice or opinions. Life has brought me to a point where i will be homeless in a couple months and have to make a decision of what im going to do and more importantly where I'll live. I've boiled it down to two options that i want to pursue.
Option one i purchase a brand new RAM Promaster high top van and convert it into a camper. Pros of this reliable, new, warranty, gas mileage, easy to drive and i can customize it how i see fit. Cons-the build time car payments insurance, more money but reliable.
The second option, i put a truck bed camper on my old ford. I have seen many nice bed campers for under 5000 ready to go. My only concern is how my truck will hold up i don't want to be broken down all the time but i would spend a hell if a lot less this way.
Anyone have experience hauling these campers, advice?.
What preventative measure could i take to make my truck good to go for this type of hauling.
Any comments or suggestions welcome.
Can these trucks be super reliable? Lol
If i decide on the van i will sell my truck but if i go with a camper in the truck extra money can be spent making truck more tuff.

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

Sorry to hear about that situation, I for one would vote to keep the pickup and save money.

If your signature is accurate, you are already set up just great for a cabover/slide-in camper. I've had 2 over the years and my current one is like 2,200 lbs. My F250 handles it just fine, even before the turbo.

The only thing I would really say is that if you dont have anti-sway bars, consider getting them. At least in the rear. My pickup has none and I don't really have sway issues as far as I'm concerned, but I drive tall heavy class B trucks all day so maybe I'm just used to it and controlling it without thinking.

Also keep your rears aired up good, 70psi to start and check the wear often until you get an idea if it's over- or under-inflated.

Will you be keeping it mounted mostly or parking or to drive around a lot? The time spent unloading a camper drives me nuts, buy one with a good electric jack setup for sure. I found an older ('88 S&S) with a Stabilift system on it and it's pretty much the best thing ever made. Load and unload in like 5 mins, no turn buckles or tie downs. Just throwing that out there if you see one.

 

[notenuftime]

Thanks for the info.
I think the truck is the way to go now thinking about it.
Would airbag suspension be a good idea?

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

It certainly adds versatility but unless you're also towing a solid trailer it isnt needed. More of a luxury item at this point. Do you have a 250 or 350?
Either way these things were designed to move with weight, and unless you get a monster camper itll just ride better than when unloaded.

 

[catbird7]

Are planning to live in it plus daily drive? How long do you foresee this as "home"?

 

[notenuftime]

250 im at least going to replace my hangers for sure.

 

[notenuftime]

Are planning to live in it plus daily drive? How long do you foresee this as "home"?

I will be parking and moving mostly, extended trips in the future. I'll be living in it till life provided something else.
No idea lol.

 

[catbird7]

If I was planning long term stay in a slide in, I'd be looking for a good used Lance. No slides, electric Jack's are only important if you're planning to load and unload frequently, if you have access to utilities (water, electric, etc.) Buying without a built-in generator will save you some buck$. Hauling rule of thumb, everything boils down to weight. Lighter is better, however sometimes lighter could translate to lesser quality. Two. Big things I've found that make a difference when hauling, airbags and anchoring the camper to your truck frame. Tires are another huge thing. Properly inflated, heavy ply tires make a big difference. Mine works best with 50 psi in both the tires and bags. I hope you have a turbo!

 

[catbird7]

Oh I see your sig now. My truck without turbo was embarrassingly slow, received lots of one finger waves! You still won't win any races, however turbo helps a ton.

 

[gandalf]

My monster camper was mentioned above. I have an 11 foot Lance, 1977 model year. It's big and it's heavy. I had it originally on an '86 F250 turbo. The truck had the necessary power, but the suspension wasn't good. I put Helwig 2500 pound overloads on it, and it was a bit better, but still a bit squirrelly. I them put it on my '92 CC Dually, F350, non-turbo. It was much more stable, but a bit slower. I felt good trading speed for stability. The dually has sway bars front and rear, but no overloads. I don't feel that it needs them. Go for the electric jacks. They make life so much easier. Also, something in the back of my mind tells me that Ford changed cab height at some point. This could have an effect on what you buy. Tie-downs should go to the frame. Once upon a time the bed frames were sturdy enough, but not any more. The newer bed frames are just one step up from tinfoil. Buy a TorkLift tie-down system.

 

[Cubey]

I have been "homeless" (full time RVing) for over 2 years. I started out in a nice little car, which was too small. The 28mpg was nice, but not for living in for years to come.

Then I got my 87 F250 and first had a crappy fiberglass camper shell. After a few months, I bought the one shown in my profile pic. It's also crappy but it's insulated, but still just a shell. I used it for about 8 months, bought a travel trailer but sold the trailer (I hated towing) and went back in the truck camper for another 6 months.

Now I'm in an 85 E350 IDI ATS 085 turbo'd 27ft class C motorhome. I considered a slide in, but the downsides below got to me. I'd have had a nicer slide in than this old motorhome, for how much money I've already and continue to sink into it, but it has it's advantages.

Here are some big differences, as far as I'm concerned:


Upsides of a truck camper:

1: You can change/upgrade your "house" (to another slide in) without replacing your vehicle.
2: You can set it down and leave it at an RV park if you want to.
3: If you ever want to take it camping in off road conditions, you have better ground clearance vs the average van or motorhome.
4: certain engine repairs are often easier on a truck than van, but it depends.
5: You still have a pickup for hauling if you ever go back into a stick n' brick, either by selling or storing your slide in.
6: They have RV appliances (fridge, stove, furnace, water heater). Larger ones have a toilet and a shower too. The smallest ones lack even a toilet.

Downsides of a truck camper:

1: You have to go outside to go inside (from cab to house) regardless of the weather.
2: Very small holding tanks (you will probably have to pay an RV park for dump access often)
3: If you have a large dog, it can be harder to get them in and out due to how high up it is.
4: They are very cramped for you and your stuff. You have much less space than a van or motorhome, due to the sides of the bed wasting space and the wasted space in front of and behind the wheel wells. My dually wheel wheels are under the dinette and kitchen cabinets in my motorhome, so much less unusable space.


Upsides of a true van:
1: If you go with a conversion or mini van self conversion, it can blend in well in cities. But, hiding too much is also a cause for concern for cops. If you are trying to hide, they figure you are trying to hide something from them.
2: Better mpg
3: you can make it exactly how you want it

Downsides of a true van:
1: Trying to make it into an RV can be really hard. How will you install your fresh and waste water tanks? House batteries so they can vent?
2: No cheap way to safely transport a large amount of LP full time. 1lb cans get expensive, fast
3: Unless you cut one or more holes in the roof for RV roof vents with built in fans, ventilation in hot weather will SUCK!!!

Upsides to motorhomes:
1: Built to live in, even if technically only temporarily
2: They have RV appliances, have toilets/showers (mid to large can have a small bathtub even)
3: Can have lots of storage for your stuff
4: They have house (roof) AC and a generator, in many cases, so you won't roast in summer if off grid.

Downsides to motorhomes:
1: If your city hates on homeless hard, an RV sticks out like a sore thumb. (But, so do truck campers)
2: You will have to pay to dump your holding tanks (Same as a slide in)
3: The worst MPG, unless you get a 4cyl of some kind. (Yes, they do exist). I get about 7mpg city in my 85 E350, IDI, ATS 085, C6, 4.10. I'm hoping to see 10-11 hwy at 55-60mph.


Motorhomes and vans are good if you REALLY want to stick to that lifestyle in the long run, as in for the next many years. Slide in campers can be too but it's super cramped. very little fresh and waste water storage (Class B vans are similar) but then you're committed to an RV type setup if you go with a van or motorhome. If you want something for just a few months until you get another stick n' brick, go with a truck camper.

 

[david85]

Sorry to hear about your situation. If money is tight, then I would caution against buying something brand new unless you know there is cash left over for emergencies.

Your older truck will have risks that come with it, but that's what the extra cash can help mitigate. A new vehicle is less likely to break down, but that doesn't mean its risk free. When things do go wrong, you may not have the same war-chest to deal with it. Your truck is also ZF5 equipped, so that is less likely to break down than an E4OD. Looks like you already have a recent injection system so you should be good to go. Just don't go turning up the fuel!

If you're wondering about the weight, here are a couple recent loads my truck carried in 2019. The first is a pair of diesel engines, each weighing about 1050lbs (pallets and other misc could have been another 200lbs). Tire pressure was about 55.

The second load is a soviet era metal lathe with a placard weight of nearly 3200 lbs. Tire pressure was 80.

My entire rear spring stack was replaced years ago with some "F350" springs out of a wrecker. I have no idea how old they were or how many miles were on them. I do not run airbags or overloads, but my front and rear stabilizer bars are still in tact. The reason I put quotes around "F350" is that heavy F250s and F350s are supposed to have the same leaf stack. And the rear axle should be rated for roughly 6000lbs, unless you are running dual wheels (10 plys are usually rated at >3000lbs each)

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[notenuftime]

Here's the camper in question.
No one buy it lol.

 

[rubberfish]

Someone will come by shortly and slap your *** *** for posting the CL link.

I spent a year homeless living in a standard chevy van. It sucked.
A pickup and camper would have been a lot nicer.
Sorry to hear of your situation. I suggest you keep your truck and go with a slide in camper.
The one you show looks like it would serve you well and your truck should pack it without much trouble.

 

[notenuftime]

Someone will come by shortly and slap your *** *** for posting the CL link.

I spent a year homeless living in a standard chevy van. It sucked.
A pickup and camper would have been a lot nicer.
Sorry to hear of your situation. I suggest you keep your truck and go with a slide in camper.
The one you show looks like it would serve you well and your truck should pack it without much trouble.

What's the deal with CL posts?