Wyo, thanks for your concern and the good advice. I have been doing some looking at various campers online. I'm not big on slide outs, a tip out rear bed looks like a good idea, but will need a longer camper for the side entry. Lots and lots of choices. I like the tip down kids bunk above dinette. We'll see what shakes out...
Thanks.
Ken

 

So terribly sorry to hear of your situation with your wife. I just brought my wife home from the hospital last week. We have another test to go through on April 14th and we are sitting on pins and needles.
If you are wanting to pull a boat, (in our case it was boats or horse trailers), you have no choice but to go with a camper. We raised 3 kids out of campers and are still counting the grandkids. It creates great opportunities for "family time".

Our camping experiences are a little different than some. We had a lot of tent camping experience that covered from side of the road boondocking to hunting camps to horse camps and to camps at the end of 30 to 50 mile horse back ride out in the boondocks or mountains. It was one such trip in the mountains when the 2 boys were young that actually led us to getting our first truck camper. But, that's another story.

The boys hated the camper and insisted on camping in tents and that's the way it went. Except in extremely wet, snowy or icy conditions. However, when we weren't off on the horses packing in, we had a warm, dry space we could clean them up, dry them off and thaw them out. When my daughter came along, from the age of 5, she insisted on sleep in tents with her brothers. But, we did have the camper on trips to get them warmed up and dried out in.

When we became "empty nesters" we kept the Camper for several more years until it had an accident. We went back to tents and continued pulling horses and boats. A number of years back I had a medical problem and during the first year of that it became obvious that if we were going to continue, a camper was going to be needed. So we got back into slide in campers. Instead of our kids, we now have from 3 to 7 of the kids kids (grandkids) that go with us on trips now. And some of those are teenagers.

Currently, we take varying number of grandkids with us camping. Now, I will say, in the past, present and future the kids generally stay in tents and we have prepped for that. But in periods of extreme weather, the table gets dropped and the floor gets used. Last year on a long trip, we got tired and decided to stop for the night in a rest stop. We had 3 girls in bags on the floor and 2 girls in bags on the drop down dining area and 2 more girls stretched out in the cuddy cabin of the boat and one on one of the lounger seats on the boat. It can be done! A little "cozy" but we get to take "our" kids along, and we've yet to have them not want to go or complain about it. The roughest part of it for me is that I'm generally out numbered by females. Giggling teenage and pre teen girls stuck in the camper at night is the worst torture there is.

So, getting beyond that. My 2 cents worth....
I can't say what the current drop down beds over the dining room table support. We've had 3 campers with those. With those, the kids had out grown them by 10 to 12 years old.
Doing your homework is good. My advice would be to stay away from any running boards longer than cab length. Those running boards that run back along/under the box interfere with camper tie downs.
Check out what equipment the tow package and camper package options can get you. It will probably save adding a lot of post market stuff unless you want to, or end up needing to beef it up stronger. A lot of the guys don't like the Ford OEM sway bars and prefer heavier post market, I'm still using the Ford OEM and I'm satisfied. So start OEM unless you have a large budget.

Required "must have" additions beyond that, would include Torklift Frame mount Tie Downs, probably in the neighborhood of $650.00 + / -. Turnbuckles around $215 (set of 4) or Fast Guns around $370 per pair. Happijac's competition to the Fastguns are around $280 to $300 for four. You will need a 7 pin standard or a 6 pin Lance male connector depending on the brand of camper you buy. You can save a little by going with turnbuckles, but you will proably want at least one pair of fast gun turn buckles. On some of the newer pickups, the drivers side front turnbuckles will interfere with the fuel door. Fastguns make it quick and simple to get them out of the way to fuel your pickup.

Your good to go from there. From this position you can drive the pickup and camper by itself and you can drive it pulling the boat and decide how it handles for you and what additional add on items you might need.
Air bags with or without a compressor and remote air, Torklift load stabilizers...….

 

Jim, I appreciate your advice. I also like the photos of grandkids making memories. Way back when Dad and Mom started camping I was the oldest of 6 kids at age 9. We had a 1964 Plymouth station wagon and a 5 person umbrella tent. 2 of my brothers and I slept in the back of the station wagon. Mom, Dad and the other 3 kids in the tent. Those were the days, my friend........Ice chests, Coleman lantern/stove, and a warm, inviting campfire. Again, thanks for ANY input.
Ken
PS That is a fabulous looking rig you have.

 

We had a mid 50's Ford. Dad took the back seat out and built a plywood platform and the kids (me) could sleep there when we were going to horse shows and rodeo's. When we got there, or to a trail head, they would get the horses out of the trailer (dad and granddad home built) shovel the poop out, lay a canvas tarp down and woo la. the mansion was built.
A number of times on pack ins we didn't even take the canvas pup tents. Just one big canvas tarp. When we got into the back country we would either stretch the canvas out, put all the sleeping bags on one half, crawl in and pull the other half of the tarp up over the top of us. If we had the right trees in the right places, we would make a lean to with it and sleep on the ground. When I was 5 or 6, dad bought a big chevy truck with stock racks. We would get someplace, get the horses out, scoop out the horse poop, stretch canvas over the stock racks and end up with more room than most modern campers. No TV, running water, head and yep, the light was a couple of old red Coleman single mantle lanterns (still have them) and a 3 burner Coleman camp stove.....Good and great times for sure!
BTW, my first camping trip and trip on a horse was when I was 2 weeks old in an early January Oregon rain storm. As the story goes, the creek came up, part of the fence went down, the cattle got out and the folks had to go round them up. No babysitter so I got wrapped up, thrown on the horse and went with mother. After the cows got rounded up, Dad made a lean to (with an old canvas tarp) and we stayed in place until they could get the fence rebuilt.

Happy trails, good luck and may there be many happy memories with your grandkids!
Jim




Oops, one of those unplanned high altitude mother nature mountain events...would you believe this is the 1rst week of August?

 

I'm a truck camper guy, but I tow stuff behind it. If your not needing to tow, I would stick with a 5er or tt. Truck campers get heavy, quick! I'd look at a dually if you want a 9.5' or larger. I just picked up my lance 1052s its 10'11". It's heavy for sure. I wouldn't want it on a srw truck.

Sorry to hear about your situation.....

 

Great stories, Jim. I hope your grandkids are making the same type of memories. Because of my wife's situation I've only had the kids on one camping outing in the last 2 years. I'm not sure what the immediate future looks like, but eventually we'll be out there again.
Take care,
Ken

 

Thanks, 98. I appreciate the input.
Ken

 

If you have a fifth wheel trailer, some of them can pull a smaller trailer behind that. Just throwing that out as an option. Double towing isn't for the faint of heart, but there are plenty of people that do it. Check your state laws for the rules.

 

I don't know about that one, Buddy. I have a tough enough time just backing ONE trailer. Just kiddin'
Thanks
Ken

 

I am licensed and have towed tandem, its ok, but not really for me any more. Had an incident where the boat trailer had a wheel bearing go out behind my 5th wheel, and had no idea till another driver alerted me on I-75 at 70+ mph. Now with modern camera set-ups it might not be so bad. I personally no longer have the room where I live for such a long set-up. A guy I knew that also towed tandem (~20' fishing boat behind 5th wheel) similar to me, had a tire blow out and tipped the entire assembly on its side (not sure which tire, don't know all the particulars).

 

There is no perfect set up for most of us. I had a 9.5 slide in on a dually but my boat was still too big to pull with camper on so I ended up getting rid of it and went back to tents or camping in the boat. Ended up back in a small popup slide in which is great for somethings. We do 90% of our camping in the off season so sometimes its rainy,cold, and not much day light. Ended up with a trailer which was a huge improvement in comfort and found we used the trailer way more. Recently upgraded to a 5er and love that even more. Still have the popup though and a boat. Have to pick and choose what we do. If I had my way I'd get a f450 and Host Mammoth...

 

So, what you are saying is "size does matter", but "one size does not fit all".

Steve

 

Small is O.K., Medium can be tolerated, Large keeps everyone happy in this day and age of social distancing.
A "fun" fact. In the Totem Camper, the dining table had to come out. The bench seats became the bottom bunks. The back of the seat folded up and hooked ot eye bolts in the ceiling and those became the top bunks. In order for me to straighten my legs out when laying down, we had to leave the back door open so my feet could stick out the door.

 

Whoa due,

That may not be a great idea in bear country!

 

If he kept his socks on that might be enough to keep the bears away.