I'm new to this forum. In the near future I am going to be in the market for a smallish slide in camper and the truck to slide it onto. I've been looking at F 350 CC LB. I'm leaning to the new 7.3 gasser. I've driven Fords my entire life, but don't know much about truck campers and their requirements. What I AM seeing is that in my opinion, truck campers are WAAAAYYY more expensive than a pull type camper of comparable length and equipment/amenities. Why is that? Or is it just my imagination?
Ken

 

Traditionally the industry would tell you it is harder to build small than large. Compare van camper prices to class C motorhomes for example. So yes, if you are only looking for square footage per dollar, forget truck campers. I guess one might also argue build quality is higher on truck campers, but a well maintained pull trailer will last just as long. Truck campers give you more go-anywhere flexibility which is important to some and where camping spaces are at a premium a truck camper will fit almost every space which is not true with longer campers.

In the end they are all fun. It is just what you want it for. The more mobile you want to be, the more size matters. if you intent to stay put, in my opinion, size wins hands down. We have both a truck camper and a fifth wheels for those reasons. It is really just personal preference.

My two cents,

Steve

 

Aw Steve, you got me, Buddy. Logic and reason trumps opinion and emotion every time. Makes good sense to me. Thank you.....
Ken

 

I really don't have much of an idea what kind of money it will take to get a 9.5 ft., 3000 lb camper securely mounted to a 2020 F350 CC LB w/7.3 eng, and 3.73 gear. I would be pulling a 2000 lb boat/trl. I would probably want airbags/compr also. I am just hoping you guys that already know what you are doing can shine some light on the path ahead for me. I'll owe ya.....
Ken

PS I don't mean cost of camper or truck, just the incidentals...

 

You will need tie downs, Those can be over a $1000 for the set.

Campers are also a structural unit, a trailer is a frame with a box built on top. The other thing to look at is how long you will be using the camper and how many people will be going. A camper with a slide will offer much more interior space but will weigh more. As the owner of a camper and a travel trailer I can say that every square inch is utilized in a camper.

 

I think you will find a 9.5 means more than 3,000 when you are ready to roll (what the manufacturers says plus 800-1,000 pounds in most cases), it not unusual to add a grand for the tie downs and then it gets into handling. That often means a heavier sway bar on the rear, and I think I have several hundred in my Rancho 9000 XL shocks. You might also want air bags. I think I have about a couple of grand getting the truck ready including bed mat, but no air bags. If you are doing the installs yourself, a little less, if not a little more.

You really can just sit down and price all of this out online.

So it sounds like you intend to go ahead with the truck camper. How do you intend to use it is what I would say is the most crucial question.

 

My recipe for every Truck I've carried a Camper on is, Air Bags, Sway Bar, Tires & Quality Shocks. To start with, you need a truck that will support the weight of the Camper without the Overloads touching. Loaded with the Camper, my totally stock SRW 17' F350 carries a 4000 lb Lance Camper and still has over an inch before the overloads touch. Adding the Air Bags, Sway Bar and Shocks makes for 2 finger driving.

 

Grampdad, there are so many things to consider when buying a truck camper and the first thing I would suggest is deciding what truck camper you want and then matching the truck to the camper in order to make sure the truck can safely carry it and tow your boat as well.

There are so many different types of slide in truck campers out there which vary widely in amenities, price and weight that a dually might be your best choice depending on which one you choose. I am sure you will hear a lot of different opinions on this and there is no doubt a dually will give you a more stable ride, depending on your camper and truck combination it is not a requirement. My truck and camper combination is a great match, very stable and it is a single rear wheel truck. Our camper is a Northern Lite 8.11 SE, built for a shortbed truck and they are lighter in weight than competitors in their class.

For me, my truck is my daily driver and I did not want to drive a dually every day, nor did I want to drive a long bed. My camper weighs between 3600-3800 lbs fully wet and ready to go so I wanted a truck with more payload, axle and tire ratings than my camper and truck full of gear weighed. I ended up buying a truck with 4226 lbs of payload and while the truck did not need it, I did install Torklift upper Stableloads and airbags.

Regarding pricing, you cannot compare cost per square foot between a slide in and towable, otherwise nobody would ever buy a slide in. Truck campers area niche market but it is growing quickly. Our camper is fully self contained and has all the amenities a 40 foot 5th wheel has, just not the room. But, we did not buy a truck camper because we spend all of out time inside of it. It is a camping lifestyle choice which allows us to get way off the beaten path away from all of the bigger RV's out there.

 

There is so much variation in individual preference it might make sense to add one aftermarket part at a time. There is often a good deal of disagreement as to which add-ons prove to be the most helpful. Wannabe Is that 4,000#s your CAT scale weight fully loaded?

My two cents

 

GrampDad, I like what "WyoBull" had to say, and having had three different styles of trucks/truck campers, I think I have a pretty varied perspective. Our first was an '08 F-250 short bed with a small, non-slide Lance 845 (8'2"), starter truck camper, followed by a '15 F-350 short bed with a bit larger single slide Eagle Cap EC850 (8'11") short bed. We now have a '19 F-450 with a large, heavy Arctic Fox AF1140 (11'6"), full wall (single) slide camper that offers us all the room we need and we are very comfortable. The trade off is, the daily driver aspect sort of went away - trying to navigate city streets and park this dually is a PITA, to say the least! There are unlimited options out there - research! The F-350 long bed is a great start (if you're ordering, be sure to order "Camper Package" Option - it gives you heavier front springs and a rear sway bar that don't come with the truck normally!!!)

 

The toughest parts for giving advice in this case are two fold. First we all have different opinions about what works and doesn't work. And most importantly, the OP did not say whether he has even owned a pickup in the past. If not he is flying completely blind on everything in the package. For example, does he need the new 7.3 liter or does he just want one. Clearly a 2,000 pound boat is not going to challenge a 6.2 if he wants to stay with gas, but bigger can be more fun if you want to pony up the bucks. The rationale for which camper will work best makes for a very long list of possibilities many of which are just preference.

Having owned a dually I certainly agree, they are a major pain in the butt when traffic gets thick and parking is tight. My better half completely ruled out dually shopping after three years of dually ownership as she shares the driving. Same with short bed versus long bed, etc., etc. Aftermarket parts, lots of choices and lots of disagreement. Remembering RV industry stats, newbies keep their first RV on average less than 2 years. After that they have a better idea what really works for them.

Steve

 

I appreciate all the input. I have considerable research to do. I don't even know what a "Stableload" is or a "Torklift" is. Here's the deal. My wife and I are raising 3 grandkids, ages 7, 9, and 16. My wife's health is not good. She's been hospitalized since before Thanksgiving. Dr's. don't think she's going to make it much longer. I have been promising the kids we would go on a camping/fishing road trip this summer. I have a 24' Rockwood TT that I pull with a 2014 Expedition, but I just don't like PITA of the larger rig.
Right now I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop as far as my wife is concerned.
Thanks again for all the input.....
Ken

 

Man, I am really sorry for your situation. Hang in there.

Truck camper with three kids? Man, I wouldn't do it. Just take them all with your to truck camper shop and go inside. Unless you go really big with multiple slide, it is going to be really tight. Not sure where you are located and right now might not be the best time, but when the sun shines again, if you are located near anyone in this forum, I am betting they would be willing to show you their camper and explain the ins and outs of accessories. When we are done sheltering in place, my wife and I are in NE TN. virtually on the TN/VA state line if that is helpful.

Steve

 

Steve, I appreciate your sentiments. My folks were "dyed in the wool" campers while I was growing up. You won't find a finer group of people on earth than "campers",Things are what they are and usually have a way of working themselves out.
Ken

 

grampdad, I echo Steve's sentiments and am sorry for what you are dealing with.

I agree with Steve that you and three grandkids in a truck camper would be really tight. not that it could not be fun but definitely tight! I would recommend spending a lot of time on truck camper manufacturers websites, reading forums like this and asking a lot of questions. That is what I have done and you start getting dialed in the more time you spend researching. Once that is done, like Steve said, truck camper owners are eager to show people their rigs and share the good and bad, what works and what does not.

I will still stand by what I said earlier that the starting line after you have done a lot of research and learning is to decide on what camper you want and then match the truck to it. Most people don't have that luxury as they already have a truck when they decide to buy a camper and in most cases are very limited on what they can safely put on it by the limitations of the truck they already own.

Good luck to you and hope to hear more from you as time moves forward.