I'm running an '02 Lariat 4x4 ext cab with the 5.4 motor. I was looking at putting a camper in the back and touring the country next year when I retire. I know it can be done as I've seen a few around, but it's very few. I was wondering if there's a reason it doesn't seem to be a popular option. I mean I did a search on the forum here and get back all kinds of threads on camper shells or trailer campers but I can't find anything about campers mounted in the pickup bed. I have absolutely no towing experience.

 

Always had FORD Club Wagons, considered them 'Steel Tents' for decades of cross country trips. My Dad gave up his F150 4X4 & I've been trying to love it, but just haven't made the leap to a pickup. It's got a fiberglass cap & bedliner, but its like a Boot Camp Pup Tent compared to the folding bench/bed in the back of my retired '92 Club Wagon Chateau.

Looked into buying a 'slide in' camper for the pickup. Was put off by the high price. A decent used 'slide in' might cost as much as another used Club Wagon. For me the greatly reduced rear vision, massive top heavy weight & corresponding drop in MPG drove the final nails in that idea's coffin. The handling 'feels' like a tortoise shell. Many 'slide ins' flirt w/the maximum payload. Have considered building my own, since I also was underwelmed by what IMO is tacky trailer styling. Perhaps if I stumbled upon an outstanding bargain? Would still sooner have a Club Wagon

Most 'travel trailers' tend to be much more luxurious than what I'd consider a "camper". There's a tendancy towards bigger travel trailers & The Tail Wagging The Dog. Real quickly you're into load leveling hitches & maximum trailer loads. Their large size & heavy weight might be a bit intimidating for somebody w/"absolutely no towing experience". Even small travel trailers essentially blind rear vision. The good news is that the crumbling ecomony translates into bargains.

Since you repeatedly mention "camper" have you considered this alternative? I've got old friends who've traveled lots w/'Pop Up' trailer camper & rave about the rustic simplicity & fact that you establish a base camp & leave the 'camper' behind. Another old friend is a Snow Bird Biker who travels & camps using a Pop Up w/a Harley in the pickup's bed. Pop ups are relatively inexpensive. Their light weight & low stowed height make them much easier to tow. A trip/season or two towing a Pop Up could provide the experience/confidence to tow bigger heavier trailers for very low investment.

 

Your response is typical of what I'm hearing. I wonder how they manufacturers stay in business. People at work have also pointed toward more negatives than positive.

I've got experience camping in a pop-up, just never towed it. In-laws had one and we'd camp with them when the grankids were little. My father-in-law owned it, he decided one summer he was getting too old to maintain it. Next thing we knew his sister had sold it out from under him while she was visiting his camp site. At least if I went that route I've got someone in the family with experience.

 

you will find the camper in the truck is cramped and no where to put storage or new goodies. GEt a small pull behind or popup as mentioned. Put an old topper on the pickup for extra storage.

 

Okay, camper idea out. That's what my buddy at work said, I'd be cramped and not like it.

 

Don't get me wrong, Slide In campers have their appeal, especially if the cost doesn't throw you. Its true that their designs are often lacking in efficient use of space. However, compared to Pop Up camp trailers they can offer a lot in Creature Comforts. A large part of it could depend on where & when you travel. Slide Ins are pretty easy to heat or cool & like a tortoise shell, are waiting in the bed, ready to go in the middle of a storm. One attractive modification I've seen on occasion is a 'tunnel' hatch thru the rear window, directly into a Slide In. If your plans include frequent travel to inclement hunting/fishing destinations, a Pop Up might seem to be a Fair Weather Friend.

 

IMO......Slide in truck campers are the only way to go, I like being able to tow my boat as well. A good truck camper will have every inch of space utilized, and once you get used to it, you will love it! Granted my camper is on a F-250 and fairly large (9 1/2ft) it has every comfort you will find in a class C motorhome............And I can leave it behind at camp if need be and tow the boat to a different lake to go fishing......Your F-150 will handle a 1,500lbs slide in nicely, and you will be surprised the options you can get in a base 8ft model, dont can the idea before you research it a little more!

 

That there is part of the problem. I'm planning on going to the local RV show in Oct.
But if it's like the previous couple of years, there's not a lot of models shown, same with the dealers they don't appear to stock more than a couple of units, some don't stock any. Seen very few on the road and they're usual heading in the opposite direction. Never come across one at a rest stop etc. to ask the owner about it.

 

Of course there's lots of information about slide in campers online. Due to the number of manufacturers & number of models of new & used slide ins Old93junk is correct about being "surprised the options you can get" however you can't expect them all to be available locally. To get what you like might require "touring the country" a little bit.

The 1st slide in company I encountered via Google offers a line of models that have no chip or particle board, using all mahogany & prices range from $7000 for basically an empty shell to $16,000 for a basic camper. Virtually all the desireable goodies are on an expensive list of options. Their basic F150 camper very quickly goes from 1880 lb to well over a ton, before you actually move into the "tortoise shell".

To buy a slide in you'll have to decide how much you're willing to spend & new or used? Local sale only or willing to travel? How flexible you are will help determine how difficult it will be. Asking lots of questions & networking at a local RV show could go a long way towards resolving your choice.

An old friend & neighbor, I used to go grouper fishing w/regularly before he retired, has a heavy duty Chevy pickup & slide in camper. I've never seen him leave the camper behind & was of the impression that R&R the slide in wasn't taken lightly. I was always surprised by the narrow, between wheel wells, floor width & loss of the extra bed width in front & behind wheel wells. Riding in it made you well aware that it was a high profile vehicle in any wind. I only drove it to help launch & retrieve his boat & it was backing down the ramp blind. He found driving the combination the straight & level 75 miles to the Gulf of Mexico so nerve wracking he arranged for boat storage at the GOM & only dared drive it home when absolutely neccessary.

 

Look for a used Lance camper, this brand seems to be the best in my experience. A 1500/1600lb camper can be handled by a F-150 easily with the addition of a set of helper springs or air bags. Look to see that the camper has electric jacks instead of the old hydraulic pump type, it makes loading/unloading MUCH easier. After you get used to loading/unloading the camper from the truck, its a snap..........you can do it anywhere!
Yes, you do need to be cautious of high winds, sharp turns at speed, low tree branches, quick stops, etc. but once you get used to the fact that you are now driving a RV instead of your truck, its second nature. As for backing a trailer with the camper loaded, a good camper will have a window in the back door to see the trailer thru the camper, or as I prefer, I just open the back door and look thru the camper to back up the trailer/boat............If your truck is a 4x4, you can get to spots with your truck camper that other RVers NEVER would even consider, just use a little caution!

 

My family use to belong to a water ski club and all had campers with a hitch on the front to put the boats in. Really easy that way.