Cruise America - F150 / Slide in Camper

pugslyyy

Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
Cruise America RV Rentals now have Ford F150 SuperCab trucks fitted with a fairly large slide in camper. Good way to give this type of set up a shot.

http://www.cruiseamerica.com/rent/our_vehicles/truck_camper.aspx

Good for them, I've been really happy to see the RV Rental industry continue to grow and thrive. For most people it is going to make more sense to rent than own (especially in the beginning), and though I have not done it myself I like the concept of being able to fly in some place and rent an RV instead of drive one across the country.
 

schmugboy

Observer
Can anyone explain how this is possible. That looks like a nice slide-in with a bathroom and other amenities. I stopped looking for a slide-in for a 1/2ton because I could only find a pop-up that fit the GVWR. Now that I have a 3/4 ton, I have more options of slide-ins, but the new prices are nearly as much as a travel trailer that I could also pull with my Grand Cherokee if needed.
I wonder who makes it.
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
I just don't see it being a safe handling rig especially compared to the mini- Cruise America -350 Shorty's. I know the payload capacity must be adequate but the emergency collision avoidance would suck. It's gonna roll.
 

1stDeuce

Explorer
It's so cute!! I wonder what's the point vs. a standard mini-RV...

I doubt it'd be any more likely to roll than most truck camper setups, or the "compact RV" that they're offering based on a van chassis... It's also pretty likely that the new F150 has some sort of roll mitigation built into the stability control that just locks up the outside front wheel if it senses roll may be imminent. It was implemented on the vans some time ago, and it works fairly well to keep the tires on the ground and prevent tripping, which was the primary way they rolled. (Now you just plow headfirst into whatever you were trying to avoid, which I suppose is better for crash protection...)

Calling any newer light duty trucks "half tons" is fairly misleading. I bet this F150 has better brakes than even a 1-ton from the 80's or 90's. And payload is closer to a 3/4 ton of the same era. They're all rated to tow more than my '96 3/4 ton diesel was, and this F150 probably has the 10.5" sterling rear axle... That's 3/4 ton territory.

Just saying. :)
 

2chill

New member
It's so cute!! I wonder what's the point vs. a standard mini-RV...

I doubt it'd be any more likely to roll than most truck camper setups, or the "compact RV" that they're offering based on a van chassis... It's also pretty likely that the new F150 has some sort of roll mitigation built into the stability control that just locks up the outside front wheel if it senses roll may be imminent. It was implemented on the vans some time ago, and it works fairly well to keep the tires on the ground and prevent tripping, which was the primary way they rolled. (Now you just plow headfirst into whatever you were trying to avoid, which I suppose is better for crash protection...)

Calling any newer light duty trucks "half tons" is fairly misleading. I bet this F150 has better brakes than even a 1-ton from the 80's or 90's. And payload is closer to a 3/4 ton of the same era. They're all rated to tow more than my '96 3/4 ton diesel was, and this F150 probably has the 10.5" sterling rear axle... That's 3/4 ton territory.

Just saying. :)

Agreed. I'm excited about it, I'll report back after I rent it...
 

plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
They are not dumb. It's 2wd for a reason. Could you imagine all the places knuckleheads are going to try and take these things.
 

pugslyyy

Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
It's so cute!! I wonder what's the point vs. a standard mini-RV...

At this point they may be asking the same question. Looks like it is only available in a very few locations - I imagine that they want to see what the customer response is like.

From a business standpoint, it gives them a lot more flexibility with their investment. When the time comes, they can sell the truck and camper individually or as a unit.
 

Herbie

Rendezvous Conspirator
Neat. Glad that's an option, but what a funky layout. Anybody notice the fridge is in the upper berth?

You'll have to half-climb up into the bunk to get the hot dogs for dinner!
 

Rockhounder

Explorer
I wonder how the Germans will like them..... :)

My friend from Germany once told me to look at pretty much any CruiseAmerica rental driving down the road, and odds are it's Germans driving them. Seems CruiseAmerica has partnered with some popular vacation planning outfits there, and now it has become a kind of new tradition for the Germans on their yearly govt mandated paid holiday to come to USA and see the sights of our beautiful land, rather than having to rely on hotels/etc.... If you are going to have to pony up for a rental vehicle big enough to haul your luggage, and pay for a motel every night anyway, then it is worth it to pay the nearly $300 daily rate for a RV and just pull up anywhere beautiful to look at, and camp. A luxury harder to come by in Europe.
 

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