Regcabguy
Oil eater.
I'd find a used Northstar 850SC. Used campers are everywhere.
03 F-250, Looking for some direction (hopefully a build thread of sorts)
- Thread starter GTI-88
- Start date
GeorgeHayduke
Active member
We had a Scout Kenai and it was a good camper design with some early product quality control/covid issues that I imagine they have a better handle on now. The Kenai is basically the same floorplan as the Yoho but with a bathroom/mudroom/storage area added on to the rear. I think it would look like a more natural fit on your truck and you could still close the tailgate or use it as a porch in camp. You'd also have about the same extra storage as what you were thinking but it would be inside the camper and out front of the weather.
GTI-88
Active member
Thats an awesome photo! and a steal on that camper. Thanks for the input, I am definitely not decided on anything. I have seen some of those Lances and that one looks great on your pickup, I'll check them out!
GTI-88
Active member
Thanks for the feedback on the Kenai! I am thinking too that at least the Olympic model would be a better fit, if not the Kenai. The pricing on them is a bit hard to swallow, I wish there were more out on the used market!
GTI-88
Active member
Definitely still looking at 16-20' camper trailers as well, can't deny they are better bang for your buck than the truck campers, and lots of flexibility. I will definitely be shopping options this winter
GTI-88
Active member
Well since I am just in planning stages here, I have been looking at a lot of campers, trailers, etc. and trying to figure out what will work best for me, the GF, and 2 dogs. One option I am entertaining now is converting a 6x12 cargo trailer into a travel trailer.
We spent a solid few hours looking at all the different offerings we could in the 12-20 FT commercial travel trailer realm and what we found is we liked a lot of them in the 16' range since you actually get a little kitchen space inside. The teardrop config. with the kitchen at the back outside is a no for us. We also want a queen size bed space that converts to a couch, and a space for the dogs to lay on the floor / in their own dog beds and not in the bed with us.
Looking at all the offerings, everything seemed to be a tradeoff. We would find something we liked from an amenity standpoint but not like the layout, or we would find one where we liked the layout but it had stuff we didn't want / need. We would occasionally find something we mostly liked but then it would have terrible finishes, or we would look at reviews and they would have lots of QC issues.
So, I am an architect by trade and generally handy with mechanical components, vehicles, and construction. I also don't hesitate to take my time, do and redo things, and buy quality materials and tools to complete a job well. I figure, why couldn't we just build what we want?
So a couple hours later I drafted up a preliminary plan to convert a 6x12 cargo trailer into a travel trailer. More refinement and ideas to come, but I would love to get peoples thoughts on this that have more experience than I do. 6x12 is probably the minimum size, I looked at 6x10 as a layout, but it didn't leave any space for the dogs. I also know that the quality of these cargo trailers in general is not great, so I fully understand I will be upgrading and bulletproofing it before even being able to start the fun part of the build. I am also hoping to find one with the conventional swing doors at the back instead of the ramp, because I want to retain that function to be able to open it in good weather and hang out on the couch and enjoy the views.
P.S. I am already noticing the rotating table and sink locations won't work together, so I will be changing that for sure. The idea as well with the table is it would rotate so one spot at the couch has a space to work on a laptop or whatever, and alternatively when in bed mode it can be aligned to the base of the bed to watch a movie or similar. Also in that configuration it can be extra prep space for the kitchen. Finally I would want to be able to remove the top completely if it needs to be totally out of the way.
We spent a solid few hours looking at all the different offerings we could in the 12-20 FT commercial travel trailer realm and what we found is we liked a lot of them in the 16' range since you actually get a little kitchen space inside. The teardrop config. with the kitchen at the back outside is a no for us. We also want a queen size bed space that converts to a couch, and a space for the dogs to lay on the floor / in their own dog beds and not in the bed with us.
Looking at all the offerings, everything seemed to be a tradeoff. We would find something we liked from an amenity standpoint but not like the layout, or we would find one where we liked the layout but it had stuff we didn't want / need. We would occasionally find something we mostly liked but then it would have terrible finishes, or we would look at reviews and they would have lots of QC issues.
So, I am an architect by trade and generally handy with mechanical components, vehicles, and construction. I also don't hesitate to take my time, do and redo things, and buy quality materials and tools to complete a job well. I figure, why couldn't we just build what we want?
So a couple hours later I drafted up a preliminary plan to convert a 6x12 cargo trailer into a travel trailer. More refinement and ideas to come, but I would love to get peoples thoughts on this that have more experience than I do. 6x12 is probably the minimum size, I looked at 6x10 as a layout, but it didn't leave any space for the dogs. I also know that the quality of these cargo trailers in general is not great, so I fully understand I will be upgrading and bulletproofing it before even being able to start the fun part of the build. I am also hoping to find one with the conventional swing doors at the back instead of the ramp, because I want to retain that function to be able to open it in good weather and hang out on the couch and enjoy the views.
P.S. I am already noticing the rotating table and sink locations won't work together, so I will be changing that for sure. The idea as well with the table is it would rotate so one spot at the couch has a space to work on a laptop or whatever, and alternatively when in bed mode it can be aligned to the base of the bed to watch a movie or similar. Also in that configuration it can be extra prep space for the kitchen. Finally I would want to be able to remove the top completely if it needs to be totally out of the way.
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Nice drawing. Just went through this drill with my son. He was looking at the cargo trailer conversion also. He is very capable as well. The interior is dark and it get's super hot in there. Low head clearance. It takes a lot of work to get one right. Eventually he chose a small travel trailer. You have so many good choices of floorpans and features out there. He's already using it as opposed to a 12-18 month build out.
GTI-88
Active member
I'm in the same position. I am chipping away at a build plan, v2 with a small bathroom. At the same time I am keeping my eye out for a good deal on a sub 20' camper as well. There is no rush at the moment so I figure keeping all options open is the best and I will jump on something if I find a good deal.
If I do go the conversion route, I'm going to go to a min of 3 windows and at least 1 skylight, because I know that would be huge to making the interior space nice to be in.
GTI-88
Active member
Anybody have tire recommendations that they would like to offer? Typical options I am seeing for a good AT tire are Falken Wildpeaks, KO2s, Wranglers, etc.
What I am looking for is something that has good road manners, can take a little snow, and will get me in and out of trail heads and camp sites. No aggressive offroading, mudding, etc.
Update on the camper vs. buildout vs. truck camper is that we are shopping them currently. Leaning back towards a truck camper of some kind because I like the compact footprint and the GF is more accepting now that she knows a bathroom is an option. That is going to be a requirement of whatever we get / build.
The boring stuff is that I got the title transfer stuff taken care of and got insurance on the truck, but it is still sitting at the family property. Outlook doesn't look great for picking it up until maybe January sometime. Snoqualmie pass is getting hit with 10-15" today and we will be looking for a window with as little weather challenges as possible to pick it up and bring it back over.
What I am looking for is something that has good road manners, can take a little snow, and will get me in and out of trail heads and camp sites. No aggressive offroading, mudding, etc.
Update on the camper vs. buildout vs. truck camper is that we are shopping them currently. Leaning back towards a truck camper of some kind because I like the compact footprint and the GF is more accepting now that she knows a bathroom is an option. That is going to be a requirement of whatever we get / build.
The boring stuff is that I got the title transfer stuff taken care of and got insurance on the truck, but it is still sitting at the family property. Outlook doesn't look great for picking it up until maybe January sometime. Snoqualmie pass is getting hit with 10-15" today and we will be looking for a window with as little weather challenges as possible to pick it up and bring it back over.
I have had 3 sets of KO2 tires all load range E. They wear well. One set had 50k miles and more than 50% tread left. They are fairly quiet and smooth if rotated properly. Never mudded them but good on ice and snow. Good luck on the purchase.