First camper:
- Thread starter rystjohn
- Start date
Sock Puppet
Adventurer
Man, that's a bummer!
waterwindsuntraveller
Observer
Congrats! Kinda funny, when I was parked outside Whole Foods in Basalt, Co this guy pulled up next to my rig and yelled over as I ate my slice of pizza, " I just sold this rig for $... Do you think it was a good price? I'd just finished 2 laps of catarafting on the Slaughterhouse section of the Roaring Fork River. We talked for a while and then I went to pick up a 6 pack of barley pop. On the way back to my rig I thought to myself, that white Tundra w/camper is a nice looking rig. Enjoy Colorado when you come out to pick it up. We've had a very wet fall, snowy winter and wet spring and everything is really green!
waterwindsuntraveller
Observer
Whoops, guess I spoke before seeing your above post. Sorry man. Don't worry, they'll be more rigs like this come up. Just keep trolling craigslist and search tempest. ADVrider is a good site to look on too. Look under Regional Posts under Rocky Mountains in the flea market catagory. Search for pop up truck camper. There was a guy selling a Chevy 1500 with a Hallmark Milner on there not too long ago that looked pretty sweet.
Good luck
Good luck
How recently was that? The truck I was supposed to get was in Basalt, CO.....
We're searching still. I'm just feel defeated yet again - it's taxing every day searching and searching to no avail. Mostly it's just that the camper/truck is too much, or gone before we have a chance. Also we have our deadline of September because we want to make this work and have a date to leave by, but now I'm worried we won't have the rig by then if things keep looking this way. So many people on here talk of looking for years - we simply don't want to/can't wait that long. Not to mention, I can't just keep asking off from work - we need to be saving as much as possible... and the thought of buying another non-refundable plane ticket scares me - I don't want the same thing to happen again.
We're starting to expand our search and are looking at the comparison to getting a camper van instead, mabye. We'll lose the ability to 4x4 and separate the vehicle from the "housing" but we'll gain more space, probably get better MPG, and also the ability to stealth camp.
The search continues.....
Sock Puppet
Adventurer
No idea if this is what you're after or not. I'm sure it's a hard side, but there are no pics:
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/rvs/4501065456.html
*1996 Dodge Ram extra cab long bed 2500 with a 1990 Lance 10.5 Cabover Camper. combo is cpmpletely set up with too many extras too list. Can tow a boat or trailer. 110,000 miles V-10 engine. Solid engine and transmission. Lance is is good shape with all amenities, self contained with ac shower fridge stove micro etc and it all work. Ready for camping.
Pics to come soon.
$8000 obo *
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/rvs/4501065456.html
*1996 Dodge Ram extra cab long bed 2500 with a 1990 Lance 10.5 Cabover Camper. combo is cpmpletely set up with too many extras too list. Can tow a boat or trailer. 110,000 miles V-10 engine. Solid engine and transmission. Lance is is good shape with all amenities, self contained with ac shower fridge stove micro etc and it all work. Ready for camping.
Pics to come soon.
$8000 obo *
Thanks for the heads up & help, but a v10 is too much - we'd get terrible gas mileage...with or without a camper, haha. Whatever we get next we are trying to keep in mind that the vehicle we get will be our main vehicle before we leave for our adventure, as well as when we settle down (if we ever do), not to mention our house for a year or more.
I think this almost deal on the Tundra and Eagle has set our bar pretty high. We realize we should be a little picky if this is going to be such a vital part of our adventure. Although I'm still pretty stoked on the thought of a '97 F250....hahah
I think this almost deal on the Tundra and Eagle has set our bar pretty high. We realize we should be a little picky if this is going to be such a vital part of our adventure. Although I'm still pretty stoked on the thought of a '97 F250....hahah
Sock Puppet
Adventurer
I think the Toyota and Eagle were a good deal...but I'm not sure I'd want to live as a couple for a year or more in any pop-up. I know folks have done it, and I love my PU for my intended use, but if I were going to full time I'd probably look at a hard side if not a travel trailer. Obviously much depends on your intended use and climate, but living in a PU in either very hot or very cold climates could be less than ideal. It's tolerable and even fun for short stints...but living in one is a different animal.
I trust you've done your homework and know what you want, I'm just a bit confused by the changing wants; that makes me think you aren't quite sure what you want. As I said before, take your time and make sure you're getting the right thing. Give this thing the best chance of success by starting off right. Make sure both of you are fully on board with whatever you decide; don't get swept away by the romantic notion of a thing without really running it through the mental ringer.
Best of luck you you!
bob91yj
Resident **************
Ohhh....I missed the part about living in a pop up, I'll second the above statements. Put a porta potti and camp stove in a tent in your back yard and try living in that for a month or so and see how it goes before you commit to living in a pop up. My wife (of 32 years) and I love our pop up, it meets our needs for it's intended purpose quite nicely, but it is definitely a compromise as far as a living quarters. We have sat in it and amused ourselves for a day or so, much more than that and we'd both go bonkers. Ours is a place for Machelle to have a potti available when needed, and to cook/sleep out of the weather. The creature comfort of climate control is icing on the cake.
In the past, we had one of the smallest pop up trailers Coleman made. When it was set up it was enormous inside compared to a slide in camper. I'd take a look at them as an option to any form of slide in camper.
In the past, we had one of the smallest pop up trailers Coleman made. When it was set up it was enormous inside compared to a slide in camper. I'd take a look at them as an option to any form of slide in camper.
Thanks for the thoughts guys -
As far as the Tundra and me selling my truck - yes I sold my F150 in order to get a 3/4 ton truck or something with a larger payload capacity. It was my understanding through ExPo and WTW that Tundras have a much greater payload capacity than my F150 did, and that it is comparable to a 3/4 ton truck. If I was mistaken then I guess I didn't read other member's posts correctly....either way the skinny of it is, Yes, we sold the truck to get a truck that could carry more, or to purchase another vehicle entirely (van, etc).
As far as living in a pop-up - we've gone out and looked at pop up models as well as hardsides. We understand that the Hardside gives you better insulation, and also more room permanently, but it also means that the drag on the truck is greater thereby reducing MPG, also the height will be an issue if we go on back roads with low overhangs, and the weight may be considerably more. With a pop-up we feel like the truck will feel more like a truck even with the camper on the back, and that we will be free to explore as we do already without the worry of denting or tearing up our camper. Not to mention the drag and weight should be considerably lower - thereby not affecting MPG as much. We're not against hard top campers, just not as drawn to them for our needs.
As far as full-timing it - we're young still and of the outdoorsy group. We camp, hike and backpack all the time, mountain bike, road bike, play on rivers, etc. If we're off in the woods, pooping in a hole in the ground isn't a big deal to us. Not having a shower every day isn't a big deal to us. It might be cramped, but we usually camp in a tent smaller than the truck campers, or in hammocks under a tarp - however a very valid point is that we aren't doing this full time, but we have both done it for multiple weeks at a time and never had any issue. Having an actual 'abode' of sorts on the truck sounds like a huge step up!
The other option we keep toying with, and that we had originally toyed with but tossed out since I owned a truck, was to buy a van and either convert it or find one already set up for vanliving.
We scrapped this idea because we had the truck and figured it would be easier to put a camper in there - obviously we had no idea that the truck's payload was barely enough to carry us. So now we're looking for a van to potentially satiate our hunger for adventure.
I actually know several people, and a couple or two who are couples, who are living in their pop-ups or vans and traveling around the country. Most of them don't have porta-potties, showers, etc, but they get by. I think we'll be fine, but I always like to hear insight from other people.
As far as the Tundra and me selling my truck - yes I sold my F150 in order to get a 3/4 ton truck or something with a larger payload capacity. It was my understanding through ExPo and WTW that Tundras have a much greater payload capacity than my F150 did, and that it is comparable to a 3/4 ton truck. If I was mistaken then I guess I didn't read other member's posts correctly....either way the skinny of it is, Yes, we sold the truck to get a truck that could carry more, or to purchase another vehicle entirely (van, etc).
As far as living in a pop-up - we've gone out and looked at pop up models as well as hardsides. We understand that the Hardside gives you better insulation, and also more room permanently, but it also means that the drag on the truck is greater thereby reducing MPG, also the height will be an issue if we go on back roads with low overhangs, and the weight may be considerably more. With a pop-up we feel like the truck will feel more like a truck even with the camper on the back, and that we will be free to explore as we do already without the worry of denting or tearing up our camper. Not to mention the drag and weight should be considerably lower - thereby not affecting MPG as much. We're not against hard top campers, just not as drawn to them for our needs.
As far as full-timing it - we're young still and of the outdoorsy group. We camp, hike and backpack all the time, mountain bike, road bike, play on rivers, etc. If we're off in the woods, pooping in a hole in the ground isn't a big deal to us. Not having a shower every day isn't a big deal to us. It might be cramped, but we usually camp in a tent smaller than the truck campers, or in hammocks under a tarp - however a very valid point is that we aren't doing this full time, but we have both done it for multiple weeks at a time and never had any issue. Having an actual 'abode' of sorts on the truck sounds like a huge step up!
The other option we keep toying with, and that we had originally toyed with but tossed out since I owned a truck, was to buy a van and either convert it or find one already set up for vanliving.
We scrapped this idea because we had the truck and figured it would be easier to put a camper in there - obviously we had no idea that the truck's payload was barely enough to carry us. So now we're looking for a van to potentially satiate our hunger for adventure.
I actually know several people, and a couple or two who are couples, who are living in their pop-ups or vans and traveling around the country. Most of them don't have porta-potties, showers, etc, but they get by. I think we'll be fine, but I always like to hear insight from other people.