Hello,
I have been waffling between getting a conversion van or pick up with slide in camper for several months now. I am in the market to get a new car and am leaning towards a truck ( although my heart still speeds up when I see a SMB decked out with ladders and lifted tires). I'm thinking dodge ram, ford, chevy or toyota. I'm not sure what size to get but I know I would like a hard side truck camper and am hoping it will have a bunk over the dinette so that my family of five will fit. I have three kids ages 6,4,2. Here is the criteria I am working from and any direction would be greatly appreciated! I need a truck big enough for five people, four door (super cab, or double cab?). This means the bed will be short. Even if I get a long bed (have yet to find a car manu say the size difference in the longer bed, I guess I have to go to a dealership to find out). I have red on some forums that a short bed already limits my options to nearly nil as the weight would primarily be behind the rear axle. Is this right? Another criteria is that I am intimidated by getting what I consider to be a giant truck that I will look silly climbing into and jumping out of. I'm a 5 foot 7 guy and don't want to get additional herniated disks, performing acrobatics getting up into my truck every day.
My budget is around 25,000 for the truck and 3-8,000 for the camper (depending on how great the camper is).
I have been lusting/ uh looking at Lance campers but the smallest looks like it would still be too heavy once loaded with people and water...etc. I was hoping an f150, tundra, 1500 truck would be big enough. But it looks like I will need air bags, leaf springs, sway bars, better tires...bla bla bla. I know enough to be thoroughly confused.
Please enlighten me expedition portal!
I have been waffling between getting a conversion van or pick up with slide in camper for several months now. I am in the market to get a new car and am leaning towards a truck ( although my heart still speeds up when I see a SMB decked out with ladders and lifted tires). I'm thinking dodge ram, ford, chevy or toyota. I'm not sure what size to get but I know I would like a hard side truck camper and am hoping it will have a bunk over the dinette so that my family of five will fit. I have three kids ages 6,4,2. Here is the criteria I am working from and any direction would be greatly appreciated! I need a truck big enough for five people, four door (super cab, or double cab?). This means the bed will be short. Even if I get a long bed (have yet to find a car manu say the size difference in the longer bed, I guess I have to go to a dealership to find out). I have red on some forums that a short bed already limits my options to nearly nil as the weight would primarily be behind the rear axle. Is this right? Another criteria is that I am intimidated by getting what I consider to be a giant truck that I will look silly climbing into and jumping out of. I'm a 5 foot 7 guy and don't want to get additional herniated disks, performing acrobatics getting up into my truck every day.
My budget is around 25,000 for the truck and 3-8,000 for the camper (depending on how great the camper is).
I have been lusting/ uh looking at Lance campers but the smallest looks like it would still be too heavy once loaded with people and water...etc. I was hoping an f150, tundra, 1500 truck would be big enough. But it looks like I will need air bags, leaf springs, sway bars, better tires...bla bla bla. I know enough to be thoroughly confused.
Please enlighten me expedition portal!