Need advice - buying a truck

[Saenzm]

Team,
I currently have a camper van and Lexus LX470. I recently bought some motorbikes and I am thinking I should sell both and buy a truck and just throw a camper on the back when I need it.

I don't do hardcore over landing, but I do like to explore here in Colorado. So must be pretty off road capable.

When it comes to the camper, my only real requirements would be a bathroom and shower.

So, any recommendations on a truck?

I am going back and forth between a diesel and a gas. I think the most I would ever have is the camper and towing some dirt bikes.

I was thinking maybe an older diesel truck or a newer TRD tundra.

Price: 30K or below, but I am open.

Just looking for collaboration and/or feedback.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Saenzm]

 

[Cackalak Han]

Any 4WD truck will get you where you need to go.

If I were in your shoes, and needed to carry a camper and also a trailer at times, I’d get an F150 with the HD Payload package, which gets you over 2k pounds of payload. Also gets you a rear locker. Neither of which, the Tundra has.

You may also look into a 3/4 ton as well.

 

[JD Anderson]

Both of those are pretty cool and I bet they would tow a small motorcycle trailer with ease.

 

[Buliwyf]

I'd go straight to 250/350 and a slide in camper.

Any gas 2001+ Ford SD would be my pick. Any 7.3l diesel.

 

[Cackalak Han]

I just priced out an F250 for fun. XL, Crewcab, 4WD, 6.2 gas, FX4 (inc rear locker), XL Value pkg, MSOS, brake controller, cloth seats. All came to $44k. The work in discounts, which should get you just a bit over $30k.

I'm looking for a truck myself, but I don't need to carry a camper. If I did, this F250 would be the truck I would get.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

F250 with the 6.2. You'll loose quite a bit of payload by going with a diesel.

 

[tacollie]

If you want a camper with a shower inside you may want to focus on 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. Or just get a trailer for the motorcycles.

 

[Martinjmpr]

"Off road capable" and "slide in camper" seem like they are contradictory requirements. Unless you plan on removing the camper from the trailer every time you camp. I suppose that can be done but I don't know how easy it is.

And if you're going to drop the camper at the camp anyway, it seems to me a pull-behind trailer would work just as well as a slide-in camper.

Put more simply: If you "require" a shower, that is seriously going to cramp your off-road capabilities.

If you can make do with a porta-pottie (or my favorite: An e-tool, a roll of TP and a walk in the woods) and a solar shower or shower-in-a-bag, you can 'wheel to your hearts content in your current LX.

 

[Cackalak Han]

"Off road capable" and "slide in camper" seem like they are contradictory requirements. Unless you plan on removing the camper from the trailer every time you camp. I suppose that can be done but I don't know how easy it is.

And if you're going to drop the camper at the camp anyway, it seems to me a pull-behind trailer would work just as well as a slide-in camper.

Put more simply: If you "require" a shower, that is seriously going to cramp your off-road capabilities.

If you can make do with a porta-pottie (or my favorite: An e-tool, a roll of TP and a walk in the woods) and a solar shower or shower-in-a-bag, you can 'wheel to your hearts content in your current LX.

I personally hate towing trailers. Towed with my 100 series. I thought the 4.7 would be plenty, but they're not that great for towing, even lighter loads. Neither is the short chassis.

I doubt this guy is doing any hard off-roading. With a camper like Four Wheel Camper, he should be ok on a lot of trails out west. Grandby plan has an inside shower and toilet option as well.

 

[Buliwyf]

You should be able to get a new F250 XL CC Fx4 for $44k, and then down to $38k at the end of the year discounts.

Off road with a fullsize is: ''If it fits, it ships.'' Camper really doesn't change the equation much past that. Anywhere it fits, isn't exactly going to be too hardcore, until a road washes out.

It's still more capable than an Earthroamer or 4x4 $printer van.

I'm stuck on the basecamp TT vs slide in camper as well. The cost of a lower cost camper, is nearly as much as the highest end TT's. But TT's are for camping. Slide in campers can be used for EVERYTHING.

 

[Explorerinil]

I would get any truck with a solid front axle... that limits you to 3/4 ton on up ram and fords. I personally would look for a power wagon, if you need more capacity swap in diesel springs.

 

[Cackalak Han]

I'm stuck on the basecamp TT vs slide in camper as well. The cost of a lower cost camper, is nearly as much as the highest end TT's. But TT's are for camping. Slide in campers can be used for EVERYTHING.

I'd thought about that quite a bit as well, and I'm in the slide-in camper.....camp. More flexible, in my opinion. You can do the nomadic camp travels, or if you want to basecamp, bring a tent for those trips.

 

[Saenzm]

I personally hate towing trailers. Towed with my 100 series. I thought the 4.7 would be plenty, but they're not that great for towing, even lighter loads. Neither is the short chassis.

I doubt this guy is doing any hard off-roading. With a camper like Four Wheel Camper, he should be ok on a lot of trails out west. Grandby plan has an inside shower and toilet option as well.



View attachment 525191

Is that a F150?
Thanks,
Mark

 

[Cackalak Han]

Is that a F150?
Thanks,
Mark

Sorry, not mine. It's on the FWC site. F250, I believe. Definitely not F150.