Opinions on truck/camper needed.

[pavementsux06LJ]

So with the news of a kid on the way, my plans for a trailer with a RTT has gone out the window for something a little more family friendly. Unfortunately you can't fit a car seat in the back of a wrangler and I feel like trying to climb into a RTT with a baby is probably not going to be fun either. My attention has now turned to to slide in campers. My needs are not true expeditionary, more like a maintained forest roads.

So here's what I want to accomplish with this setup:
-A comfortable place to sleep that's not in a $30 walmart tent on the ground
-Sleeps 2 adults and 1-2 kids
-Ability to bring boat or Jeep with me (1 at a time, depending on trip).
-Hunting camp (this will be minus the kid for a long time)
-Easy-ish to store. (I have a 20x11 ft side yard)
-A bathroom would be really really really nice, but I've done without this long

And here's the questions I have:
-I currently have a 2016 Ram 2500 crew/short (kicking myself for buying the shortbed...and the 3/4 ton) Is that going to be enough truck? Looking at the lighter, slideless hardwall 8 footers, possibly a superhitch and extension to tow the Jeep on the trailer. I would really like to keep the truck as it's almost paid off with hardly any miles on it, but I understand if it's really not enough truck.
-Kind of looked at toy haulers as they would be nice for the wife and kid, but none of them have the capacity to haul the Jeep, on top of the fact that you wouldn't be able to get a 40' toy hauler in some of the places we go. O yeah, and I don't want a 20 freaking year loan on a trailer. Does anybody run a similar setup to the slide in while hauling a jeep? How's it work? Anybody do all this with a kid? Is the bigger trailer worth it? For what it's worth, my wife was raised tenting it more than I was. She thinks we should stick to the tent with a coleman stove on the back of the truck.
-What questions did I forget to ask? I found while I lurked over in the trailer section that there is a wealth of knowledge here and I would love to hear any advise you guys can give.

 

[Buliwyf]

I'm going a similar route with a Capris 6.5' retreat. Difference between short and long bed is the size of the dinette, one less cushion. Size of the bunk bed over the dinette, kid only, unless you're just using it for storage space. And size of the left rear closet.

Very light camper. 1600#-2000 fully loaded. Easy for a gas 250, maxed out for a diesel though. Capri's have no rear overhang. You can tow another trailer easy. Not very wide either. More like a hardside FWC, than a motorhome.

Also consider boys in a ground tent, girls inside the camper. Tents are still fun. Way more fun than 4 people crammed onto a camper. When my grandparents took us camping, we did the boys, girls split. Grandfather, uncle, cousin, and myself in a tent. Grandmother, sister, and cousin, in a 23' travel trailer. Aunt would often sleep in the Ford conversion van.

If you really need all four in the camper all the time, or camp in heavy rain too often, then you'll need a long bed 350 . No way around it. You'll need the long bunkbed and long dinette.

Keep in mind that an older kid might be ok sleeping in the trucks rear seat in cool weather. And you can still put an Rtt on top of the towed jeep.


I will not use a hitch extension ever again. Never again. Flat towing a jeep and hauling a Capris is no big deal for a gas 250. The jeep is a nice place to dump cargo and coolers.

If your wife is ok with tents, then you're blessed. Man up with a good tent, smallest camper possible, and only use the camper as needed. In a pinch of nasty weather, even the campers floor space can be slept on. Get an insulated floor. Good ground pads, bags, and a real tent take up no space, and give you options to spread out.

https://capricamper.com/models/retreat/

They use a portable toilet. No wastewater tank in the camper. Shower water has a drain hose. To keep weight down, an maximize clean water storage. 30g. I have to have a shower, or an ocean to swim in every day.

These thinner campers are great for hunting. No loss of off road capability, give or take tree branches.

 

[FreedomTraveler]

Pavementsux06LJ,

You left out a very important detail. Your budget? New or Used?

There are many TC that would would work well for you, I suggest you start looking at these two sites;

https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/ and http://www.truckcamperadventure.com/

I do agree with Buliwyf about Capri, if you want a new hard side TC. Lower weight, and build with only the options you want.

Safe travels,

 

[::Squish::]

We are a family of three that bought the truck when we were a family of two.
We camped on the ground in a tent for years. Then we started casting around for options.
We ended up buying a well cared for 16 year old truck and camper combo. For cheap.
We can tow with it. It sleeps three easily and would sleep two adults and two kids easy.
But weight is a constant issue and we have a one ton but it's a diesel and SRW 4x4 so that eats into payload.

What really helped us, we rented a truck camper for a weekend just to see if we would like it. (Lance on a Ford F-150) and that sold us. We do fire roads and logging roads but we don't get too aggressive mostly because of its size. We will replace it with another truck camper when this one goes away.

 

[orangeTJ]

Check out Wolf Creek at www.northwoodmfg.com

 

[Umnak]

I'll add my support for a Capri Retreat. Capri will build just what you need. I reviewed ours on Truck Camper Adventure http://www.truckcamperadventure.com/2018/11/review-of-the-2018-capri-retreat-truck-camper/

 

[tmacc]

Here's what we did. Not saying this is what you should do. After a friend let us borrow his TC to drive up for a river trip in Alaska, we thought these are pretty cool and decided to get a used one. We weren't really thinking we would buy one before this Spring, but a 5 year old camper that we liked the layout of and at a reasonable price came up on RVtrader.com, so we drove to CA from UT and picked it up. We going to full time in it(yes, we some what old and will be retired soon) , so our needs may be different that yours. We need a full bath. no way around it. We're more than happy to use the outside shower option when boondocking, but some days the weather or voracious mosquitoes require and inside bath. The camper we borrowed was 8' long and our friend hauled it on a short bed 1500. It did not have a slide and the toilet room was in the back driver's side corner. Dinette was in the back on the passenger side. It was impossible to move front to back if one person was cooking or at the sink. So keep that in mind when you're looking for one. The camper we have has the bathroom towards the front before the cabover. The dinette is across from the "kitchen" at the back which gives our camper a very spacious feel. for some reason, there aren't too many with this layout. We also have a CC 1 ton and weight is struggle for us as well. There are a ton of RV shows coming up, so maybe attend a few to get an idea of what's out there. Good luck in your search.

 

[dreadlocks]

if you want to tow the jeep, I've seen rigs setup where someone took the frame off a popup camper, rotated it 90 degrees and bolted it to the front of a car hauler trailer.. I think there was a company that even made em for a little while but dont think it was big enough for a jeep.. Fleetwood scorpion is what google shows to give you an idea.

 

[Bayou Boy]

If SRW 3500s are available used where you live (they aren't down here in Louisiana) I'd just trade what you have on one of those. It will open up a whole lot more options for a TC and will cost you nothing or a couple $1000 to trade.

The bottom line is, it's just a truck. If it isn't what fits you anymore, get rid of it and get something that does. I just can't understand the insistence of making do with something that is marginal for the mission when very little money will get something that will work substantially better.

 

[boxcar1]

You need a long bed. An 8' camper works fine by itself on a short bed. A short bed designed camper works better. The problem you have is the Jeep. If you run a standard 8' camper on a short bed you need a hitch extension. As long as you limit the tongue weight ( flat tow the Jeep ) the truck should pull it fine. It just won't stop the load well.........If you run a short bed camper with no overhang. A standard hitch and the Jeep on a trailer with brakes...... Now she will tow and stop fine but you will be sleeping in a shoe box. My best advice: and I know you have herd this and probably hate it..... Trade the truck you have for one that you can use. Sorry.

 

[Buliwyf]

Capris 6.5' and 8' campers have the same layout, just one less seat, and less closet. That's why I purposely bought the shortbed, to reduce wheelbase.

I've always found Bigfoot, Lance, Northern Lite, etc. type campers with the rear overhangs, to be more spacious. But it's a useless waste of space and weight. If I want to stretch out, I can do that outside. That's the point of camping. The camper is just sleep and shower to me. Bit of a bummer that more zero overhang models aren't out there.

 

[redthies]

I've always found Bigfoot, Lance, Northern Lite, etc. type campers with the rear overhangs, to be more spacious. But it's a useless waste of space and weight. If I want to stretch out, I can do that outside. That's the point of camping. The camper is just sleep and shower to me. Bit of a bummer that more zero overhang models aren't out there.

My Northern Lite 9-6 only hangs about 6-8” past my bumper (I have a longbox for a reason), and I have no issues with it off-road. I also tow with it. A lot. Big things.

OP- If you want a hardside slide in and the ability to tow a Jeep, I’d say you either want a 3500 long-box and a trailer, or stick with what you have and flat tow the Jeep. I’ve done both, and I prefer the trailer for a couple of reasons. 1- Zero wear and tear on the toy, and 2- You can actually back up properly. I’ve successfully backed up with my CJ flat towed, but I’ve also had to jump out, run back and turn the wheels on the Jeep to get it going where I want.

 

[redthies]

@Buliwyf : I just noticed you have a Panigale... Your stock just rose immensely in my world! I’ve had a couple of Multistradas and the original Hypermotard in the stable.

 

[Buliwyf]

I don't want to jix it, but it's been perfectly reliable as well.

 

[4x4JeepCamper]

Redthies,

Didn't I see that trailer in a movie with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz?