Pass-through really necessary?

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

I think a lot of it depends on the vehicle and the occupants.

Example... I am building a 2020 Ram with a composite box camper and darn near everyone i've talked to has asked me if i am doing a pass through.

I always chuckle and say no...

2 Main reasons (and many others);

-Resale value. If i ever decided to separate the camper to either upgrade the box, or the truck, who the heck is going to be interested in a truck with a giant gaping hole in the back if it? MAYBE someone looking to do the exact same thing, but regardless, a giant gaping hole in the back of your truck quickly slashes resale potential and the # of potential buyers. If i was building up an old giant military truck, then maybe, maybe...

-I am a big fat clumsy oaf (6'4" 290lbs). It would take a pretty huge pass through for me to get through without a heap of effort. A friend has a nice GXV Turtle on a F550, and has the pass through. I couldnt possibly fit through that if i tried, even in an emergency. I'd get stuck and end up having to use my inReach to SOS fire team to cut me out.

A lot of variables with these that many folks don't mention.

My .02

 

[mobydick 11]

I think a lot of it depends on the vehicle and the occupants.

Example... I am building a 2020 Ram with a composite box camper and darn near everyone i've talked to has asked me if i am doing a pass through.

I always chuckle and say no...

2 Main reasons (and many others);

-Resale value. If i ever decided to separate the camper to either upgrade the box, or the truck, who the heck is going to be interested in a truck with a giant gaping hole in the back if it? MAYBE someone looking to do the exact same thing, but regardless, a giant gaping hole in the back of your truck quickly slashes resale potential and the # of potential buyers. If i was building up an old giant military truck, then maybe, maybe...

-I am a big fat clumsy oaf (6'4" 290lbs). It would take a pretty huge pass through for me to get through without a heap of effort. A friend has a nice GXV Turtle on a F550, and has the pass through. I couldnt possibly fit through that if i tried, even in an emergency. I'd get stuck and end up having to use my inReach to SOS fire team to cut me out.

A lot of variables with these that many folks don't mention.

My .02

I agree 100 % with you ,when I vote pass through I am referring to purchasing a vehicle that was meant to be a pass through .Like a cut away van ,or building out a van. I would not consider cutting a hole in a new pick up truck . like you say ,it would destroy the value of the truck .My pass /crawl through is an L 200 Mitsubishi truck that was meant to have a body bonded to the back .

 

[waveslider]

We may need to circle back to the pedantic thread about what determines an Integrated Overland Camper possibly? Maybe the pass-thru is a defining characteristic of the difference between an Integrated Overland Camper vs a Hardside Camper such as Lance, Bigfoot, etc?

I think there is a forum for those also here.

 

[Pinnacle Campers]

To @waveslider 's point, truck based campers have a harder time taking advantage of a pass through than for instance a E-series chassis because the roof and seat height are all lower on the truck creating a "crawl through" rather than a "pass through". Even Fuso chassis cant take advantage of a full pass through.

Additionally, if you put a hole in the back of the truck you just wouldn't separate them.
If you were wanting to upgrade box or truck you sell the whole thing complete and build another because by then you realized all of the mistakes you made and things you want to do differently to optimize.
Maybe another difference between the "truck camper" mentality and the "integrated camper" mentality.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

To @waveslider 's Maybe another difference between the "truck camper" mentality and the "integrated camper" mentality.

Well....

The forum sponsor of this sub section (Nimbil) that decided to rename it to “integrated campers” exclusively makes pickup truck based campers.

Sooooo... semantics/interpretation

 

[gregmchugh]

There is another reason to have a pass through on a larger truck. On our GXV Kenworth Patagonia the pass through is large enough to provide a good view out through the cab and our bench seat next to the pass through has seat belts. Nice spot to carry two more passengers and they have a good view and can interact with the two people in the cab. We do not have a door on our pass through but we do have a curtain, a foam plug to isolate the cab from the cabin, and a security plate we can install when needed.

 

[waveslider]

Well....

The forum sponsor of this sub section (Nimbil) that decided to rename it to “integrated campers” exclusively makes pickup truck based campers.

Sooooo... semantics/interpretation

But do they incorporate a pass-thru? lol

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

But do they incorporate a pass-thru? lol

I honestly have no idea ?

 

[MTVR]

We do not have a door on our pass through but we do have a curtain, a foam plug to isolate the cab from the cabin, and a security plate we can install when needed.

How do you know when it's needed?

I'm a retired cop, and we are armed 24/7, so our situation may be different- we secure our our home not to protect us from the criminals, but to protect the criminals from us...

 

[gregmchugh]

How do you know when it's needed?

I'm a retired cop, and we are armed 24/7, so our situation may be different- we secure our our home not to protect us from the criminals, but to protect the criminals from us...

We only use the security plate when the truck is parked somewhere for more than a day and we are not around. We never use it when we are traveling in the truck. Provides some protection from gaining access to the cabin after breaking into the cab. That being said, we have never really parked it anyplace with any significant risk of break in.

We are not armed with anything beyond bear spray and have never felt the need for anything more than that. We are typically camped away from populated areas and only pass through on the way to somewhere else.

 

[Kevin108]

I think I would feel better about solo travel with something that was pass-through. I want to try an Ursa Minor J30 next, but I'm in no position to replace my current vehicle.

 

[jeno]

How do you know when it's needed?

I'm a retired cop, and we are armed 24/7, so our situation may be different- we secure our our home not to protect us from the criminals, but to protect the criminals from us...

It may be because I am just a fragile european, but I think this trigger happiness is really disturbing. For me travelling is about meeting people, seeing new places. Not about shooting people. But I have not been to America yet. Maybe it is normal there.

 

[Ramdough]

It may be because I am just a fragile european, but I think this trigger happiness is really disturbing. For me travelling is about meeting people, seeing new places. Not about shooting people. But I have not been to America yet. Maybe it is normal there.

It is not “normal” here, but there are people that do feel the need to always be armed. I don’t know the statistics, but the vast majority of people are not armed.

With that said, it is probably normal for a former law enforcement officer. They spent their youth around ugly situations and probably never want to be unarmed in case they run across a rare instance where they wished they had one. Law enforcement deal with some really awful people, I imagine their perspective is unique.

I don’t think he is looking to shoot someone, but more that is a bravado caused by spending years in a aggressive trade. Even former law enforcement officers would suffer the consequences of shooting anyone, even when it is justified (minimum is a huge legal expense).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Steve_382]

There is another reason to have a pass through on a larger truck. On our GXV Kenworth Patagonia the pass through is large enough to provide a good view out through the cab and our bench seat next to the pass through has seat belts. Nice spot to carry two more passengers and they have a good view and can interact with the two people in the cab. We do not have a door on our pass through but we do have a curtain, a foam plug to isolate the cab from the cabin, and a security plate we can install when needed.

View attachment 587598

I like the Herman Miller chair. If you are going to do any real work for extended periods of time, that would be worth the effort.

 

[MTVR]

It may be because I am just a fragile european, but I think this trigger happiness is really disturbing. For me travelling is about meeting people, seeing new places. Not about shooting people. But I have not been to America yet. Maybe it is normal there.

Why would you accuse us of being "trigger happy", traveling around for the purpose of finding new people to shoot?

I recognize the immeasurable value assigned to human life, and I chose to make it my career to go into harm's way to protect it.

If someone breaks into our home, that's not a problem of US not valuing the criminal's life, it's a problem of the criminal not valuing their own life.

The whole point of my post, was that locking our home is a significant step towards PREVENTING a shooting.

You may not have been to America yet, but we have traveled Europe extensively, and what is not "normal", is your rudeness...