Sanity check on first time tc purchase

[joshuak172]

Folks,

My wife, our young child, hopefully another child soon, and I are planning on living in a truck camper for about half the week every week for up to the next seven years. It's a long story but I am in the military and we are downsizing as much as possible until I am done with my twenty years.

Having said that, truck campers really appeal to us although we are having trouble finding one that we like. Of course we can find quite a few campers but the interiors are quite different than our taste is. After searching and searching we are about the buy a new lance 1181 and completely overhaul the interior. Our plan is to paint the walls, resurface the cabinets, reupholster the interior, and paint or wrap the exterior. We are a bit frustrated that we couldn't find a manufacturer with more than a few upholstery or exterior paint options and it seems a custom camper manufacturers are non existent.

So, we are looking for a well built and reliable truck camper that is customizable without completely breaking the bank. Our budget is around 50k which is why we have settled on redoing a $30k or so camper to suit or tastes/needs.

I don't want to debate our intention to redo the interior other than we want to live in something that fits or tastes especially if we will be spending so much time in it for the next seven years. Does anyone knw of any manufacturers which are more customizable and who also manufacture a solid shell? Are we picking the best base to start off with, with the lance 1181?

I appreciate the wealth of knowledge on this site and others and we look forward to your responses.

 

[jbob]

What made you decide on a truck camper vs a trailer or class A or C motorhome? Just curious. They each have strengths and weaknesses. I had been shopping for a truck and truck camper for about three months until we happened upon a 4x4 Class C for about the same price. It was a much better fit for us, but my kids are older, and I didn't already own a pickup.

Sent from my Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet using Tapatalk

 

[Capt Eddie]

Get a motorhouse built the way that you want it. 4x4 is overrated for what you state that you are going to do with the camper.

 

[incognito]

hy,
i have 2 kids 6 and 2 1/2 years old. truck camper could work for you if you can fit a service box for external storage or buy a flatbed truck or a cab-chassis and fabricate some exterior aluminium storage boxes. sounds complex but it is not, just need a good welder. my storage boxes are full with toys, wood , folding chairs , folding table , exterior stove, and other stuff for camping with a family.( click on incognito and look at my other posts).if you need a daily driver vehicle to go to work and then a camper for weekend then a truck camper is a way to go. if you want less trouble then a regular truck but with a camper Northern lite , Bigfoot with basement for storage can save the day.

i saw people before me advised motorhome maybe because the 2 desireable features: exterior storage already in place and access bettween cab and camper area. but is hard to use a motorhome as a daily driver
1181 has too much rear overhang if you want some off-roading and i really don't like slide-in ( dust, heavy,etc) for 4x4 campers.but this depends on taste , needs so is just my personal taste .02 cents opinion
hope this helps
incognito

 

[jbob]

It's all about defining requirements. In my mind, the key advantages of a truck camper are the following:

1. The ability to separate the truck from the camper, thereby preserving the utility of the truck sans camper
2. The ability to access more places than a 5th wheel, travel trailer, or typical motorhome could

Here's my logic. If he requires 1 & 2, then a big truck camper is a good fit, albeit a bit tight for living 50% of the time for a family of four. But if he only requires #1, a 5th wheel or travel trailer would be a better fit. If he only requires #2, it gets a little tricky, but a 4x4 Class C or some kind of expedition rig (used Tiger?) might be a better fit due to the extra space. My $.02...

OP- you could buy a pretty nice rig for a fraction of your BAH! Sounds like a great adventure, and it would certainly make PCS'ing a lot easier. All the best.


Edit: upon re-reading my post, I realized some folks might think that I'm yelling "BAH", as in "bah humbug" at the OP, or that I have severe Tourette's. BAH=Basic Allowance for Housing, which is the portion of one's pay that is allotted for off-base living quarters. PCS=Permanent Change of Station, which is when one is told to pick up his family and move every 2-3 years, i.e., just after the wife and kids have fostered a bunch of close friendships in the community, and the local housing market is in the tank.

 

[Dustytires]

With the 1181 the only need for 4x4 is winter driving safety. The over hang is massive unless you put it on a 550 class truck with longer wb and snug the camper as far forward. I have had 2 Lance campers and they are built like ****. If you are going to do so much work to both exterior and interior, start with a commerical box. With a quick Google you could find the makers and get a custom shell and route build your own. A new Lance is crazy expensive, then to tear into it? Everytown has a good cabinet shop or 10, RV suppliers are a click away. I know I sound like a lunatic, but, for the 50k you would have into a 1181, you could do a lot better going custom. Living in it full time you will NOT want all the crap Lance staples to the inside to sell to the wifes! haha. I did not have a TC when kids were little but they were rough on my trailer, so prepare for the monkeys now!

 

[Mundo4x4Casa]

Dusty,
I can't tell if your synopsis of Lance is ********, or t*ts. One way or the other, we have beat the scheisen out of our Lance Lite and it has held up very well. For me, our Lance is t*ts. I think the secret is it was assembled on a Wednesday!
Otherwise, get a real big camper if indeed you get one. with just the two of us in there it's pretty crowded over a long period of time. Most TC-ers spend most of their time outside, only retreating to the confines of the white box at bed time.
regards, as always, jefe

 

[IdaSHO]

The biggest reason we run a tuck camper is TRACTION.

We do a ton of winter traveling and boondocking. Towing anything in nasty north Idaho winters is a good way to wind up in the ditch or worse.

Using a truck camper keeps the truck firmly planted on the road, and even on ice and deep snow, we rarely need 4x4.

 

[Capt Eddie]

I do have the 4500 with the long wheel base. I do have me camper towards the front of the truck. I do have all of the storage boxex on a flatbed. The room is unbelievable. We never have all of the boxes full at the start of a trip. But by the end they are all full. Dirty clothes, pretty rock, drift wood, seashells, immigrant workers. I can put a 1191 on the back without having hangover problems. The biggest problem with going offroad in now breakover. More exact is the muffler and DEF tank. The way my rig is set up would defiantly serve you well as you are needing a home.

 

[bri]

I have had a TC for 9 years. There are no slide outs so its tight. I assume that you and your wife have both been inside one with your kid and a toddler seat just to check it out. If not, do.

For two adults and two kids, one of which will be newborn, I would say you'd be crazy to try to live in a T.C. 50% of the time.

I've lived in my TC for up to two weeks. Wife and 2 large dogs. We're over it. It is in the forsale section.

 

[Darwin]

bri
I have had a TC for 9 years. There are no slide outs so its tight. I assume that you and your wife have both been inside one with your kid and a toddler seat just to check it out. If not, do.

For two adults and two kids, one of which will be newborn, I would say you'd be crazy to try to live in a T.C. 50% of the time.

I've lived in my TC for up to two weeks. Wife and 2 large dogs. We're over it. It is in the forsale section.

So are you buying a trailer for fifth wheel?

 

[Littlehouse]

Maybe I'm missing something, but what are your wife and kids going to be doing while you are driving the "house" to work? Get a nice trailer. Much bigger, and you can park it.