SMB/Van vs. slide-in/pop-top camper

[stioc]

I couldn't find any discussion on the pros/cons so I thought I'd post here and see if the current owners went through the same decision between the two as I am and ultimately are you happy with the decision?

I don't necessarily do any hardcore rock crawling but I do traverse trails where a non-built 4x4 will have a tough time getting through without damage. I love the size of my truck, the lighter agile platform. However, I seem to be space constrained with a family of 3+ a 70lb dog and as I'm getting older I'm wanting less time/effort setting up and breaking camp.

A slide in camper like a FWC is a good option for me it seems but I never trusted the way the camper is fixed to the truck bed. I've seen pics of campers completely falling out of the truck beds. I also don't like the higher CoG in an emergency or off-camber situations. Lastly, in a van not having to exit the cab to get in the living area is a nice bonus. The big disadvantage to the van IMHO is the availability options and the cost. The second disadvantage perhaps is that while it may be great for a couple but any more it might be too small? But then again with a FWC type of a lightweight camper the situation might not be that much better either.

My 10 year old doesn't want either of the two options because "then we won't be able to do real off-roading" so some thoughts there would be nice too

 

[NYCO]

my thoughts - I went through the same thing with 1 extra category . I went from a small tow behind camper that I could drag up anything, to a short bed Tacoma with a FWC, to an awd GMC savana. Either FWC or a van will get tight with more than 2 people I'd say or a few decent size dogs. I do 2 people and 2 dogs and that's about as much as I think my van can do comfortably. The FWC can sleep your kid on the sofa part and you guys up top.

With my truck and camper it did really well on and off road. I had a shell model so that is on the lighter side of the campers. FWC set up in just a few seconds, so that's simple. Yes, you do have to get out of the truck to set it up, but that's not bad. I thought I would take it off the truck more than I did. It doesn't take that long, but I would just keep it on during the summer. The truck mounting seemed fine and it wasn't going anywhere.

The van does ok off road for a long vehicle. Before the 3" lift I did bang up the bottom a bit on water bars and dented my muffler as well. I try to keep it a little tamer than I did with the Tacoma. SMB is expensive. Don't know if you are wanting 4x4 for sure or not. You could get away with doing some things on your own and adjust as you change your camping style.

My eventual reasoning was that my Tacoma was my only vehicle and I didn't like taking people around with my job in my lifted truck with a camper on the back. I went with 2 vehicles.

 

[PJorgen]

Since this is the SMB forum you're probably gonna get more pro-SMB viewpoints, but here's my story.

I went through the same process and ended up with a truck and FWC, mostly based on cost, but other factors came in as well.
My truck is a GMC 2500HD 4x4 and I know a lot of folks will say it's not a real 4x4 since the GM/Chevy products have the IFS. Honestly, most of my driving is on paved roads (isn't that true for most of us?) and I prefer the better ride and handling. Off road it gets me where I want to go.

As you note, weight is the enemy. My truck, fully loaded with my wife, gear, food water, etc for a weeklong trip is about 8800 lbs. I've seen guys claim loaded weights of SMBs in the 9000-10,000 lb range. If I'm alone and pack light I can drop 300-400 lbs off that (no, my wife doesn't weigh that much).

Never had an issue with the turnbuckles loosening up. I check them at the beginning of every trip and once in a while during the trip. Take it easy over the bumps and whoop-de-dos. Drive it like it's the Baja 1000? No, just don't.
What do you mean when you say a non-built 4x4 would sustain damage? Is that from inadequate ground clearance? You can do bigger tires and wheels with either a SMP or a TC, but in both cases your center of gravity will suffer – duh.

Either way you've got a big, heavy vehicle that will never be as capable as a Jeep or other dedicated off-roader.

 

[stioc]

Thanks for the feedback thus far. I have a similar thread going in the pop-up camper section too http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...e-slide-in-campers-when-attached-to-the-truck

What do you mean when you say a non-built 4x4 would sustain damage? Is that from inadequate ground clearance? You can do bigger tires and wheels with either a SMP or a TC, but in both cases your center of gravity will suffer – duh.

Yes exactly what I meant; clearance, tires, sliders, skid plates etc. which all also add a lot of weight to an already heavy rig as you pointed out.

 

[86scotty]

Things I love about my van (older, affordable SMB ) that I didn't like about pulling trailers.

These things are as capable as you want off road. I have never ceased to be impressed with where it will go. Here in the Eastern woods the enemies are mud (I have AT tires and am 10k loaded) and roof clearance. Even with a pop top the vans are tall, and most have a rack/box/solar on top of that.

Only four wheels on the ground, no extra axles for tolls, park it in a standard parking spot in any lot, no extra tires to buy/maintain, nothing to worry about behind you.

Access to the rear without getting out is awesome. We roll with 2 adults, 2 kids and one dog. Plenty of room for comfortable travel in the regular body van, we only get tight on space on long trips with extra crap. Access to the sink, fridge, and couch/beds for naps while rolling are awesome.

SMBs can be affordable. You don't have to get a $75k one to be happy. I have about $30k in mine after extensive building. It's a 95 gasser, simple to maintain and reliable. F350/Quigley durable drivetrain.

Stealth camping easier in a van, if you need

Of course you are going to get SMB slanted answers here, but just my .02

Hope it helps!

 

[Mwilliamshs]

Good god I'd written a long long response detailing all the things I like about my Sportsmobile and my Lance slide-in and when I clicked submit it took me to the log-in screen and *poof* everything was gone.

I can go into more detail if you'd like but it boils down to this: I like and use my van more than I ever expected and the ability to open it up to the outdoors is big as is being able to comfortably hang out inside with 4 people. The slide-in is really just too small for hanging out in since all you have is a booth for sitting and enough floor space for 2 people to stand but not move. A slide-in has to fit between the fenderwells of the truck and forefeits all the space in front, above, and behind the fenderwells whereas a van is wall to wall storage and is over 13' long on the inside, all the time. Being able to drive while someone sleeps and moving around inside while on the road are also big plusses of the van, especially with kids. Parallel parking then everybody getting out of the bay doors on the curb side is a big unexpected bonus for me but I'm in the city. The windows of a cabover are below cabinet height (can't see out while standing) so you feel very "inside" when you're inside vs the van which is mostly glass and the big penthouse windows. The van gives a feeling of 2 bedrooms when the upper bed is down and the couch is folded out so that's nice at night. Swiveling the front seat of the van around for playing cards or just hanging out is WAY nicer than cramming into the slide-in's booth then everybody getting up every time 1 person wants to move. The steps going up into the camper and it only having one door mean it's very separate from the outside whereas the van feels like the campsite is your own big living room. Being able to put mountain bikes and fishing poles in the van so easily is a big plus too, whereas the slide-in requires a bike carrier and special treatment of long items. Hanging out in the van before class to study or nap on the couch is awesome. Having mini-tailgating sessions on lunch breaks at the hospital is also pretty sweet. People come by my office now to plan metting in the parking deck and they stock the fridge. A girl brings her guitar and we all get a little vacation because somebody has a comfortable spot for 3-5 people to hangout and relax besides the subway/ihop/etc where all our coworkers end up.

This got long again but trust me, I'd composed a novel the first time around and I'm ticked I lost it.
.
End of the day, I love my van. I like my slide-in.
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If I didn't NEED the big truck (CC DRW F350) that hauls the slide-in and tows heavy stuff behind it there's NO WAY I'd buy a truck and FWC just for camping. If I didn't have to tow over 8k lbs routinely I'd just get a E350 Sportsmobile and have all my peas in one pod.

 

[stioc]

Thanks guys! Mwilliamshs, I appreciate you taking the time to write twice...that's happened to me a few times too where I'd type a long thoughtful response and then I lost it all I agree with you on the many positives you mentioned.

@86scotty, that's a really nice SMB you have there and it seems you've done some nice work on it too. I also like the standard base as opposed to the long wheel based vans. If I could find one for under $30k I'd get one, I probably have more than half that in my truck.

 

[dfinn]

For me a big part of it comes down to how many vehicles you want to maintain. And I might be biased since my SMB died in Baker City, OR and is currently getting a new ford crate engine put in.

I'm considering a TC because it would mean eliminating one vehicle and the maintenance cost associated with it.

Yesterday we visited FWC in Jackson Hole and poked around some of their campers. We were hoping to check out a Granby but the biggest they had was a Hawk. The quality seemed really top notch. They do a great job of utilizing the little bit of space they have but it definitely didn't seem as roomy as our SMB. The price does certainly add up quick when you start adding options, I didn't realize all the things that are NOT included in the base package.

Pros for van:
more space, more storage
people riding in the back, the wife will often be prep cooking back there while we are heading to camp or people can sleep on the couch
sometimes having a 3rd vehicle is a plus, it's dedicated to camping, it stays mostly loaded, just add food/water and go

Pros for TC:
eliminate a vehicle
having a truck has many other uses (sold mine when we got the SMB but hate having to haul lumber or things like that in the SMB)
possibly cheaper to get a vehicle with 4wd and less miles when comparing cost of T + C vs newer SMB
little to maintain or devalue in a camper like a FWC, they seem to hold their value really well
if the truck dies or you want to upgrade, go for it and the camper goes into the new one

It's a tough choice. For 2 people, 2 dogs and kids soon down the road we may be sticking with the SMB, I think that's definitely how the wife would have it.

 

[stioc]

After checking into both options for now I've decided to hold off and stick with what we have. However, in the future for me it'll most likely be a pickup +a Flippac. I'd love the FWC but the weight of the them easily shoots past the 1/2 ton truck's payload capacity once you add in larger tires, rock sliders, skid plates, bumpers, camping gear, food, water, fuel and people. I don't want a truck bigger than a 1/2 ton for trail work.

Also looked at a SMB not long ago, we loved it but again way too big and heavy tipping the scales around 10k lbs and not to mention the asking price of approx $40k with 200k miles on it.

 

[deminimis]

Tried a Westy, then Sporty, then pickup with Bigfoot (not a pop-up camper), RV and back to a truck camper combo (still not a pop up though). Loved my SMB, but it was just too small for four (they were young (and smaller) at the time, but they got bigger). A shovel and a cactus for privacy, along with a portable shower, worked just fine for me, but having a real bathroom is nice. Even with our former Chev/Bigfoot, we couldn't get into nearly the places we could with the Sporty. Now so, we're even more limited. But, that's us. Sounds like you've made you call already. However, in a nutshell I'd say if there are more than two of you, or you have to haul stuff once in a while, then a pickup/camper combo works better.

 

[EMrider]

Our SMB has served us well for over ten years. They are quite capable off road and it has by far been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned.

But IMHO, they run out of interior room fast and are best for 1-2 person travel. We have three kids and three dogs, and we ran out of room five years ago so I removed the camping stuff and reconfigured the interior for people and cargo.

Good luck choosing.

R

 

[medicfernando]

One of the best features of the SMB for me, is the ability to be stealthy if needed. You can roll in anywhere, not pop the top, not get out of the van and just go to bed. This also is a great feature for winter camping. When it is really cold, keep the top up while awake for the extra room, pull it down at night, go to bed, set the furnace on low and it barely comes on and the van stays nice and toasty all night. Love it!!

 

[adam88]

One of the best features of the SMB for me, is the ability to be stealthy if needed. You can roll in anywhere, not pop the top, not get out of the van and just go to bed. This also is a great feature for winter camping. When it is really cold, keep the top up while awake for the extra room, pull it down at night, go to bed, set the furnace on low and it barely comes on and the van stays nice and toasty all night. Love it!!

Yeah but what happens when it's freezing cold out and at 3am you need to go #2? Either have to go outside (in the freezing cold) or else go to the bathroom in the aisle next to your loving spouse and wake them up

I think the sportsmobile vs camper all comes down to the bathroom, pretty much. I know some people on here say they don't need or WANT a bathroom (pain in the butt, much easier to squat in the woods). Others say who needs running water when you've got a jumbo pack of baby wipes.

To each their own.

 

[lmorris1]

Sprtsmobile versus slide-/pop-up four wheel drive

I am also trying to decide between a truck with FWC or a Sportsmobile. In both cases, I'll be looking for used vehicles. My question is whether or not I need four wheel drive. I prefer primitive campsites away from crowds. I know I will be on forest service roads and I anticipate water crossings, but I don't plan on driving totally off-road beyond pulling off the road to a campsite. I'm assuming that I need high clearance, but not sure about the added expense of four wheel drive. What are people's thoughts. If looking for a used van RB, low roof, miles less than 60, 000 for a Sportsmobile conversion, what do you all suggest? Thank you!

 

[TomH]

There is another option.

With the number of people you have (and the dog), a Tiger would be more appropriate to your needs:

http://www.tigervehicles.com

https://www.facebook.com/TigerAdventureVehicles

http://tigerowners.freeforums.org

If you are rich, you could also consider GEV and EarthRoamer.