Truck Camper vs Van Conversion?

[Nivel Egres]

Would I rather go with a truck+camper or a van conversion for an extended road-trip, myself + two large dogs, ? The summary of inputs are
1. two year trip across the US and possibly Latin America
2. most destinations do not require serious off-road capability, but it's a plus
3. the "crew" is a middle aged dude(is 45 middle aged these days?) plus two very large dogs
4. need a bathroom + shower and a kitchen
3. modest budget for the vehicle - say USD 35k in total max

So far I can see two choices. First one is getting a used truck with a service body plus a used hard-side truck camper. An alternative is to get an older sprinter van and converting it. I am leaning toward a truck for the reasons of
a. selection - during the shopping process the separation of the vehicle from the housing will allow me to buy two separately with fewer compromises
b. maintenance - I can live in a camper while the truck is in a mechanic shop
c. upgrades - if nessesary, I can exchange the truck for a new one with minimal amount of pain

So far the only con to truck+camper I see is lack of stealth. I have no experience with either (my prior dirtbagging was out of a regular car), so am I missing something? Are there good reasons to go with a van instead?

 

[universalmind303]

I would say the biggest downfall of truck camping is the lack of stealth, as well as no walkthrough. Depending on the truck, it might get a little crowded with everyone up front while traveling. I really do not like having a walkthrough. I have a truck now and that is the biggest downfall to me.

There are some class b motorhomes that are built off truck chassis. (Chinook, provan) that might be worth looking in to.

It also depends on if 4x4 is necessary. If you want it, truck would be a much cheaper option

If urban camping is a high priority, definitely go with a van/box truck/ ambulance



Sent from my C6725 using Tapatalk

 

[mezmochill]

High top e250 or express 2500 cargo (extended body if you can deal with the more limited maneuverability).
I would stick with ford or chevy for easy parts availability if you are on the slow boat down to central america.

Have fun!

 

[pappawheely]

Dogs + Kitchen and shower = a lot of space. Other variables are 2x or 4x and whether you will be stealth camping. When you narrow down those things it will help you decide. Maybe just a motorhome will suffice; something solid on a truck chassis.

 

[grizzlyj]

Hiya

A van body would IMHO be impossible to insulate as well as the sealed box of a truck mounted but separate camper. For something like a Sprinter layout the cab windows, bulkhead, doors etc will always leak heat and gain condensation even with a curtain "sealing" off the living area at night. External insulating blinds are better than internal but easily stolen and zero stealth.
.
You presumably could have a crawl thru on the sort of truck you're looking at?
.
Our truck was large and obvious but people thought we were a utility vehicle fairly often so thought we were meant to be there.
.
Depends if you're aiming to follow the sun or enjoy more exposed camping spots perhaps?
.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

If you want an interior shower, go with a truck camper. I have an 11'+ Lance and I have a Sportsmobile. I love being able to go from driver's seat to the fridge to the bed in the van with zero hassle but the bathroom accommodations of a truck camper can't be easily met in a van unless it's a high-roof Sprinter. The lack of storage capacity of a cabover is a big minus as is the overall height, lack of stealth, and the fact that you're buying a pre-built camper, not building/designing to suit your exact needs but again, the bathroom is the kicker and the cabover wins, hands down.

 

[garoNC]

Maybe something like this? A little of both.

http://www.tigervehicles.com/

 

[Nivel Egres]

To add more details, I plan to spend a fair amount in each location - I am a rock climber and the idea is to first drive through all of the awesome climbing spots in the US and Canada, after which I am planning to check out mountains in Peru, Chile and, eventually, Patagonia. I have just sold my data technology start-up and have a 2 year non-compete period, so at the very least I want to travel for that long. If it goes well, I might stay on the road for as long as - after all, the chips are all cashed in and it's unlikley I will hit a similar jackpot again given my age. Since I am selling my place in the NYC, this vehicle will be my "home" so it has to be semi-comfy.

High top e250 or express 2500 cargo (extended body if you can deal with the more limited maneuverability).
I would stick with ford or chevy for easy parts availability if you are on the slow boat down to central america.

Before I got sucked into the life of crime, sorry, I mean high tech, I did a couple three-to-six month road trips around the US in my old Volvo station wagon - it's ok, but it's not something you can do indefinitely. Eventually, you become a bum with all of the collateral damage (e.g. smell, never getting laid etc). I've checked out my buddies RV lifestyle and that's a totally different ball game - it's like a home, a ****ty and small one, but a home.

Maybe something like this? A little of both.
http://www.tigervehicles.com/

Nice. But I don't want to spend 120+ on it - it's a depreciating asset after all

I would say the biggest downfall of truck camping is the lack of stealth, as well as no walkthrough. Depending on the truck, it might get a little crowded with everyone up front while traveling. I really do not like having a walkthrough. I have a truck now and that is the biggest downfall to me.

Hmm, good point - I guess when the weather is bad, it's nice to be able to get behind the wheel straight out of bed. In my case since I usually stay in each spot for a while, I guess it's less important, but I see the point.

The lack of storage capacity of a cabover is a big minus

My thought was to get a service body truck to add some extra storage space (unless of course, the service body is not compatible with truck campers). I think I will go with the smallest camper I can find (that has what I need) plus a crew-cab truck so I can put the pups in the second row (in crates, probably).

You presumably could have a crawl thru on the sort of truck you're looking at?

I wounder how that works - the campers I've seen seem to have a window that is more or less colinear with the trucks back window. Does that mean I can somehow get trough there? I am pretty thin

Our truck was large and obvious but people thought we were a utility vehicle fairly often so thought we were meant to be there.

I am not planning to be around urban areas too much anyway, so I think stealth is not super-important but I'd like to have an option. This said, with dogs urban camping is not really possible anyway.

Dogs + Kitchen and shower = a lot of space. Other variables are 2x or 4x and whether you will be stealth camping. When you narrow down those things it will help you decide. Maybe just a motorhome will suffice; something solid on a truck chassis.

It seems that most motor homes I see are pretty large and I like to be mobile once I am where I am going to. I'd go for something around 20 feet long, but i am very worried that buying an old motor home I'll buy a ****ty vehicle and a ****ty home at once - in case of a camper, I'll at least be able to pick the flavour of **** for each one of them.

 

[silvrzuki77]

Travel America used 19g starts around 19k.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mwilliamshs]

...My thought was to get a service body truck to add some extra storage space (unless of course, the service body is not compatible with truck campers). I think I will go with the smallest camper I can find (that has what I need) plus a crew-cab truck...

Most service bodies will conflict with the "wings" of most truck campers not to mention raising the center of gravity considerably. Better to haul less stuff. Crew-cab truck is a major plus.

 

[tgreening]

Travel America used 19g starts around 19k.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This. Meets all the criteria, and if you wanted you could 4x4 it and still be in budget.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

Agreed. With your budget, call Travel America or whatever, call U-Joint Offroad, and call it a day.

...modest budget for the vehicle - say USD 35k in total max...

Travel America used 19g starts around 19k...

U-Joint Offroad: Q. The question I get asked most is "how much will the entire conversion cost me?"
A. There is no solid answer to this. Several of the main components vary in price. You may find a front axle for $250, $500, or $1500. Same with the transfer case, prices vary. If you do all the work yourself, you will save substantial amounts of $$. If you do some of the labor yourself, and sublet a few things that take more skill (transmission mods, fuel tank) you will still be in good shape. Some of my customers have taken their time to find good deals on parts, and some want the van converted asap. This is the beauty of my kit, you can do it at your pace. One thing that needs to be stressed is that the 4wd conversion is an investment!! It will hold it's value!!

 

[IdaSHO]

A class C does have some merits.

But not that one plus a conversion.

You'd be well past your budget.

http://www.rvtrader.com/dealers/Cruise-America-731206/listing/2010-Four-Winds-Majestic-19G-113136906

And figure at least 15k + for a conversion


You are still better off with a truck and camper, financially.

 

[silvrzuki77]

http://mohave.craigslist.org/rvd/5470600575.html
$20k in Las Vegas plus $15k Ujoint kit. $35k budget.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[IdaSHO]

has high mileage, so if mileage is an issue, please don't call.

If a dealer claims high mileage right on the add....

It probably has a LOT of miles. :snorkel: