Would you live in a wedge camper full time?

[1000arms]

Me too... whew... the memories.

For this sort of duty, a bigger truck and better camper is not going to cost that much more and would be much more viable.

I love how we go around in circles, while the OP apparently lost interest after his initial post... ?

Memories. ... Although I didn't enjoy the experience, I was thankful then (and now) for how much easier it was to clean up because of the rain before crawling back to bed, and I have been laughing about that incident for quite a while.

I suspect @dole already has the Tacoma, but I agree that he would likely be better served by a bigger truck and camper.

I think @dole looked in yesterday. Perhaps he simply read a number of posts and is thinking about things?

 

[Herbie]

No, but not for the reasons covered so far.

In addition to the issues of managing temperature, etc., the other factors that would keep me from trying to fulltime in a wedge camper:

• Lack of ongoing living space
• Dust management
• "Duffle Shuffle" - i.e. the daily act of moving bags or sleeping gear up/down, or of moving/storing bed segments, etc. to climb up/down from the wedge.

The recurring theme I hear from everyone who has spent a lot of time on the road is the general need to have livable indoor space for everything from meal-prep to just riding out weather and bugs. This is hard enough for "vanlife" types, but add in that even the most robust wedge-campers still are basically a cap on a truck bed without a 100% sealable envelope, and you're signing up to live in a state where there will always be at least some amount dust inside your abode. Even if you have a proper door like on the Alu-Cab system, the truck beds themselves are never 100% sealed.

And even if you solved that problem, start asking the folks who do the daily shuffle of moving their bedding or clothes in order to sleep vs. travel. Lots of folks fulltime with those types of systems, but most seem to move away from such daily activities when they can manage it. At the very least, it's the thing I hear a lot of complaints about, and most of the fulltimers I can think of (with only a couple of exceptions) have gravitated towards setups where there is minimal gear moving/setup/teardown needed for a given phase of travel.

This isn't even a wedge-camper-only issue. I love our 4WC flatbed for up to ~2 weeks of travel, but I would NOT want to fulltime in this setup. The process of unlatching/raising top, fitting the grey water hose, etc. to setup camp only takes a few minutes (and a few minutes more to reverse it to break camp), but I couldn't see doing it 300+ times a year.

 

[rruff]

A Tacoma would be doable ya, if he already has it. Maybe something like a Scout or Kimbo camper.

 

[SDDiver5]

You'll end up working more... at least that happened to me. I "lived" in the back of my truck with a shell on it for about 6 months. Did 2 nights in the truck then drove home for a night and re did the process. Still had my apt but my job was 3 hour commute round trip. It got old. Lonely. Boring. I worked out a lot and worked a lot of overtime. Wasn't really in the correct location to camp every night, likely would have camped more often if I was and enjoyed it a little more.

Still tho... it got old pretty quick.

More power to you tho! Might as well give it a shot. I don't think you'll end up saving as much money as you think you will. Pretty sure most people end up spending more when living on the road.

 

[mkish]

Think a trailer would be cheaper and more pleasant...

 

[reaper229]

Just do it...you'll regret not doing it when you'll be older...do it !!!

Envoyé de mon Pixel 4 XL en utilisant Tapatalk

 

[tacollie]

Yes. It is reasonably easy to install a diesel heater to deal with the cold. Everything else is simple.

I should mention I'm one of those people that gains weight in the summer and drops it in the winter. I sit around a sweet in the summer and get back to being active in the fall?

 

[KiwiMtnClmbr]

You'll end up working more... at least that happened to me. I "lived" in the back of my truck with a shell on it for about 6 months. Did 2 nights in the truck then drove home for a night and re did the process. Still had my apt but my job was 3 hour commute round trip. It got old. Lonely. Boring. I worked out a lot and worked a lot of overtime. Wasn't really in the correct location to camp every night, likely would have camped more often if I was and enjoyed it a little more.

Still tho... it got old pretty quick.

More power to you tho! Might as well give it a shot. I don't think you'll end up saving as much money as you think you will. Pretty sure most people end up spending more when living on the road.

^this!

Every time I started down this path I ended up with a second or a third job, and inevitably an indoor place to crash and wash became the goal of one of those jobs. But being able to be independent whenever I wanted or needed was and remains always worth it.

Now that I have every kind of ball and chain imaginable, I'd do exactly what you're contemplating ;-).

 

[AmericaOverland]

If someone gave me such a truck with a camper on it like that, I'd have to do it... It's far better than being homeless and stuck inside a city. I'm saving money so, if ever, I have to go back to America. I'd be able to have something to at least keep me mobile and stay out of the trap of being in a city.

 

[SoCalTacoTruck]

Absolutely yes, and I intend to. However not on a mid-size truck.

Here are some opinions I have.

-Gear storage. Both dirty and clean. You need separate locations to keep these things so your dirty gear doesn't come into you clean gear section. For example, your dirt camp chairs/snowboard gear laying down in the buildout inside your bed. It'll become such a hassle to clean and you'll get annoyed

-Comfortable seating, a kitchen inside the truck bed, and a toilet. These all take up tons of room and the 6.5' bed of a mid-size truck quickly becomes occupied

-Heat/cooling. It will get cold and hot. Having a way to battle these elements of nature is the only way to stay sane. Nothing like having extreme stomach poisoning in a camper, trying to battle that in 10 degree weather with no heat.

-A truck reliable, capable, and spacious enough to provide you with a good platform to live in. Your home is now on wheels, and when it is down, so are you

-A place to retreat to. If you randomly get t-boned or total your truck, you have to have a backup plan set immediately. When I think of living in a truck, I think of being off-grid constantly. If your truck breaks down in timbucktoo, gotta be prepared to get out of that situation.

-Ditch the tailgate and have a full back door. Fully seal every single hole in the bed and make sure it is 95% dust, water, and animal proof.

-Have somewhat of a home base, or a gym membership to a club that's nationwide. Hygiene is what you make of it, and it's not that big of an issue as some make it. Wet wipes, short hair, and less body hair go a long way.

Other then that, having a wedge camper equipped to handle every-day living is super important. Being insulated inside, having lighting, being constructed well enough to not break. No proprietary parts that can't be fixed from Home Depot or a fabrication shop.

I lived in my Vagabond Drifter on a Access Cab Tacoma for a month, and I loved every moment of it. My only complaints was that I had nowhere to put my dirty gear and driving the gutless truck was a burden. I moved to a Ram 2500 and have another Vagabond being made, and cant wait to move in. Best of luck to you and safe travels!

 

[ITTOG]

At my current age, no. But at 27, heck yeah. That would be fun. I would be good with that for up to about five years.

Not a hope in hell.

I don't need much but moving parts full time in winter are crazy stupid complications. Canvas walls year round anywhere but Florida crazy stupid. Uninsulated basements, plumbing, toilets, heat loss thru canvas walls, below zero temperatures...... how do you keep beer from freezing.

Year round winter touring spells keep ALL the plumbing inside the heated envelope.... stand up kitchen, dining, bath.... NO moving parts.

That is easy, you put it in a cooler. I have not stayed in much weather below 0F but have spent a lot of time in single digits (F), mostly in a two person tent for four or five days at a time. Any liquids or food I didn't want to freeze went into a cooler. A cooler works both ways (keeps cold/keeps warm).

 

[Groverland]

I've thought about eventually going full-time with my wedge, but many of the reasons already stated have kept it as just 'thoughts'. The movie 'Nomadland' was eye-opening. I suggest anyone thinking about it give it a watch.

Besides the loneliness, lack of space is my primary hurdle. A friend told me once that things are just that- 'things'. I've made a conscious effort since hearing that to get rid of anything I don't use on a daily basis. In a space the size of a truck bed you would have no choice. My friend now lives in a tent in Alaska working as a guide so he truly walks the talk!

I've downsized from a 1400 sq ft house to an apartment half that size in the past year. I'm currently eyeing an apartment in downtown Chicago half the size of my current apartment. If I can make that work I may try a tiny house next. Basically, I'm getting rid of THINGS with each move move until everything I need can fit in a 6 ft bed. Whatever you decide best of luck!

 

[danneskjold]

I lived full time out of my 5 foot bed Tacoma and a Vagabond Drifter with a 50lbs dog for about 6 months. I’d say it would be pretty doable if you could follow the weather, but once those temps start to drop and your only way to cook is outside and there’s not much “hanging out” room inside you start to think about something bigger.

I went to a FWC after.

 

[Superduty]

No

 

[JCliftonB]

You don't need that much money to buy a house. So, assuming you are gainfully employed, you could reasonably have a down payment on a house for the cost of a wedge camper built up enough to live in full-time.

That said, it depends on where you want to buy a house and the market there. A FWC could be lived in full-time easier than a wedge for sure.

Could I do it when I was 27, probably for a year working full remote. After that, a home base is appreciated. What you need to look into then is a home base. Think big garage with a bedroom, bathroom, laundry, and kitchen built onto it... Something like this young guy did: https://create208.com/