Slide in camper question?

[ColinR]

Yep, for a weekend trip it would be ok for you and wife. Then add 2 dogs as well?? Ain't no way I'd want to do that. If your wanting to travel like for a week at a time, a camper with at least one slide is the only way to go!

[kerrbow]

I have had several thru the years. Sold my last one 3 years ago, it was a Hallmark popup, made in Colorado. I have been looking seriously at the Alaskan truck camper that has been around for 50-60 years. The company is in the Northwest and they customize a lot of their campers now. They have the telescoping roof, none of that pop*up canvas that mildews when it is wet. Truck Camper magazine gave them a great review. Occasionally you can find a late model one for sale.

[Atfulldraw]

I have had several thru the years. Sold my last one 3 years ago, it was a Hallmark popup, made in Colorado. I have been looking seriously at the Alaskan truck camper that has been around for 50-60 years. The company is in the Northwest and they customize a lot of their campers now. They have the telescoping roof, none of that pop*up canvas that mildews when it is wet. Truck Camper magazine gave them a great review. Occasionally you can find a late model one for sale.

this or an Arctic Fox.

An a/c (or the heater) only works so well when the walls are thin (like they are on most truck campers)

[SaltwaterSlick]

I've had a couple myself. First was an 8 foot slide in and I could still close my tailgate... It was just TOO small, then I went overboard and got an 11 1/2 footer... it was roomy inside and if I'd planned on leaving it on my truck, it was probably the best one we ever had. My last one was a 9 1/2 footer, and it was just about right. My wife and I vacationed/hunted/fished with it a LOT... We found it to have plenty room and we really enjoyed it. It had hydraulic jacks and though they had to be operated manually one at a time, they worked well for loading/unloading. I hauled 4 jackstands and 2 4X4 4 foot long posts that I sat it on when I unloaded it. The one thing I did not like about it was it had those windows that were rounded on the corners instead of square... The small ones were not a problem, but the big ones (one on each side) were a PITA to keep leak free. I swore I'd never have another RV/Camper, etc. with those type of windows... That was back in the '90's/early 2000's, so maybe they have improved them by now. As far as the concept though, we really liked it because I could tow my boat(s) or my Jeep depending on what we were doing... My daughter was 2 WEEKS old when she went on her first "camping" trip! Spent 2 weeks out west deer hunting!

[BrianL]

I have had two. In theory they would be perfect, but......

Cons:

* They are a pain to load and unload on uneven ground
* you have to load/unload VERY slow. A mistake here can do big damage!
*if you don't unload it you can't leave camp w/o packing up
* they kill fuel mileage-more so than comp size trailer
* you really need a dually because of weight of camper and your stuff
* overall height can prevent off road camping if you are around trees
*shower size is very limited
*wet bath is it's own issue....
*Size is limited-you really have to plan on what you are carrying due to limited size and weight restrictions.
*When two are sleeping, one will have to crawl over the other to go to bathroom at night
*Getting in and out of bed is a little more difficult
*Storing is a little more difficult when/if you need to move it out of the way or relocate

Pros:

*For short trips it is great to have a "part time" mini motorhome
*NO registration or inspection required.
*Can put on front of a gooseneck and have a great toy hauler when needed
*Easy to pull in anywhere you are traveling.(no trailer)
*We used ours several times when FIL was in hospital. It was great to have somewhere to go and keep some food and lay down

[Slew]

I don't have anything useful to add but if you decide to lock the door and chase momma around the camper you won't have to chase her far in a cabover!!!

I looked at buying one when I went all over the US chasing ducks but by the time I got a decent one and a truck big enough to hold it I could stay at the Holiday Inn every night cheaper!

[WyoBull]

My wife and I have a Northern Lite 8.11 SE. I will tell you that you will need more truck than you think. Most all of the manufacturers underestimate the dry weight of their campers in their marketing literature. Northern Lite weighs each of their campers as it leaves the factory and put the weight on the sticker inside the door. That number represents the dry weight. Add another 750 pounds to it to get close to the wet weight.

Ours weighs 3200 lbs wet. I haul it on a 2017 F350 Crew Cab Short Bed 4x4 and am under all of my payload, GVWR, axle and tire ratings. If you are going to do it more full time, I would definitely look at a dually. My truck handles our camper like a dream and I did not want a dually because my truck is my daily driver and I did not want a dually to drive every day. There are many truck campers like Host and the larger Arctic Fox's that will tip the wet weight scales at 5000 lbs or more so you really need to match the camper to the truck you have, or intend to have.

One thing I really like about a truck camper is that it gives you a lot more versatility to get places where you would never pull a bumper pull or 5th wheel. We have ATV's so I have a Reese extension that I use which has a 450 lb tongue weight capacity and 4500 lb weight capacity. I will never haul anything with the camper that weighs more than that so I am good there.

A lot of people say you really get cramped in a truck camper but what we have found is that we spend our time outside when camping (we live in Wyoming) and are only in the camper to fix meals say at night and then when it is time to go to bed. Or, if it is raining etc. It is just my wife and I so we are fine with just the two of us in it.

Ours does not have a slide which I did not want because the slide adds more weight, is not completely weather tight and cam present more issues just due to the mechanics of the slide. They do give you more room but as I said above, inside the camper is not where we spend most of our time.

Taking it on and off the truck does take a little time but you have to be patient and not rush yourself to get it done. Electric jacks with the remote are a must have.

The Northern Lite is a true 4 season camper and is very well insulated as it is built like a boat hull. You have the top section and the bottom section and are built like they do a boat and then they put them together so you only have one seam around the belt line. While they are less prone to having any leaks, you still have vents on top etc. that you have to make sure are maintained like any RV but the chance for water leaks on much lower with the Northern Lite.

We looked at the Arctic Fox, have a good friend who has one, and while they are also well built, they are also very heavy. We looked at the Northstar and Hallmark pop ups which I would have been happy with, my wife did not want to have to raise and lower the top every time you wanted to get into it so we ended up going with a hardside.

Ours came with a 95 watt solar panel on the roof which I would highly recommend as you look at them because depending on what you are doing, you can run your batteries down fairly quickly. If you get one with A/C, which I assume you will want down in Texas, you will need a Honda 2000 or like generator to run the A/C unless you are able to plug in to electricity. We are not the type to camp at KOA's and such unless we have to so the generator is good to have. But, you also don't want to be that guy in the nice quiet campground that who is running a generator all day either.

I did put air bags on my truck and Torklift upper Stableloads and that is all I did.

Ours is fully self contained and we like that a lot. Nothing like being able to take a shower when out in the woods.

I cannot think of many cons to a truck camper other than space. For us it is perfect for our needs. For me, the last thing I want is not to be able to go somewhere because I can't get a 30 foot trailer there but also, we camp off grid in the mountains and your needs may be different.

To you comment about their value after leaving the lot etc. Slide in truck campers are definitely a niche market and from a square foot cost, they are much more expensive than a bumper pull or 5th wheel. However, I know our Northern Lite has a very good resale market and they are difficult to find used so you it really depends on what brand you buy. Hallmark on the pop up side also has very good resale value.

Let me know if you have other questions and I will try to answer them for you based on our experience.

[kerrbow]

You might go to www.alaskancampers.com and see if this is something you can live with. Pulling a boat or atv's gives you some freedom using a 5th wheel or pull behind will not.

[LWolken]

We are on second truck camper. We had a pop up first then moved up to a hybrid 23' bumper pull then truck camper. Wife and I really enjoy the truck camper set up. They are great in extreme temperatures summer or winter. We were in New Mexico last winter break temps were in the teens and we stayed nice and cozy with only the electric heat strip. In moderate weather we run a 1000 watt inverter powered by the house batteries charged by 200 watts of solar and the truck when driving.

We enjoy the freedom of a truck camper. We like to boondock and black top walmarts, beach, etc. Whole thing runs on a honda eu 2000 generator. We can go places that are not possible with tow behinds. We can park in regular spaces, back up is simple for the wife unlike with a tow behind. Set up is quick and easy.

Must Haves:

Electric jacks
Tork lift fast gun tie downs
Tork lift frame mounted tie downs
Electric heat strip
Fantastic fan (temp controlled)
Led light bulbs