kstills

JimK, have you made the run up to the Arctic Circle? I'm reading how beautiful Canada and Alaska are, and I'm really looking forward to that trip.

Noted, but the clarity of the writing and addressing a lot of issues that other people gloss over, I can't say enough about how well done that website is.

I just spoke to Host today, and boy are they going all in with their off grid systems. 1, 2 or 3 360AH Li batteries, with up to 5 190 watt solar panels! Good grief, that's an S ton of power! I also got them thinking of possibly offering an option for a composting toilet instead of the flush model. They'd have to delete the bathroom sink (which could be a deal breaker because of resale), my argument was that there was a sink less then 10 feet away that people could use. They can't retrofit the diesel/gas heaters because of priming issues when you drop the camper, but they do offer a residential fridge which would go great with the off grid package and leave all your propane for hot water and the furnace, if needed. Really nice people up there, it was a great conversation.

Kirk, you have one of the best websites for full timers that I've come across, and I've read lots. Excellent work.

I've been giving that fairing some thought myself. I'm wondering if the truck body companies that specialize in camper bodies could come with something like that? Would increase fuel economy and provide better insulation for the bottom of the bedroom which would help reduce condensation in colder weather.

https://www.airskirts.com/ Now that's pretty cool. Wondering if you all think they could be used between the truck cab roof and bottom of the TC? Would certainly improve winter camping ability if they could.

Welp, sounds like Texas will be home base.

That's good to hear, as I haven't tried any of these yet and considering they are pretty expensive. Weight will always be an issue, so anything I can do to reduce it is appreciated.

Small world. IF it's the Truck Camper Warehouse in NH, we're headed there next weekend. You never feel cramped in the Igloo? I'm looking more at the double slide Host models because of the lack of room in the slide less models. Unfortunately, Host integrates the black tank and toilet, so I can't get them to replace both with a composting unit. One of the things going into the trailer. With the smaller fridge you don't run into issues running out of food boondocking? I'm aiming for being out 3 weeks at a time, and part of that will be buying dried food in bulk, lol. How much mobility do you have going off the beaten path? I'm really interested in getting further out than the motorhomes and vans, but size and weight will determine the distance that I'm able to travel, I'll bet. 4WD will help, but from what I've read anything short of a pop up is a challenge getting into the back country unless the roads are pretty good. Regarding going everywhere with the full rig, you don't drop your rig? Seems that some folks think it's a piece of cake, while others avoid it like the plague. Personally, I'd like a thicker jack system, especially for the larger units. Once these things are on the ground they look pretty 'spindly' and can be moved around a lot unless they are at the bottom range of the jacks. And yes, it helps tremendously.

While I really appreciate the forums, there is no way I'll participate on Facebook or any other social media platform.

The TX is going to be quite a bit smaller than the 5th wheel, so I'm hoping that it's enough to keep things cool on the occasions we need it without draining the batteries. I expect to be chasing the weather quite a bit of the time, hopefully not spending a great deal of time in hot and humid conditions. Plus, they have the extreme plus package with an additional 2 panels and two batteries, but I think you need a large dog to strap those onto.

Oh boy, you may come to regret those words. First off, what would you personally have done differently? What are you personal pros and cons of the lifestyle? Did you have any other experience with RV living that directed you to TCs? Those are the starter questions, I have more.

I am definitely not giving up my tools.

Dead end dirt roads on a dark and cold night are called campsites.

I'm all over truck camper magazine. In fact, I'm all over everywhere, lol. The more information I get, the happier I am.

Chad, The ones I'm looking at have about 65 gallons of fresh water. That's on par with a lot of the TTs that I've looked at. I will be using the trailer for a composting toilet (fair weather) and also to carry extra water and propane which should allow me to extend boondocking into the three week range. Agreed on the lack of storage, I watched a video of someone in one of the units I like, and they were crowing about the storage they had, when in fact they would have to turn a small box of cereal sideways in order to fit it into the 'pantry'. So for me, the trailer is a must have item to go along with the TC. Host has come out with three off grid packages using solar, lithium and inverters. The Extreme has ~600 watts solar, 480AH of lithium, and a 3000 watt inverter. I'm thinking you could probably run the AC with a setup like that.

I've been all over the place with potential RVs here and on other forums, but our first plan was a TC and now were back seriously considering this option. I know they are smaller, I know that storage will be an issue, what i want to know is your personal experience in one. The advantage to me is access to more remote areas. A good off road trailer with the right setup takes care of a lot of the negatives of storage associated with these rigs, and the costs, while higher per square foot than TT or 5Ws isn't a real concern. Thanks in advance for your thoughts, though since there isn't a section on these forums for TCs I'm not hopeful that many here are using them in this capacity.

They didn't rate it badly, and it did get 4 stars, however the reliability score was sub 80 (just under) which is a personal cutoff .I understand all of these things are subjective. They have floor plans that I really like, so their not out of consideration.

I was looking at Excel, but the RVCG didn't rate that as high as I would have liked. Leaning towards Northwood at this point, but I'll check out the Teton and Carriage. 👍

Oof. Seems we getting a lot of perspective here. One appeal of the F350-450 variant is the ability to scout ahead when boondocking. Are the HDT variants able to do that successfully, or are you more at the mercy of a need for decent road surfaces? Leaning more towards a 4 season 5th wheel at this point with 'some' off road capability, so this does become an issue. Expect the max weight to be in the 17k range. I also believe you can never have too much truck, as long as it serves dual purposes. And what is this about wearing out the tranny on a F450? Are you saying a new truck towing a rig will chew up a transmission in 20-40k miles? Not much of a tow package if it does...

And this issue is killing me atm, as there are some really nice used 5ers from Excel Peterson I would love to have, except that they all weigh a proverbial 8 tons....

My issue is needing a get around vehicle if I go with a 5er. I don't think the HDT would be a very good 'drive to town' vehicle for the most part. What would you suggest would be the heaviest 5er to pull with a MDT?

Would you consider a fully setup F450 as a suitable tow vehicle for your rig?

What would be the dates that the quality really started to decline?

Better to buy used and recondition, or are the new rigs built just as well? All opinions welcome