Why aren't Truck Campers listed in RV Type section?

[Wildman]

Is it just not as popular or is there another reason truck campers aren't listed in the RV Type section? Just curious since I would like to discuss different brands and models. 

[Zulu]

When I first joined this site a few years back, there was only an "HDT" (and maybe "MDT") truck sections. It took a lot of persuading to get the sections you see now -- Class A, Class B, etc.

So in the meantime, try the IRV2 Truck Camper forum.

[Kirk W]

The entire section that you address has come to exist based upon requests from members of the forums. If they see enough interest in a specific subject area, they start one. When these forums began it was pretty much an open campfire type of forum with subjects little defined and they tended to change over the course of a thread. 

The downside of those type specific forums is that some of the more active ones detract from other subject areas. It is very common on the HD Truck forum to see subjects that would apply to everyone discuss there, such as appliance problems, yet many who do not have a big truck never see or participate in those discussions. 

[LindaH]

7 hours ago, Zulu said:

So in the meantime, try the IRV2 Truck Camper forum.

There's also https://www.truckcamperforum.com/

[Second Chance]

2 hours ago, Kirk W said:

... It is very common on the HD Truck forum to see subjects that would apply to everyone discuss there, such as appliance problems, yet many who do not have a big truck never see or participate in those discussions. 

That's why I always use the "All Activity" function to look at the forums every day. It lists the latest posts regardless of which topical sub-forum they're in.

Rob

[Wildman]

Thanks,

Yes I am on these other forums already but was just wondering why it wasn't a option here. 

 

I'm getting things started so that I can start to part time/ 3/4 time on the road in about 2 years. I think once I do that for a few years I may go full time. 

[sandsys]

Most of the people on this forum live full time in an RV. Truck campers are not popular for that because they have little storage capability. It's as simple as that.

Linda Sand

[Wildman]

7 hours ago, sandsys said:

Most of the people on this forum live full time in an RV. Truck campers are not popular for that because they have little storage capability. It's as simple as that.

Linda Sand

I have a few friends who full time and live in campers. And once I go full time I plan on using a camper also. 

[sandsys]

56 minutes ago, Wildman said:

I have a few friends who full time and live in campers. And once I go full time I plan on using a camper also. 

I only knew one guy who lived full time in a truck camper that but they are out there; they are just a minority so there hasn't been a big call to have a section of their own here. I've been on this forum for 13 years and you are only the second person I can recall asking about that.

Linda

[Pappy Yokum]

18 hours ago, LindaH said:

There's also https://www.truckcamperforum.com/

And - RV.Net Open Roads Forums...."Truck Campers" -

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/listings/forum/27

.

Edited August 13, 2020 by Pappy Yokum

[Wildman]

Thanks for everyone's replies. 

Yes I understand not many people who full time would choose a truck camper for that. I will say that some of the NEW triple slide campers have a lot more room than older models that only had one or no slides. 

 

I will also say that my reasons for choosing a truck camper is because I have some unique stipulations for what I want to bring with me.

 

 

Just to share a little: 

1) I had a motorhome and didn't like the fact that if I wasn't towing a toad with me once I setup camp if I needed something from the store or wanted to go somewhere I had to pack everything back up to do so. This was my first dislike. 

 

2) I want to bring my toys with me. 

    a) Built Jeep

    b) Touring Harley

So to be able to bring both toys with me I would need a 24' trailer to tow behind a MH. They get bad enough MPG without towing something. Also I'm back to not having a way to run into town under some situations without having to break camp. IE: I break a part on my Jeep that I can't carry on my bike. Not likely BUT it could happen. Also if the weather is crappy and riding the bike isn't a option? 

 

3) Maintenance. I can do most of my own repairs on my truck and camper where as when I had my MH I had to hire out most of my repairs. 

 

Now as I said my situation is a little different. For my needs I am going to build myself another RNTH (Red Neck Toy Hauler) 

This is where you take a truck camper and mount it on the nose of a gooseneck trailer. If I have a GN trailer with 30' deck the camper takes approx 12' of the deck which then leaves me 18' of open deck behind the camper. The Harley will be side mounted behind the camper which will take 4'. That then leaves 14' of open deck for my Jeep to be parked on. Yes an enclosed trailer towed behind the truck could do this also but climbing in and out of the Jeep once it's in the trailer would be difficult. Plus when the Jeep is all dirty after a day of FUN that mess gets inside the trailer. With a open deck it's a lot easier to cleanup afterwards. 

With the camper mounted on a GN trailer once i pull into a spot it is super easy to unhook or hook back up. A GN trailer tows a LOT better than a bumper pull trailer and it is easier to maneuver getting into tight areas.  

 

Here is a few pictures of my old RNTH.... I got stupid and listened to my ex-wife when she felt there wasn't enough room so we sold it and bought a MH. After owning that MH for 5 years I was convinced I would never go that route again. 

 

 

 

 

 

[noteven]

Wildman - it looks like you have swing out brackets on your jacks to clear the trailer?

[Wildman]

1 hour ago, noteven said:

Wildman - it looks like you have swing out brackets on your jacks to clear the trailer?

As I said before this was my OLD setup and no longer have it. But yes the camper had the swingout brackets for a dually truck. And it just cleared the fenders on the trailer. 

 

When I build my new trailer I plan on making the mounting more permanent. I'll make some brackets to bolt the camper to the trailer and then some doors to finish off the area under the sides of the camper. 

Also thinking I'll add a 50 gallon fresh water tank, 50 gallon gray, 30 gallon black & a 40 gallon fuel tank to top off the Jeep when I'm boondocking. 

 

 

[noteven]

You can support a camper with quite a bit of offset on the jacks with some good design and bracing. This camper is used on a snow cat and a pickup:

Clicky

[kstills]

9 hours ago, Wildman said:

Thanks for everyone's replies. 

Yes I understand not many people who full time would choose a truck camper for that. I will say that some of the NEW triple slide campers have a lot more room than older models that only had one or no slides. 

 

I will also say that my reasons for choosing a truck camper is because I have some unique stipulations for what I want to bring with me.

 

 

Just to share a little: 

1) I had a motorhome and didn't like the fact that if I wasn't towing a toad with me once I setup camp if I needed something from the store or wanted to go somewhere I had to pack everything back up to do so. This was my first dislike. 

 

2) I want to bring my toys with me. 

    a) Built Jeep

    b) Touring Harley

So to be able to bring both toys with me I would need a 24' trailer to tow behind a MH. They get bad enough MPG without towing something. Also I'm back to not having a way to run into town under some situations without having to break camp. IE: I break a part on my Jeep that I can't carry on my bike. Not likely BUT it could happen. Also if the weather is crappy and riding the bike isn't a option? 

 

3) Maintenance. I can do most of my own repairs on my truck and camper where as when I had my MH I had to hire out most of my repairs. 

 

Now as I said my situation is a little different. For my needs I am going to build myself another RNTH (Red Neck Toy Hauler) 

This is where you take a truck camper and mount it on the nose of a gooseneck trailer. If I have a GN trailer with 30' deck the camper takes approx 12' of the deck which then leaves me 18' of open deck behind the camper. The Harley will be side mounted behind the camper which will take 4'. That then leaves 14' of open deck for my Jeep to be parked on. Yes an enclosed trailer towed behind the truck could do this also but climbing in and out of the Jeep once it's in the trailer would be difficult. Plus when the Jeep is all dirty after a day of FUN that mess gets inside the trailer. With a open deck it's a lot easier to cleanup afterwards. 

With the camper mounted on a GN trailer once i pull into a spot it is super easy to unhook or hook back up. A GN trailer tows a LOT better than a bumper pull trailer and it is easier to maneuver getting into tight areas.  

 

Here is a few pictures of my old RNTH.... I got stupid and listened to my ex-wife when she felt there wasn't enough room so we sold it and bought a MH. After owning that MH for 5 years I was convinced I would never go that route again. 

 

 

 

 

 

Whoa, now that is a cool idea. 

 

Although, why not just get a toy hauler? 

Edited August 13, 2020 by kstills

[Wildman]

41 minutes ago, kstills said:

Whoa, now that is a cool idea. 

 

Although, why not just get a toy hauler? 

Because none of the current toy haulers are made to handle a 5,000lb Jeep and a 900lb bike. Most toy haulers only have a 3-4,000 payload. They are made for SXS's, quads, motorcycles, golf carts and such. The other issue I have is getting in and out of the Jeep in a enclosed trailer. I'm not quite as nimble as I use to be so having the open deck works better. Also having the dirty Jeep inside isn't my idea of smart. I'd rather be able to pull into a self wash place and pressure wash the Jeep right there on the trailer. 

 

The only company that makes a toy hauler that could handle the Jeep and bike is Dune Sport. 

[sandsys]

I've always admired those RNTHs. Great solution to a challenging situation!

Linda

[Zulu]

21 hours ago, sandsys said:

I only knew one guy who lived full time in a truck camper that but they are out there; they are just a minority so there hasn't been a big call to have a section of their own here. I've been on this forum for 13 years and you are only the second person I can recall asking about that.

Unlike HDTs, eh?

[Pappy Yokum]

"Most" of us are towing "something" - whether the TOW vehicle is a Motor Home or a LDT,  MDT,  or HDT.

Saw a MH towing a unique (open) "stacker" trailer at Avi Casino, AZ (CO River)  a few years ago.  Boat up top,  jeep & M/Cs on lower level.  Very cool, very well done and engineered.  Should have taken a pic.

Would guess some of the folks on the 4 x 4 forums have unique solutions to get it done.

BTW / FWIW  - RV Net has a Toy Hauler Forum.

Come back with a "show & tell" of the "final solution" !!

.

 

[noteven]

And you can unload the camper off the trailer and install it in the tow mobile truck if truck has capacity. 

And a goose trailer can allow a lighter duty truck to transport a bigger heavier camper than the truck might carry as bed cargo. 

And you can possibly have lower overall height.

And you don't listen to the crosswind causing aerodynamic interruption of the laminar flow under the overhead commonly known as downwind side door whistle.

And you have a gooseneck flatbed available for hauling even more pallets to the bonfire. 

And you have the flatbed available for hauling home more projecks.

And you have a big deck when it is muddy or snow out for cooking and lounging.

You can weld mods on your trailer.

 

[Wildman]

16 hours ago, Pappy Yokum said:

"Most" of us are towing "something" - whether the TOW vehicle is a Motor Home or a LDT,  MDT,  or HDT.

Saw a MH towing a unique (open) "stacker" trailer at Avi Casino, AZ (CO River)  a few years ago.  Boat up top,  jeep & M/Cs on lower level.  Very cool, very well done and engineered.  Should have taken a pic.

Would guess some of the folks on the 4 x 4 forums have unique solutions to get it done.

BTW / FWIW  - RV Net has a Toy Hauler Forum.

Come back with a "show & tell" of the "final solution" !!

.

 

There is a group dedicated to this type of setup on Facebook called "Crawler Haulers" . Many of the more purpose built rigs with 38"+ sized tires and full width axles WILL NOT fit inside a enclosed trailer. So people have been coming up with ways to haul their toys but also keep their families Happy & Comfortable too.  

 

When I get my new RNTH built I'll be sure to post it up in the Toy Hauler section. 

 

3 hours ago, noteven said:

And you can unload the camper off the trailer and install it in the tow mobile truck if truck has capacity. 

And a goose trailer can allow a lighter duty truck to transport a bigger heavier camper than the truck might carry as bed cargo. 

And you can possibly have lower overall height.

And you don't listen to the crosswind causing aerodynamic interruption of the laminar flow under the overhead commonly known as downwind side door whistle.

And you have a gooseneck flatbed available for hauling even more pallets to the bonfire. 

And you have the flatbed available for hauling home more projecks.

And you have a big deck when it is muddy or snow out for cooking and lounging.

You can weld mods on your trailer.

 

 

When I first came up with this idea I owned a short bed pickup but wanted a long bed sized camper room. I towed my first trailer with a Ram 2500 SRW to begin with but then switched to a Ram 3500 Mega Cab DRW truck until I got married and then my (At the time) wife said she wanted more room. Funny thing was that when we UNPACKED the camper to move the stuff into the MH she was SHOCKED at how much stuff was actually in the camper. Plus I was getting 11-14 MPG towing my RNTH and when I got the MH best I ever got was 8 MPG. Which SUCKED. 

 

Having 17'+ of deck off the ground out your back door is amazing. And when it is MUDDY and WET sitting up off the ground is so much nicer. 

[kurtsara]

On 8/13/2020 at 3:53 PM, Wildman said:

The only company that makes a toy hauler that could handle the Jeep and bike is Dune Sport. 

There are all kinds of dirt track racers using 5th wheel trailers with garage and living space and more than dune sport. 

[Wildman]

18 hours ago, kurtsara said:

There are all kinds of dirt track racers using 5th wheel trailers with garage and living space and more than dune sport. 

Never said that there wasn't BUT Dune Sport is one of the only trailer manufacturers that I know of that makes a toy hauler with a 6K + payload is Dune Sport. Sundance makes toy haulers also that will take that kind of weight but they are more limited. 
 

If you know of other toy haulers that will handle 6K + cargo I'd like to hear about them. And I'd love to hear about any that have a rear open deck. 

[kurtsara]

5 hours ago, Wildman said:

Never said that there wasn't BUT Dune Sport is one of the only trailer manufacturers that I know of that makes a toy hauler with a 6K + payload is Dune Sport. Sundance makes toy haulers also that will take that kind of weight but they are more limited. 
 

If you know of other toy haulers that will handle 6K + cargo I'd like to hear about them. And I'd love to hear about any that have a rear open deck. 

Lots of trailers with garages and living space that can haul plenty of weight. 

 

https://www.racingjunk.com/category/Trailers-and-Tow-Vehicles/Trailers-with-Living-Quarters/4456?page=2

 

This one is rear open deck. 

http://www.sundownertrailer.com/tlr-Krawler.html

 

 

[Wildman]

4 hours ago, kurtsara said:

Lots of trailers with garages and living space that can haul plenty of weight. 

 

https://www.racingjunk.com/category/Trailers-and-Tow-Vehicles/Trailers-with-Living-Quarters/4456?page=2

 

This one is rear open deck. 

http://www.sundownertrailer.com/tlr-Krawler.html

 

 

 

Not arguing that there aren't trailers out there that carry more weight BUT most of those with living quarters have less space than a camper. And as I said before I want an open deck for the Jeep to sit on. But again my point is there are FEW manufactures that make a toyhauler to handle 6K + of cargo. And a lot of the trailers made for the racing crowd would be very happy trying to take to a boondocking site. 

And yes I know about the Sundowner Crawler Hauler. I listed them already. They make a VERY nice trailer and I love what they do with their interior. But I also don't have to spend $80K plus on one. ATC also makes a very nice toyhauler but it is again close to or over $100K for one. 

We all have our ideas of what will work for what we need. I have my list of requirements and I have looked at racingjunk a lot for a trailer. But I also know what isn't going to fit my requirements and MOST toyhaulers are not built to haul what I want.