truck camper vs. pull behind
Elk
Looking for pros and cons of truck campers vs. small tow behinds, 19ft.-24ft. Do you truck camper guys off load them at your campsite so you can remain mobile. Anyone using enclosed toy haulers. I have a f-350 7.3 diesel to haul with.
I had a 22' travel trailer. More room but a pain to drag around. I have an 11' lance currently. I always take it off when hunting. It's problem is I use a atv in Wyoming so I end up towing it in a small trailer and that little trailer has been a tire blowing cluster the last two years. I think I'm buying a 6x10 enclosed next week. We'll see. Nothing has been perfect. The trailer is a pain to park but I can use the atv. The camper requires an atv trailer, and the enclosed won't have the amenities of either the camper or travel trailer but everything will be in a fairly small pkg.
I have an f350 cc 7.3 also, that's the one good constant.
This is what I have now I pull a small trailor behind it and haul my razor. to get around with.
This was one of my others I had
The forest roads where I hunt are rough. The longer and heavier horse trailers and camper trailers bottom out at the hitch on water bars, rocks, and dips. They often can't make it to the desired campsite. A truck camper can get more places.
I have used both and it really depends on where and what I'm hunting. For elk I typically hunt the same general area each year and have no use for a vehicle once I'm to my "spot". It's all leg work from there so I bring my truck camper. When I'm exploring different areas or when I go to my deer unit which is about every 2 or 3 years, I bring my pull behind pop up tent trailer. That way I can unhook, be mobile and spend time driving and glassing the many roads which run through the unit. Both have their pros and cons. Any kind of trailer adds more wheels to go flat, more weight and can be tough to get into some places but offer more room and mobility. Truck camper is less room but can go virtually anywhere my truck can go.
I have had both as well.
Like stated previously--- both have advantages/disadvantages.
Currently I have a tow behind 22ft Toy Hauler----granted I haven't put the Toy in it for years----
I really like the room-y-ness of the Toy Hauler....
I have an F350/V-10 so that is very helpful ~~
Good luck, Robb
I've had both too. The truck camper was ok but small !!! with very little room and it gets old when you have to spend a lot of time in it. I spent 21 days straight hunting out of it one year and bought a 29' travel trailer the next year.
I really like the travel trailer better. I took the truck camper off once in west Kansas to use the truck by it's self and was VERY lucky to get it back on the truck before the wind later that day just about blew it away.
Get this one. It's the best of both worlds (but the mileage stinks). :)
I use a Northern Lite truck camper on long hunts and take it off if I plan to use the truck very much. The camper is wide and heavy so I don't really like to 4-wheel with it on. I pull a RZR or quad behind in some cases too, either on a small flat deck open trailer or in an enclosed 6'x12' trailer.
For shorter hunts the small 6'x12' trailer does a great job as a toy hauler and one person camping trailer. Take the toy out and set up the cot, folding table, camp stove, 15,000 btu heater, folding chair and you are ready. I did order the trailer insulated, with an RV style screen door with inside lock, and folding jack on the front so you can open the tail gate. It also has stabilizing jacks on the back so you can unhook it and not have stability issues. I got two 30"x30" screened sliding windows in it too. The Dexter axle was spec'd to provide maximum ground clearance and the unit will go about anywhere I want to take my F350 (6.7 Powerstroke).
I also have a canopy for my pickup and often just take the truck and sleep in the back and cook on the tailgate. So, having options depending on the hunt, the roads and trails, duration, weather, etc is good. There are no perfect choices, just compromises. Note that I also backpack hunt a lot and have done that from rigs as small as a Civic, but usually prefer the truck with canopy as the travel rig.
I found there are some distinct advantages of the Truck Camper over a pull-behind type.
#1 there is NO additional Insurance or Licensing expense. Truck campers do not require tags and Plates. Your Truck insurance typically covers anything you put on the vehicle.
#2 mobility, with electric jacks, the camper can come off in about 5 minutes and you can use the truck alone.
I use mine as a Hunting Camp, so it goes where I hunt. Surprisingly, with airbag suspensions on mine, it handles great and with "E" rated tires can go about anywhere I can get overhead clearance.
I am going to take it in where we are hunting Elk this fall, so we took a ladder and 2-man saw and cut off a bunch of limbs and things along the trail to get it in.
My rig wet weighs around 4500#. So it is not light, but my hunting buddy Brian has the same model with the slide-out that has dual bunk beds and seats 7 at the table. His sleeps 5 comfortably. He has taken his in pulling his horse trailer, and the camper was not a big deal, but it was so steep that he had to take the horses out of the trailer as they kept falling down where he was taking it.
Many pull-behind campers will bottom out at the hitch and tongue of the trailer whereas I still have the same clearance at the ground as usual.
I just paid $135 for may camper licensing renewal. They most definitely require tags and plates here.
I've owned several of both over the years. If you truck camp and use an ATV for mobility in-out of camp, a truck camper is great. If you set a base camp and may drive many miles a day to different hunting spots, a truck camper isn't great.
My favorite rig is this 16' single axle on which I flipped the shackles so it has high clearance. It has a shower, bathroom, stove, oven, big fridge and freezer, comfy two person bed, upper level for storage or second bunk. I can get it anywhere I'd want to get a camp (other than a tent camp). If I want to pull an ATV, I hook the ATV trailer up behind it and off we go.
I never use the AC so I replaced it with a Fantastic Fan that draws air in or pushes it out.
With MathewsMan's rig you could get the benefits of both as long as you don't mind dealing with taking it off, putting it on, securing it. I had one of those too but it became a bit of a hassle doing it myself every time. I'm too mobile, I guess.
It's really convenient to keep a multi-day base camp set up without having to secure everything each morning before heading out, then have to re-set the kitchen, etc.. every time. For the way I hunt now in the mountains for that stuff and on the plains for deer, a small, high-clearance pull-behind is a great compromise.
I used to have a 22ft travel trailer. Found a used Elkhorn truck camper about 5 years ago now and will never go back to anything else. I can easily tow my utility trailer or boat, which is the main reason we did it since we do a lot of camping and boating in the summer. I can get it most anywhere I can get my truck (02 7.3L F-350 shortbed) as long as I take it slow. We took it 31 miles off the beaten path a couple years ago for my wife's Eastern Oregon muley hunt. Taking it off an on is a piece of cake as long as you are level and have electric jacks.
Unlike MathewsMan, I have to have plates/tags (Oregon) so it depends on your state. I carry insurance on it but its super cheap.
If you spend a ton of time sitting around in a camper, its probably not for you. If you are like us and use it for a nice comfortable bed, a hot shower, and a place to cook its perfect.
Never had a truck camper, but would like to try it!
Thus far I have used a tent and pop up camper. The pop up has been great, easy to tow and dry. I would recommend a pop up for hunts above 20 degrees.
Good luck!
Have had them all..travel trailer. Camper and toy hauler....By far the best IMO...Toy Hauler.....
My uncle has a pretty slick setup as well. He has a 16' bumper pull very similar to Lou's and instead of hauling another trailer behind it for his quad he's got some good sturdy ramps that he uses to pull it into the bed of his pickup truck. Throws on a couple of ratchet straps and done!
plates and tabs required in Washington State..(rip off)
I have a 27 foot toy hauler and want a camper,if I had a camper I would want a 27 foot toy hauler
MikeC...Happy 4th be safe
As stated they both have pluses and minuses. Generally speaking a truck camper is easier to get into difficult places, gives you better ground clearance, and is cheaper for your peripherals (insurance, etc). They are smaller, but if you want to spend more you can get up to 5 slideouts now, I believe (might be 4).
Amenities for the two should pretty much be the same, although generally a travel trailer will have a larger refrigerator. Travel trailer will generally get you more room especially if you have slideouts. Usually the ceilings are higher as well. You will have larger holding tanks on the travel trailers as well.
I have had both over the years. For hunting with atv in mind I think my camper was easier as I removed it if I was travelling very far from camp and then loaded my atv onto the truck. The tow behind is obviously more roomy but to haul the atv I have to remove the canopy. Obviously both work so if your hunting a lot by yourself camper is better in my opinion.
This was my set up last fall in Az. Set up the wall tent as a cook shack. When I'm alone I just use the popup camper
Depends on where you plan on camping.
My hunting buddy had a cab-over for several years. He hauled his atv in a pickup bed trailer, along with whatever else he could fit in it. Once he got to camp and got the trailer emptied, we sat the camper onto the trailer so he could have the use of his truck. Biggest downside was the lack of storage and the small fridge/freezer.
I'll be the first to admit I'm pretty much spoiled, and have camped in the same meadow since 1985. It's a great road in, so there isn't any problems with clearance. My home away from home is a 30' trailer. Wouldn't think of anything smaller, and it pulls double-duty for summer fishing trips with the kids and grandkids. Started out with a 10'x12' Hillary tent, followed by several years in an outfitters tent, so I don't feel the least bit guilty! ;-)
This was my older set up But you must have a real truck to pull it. And I had to find a cut bank to load & unload the UTV.
Bigdan thats a load! I bet its tough to back :)
John
Bigdan, I gotta say! you've got it covered. Lol that's what I call loaded for bear.
One set up was for my Sheep hunt the other for Elk
Jaquomo, That pic looks like my camp in Pagosa springs a few years back after 2 weeks of rain but I was in a tent. My friend came up from Denver after I was there for 2 weeks and asked why are you camping in a f---ing mudhole?
Jaquomo, That pic looks like my camp in Pagosa springs a few years back after 2 weeks of rain but I was in a tent. My friend came up from Denver after I was there for 2 weeks and asked why are you camping in a f---ing mudhole?
Some good points mathewsman!
I'm going out on a limb and guessing none of this fits in the overhead bins.....
Bigdans toyhauler rig had more ground clearance than any I've seen.... and still wasn't easy dragging into those gumbo Breaks roads.... found his camp one year from the bloodtrail it left..... =D
One way to solve this question is to own two campers - like me!
I have a hallmark pop up, and just bought a 2012 KZ MXT toyhauler. Based on where I draw a license dictates which camper I use.
The toy hauler is only 24' long but I can get a two ATV's in it ot one ATV and my new 900 RZR 50" trail version in it. The door is only 51" wide and the RZR is 50" wide. But 900 cc's will make it fit. Harder to get out than it is to get it in. The camper is only 4000 lbs unloaded and pulls easily with my half ton.
As my knees ache more and more, there is nothing like a sit down toilet and a stand up shower on a hunting trip!
Mathewsman,
"#1 there is NO additional Insurance or Licensing expense. Truck campers do not require tags and Plates. Your Truck insurance typically covers anything you put on the vehicle."
Just FYI, don't know how far you checked into this.
A few years back some of us took 3 campers and towed motorcycles down to Northern Calif. on a little "park and ride" jaunt. Second morning in the campground one of the who knows how old Red Oak trees decided it had been standing in the same spot to long, it fell down, with one of the pickup camper combos under it.
One of the main branchs of the huge tree managed to center the rig. The camper (10 foot cabover) was mashed flat! The tree was so big and heavy that the frame of the truck was bowed down and the truck was also totaled.
AFTER contacting his insurance agent (that had told him the same story about no additional insurance required) my friend found out that, in fact, his camper was NOT covered.
This caused a bit of concern among all of us and we checked it out - in depth! Both of us found out that we were NOT covered. It's buried in the fine print and my agent (for 20 years) was also quite suprised.
Do yourself a favor, check it out IN DEPTH. Your agent might be a good guy and think he's telling you true, but he might be mistaken!
DDD
This is my camp. Tows easier
I've got a small trailer very similar to Jaquomo's. Works pretty good for me but I really would like something like one of these Conquer Australia Aussie Trailers. I've never seen anything like them in N.Am. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough. They make most of our stuff look like yuppy toys...which they are for the most part IMO.
http://conqueroraustralia.com.au/
More video
http://tune.pk/video/2608863/UEV-490-off-road-trailer-Conqueror-Australia
I'm thinking of this so I can throw my ATV on it...
Anyone use a popup toy hauler?
RickE check out Adak trailers, made in Florida.
RickE Check out the Adak trailers. They are made in Florida and look pretty close to the Aussie ones.
Michael, That concrete picnic table seems a little impractical to haul around.
Yea. that one was there when we came and after we left lol..........That was the campground at FT steward. I do use that same tent for elk, right where I park the truck. I could haul the atv at the same time, but I hunt elk on foot.
Thanks Shane. Looks pretty nice; maybe I can get on as their Canadian 'Pro-Staff'....LOL.
Although not near as nice as many of the campers/trailers listed...my preference is a topper on the back of my truck. That way I'm mobile and don't have to spend a great deal of timing driving back and forth to camp. I merely end up camping in the back of my topper where I end up at the end of the day. I may hunt one or 2 canyons and not find any elk and travel to the other end of the unit where it is loaded with elk! It saves a lot of time, gas, and sleep not having to wander back and forth.
That's pretty cool, Bill!
Bill not sure but i heard some areas of wy one needs hard side camper.
guys spend thousands on hunts funny to hear them complain about tag fees for a camper . Get what works for your rig and u one can find a ton of used campers at great prices .
I bought my truck camper it was 2 years old but still new. MSRP was $28K and I paid $9900 for it.
The 7 months I lived in it starting a new job rather than paying rent essentially paid for itself.
Bigdan
Just curious, but why all the t-post in camp?
Bet the tent poles are for another wall-tent(s) (GP Medium).
Bill if you like the pop ups camper, but maybe need a hard side take a look at the Flag Staff T-Series. I bought one in 2013 and love it. I have the toy hauler model. Like in the pictures. I wish i would have waited a couple years the 2015 models have some better features than mine.
I looked that the T series (online only) but am concerned about space for 3 people.
What do you like better about the 2015 vs yours?
It's great for 2 adults. 3 IMO would be way to cramped. They have a roof assist on the 2015 (pneumatic struts) and I like the stove set up better. I will agree between the two the tent camper has more room.
Priley I think there used to build fences!
CObowhunter how big is the front deck My razor is 50 inches wide
Bigdan
"Priley I think there used to build fences!"
Thats a good way to get permission to hunt private land. lol
my wife and I looked at the T series a couple of years ago at a sales lot. as soon as we stepped in we got closet phobic real quick. I thought it was odd for us to do that since we had camped in A-framed tents before.
Bigdan the deck is 57" X 81". A razor fits on the deck but you can't put the ramps back on like in the second picture. I believe the wheel base for the razor is 77" so the tire stick out from the deck an inch or two in the front and the back.
I really like my pop-up. Rented one about 20 years ago when I drew the Valle Vidal. Bought one the next year when I drew 16D and have used it almost every year since. Only used for elk hunts so its still like brand new.
