Slid in truck campers

[jejack26]

Getting ready to retire and plan to buy camper for fishing and bird hunting. Never have owned a camper usually its a wall tent or just sleep in the truck. Leaning towards pop up on 3/4 ton gas. You guys that have campers what have learned? 8 ft versus 6 ft, batteries etc. Going to buy the truck after I decide on the camper

 

[rjthehunter]

I've been having an alarming number of newer rams breaking like this...

Better fuel economy with a pop up one, I'd consider diesel just because 3/4 ton gas trucks suck so much gas down. I think newer ones are getting better though.

 

[WapitiBob]

I had a 10-1/2' Lance on a '99 F350 CC 7.3

I learned they're great for 1 guy, 2 of us then we used sleeping bags up top. Think of it like a tent and it's not so creepy ...
Get solar, I did 180W
For batteries I now have 6V, get duracell 235ah

 

[old270hunter]

I’ve learned that 1 ton dually’s do quite a bit better for that set up. That’s a lot of weight for a 3/4, unless it’s diesel and has a beefed up suspension.

 

[Farmerj]

Considering most of those are diesel and dually…

 

[old270hunter]

Considering most of those are diesel and duallys

Ah. Gotcha. Ya, too much weight. These big campers are just monsters.

 

[Farmerj]

Ah. Gotcha. Ya, too much weight. These big campers are just monsters.

The pictures above are showing dually pictures with snapped frames.

 

[Farmerj]

My 2023 F150 XL.

There’s a small window in the pickup world where you HAVE to have more than a typical “1/2 ton” but you don’t want/need a “3/4 ton” full time.

This is my solution to the problem.




Yes, I tow and this lets me still have some payload for stuff in the bed.

I’m also looking at a slide-in camper as well. I’ve also considered dropping a flatbed on it with a more “expedition camper”. More room I think.

 

[jejack26]

My 2023 F150 XL.

There’s a small window in the pickup world where you HAVE to have more than a typical “1/2 ton” but you don’t want/need a “3/4 ton” full time.

This is my solution to the problem.

View attachment 257265View attachment 257266


Yes, I tow and this lets me still have some payload for stuff in the bed.

I’m also looking at a slide-in camper as well. I’ve also considered dropping a flatbed on it with a more “expedition camper”. More room I think.

Same here. Appears to be double storage, but cost start to rise, but might be worth it in long run.

 

[jejack26]

I've been having an alarming number of newer rams breaking like this...

Better fuel economy with a pop up one, I'd consider diesel just because 3/4 ton gas trucks suck so much gas down. I think newer ones are getting better though.

That is amazing. Definitely I don't plan on being borderline on payload, but didn't think the frame of the truck failing was a concern

 

[WapitiBob]

My 99 was a single axle 1 ton with air bags. Weighed 7750 with me and fuel. Most I've weighed was 11,900 going on a WY Elk hunt.

 

[Phaseolus]

We have had an Eagle Cap 950 on an bullet proofed 6.0 Powerstroke F 250 for 13 years. We love it and took it down Baja last winter. It’s a great basecamp. Like many new camper owners we bought one too heavy for the truck and had to put 19.5” wheels and H rated tires to make it safe. I also put Timbren rubber coils and an extra leaf in both the main rear and overload springs. We had a pop up first and found that it sucked in wind and if it got wet you had to set it back up to dry. Put solar on it and you won’t have to run a generator!

 

[jejack26]

We have had an Eagle Cap 950 on an bullet proofed 6.0 Powerstroke F 250 for 13 years. We love it and took it down Baja last winter. It’s a great basecamp. Like many new camper owners we bought one too heavy for the truck and had to put 19.5” wheels and H rated tires to make it safe. I also put Timbren rubber coils and an extra leaf in both the main rear and overload springs. We had a pop up first and found that it sucked in wind and if it got wet you had to set it back up to dry. Put solar on it and you won’t have to run a generator!View attachment 257302

Man thats hitting below the belt posting that picture with current the temps in montana. Looks awesome. I've wondered about the inconvenience of a pop up.

Are the solar panels they making for camper surviving significant hail storms?

 

[406dn]

I've had a 8.5 foot slide in camper for a good while. It is the Fleetwood Angler, not the most robust around but it has served me well. It has been paired with a single axle one ton Chevy Duramax. The camper is light enough that there is payload capacity to handle the tongue weight of a horse trailer. It has been a good fit for my interests.

An 8.5 foot camper works best for one person, two if you don't have very much gear/person. A 6 foot camper would be pretty minimalist, I think.

If you are boon docking, you will always be stewarding your battery, propane, fresh water, and black tank. The two that are at the top of the list are battery charge and propane. A friend, who has a pop up camper, has had far more difficulties getting his fridge/freezer to work well than I have. He was told by a rv dealer that the vertical rise available on a pop up fridge was much of the problem. I don't know how true that is.

Without a generator, the furnace is just a quick way to drain your battery. So, I don't use mine, just use a good sleeping bag instead.

They are nice in that your camp is always ready to move if needed. The trade off is space is at a premium.

 

[Phaseolus]

Man thats hitting below the belt posting that picture with current the temps in montana. Looks awesome. I've wondered about the inconvenience of a pop up.

Are the solar panels they making for camper surviving significant hail storms?

I haven’t had to find out about hail yet, we don’t get real hail storms like where I grew up in eastern Colorado. We’re heading to Baja again in February. $12 bucks a Night to camp on the seawall is great

 

[Willy Dee]

I recommend a small tow behind camper. I spend 4-6 weeks at a time on the road with mine. The layout is generally better than a slide in and they are easier on your truck’s payload. I also value being able to set up and level the trailer at a campsite and still have an unencumbered truck to go explore or run to town.

 

[shrapnel]

Trailers and slide in campers have their unique advantages. The trailer does give you more room and comfort, but there are times when a slide in camper is worth it.

Pop up campers are more of a convenience on paper, not in the field. When you have to crawl in and crank the camper up, it just isn’t worth the hassle. A good slide in is so much more convenient and will withstand colder weather better.

It’s always a good idea to get a 1 ton truck and then you don’t have to worry about beefing up the suspension to handle the camper. The difference in the ride of the 1ton isn’t that noticeable, these newer trucks are quite comfortable…

 

[nrpate05]

I've got a Four Wheel pop up on my Ram 1500. If it is just you or you and a significant other it works pretty well especially if you're outside most of the time. It gets tight fast with our 18 month old and all of his stuff. I don't know if I'd want one of those giant slide ins even if I had a HD truck. I'd just get a trailer at that point. I've been thinking of ways to rig our camper on a small flatbed trailer so I can use it like that with the fam and then have it as a slide in when hunting or skiing, etc.

 

[nrpate05]

My 2023 F150 XL.

There’s a small window in the pickup world where you HAVE to have more than a typical “1/2 ton” but you don’t want/need a “3/4 ton” full time.

This is my solution to the problem.

View attachment 257265View attachment 257266


Yes, I tow and this lets me still have some payload for stuff in the bed.

I’m also looking at a slide-in camper as well. I’ve also considered dropping a flatbed on it with a more “expedition camper”. More room I think.

I wish more manufacturers did this. Does the increase in payload comes from the C rated tires and the higher recommended air pressure or is there stiffer suspension/upgraded brakes/stronger frame, etc.?

 

[Farmerj]

I wish more manufacturers did this. Does the increase in payload comes from the C rated tires and the higher recommended air pressure or is there stiffer suspension/upgraded brakes/stronger frame, etc.?

Every truck has a sticker like that.

Longer wheelbase, stronger frame, larger rear end, additional leaf spring.

40 years ago, this would have been a “camper special”, “heavy half-ton” etc.