To camper or not to camper... Hunting and married couple trips

[HilltopHitman]

I’ve owned many trailers and lived in them 9 months a year for the past 12 years working the pipeline. Don’t buy a trailer. The reality is you won’t use at much as you think, the headaches that come with them, and if you can’t pay outright the interest alone will pay for YEARS of hotels… I have NEVER met a person who didn’t regret buying a trailer, in fact in my industry almost everyone is switching to Airbnb while traveling cross country for work. Not to mention trying to sell one….. I cannot stress enough, do not buy a camper.

You’ll be much better off with truck topper overland style camp set up (Examply GFC or similar).

 

[jsb]

Guys I know with truck campers tend to use then less for quick getaways bc they are more of a pain to put on and off. That's what THEY say. I've never had one. Biggest advantage of that setup (or a class C) is you can tow a boat etc.

Walk-around queen bed is key. What you don't want is a bed where somebody has to climb over somebody else to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Trust me on this.

One of the greatest uses we get out of our trailer is being able to "camp" when visiting cities. There's always a KOA or similar, very close if not in the city. Much prefer this over a motel. When our kids were young and we had to travel all over Montana for sports tournaments, we never stayed in a motel. I don't know if we saved money but it sure was a lot more relaxing and enjoyable for me. As long as the campground has wifi the kids have no need for a tv.

 

[taskswap]

The question of whether I want a camper is easy. Of course I "want" a camper, but that doesn't mean it's the right choice. LOL! I have a tendency to be impulsive or similarly talk myself into something even if its a bad idea, so leaning on ya'll for pros and cons and bringing up things we haven't though of has been awesome.

I've got news for you, my friend. You're getting a camper. Come on, you've got 30 "pros" in this thread alone, half written by you. You're picking floor plans.

Let us know which one you get. Post pics.

 

[Pilsner]

OMIGOD, The first and only time I've been in a camping world I had to ask the guy if the prices were correct.

Back on track. We have a 20' trailer and love it. It basically has all the creature comforts of home (well except the hot tub). Wife LOVES having a bathroom and shower. Will never be without one. We take it everywhere, State Parks, RV parks, boon docking, etc. If you go that route, get a slide out, it is amazing the extra room you get. Get the roll out roof for it too. Remember, people who diss slide outs are the people who don't have a slide out.

When we traveled nearly full time in our RV we spent summers working for the Forest Service running remote campgrounds. The #1 issue we saw over 5+ years of doing that was slide outs that failed in the OUT position. If you purchase one make sure that you know how to, and have the necessary tools to, manually disconnect it from the drive and slide it in yourself! Based on the problems that we have seen with them we would NEVER buy an RV with a slide out. The extra room is appealing though not enough for us.

The advice above about a walk around bed is spot on!
Also, get the tankless hot water heater. If it doesn't come with one, then pay to have one installed before you leave the dealership. Totally worth the costs, especially if the wife has long hair.

 

[taskswap]

Guys I know with truck campers tend to use then less for quick getaways bc they are more of a pain to put on and off. That's what THEY say. I've never had one. Biggest advantage of that setup (or a class C) is you can tow a boat etc.

This is true but as somebody sitting in a truck camper right now I'm here to say that this isn't a 100% blocker. Every camper has pros and cons. When we haul our fifth wheel it's way more work to hook that thing up because the hitch itself weighs like 300lbs - it takes like an hour to prep for hauling the 5er.

For me, a truck camper is a whole different class of animal. Unless you're driving a 3500 dually you're going to have extremely limited space inside. Tiny bathroom, tight kitchen area (somebody always has to be sitting down), climb-up-and-pray beds, extremely limited storage, high bed weights reducing your overall cargo capacity, and while people do travel with them with pets, they aren't really ideal for that... I could make a list of cons the length of my arm.

I'd still use mine for 100% of the situations that I got it for. Like this one: hunting. I can show up to any campground or parking area and know if my truck fits, my truck+camper fits (it only adds 2' to my overall length). I can show up at 11pm and go to bed immediately - no camp setup. I can pre-pack it with all my hunt gear and "just go" without having to drag duffel bags of gear and clothes between car->tent or whatever. Its tiny size makes it very efficient - I'll blow through a bottle of propane every day or so heating my 5er, but so far I'm on day 4 of a muzzleloader hunt (overnight lows averaging 19F so far) running my heat, cooking, and fridge off propane, and I haven't changed the bottle yet (probably today). And it's just enough room for person+spouse or hunter+partner.

Loading it does take some practice and effort. There's no hitch, but alignment is crucial and I need to install a 2" riser I made so the cab-over portion clear my RAM's shark-fin antenna. But we come up with little tricks like tape flags on the legs to help with alignment. You get used to it.

Truck campers are really expensive for what you get compared to other options and definitely have a list of downsides. But for a very specific thing for a very specific buyer they are 100% perfect. I'm one of those people, and would never give it up.

 

[Blockcaver]

This is true but as somebody sitting in a truck camper right now I'm here to say that this isn't a 100% blocker. Every camper has pros and cons. When we haul our fifth wheel it's way more work to hook that thing up because the hitch itself weighs like 300lbs - it takes like an hour to prep for hauling the 5er.

For me, a truck camper is a whole different class of animal. Unless you're driving a 3500 dually you're going to have extremely limited space inside. Tiny bathroom, tight kitchen area (somebody always has to be sitting down), climb-up-and-pray beds, extremely limited storage, high bed weights reducing your overall cargo capacity, and while people do travel with them with pets, they aren't really ideal for that... I could make a list of cons the length of my arm.

I'd still use mine for 100% of the situations that I got it for. Like this one: hunting. I can show up to any campground or parking area and know if my truck fits, my truck+camper fits (it only adds 2' to my overall length). I can show up at 11pm and go to bed immediately - no camp setup. I can pre-pack it with all my hunt gear and "just go" without having to drag duffel bags of gear and clothes between car->tent or whatever. Its tiny size makes it very efficient - I'll blow through a bottle of propane every day or so heating my 5er, but so far I'm on day 4 of a muzzleloader hunt (overnight lows averaging 19F so far) running my heat, cooking, and fridge off propane, and I haven't changed the bottle yet (probably today). And it's just enough room for person+spouse or hunter+partner.

Loading it does take some practice and effort. There's no hitch, but alignment is crucial and I need to install a 2" riser I made so the cab-over portion clear my RAM's shark-fin antenna. But we come up with little tricks like tape flags on the legs to help with alignment. You get used to it.

Truck campers are really expensive for what you get compared to other options and definitely have a list of downsides. But for a very specific thing for a very specific buyer they are 100% perfect. I'm one of those people, and would never give it up.

Good rundown on truck campers. I'll throw a couple more out regarding our Northern Lite fiberglass clam shell style 4-season cabover camper, 8'11' version for short bed one ton trucks. It is typically used for boon docking 90% of the time:

In AZ Coues deer hunting up a bit higher where it gets cold in late Dec and January I use a "20#" bottle of propane every 8 to 11 days depending on weather. That is heating the camper, hot water, cooking and refrigerator. Note that 20# bottles only hold about 16# of propane these days.

A Honda EU1000i generator gets used probably every other day to top off the batteries. It won't run a microwave or AC, but I have neither with me. I typically consume less than a gallon of gasoline in the generator between the town runs for propane and and food resupply.....and shooting sporting clays. Camper has twin 6-volt deep cycle batteries and a 100 watt solar panel on it. And AZ is mostly sunny for the 10 hour winter days I'm hunting there.

40 gallons of water in the fresh holding tank plus water heater goes a long ways for me....not so far when my wife is along, haha. We only use the outside shower. The "Wet bath" is a joke unless you are a midget. But its a nice place to store stuff.

We also don't use the toilet....just follow our old tent camping process when boon-docking.

I'll de-water and winterize the camper before the trip back to Canada rather than risk freezing up.

Loading a truck camper on uneven terrain in the back country can sometimes be a challenge, especially when alone. At home in the garage, its a breeze.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

That was my next question re: highest quality brands as they all seem to be manufactured in central IN other than Winnebago of course.

Indiana is the mass production area, quality ranges from crap to so-so. I own a so-so Grand Desing, I don't think any truly high quality builds come out of there but I could be wrong. Outdoor RV (oregon) is a well build and expensive one. If you are only dealing with a couple and okay with a smaller camper (less issues) the fiberglass castia trailers are an option to check out.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Any advice for using a trailer in November - December timeframe for hunts?

Don't wet camp. Bring water jugs kept in the heated camper, use a dish pan you can dump outside, bring a portable toilet and set it in the shower area of your camper. Keep the main tanks and plumbing winterized. 99% of the trailers are not designed well to winter camp. Those that use them in the winter typically skirt off the bottom to heat that, which isn't practical for a hunt.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Guys I know with truck campers tend to use then less for quick getaways bc they are more of a pain to put on and off. That's what THEY say. I've never had one.

When I've had popup truck campers I've left them on for extended periods of time (I don't commute daily) and having a camper loaded on my truck I just needed to toss some supplies in to leave for a weekend made it really easy. My buddy who winter camps at ski hills with his family in a hard sized winter design truck camper leaves that on his truck nearly all the time, but he has an extra car he drives around normally. All depends how you go about things.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Generally I would say if you want to wet camp in the winter you need to be EXTREMELY selective about what camper you are looking at. Building (if you are into that) might be a wiser option.
-Tanks and all plumbing need to be truly inboard of the insulated envelope.
-Plumbing should have a way to free drain it for winterizing (no pockets).
-You can have extra tank capacity outside the insulated envelope if you want for summer camping.
-CONDENSATION is a big thing so your material choices / insulation are important.

 

[Beendare]

I used to be a Tent and backpack guy....now in my old age I'm a trailer guy. I don't think of it as a value proposition....I think of it as enjoyment.

Doesn't everyone in the midwest have a trailer now? I helped a buddy with his Utah elk tag and EVERYONE had a trailer parked in that unit.

True;
1) You will never use it as much as you think...but when you do, its nice

2) More stuff equals more maintenance

3) if you are a balls to the wall 80 on the freeway 'have to get there' type guy, a trailer forces you to slow down and take your time

4) you can steal these used trailers- they are everywhere

I had a tiny one and now a 22 foot Toy hauler, Genesis Supreme 185- it's perfect.
Trailer tip; put a weight distribution hitch on there, those make a big difference- $200 everywhere on FB marketplace

 

[hunt1up]

I thought I needed a camper back in 2017 for our local river camp spot. Thought the kids would love it, wife would be neutral, and I'd enjoy not worrying about getting home after drinking(no longer drink now).

That thing was a huge piece of garbage. I wanted a 1/2 ton friendly model so I went with a 25' bumper pull with no slides. I knew I wouldn't pull it much but if I had to, I could. Even from new, that thing always had an issue. All the wiring, switches, appliances, they're all absolute trash. The wife and kids would sleep like crap because you'd hear people in the campsite through the walls. When someone walked in the camper it would wake everyone up, even with the jacks properly set. Our campsite didn't have dump stations, so I insisted everyone poop in the outhouses and they could pee in the camper. Then the next day or over the weekend, I'd take a bucket and drain the pee tanks into a bucket and dump it in the woods. 90 degrees, hung over, trying to dump a bucket of piss without getting any of it on me.

It was a Crossroads Zinger 252BH and a 100% piece of crap. COVID came along and I sold it for $3000 more than I paid. I took that money and ran. Camper people are like pool people. You have to really like the hassle for the amount of enjoyment they provide. I learned my lesson quickly.

For hunting I'm using the wall tent. For travelling I'm using a hotel. I DO like the idea of a quality built, small Class B RV on a Mercedes or similar chassis for me and the wife once the kids are out of the house. Something easy to drive anywhere, easier to store, and not built like a cardboard box. Even one of those doesn't pencil out though.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I spent a good amount of time this morning looking at used campers on marketplace. I was disappointed, but not surprised thanks to this thread, with how bad the reviews are on the majority of models. Two that sound like they may be "better" quality based on Google AI include the newer R-Pod (beast mode is expensive, yada yada), and the Forest River Wolf Pup Black Label models. I have 5 used models from 2019-2024 saved in the $10-19k range that look decent and have the floor plans we like. We're very early in this whole process, and it will be interesting to see "...how low can they go!"

 

[HairyScandinavian]

I spent a good amount of time this morning looking at used campers on marketplace. I was disappointed, but not surprised thanks to this thread, with how bad the reviews are on the majority of models. Two that sound like they may be "better" quality based on Google AI include the newer R-Pod (beast mode is expensive, yada yada), and the Forest River Wolf Pup Black Label models. I have 5 used models from 2019-2024 saved in the $10-19k range that look decent and have the floor plans we like. We're very early in this whole process, and it will be interesting to see "...how low can they go!"

I've bought a couple used campers over the years. Just a heads up, I've looked at dozens physically that "had no issues" and ended up with OBVIOUS soft walls, soft floors, leaky roofs.... I always specifically asked about leaks, showed up to look at one and there was literally water on the floor and a stain on the roof. She said it wasn't like that yesterday when you called. Be sure you inspect them well.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I've bought a couple used campers over the years. Just a heads up, I've looked at dozens physically that "had no issues" and ended up with OBVIOUS soft walls, soft floors, leaky roofs.... I always specifically asked about leaks, showed up to look at one and there was literally water on the floor and a stain on the roof. She said it wasn't like that yesterday when you called. Be sure you inspect them well.

LOL, thank you for that and absolutely. Leaks are the most common complaint on Google AI and can be pretty devastating.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

LOL, thank you for that and absolutely. Leaks are the most common complaint on Google AI and can be pretty devastating.

People are desperate to get rid of them and they won't sell with a leak so they'll flat out lie or try to hide it. Push on everything, poke everything, if possible look at them right after a rain. I recall a bathroom on one that didn't really have any signs of problems, but when I pushed the wall it crunched in like it was rotten inside. I dunno if it was just hidden or they redid the wallpaper or something there.

 

[rogerdoger]

Don't wet camp. Bring water jugs kept in the heated camper, use a dish pan you can dump outside, bring a portable toilet and set it in the shower area of your camper. Keep the main tanks and plumbing winterized. 99% of the trailers are not designed well to winter camp. Those that use them in the winter typically skirt off the bottom to heat that, which isn't practical for a hunt.

I agree with you 100% on this. I set up the cleanwaste go toilet with the wag bags, used wag bags go in an ammo can. Once I hit town they go in the trash. I get home pull food, sleeping bags, some gear(some stays in camper) do a quick dryout and wipe down and it is ready for winter or the next trip.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

People are desperate to get rid of them and they won't sell with a leak so they'll flat out lie or try to hide it. Push on everything, poke everything, if possible look at them right after a rain. I recall a bathroom on one that didn't really have any signs of problems, but when I pushed the wall it crunched in like it was rotten inside. I dunno if it was just hidden or they redid the wallpaper or something there.

For sure, and I plan to get on the roofs to check them out as well.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Don't wet camp. Bring water jugs kept in the heated camper, use a dish pan you can dump outside, bring a portable toilet and set it in the shower area of your camper. Keep the main tanks and plumbing winterized. 99% of the trailers are not designed well to winter camp. Those that use them in the winter typically skirt off the bottom to heat that, which isn't practical for a hunt.

I'm stubborn so I still try to camp with water. That pop-up we have has one of those crummy little cassette toilets which actually works out well. I set the heater on 42 degrees and the cassette toilet water tank is kinda sorta inside and not exposed to the elements so it's never frozen. My main tank has frozen solid, but all the lines are Pex so haven't had an issue with busted lines or anything, I just didn't have water when the tank froze. I did lose the water pump housing one year, it's inside under the slide out so usually gets enough heat from the 42 degrees to keep it from freezing but that year everything froze solid on the drive before we even got to camp... it was effing COLD. After that I clear out all the lines and fill the tank and make the drive with empty lines, so if that were to happen again I don't lose the pump. I guess there's some heat that makes it through the floor of the camper because the tank has only frozen twice and we're almost always in the single digits lows with temps when we go, wife loves snow and late season for some reason.