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Truck Campers - Simple and Functional

Truck campers may be the perfect RV solution if you are a weekend warrior who likes to head out for a quick trip to the woods for hunting or fishing. Truck campers are small, you don’t need a special license to use one, and they are relatively inexpensive compared to many of the other recreational vehicle choices. It may also be a lot more comfortable than sleeping on the ground or in a tent. Some have slide outs and even kitchen and limited bathroo ...
Author: Julie Jacobs
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The short video below is a narrative describing the fun of RV'ing from one couple's perspective. Ride along with them while they take a romantic trip in their RV to Newport Beach and Balboa Island in Southern California.

Towable RV’s

There are two main categories of recreational vehicles (RV’s); motorized and towable. Towable RV’s include fifth wheels, travel trailers, folding/tent/pop-up campers, toy haulers, and park models.

FIFTH WHEEL CAMPER Fifth wheel campers are the most expensive of the towable campers (with the exception of some park models). They have a gooseneck hitch that is hooked up in the bed of the truck (a special package needs to be installed in the truck bed to accommodate the hitch).

In addition to the spaciousness and many amenities of fifth wheels, they are a popular towable camper because they are easier to tow than a travel trailer. That is because the weight of the fifth wheel is more centered and better distributed than with a travel trailer that is hooked up to the rear of the towing vehicle. That makes a fifth wheel camper more stable and much easier to control in windy conditions or when dealing with the back drafts from semi trucks on the freeway.

The distinctiveness of the fifth wheel trailer comes from its bi-level design. The raised section is often a master sleeping suite. A popular floor plan for families has the master suite on one end of the camper and a bunk bed sleeping area on the other end. Another popular floor plan, and my favorite, has a master bedroom suite on the raised end and a relaxing area with recliners and a full length window on the other end.

Fifth wheel campers usually have awesome kitchen areas. Some common amenities in the kitchen area include full-size pantries; full-size refrigerators, stoves, ovens and microwaves; ample cabinets and countertop space; and even snack bar areas for casual dining.

Fifth wheel campers are popular with families and people who do a lot of camping because they’re very comfortable and roomy.

Almost all new fifth wheels made today have slide-out areas to give you even more room. When you walk through a fifth wheel camper with slide-outs you’ll notice how spacious it feels because of the extra interior width they give you. Keep in mind though that every slide-out adds extra weight to the camper, adds to the cost, and adds to the setup time at the campsite.

When looking at fifth wheel campers make sure the ones you are looking at are not too heavy for your truck to pull.

One of the really nice things with having a towable camper such as a fifth wheel is that once you have the camper situated in the campsite, you can unhook the vehicle from the camper and go off and explore. Hooking and unhooking a fifth wheel from a truck doesn’t take that long to do either – usually only a few minutes. It usually takes longer to hook the camper up to the water and electric facilities than it does to hook or unhook the hitch.

There are some disadvantages of fifth wheel campers. A heavy duty truck (think more expensive truck) is needed to pull them, which adds to the expense of owning a fifth wheel. The hitch for the trailer is in the bed of the truck which limits the functionality of the truck bed. Some people take the hitch out of the truck bed when they’re not using the fifth wheel, but that can be a cumbersome and time-consuming process. And, some people do not like the bi-level design with the extra steps, because the only steps they want to have to navigate are the ones to get in and out of the camper.

TRAVEL TRAILER Travel trailers are the most popular towable camping trailer in the United States. They come in many different weights and lengths. Some are light enough to be pulled by a van or SUV. A heavy duty truck isn’t always needed. Because they are hitched to and pulled by using a rear hitch, a travel trailer doesn’t use up truck bed space like a fifth wheel trailer does.

They are lighter than fifth wheels and aren’t quite as long as fifth wheel trailers. And, depending on the size the trailer, they can be very spacious with lots of great amenities including: nice-size kitchens, a bathroom, living and dining areas, and multiple sleeping areas.

Travel trailers are less expensive than fifth wheel trailers but can have the same amenities as a fifth wheel trailer which is probably the main reason they are the most popular towable travel trailer sold. They are also the oldest type of RV. Airstream has been making travel trailers for over 70 years.

Slide-outs are popular in today’s travel trailers. But again, they add weight, set-up time and cost.

When looking at travel trailers keep in mind that, in many cases, a 30 foot trailer is a trailer that is 30 feet when both the trailer itself and the front hitch are measured together. A 30 foot trailer may only have 27 feet of usable living space. Ask questions and look at the printed specifications when doing your shopping so you know what you will be getting. To be absolutely sure of the dimensions, take along a measuring tape and measure the length, width, and height of the travel trailer yourself – especially if the space in your driveway or storage area is limited.

Because of the popularity of SUV’s, many manufacturers now offer lightweight and ultra-light travel trailers. They are attractive to many RV purchasers because the majority of the trailers in these categories can be pulled by SUV’s, minivans, or medium-sized trucks. Keep in mind though that “lightweight” is a relative term. In the travel trailer world, “lightweight” typically means a trailer that weighs less than 4,000 pounds.

The biggest disadvantage of a travel trailer is how it tows. Because they are pulled using a rear hitch versus the truck bed hitch used with fifth wheels, they are not as stable. Larger travel trailers can be difficult to control in windy conditions and hard to maneuver into a campsite. If you have a large travel trailer, such as one of the 35 foot models and your towing vehicle is 15 feet long, you have 50 feet of “vehicle” to maneuver from place to place.

That’s not to say owning a travel trailer is going to be a bad experience. Millions of people own travel trailers and are very happy with them. Just make sure you have a vehicle capable of towing the travel trailer, a good hitch, good side mirrors on your vehicle for unobstructed views, and have a willingness to learn how to adjust your driving habits to accommodate having a travel trailer hooked to your vehicle.

FOLDING/TENT/POP-UP CAMPERS Folding camper, tent camper, and pop-up camper are all terms for the same type of camper: a camper that folds down into a hard side base “box” unit, has pull-out sleeping areas with tent-like canvas sides and canvas camper sides with screened windows and clear plastic coverings for the windows. There are also hybrid models that have hard sides instead of the canvas sides, but still have the canvas slide-out sleeping areas on either end.

These campers have some great advantages. They are lightweight which makes them easier to tow than fifth wheels or travel trailers, have a low profile so they do not obstruct your view while driving, are easy to store because they do not take up a huge amount of space, and are the most reasonably priced towable camper.

Pop-up campers are a nice upgrade from a tent because they are more comfortable for sleeping and provide better protection from the elements. Most pop-up campers have heaters, and air conditioners can usually be installed as an option so the camper will be comfortable when the temperatures get cool in the fall and also when it’s over 100 degrees in the summer and you’re in a campsite with no breezes to help cool you off.

Pop-up campers are typically the first camper people purchase because of the lower cost.

The “box” part of a pop-up camper ranges in length from 8-18 feet. After the camper is popped up and the sleeping areas are slid out, the camper can reach a length of approximately 25 feet. In addition, some pop-up campers have slide-out options that add more interior space and many have optional screen room packages that add even more interior space. Depending on what model and brand of pop-up camper you purchase there are bathroom facilities in the camper along with adequate cooking areas, a dining area and relaxation area. Most pop-up campers also have a stove that can be hooked to the outside of the camper where grease spatters and food that boils over the top of the cooking pot are easier to clean up.

The sleeping areas are on either end of the camper and are much like a tent except that you’re sleeping on a mattress and not the ground or a cot or an inflatable mattress, and you have the benefit of heating or air conditioning if you have those features in your pop-up. One note about the mattresses in pop-up campers: they are often thin and not nearly as comfortable as a regular mattress. Buy an eggshell type foam topper for the mattresses. It will make a big difference.

There isn’t a lot of privacy in a pop-up camper though. The privacy you do get is obtained by pulling a curtain closed. And space is at a premium, even in the larger units with slide-outs.

Our family’s first camper was a Coleman popup camper and we loved it. It was easy to store, easy to tow, easy to maneuver into a campsite, easy on our pocketbook, and easy to maintain.

The biggest downside to a pop-up camper is the setup and takedown time. There’s no getting around the fact that they are a lot of work to set up. After you arrive at your campsite and have your trailer parked where you want it the camper has to be unfolded, usually with a hand crank although mechanical push button systems are becoming popular. The beds then have to be slid out and the support poles outside and inside need to put in place. The door needs to be slid down from the ceiling and put in place. And the entire inside needs to be unfolded and unpacked.

If you have two people working together and you get a system going, you can get your camper and campsite set up in about an hour, which isn’t bad. But you might get jealous if someone with a fifth wheel or travel trailer pulls in the site next to you and you see that it only takes them 10 minutes to get everything set up—including getting their campfire going.

Another disadvantage with a pop-up camper is inclement weather. Windy conditions may make you wonder if your camper is going to blow away like Dorothy’s house in the Wizard of Oz. Rain isn’t as bad but you need to make sure too much rain doesn’t collect on top of the canvas in the sleeping areas and collapse them. Rain is not fun at all if you have to take the camper down while it’s raining. If that happens you’ll have to pop the camper back up when you get it home to dry out the canvas or it will mold and mildew.

Even though there are disadvantages, pop-up campers are a good choice if you don’t have a lot of money to invest in a camper. And camping is a lot of fun. It’s worth putting up with a few inconveniences.

TOY HAULERS Toy haulers, or sport utility trailers, are a fairly new type of towable trailer. They are a travel trailer or fifth wheel trailer with a cargo area either in the front or the rear for all your “toys” (think four-wheelers, snowmobiles, canoes, jet-skis, dune buggies, etc.).

They have a built-in ramp so once you arrive at your destination it is easy to get things in and out. And it’s a nice to be able to put things back in the cargo area at night for safekeeping or when its raining.

Other than the cargo area, they are pretty much like any other travel trailer or fifth wheel except the living area will be smaller. They also usually come with (or have the option of adding on) at least one generator, a fuel tank and a larger than normal water tank.

Some people who own toy haulers put furniture in the cargo area when they are going camping somewhere and are not taking any “toys” with them. The cargo area then becomes a spacious living room.

PARK MODELS A park model is a lot like a small mobile home except it is designed to be transported and hooked up to utilities. But they are not meant to be transported frequently.

A park model is a good choice for a permanent campsite that is rented by the year. The trailer is transported to the site, set up, and left there for the year (or longer depending on the contract). They are also a good choice as a cottage if local ordinances allow it.

Park model trailers have all the amenities of home. Some have loft areas but they are definitely designed for children because the ceilings are very low,

How do you decide which RV/trailer/camper is right for you? Decide what your needs are and what you can afford. Then shop around and see what you like. Talk to people who already own RV’s. Find out what they do and don’t like about their camper. If you’re not sure you are going to like camping and want to try it out before you invest in an RV, consider renting one for a week so you can try it out without a huge investment. Or, if you have family or friends with an RV, ask to borrow theirs.