Making the Switch from a Travel Trailer to a Truck Camper!

After years of towing a RV travel trailer, we are making the switch to a truck camper. We'll take you on our journey of finding the right truck camper - which included an unexpected 5-hour detour around a massive mudslide in Colorado that closed the entire highway!
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[@alaska-bornfloridaman]

I have a 2020 Palomino 8801 truck camper on a Ram 2500 w/Cummins. It's so nice to have the option of real 4 wheel drive and parking in a regular spot. I do a lot of road trips in the mountains, and no other RV would've worked. Good choice.

[@thewaywedidit]

Nice rig! We agree - the added capability of a truck plus being able to park it pretty much anywhere unlocks a lot more places to travel!

[@arthurkirk2100]

Beautiful video. Thanks for all the great info.

[@thewaywedidit]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@scottcarlson2956]

You're going to love your truck camper. I've had one for 7 years now and it is wonderful. I went to a travel trailer for two years and hated it , was glad I didn't sell my truck camper as I sold the trailer and went back to the camper. Thought when I retired the trailer would give us more room for comfort and it did but wasn't worth the hassle. So nice to be able to park a truck camper anywhere and get in and out of tight places. Great for remote camping away from the crowds. Enjoy!

[@thewaywedidit]

Thank you! We are so happy to hear how much you love your truck camper! And we agree - we'd rather have a little less room and be more flexible!

[@mikearterbury306]

@@thewaywedidit p

[@Tobynsocks]

There are definite pros and cons to each. It definitely takes a really hard honest look at the type of camping/ living you want to do on the road to decide which is best for you. Also one factor is your relationship as well sometimes people need space from each other and that's hard in a truck camper. Doesn't mean anything's wrong with the relationship but it's just the way some people are. I think if you get two people that are honest with each other honest about what they're looking for in a camper and then what type of camping they do whether it's mostly outdoor stuff or if you're an inside reader there's a lot of factors. Best of luck though

[@davem163]

Live in Boulder too and loved this video !

[@ernestdesimone2234]

In our Tiger we generally sight-see enroute, stop for the night, and move on the next morning. No complicated set up and tear down, and it is small enough to park anywhere so we don't tow a second vehicle. It's also more rugged and cheaper than the typical Class B camper van, more like a truck camper.

[@thewaywedidit]

Nice! The Tigers look really cool!!

[@johnnyb3726]

living the dream guys...I'm jealous. lol...We own a Host Cascade...but we are still working with teen boys in tow....Eventually, We want to be hitting the same type of road.

[@thewaywedidit]

That’s a great camper! There are times we get jealous of all that extra room!

[@seansdadpit]

We have a Lance 1685 TT but it didn't afford us the overland experience. Came across a used, still "smells like new" popup truck camper for a great price and grabbed it. we're in the process of outfitting for our needs as I speak and plan our maiden voyage next week to Death Valley, a place we love. We don't fulltime and plan on keeping the trailer, so we have a choice. So excited! Good luck with your new truck camper.

[@thewaywedidit]

Thank you - and congrats on your new truck camper! It definitely sounds more maneuverable than the 1685! Good luck on your adventure to Death Valley!!

[@johncreed2627]

Sounds great! Try the trip down I-17 in your new truck and cab-over from Flagstaff to Phoenix, it's a real blast.......if you have a strong stomach!

[@thewaywedidit]

Thanks for the suggestion! We’ll have to check it out if we’re in the area!

[@thegallivanthropologists]

Good luck with the new chapter. We are planning a 4+ year trip around the World. Subscribe to keep up. Cheers! - Turtle and Bear

[@cferdinandi]

We've been exploring truck campers as well, for the same reasons you outlined in this video. We're not a "stay in one spot for a week" family. We like to move around every day or three, and hate the setup/teardown process. I didn't know you could rent truck campers. That's amazing!

[@thewaywedidit]

We agree! Compared to our past travel trailer, setting up/packing up the truck camper takes a quarter of the time. And yes! We rented a truck camper from Cruise America. It likely won't be the newest camper models, but it will give you an idea of what it's like to camp in it. Good luck on your search!

[@cferdinandi]

@@thewaywedidit Sadly, I keep seeing messages on their site saying truck campers are only available for rent in Alaska. I know y'all are near Utah, so that can't be right. I may be out of luck unless we can find something on Outdoorsy. Enjoy your new rig!

[@Steve-un9mc]

Interesting choice to go from travel trailer to truck camper. I would agree with you on it being a little easier than towing, but financially you are getting way less bang for your buck. You basically doubled the cost of your camper since truck campers are so darn expensive, and you had to upgrade your vehicle to a heavy duty truck also. All for the ease of not towing. Your new setup does not give you more space either. But hey, if it’s what you want it’s what you want. Still a very cool setup. You will miss setting up at a campsite and uncoupling your trailer to go drive around. That is always a big perk of travel trailers and fifth wheels

[@thewaywedidit]

Thanks! And we agree - if we didn’t purchase our truck camper years ago our channel would definitely be about something else 😅 We are also very nomadic, going in and out of campsites so frequently that having our home on our truck at all times works better for us 😄

[@calvinl2149]

Thanks for the video and explaining your thought process so well. Just curious, if price wasn't a factor, would you have considered a multi slide truck camper (like a host Mammoth or Eagle Cap 1200) plus corresponding truck of course (e.g. Ford F350/F450+). Going with a multi slide camper would allow for a dry bath, and floor plan closer to a travel trailer.

[@thewaywedidit]

Thanks! No we don’t think we would go bigger if price wasn’t a factor. We like the maneuverability of the 825, and how it can fit in most parking spaces. We also found that you can’t use a lot of the campers when the slides are in. We are so nomadic and are constantly jumping in and out of our camper on the road that having to push the slides out every time would become cumbersome. We think it just comes down to the way you camp and how you want to use it. Safe travels!

[@jerrygundrum1]

Not sure how getting the camper in and out of the bed is easier than unhooking the trailer. But okay. Sound like the rpod was the issue

[@plants4thewin]

30 min? Take like 10 min to pack up the van, and thats with me moving SLOWWWWWW.

[@thewaywedidit]

Yes! That’s why we now have a truck camper - same pack up time as you now 🤗

[@MsPhillyG]

I was wondering what size truck you need to have a travel travel on it and how did it feel during windy situations or bad weather like snow..just wondering. It was really nice and spacious for 2 people but I have 3 dogs that I can't part with and want them to come along so that will probably not be big enough. So looking forward to your journey.

[@thewaywedidit]

Thanks! It all depends on the size/weight of the camper. At the time we owned a Ford Explorer that could tow 5,000 lbs, so the selection of travel trailers was limited. To be honest, even with a light trailer we were underpowered, and we didn’t dare venture too far or into bad weather. A truck will definitely have more towing power to accommodate a bigger trailer. And we hear you on the dogs, we used to have one, and are thinking about getting a couple more… but not sure how we all would fit in our new truck camper!

[@stephopalopal]

😘❤️👍

[@Fearlesslikeahoneybadger]

I'm confused 🤔, you had a home on the truck bed but you went to a hotel???

[@thewaywedidit]

At that point in time we did not yet have the truck camper or even a truck! We were shopping around, looking at different models in person. Sorry for the confusion!

[@skoffco]

Wet bath no thanks. Something about standing over your toilet to take a shower. 😳

[@thewaywedidit]

We totally get it! We were nervous about downsizing to a wet bath, but the one of the reasons why we chose the Lance 825 is because the shower has its own space. A shower curtain separates the room, keeping the toilet out from where we actually shower. It also keeps that half of the bathroom dry, so less clean up afterwards!

[@Moehasan998]

Why you speak like thiis's's