Crusrdug
CA
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Joined: 02/28/2012
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I am now in the situation of reconsidering the truck camper path since we just found out my wife is pregnant with twins We were expecting one which would have put us at 4 (2 kids, 2 adults), but now I am thinking 5 may be pushing it in a truck camper situation. I just bought a short bed truck in anticipation of the truck camper, so it would be a short bed camper. We have a boat, so towing is important when we go camping.
Wanted to get some real life experiences from the forum. Who packs them in??
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romore
Canada
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Joined: 09/18/2010
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Congratulations, you and mom are going to have your hands full. I think you will find five is a bit crowded in a camper especially once the kids get older.
FWIW, I have never seen the logic of a standard bed truck for camper duty, especially with a cab over, but that is an individual decision.
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garryk6
Kodiak, AK
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Joined: 03/16/2004
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As a family of 6, you can read about our maiden voyage with our camper and truck to Anchorage for Last Thanksgiving HERE (clicky)
We also have friends here in Kodiak, AK that have a family of 6 and use a 10' Lance on a mid 90's F350 CCLB 4x4. For both of us it is about being able to afford the Ferry ride off the Island over to Mainland Alaska. Our kids are a bit older now. But we have a 16yo(B), 12yo(B) and a pair of 9yo twins (B/G). It is snug, especially when you can;t be outdoors much, but it is do-able. You have to pack light, and if it is more than a weekend, plan on stopping somewhere that has a washer and dryer. For camping with little ones, plan on the babies sleeping with or near mom and dad, and toddlers on the dinette, or up in the fold-down bunk. And if you can swing it, get a dry-bath, so when you have a diaper explosion, or a car-sick one, you can set them in the shower/tub, and wash them down! (Experience speaking!) It is a bit tight doing it in a camper, but the places that you can go that a MH and boat can't are quite a few. Plus you can keep your 4x4!
Please read the clicky, and see what you think!
Garry in AK
Garry K
Wife + 4 kids
Retired Military Family.... Alway's on the move....
2002 F350 CCSB 5.4 6spd 4x4 in AK
1966 Avion C-10 Truck Camper
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joe b.
Florida
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Joined: 08/24/2002
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For short weekend camping trips, 5 in a TC might work for you. Trying to use our Lance with 5 in it, my wife and I, our adult daughter and her two boys, 7 and 8, was just too crowded. So we bought a 5th wheel with a bunk room to use when the extended family goes along. For just my wife and I, most of the time, we use the TC for our long distance trips, to western Colorado or Alaska.
A handier rig for a family of 5 that wants to pull a boat would be a bunk bed Class C with a cab over bed. We did that route, with our two daughters when they were young and it worked fine. Beds were already to go at night, didn't have to make the dinette into a bed so it was still usable in the early morning for coffee while the kids slept.
Taking care of three kids on a camping trip is a major job, especially for the mother as most of the care seems to fall on them from what I have seen. Crowded into a TC would make the job that much harder on them, IMHO. A TC with a rear fold out tent bed would give everyone more room but you would need a larger pickup to haul one of those rigs.
joe b.
Stuart Florida
Formerly of Colorado and Alaska
Chevy 3500 DRW Dmax CC - Rockwood 8281 SS 5th Whl & 2008 Lance 845 TC
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FireGuard
Frazier Park CA. USA
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If you will be taking your boat most of the time, I agree with the Class C option. Much more comfortable traveling and way more room. There just isn't a SB camper made that will provide enough room.
If you only take the boat on shorter infrequent trips, find a nice use TC and add a nice TT for trips w/o the boat.
You can buy a nice older C for not much more than a new TC.
The kids won't care, they'll have fun no matter what you have. Momma would probably be happier in a C or TT.
Have fun.
06 Toyota Tundra 4x4, V-8
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NorthernLimits
Michigan
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Joined: 11/17/2011
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3 adults, one 10 year old boy and a english setter.
Little much for long trips in even a Caribou 11J with a slide. We went to a 5th wheel. I am going to pick up a smaller, lighter truck camper in the fall for hunting and fishing with my boy and dog. Just the 3 of us will need a smaller camper.
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mowermech
Billings, MT
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Joined: 06/28/2003
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Remember, it isn't how many can SLEEP in there as much as it is what are you going to do with them when they are all awake on a rainy day!
Having had me, DW, DD, and two small boys (DGS)in an 11 foot camper, I strongly recommend the shortest rear-bedroom Class C you can find. We traded the camper in.
For us, the 29 foot C we got is just right!
CM1, USN (RET)
2002 Fleetwood Southwind 32V, Ford V10
Toad: 2006 Jeep Rubicon LJ
Other toad: '06 PT Cruiser, Kar Kaddy dolly
Toy: 1977 Dodge W100 CC SWB, 3/4 ton axles & springs
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"
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Steeljag
Florida
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Joined: 07/02/2003
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Tent for the kids, or for you to get away ! The post about the ugly rainy day is right on. I would not want to sit around, stuck inside, with five people in my 26 foot / large slide TT.
2010 Flagstaff 26RLS
2012 Ford F-150 Screw Ecoboost H/D 3.73
2006 Toyota Tundra D/C (sold)
2001 Bantam B-19,(sold)
2003 Harley Road King
The whole family,
Cold ones in the cooler, good times ahead.
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ecoast
NW NJ's Highlands
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Joined: 06/01/2011
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...kids get to tent camp!
07 5.9 CTD & 2000 Northstar Laredo TC towing 87 Samurai ORV on dual axle trailer
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Mello Mike
Mesa, AZ
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As the father of 4 boys, I can tell you that a short-bed TC would be too small unless you also packed along a tent for some of the kids to sleep in. We did the travel trailer thing until the boys got older and just wasn't interested in camping anymore. It's just the wife and I and two dogs, so a short-bed camper works for us now.
Oh, and congratulations!!!
2011 Wolf Creek 850N/Polar Cub/240w Solar/2-6v Lifeline AGMs/Morningstar Sunsaver w/RM-1 & SureSine-300 Inverter
2011 Ford F-250/6.2L/3.73/Bilsteins/Air Bags/Torklift TD w/Fastguns
2004 Jeep Wrangler/4.0L/5-spd
US Navy Ret.
My Truck Camper Adventure Blog
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