cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

What are the top 5 advantages of a TC?

jimh406
Explorer III
Explorer III
Feel free to add your list of the top 5 advantages of a TC. Here are mine.

1. Able to pull a significant trailer.
2. Can park in many parking lots, so it travels well.
3. Have my kitchen/bed/bathroom/bed with me.
4. Easy to get campground spaces due to short length.
5. Good for winter since it is on my 4 wheel drive truck

'10 Ford F-450, 6.4, 4.30, 4x4, 14,500 GVWR, '06 Host Rainer 950 DS, Torklift Talon tiedowns, Glow Steps, and Fastguns. Bilstein 4600s, Firestone Bags, Toyo M655 Gs, Curt front hitch, Energy Suspension bump stops.

NRA Life Member, CCA Life Member
52 REPLIES 52

specta
Explorer
Explorer
JIMNLIN wrote:
Now if I could talk the wife out of the 30' 5th wheel with two slides and back to a 9.5' truck camper would sure tickle me.


Good luck with that one. :B
Kenny
1996 Jayco 376FB Eagle Series TT
1997 Jayco 246FB Eagle Series TT
1976 Ford F-250 4wd Mercury Marauder 410 - 4V
Regular cabs. The best looking trucks.

JIMNLIN
Explorer
Explorer
I am of the school of what works for you personally has to be carefully looked at but it all boils down to what do you do, what are your needs and how you use it.

Good point. Every TC owner has their own reason for having/using one.
We had three different size truck campers in the late '60s and up to the late '70s till my family out grew the TC....and my on the road construction job required a larger rv (home away from home) to live in while on the job. This was about the time 5th wheel rv trailer hit the markets big time and actually killed the TC business in my state which had 3 TC mfg at that time.
The 5th wheel trailer solved the transportation problem once we had it set up. Simple pull the handle on the hitch and we had our transportation that can be easily hooked up.
All the states in my area allows towing doubles so pulling the boat behind the 5er or a small tandem axle cargo tool trailer between worksites was no issue.

Kids all grown and long gone....retired from the construction business. Now if I could talk the wife out of the 30' 5th wheel with two slides and back to a 9.5' truck camper would sure tickle me.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers

'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides

KKELLER14K
Explorer II
Explorer II
I am of the school of what works for you personally has to be carefully looked at but it all boils down to what do you do, what are your needs and how you use it. Having a TC offers so much versatility...we could go on and on....We all know it is compact, has maneuverability..especially with us 4x4 crowd. The use of our tow-ability is huge..trailers, boats...you name it is the TC truck combo that really knocks it out of the park...if versatility is what you want...this is your combo. Period.

TCBob
Explorer
Explorer
Best 5 "plus" reasons for us: Love all the GREAT memories! AND still making new ones!

1. 1st yr we had it, quick stop for lunch on a back country mountain lake dirt road. Bald eagle snatched his lunch from the lake less than 100 yards away from us!

2. Following our grandson all over the State of Oregon for football season when they won state championship! First time for his HS had in 50 years.

3. I never want to back any other RV down some of the boat ramps we have used.

4. The many quick weekend get aways, even just to overnight at the coast, and lunch on a logging road, or beach looking at the ocean on a windy day.

5. Dear Wife being comfortable in her bed, with her kitchen, and the rest of our stuff any where we travel!

PLUS: We enjoyed the freedom of Motorcycle/tent camping for years. BUT the TC sure beats sleeping on the ground AND can go almost any of the places we went on the Harleys!

PLUS + PLUS:
We could probably have done all that stuff in a Class B - or conversion van.....BUT - for the same money and maintence I have a real truck!
2004 S&S 8.5 SC Ponderosa
1999 Ford F-350 4X4 7.3-PSD DRW

srschang
Nomad
Nomad
1 - I can tow the SxS on a trailer behind us.
2 - Not many out here in the East, so a bit distinctive.
3 - Love sleeping way up high over the cab.
4 - Can take a shower anywhere. Last fall we were hiking in the Grand Tetons. Had dinner reservations at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole, after hiking we parked in the public parking lot in Jackson Hole, took showers, and walked over to the restaurant. Can't do that with an Airstream behind you.
5 - The Northstar hangs 4 feet behind the truck bed, so as long as I can find a parking spot that will allow me to back in till the rear tires hit the curb, I can park anywhere.

Scott


2022 Ram 3500 Dually Crewcab Longbed Cummins, 2019 Northstar 12 STC

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III

ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
I started with a TC. My girlfriend put it this way "Too much trouble to put on for a short trip, and too small for a long trip."

Camp_woof
Explorer
Explorer
1. I can fit two bikes in dry, alarmed cab. Only 1 model of leisure travel can possibly fit my bikes. Plus other junk.
2. I have a Bigfoot, TC is best insulated RV there is.
3. Most storage per foot, because bed does not take up valuable floor space.
4. 12,000 foot colorado passes? Didn't notice it in my 1,000 ft lb torque diesel with exhaust brake.
5. Truck advantages: Ground clearance, 4x4, payload, nicer seats with cab options I selected ...

Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer
Explorer
Reality Check wrote:
Top 5: hmmmm..

5: can do all that and still be sexy


Well, since you brought it up....LOL!

My #6 would be "I feel badazz in my truck camper" and I can't even explain why?? Maybe at age 67, it's my last grasp at being "fiercely independent"?
Deb
Ed, Deb, and 2 dogs
Looking for a small Class C!

rtbmrgl
Explorer
Explorer
1- fits in my sons driveway visiting grandkids
2- fits in my driveway when grandkids visit.
3- it’s small, easy to clean,
4- no DMV fees
5- my motorcycle trailer likes to follow the camper.
Thanks, Mark
Roseville, ca
2009 AF990 camper
2007 Chevy 3500 Classic LBZ, Aero Tank-62 gal.
Bilstein 24 Torklift StableLoad.TorkLift Tie Downs.
Edge CTS-2 Evo.Tire-Safeguard
GL1800 75 Norton 73 Honda CB500k,
74 DT360 76 Bultaco 68 Yamaha YG5T
99 KDX220

specta
Explorer
Explorer
I've wanted a TC ever since 1966 when my neighbors bought a brand new one along with a new F-250 to haul it on.



We camped for years in the back of my pickup with our Coleman stove, lamp, water jugs and sleeping bags.



Years go by and we decided that we needed a shower, toilet and a few more amenities and bought a 1969 Excel TT.

MY truck was a dual-fuel and with an 80 gallon LP tank in the bed there was no way a TC was going to work.



In Sept 2005 I bought this 1972 F-250 Camper Special with only 31,000 miles on it with a 1963 Gold Coast 49er TC.

As much as I liked the camper we had put soo much work into our vintage TT I gave the TC to my daughter.



I painted the original dark brown on the TT Sequoia Brown Metallic to match the truck.

Life goes on and things come and go as did the truck and later on the TT. 😞



More years go by and I bought this used PU with full intensions of buying a TC.



A few more years go by and I finally bought my first real TC.
This 1996 Skyline WeedEnder.

I really liked this camper but later found out the previous owners never took very good care of it and it had tons of wood rot and the cabover began to sag only a year and a half after buying it. :M 😞



July 2019 I saw this one for sale at an RV dealership.

I did a walk thru with a good friend on the phone who was the Lance dealership here in Utah for years.

He told me all about it and where to look for what.

I liked it, bought it and dumped a ton more money into it. :B



For me its perfect. It has everything I want and need in a TC and I do prefer my ATV on a trailer rather than in the back of the pickup.

Not sure that I really have 5 reasons why its better than the other types of RVs. I just like it better.
Kenny
1996 Jayco 376FB Eagle Series TT
1997 Jayco 246FB Eagle Series TT
1976 Ford F-250 4wd Mercury Marauder 410 - 4V
Regular cabs. The best looking trucks.

jaycocreek
Explorer
Explorer
Feel free to add your list of the top 5 advantages of a TC.


In all fairness,a small Class C will do almost everything a truck camper can and has more room..Don't get me wrong,I have a TC because the Class C couldn't take the roads I travel nearly as well as a TC,but for those traveling mostly on pavement and maintained back roads,a small Class C is an option..

Reasons I sold the Class C to get another

1-Kept scraping the rear bumper/tanks.
2-Did not hold up as well on really bad roads with the frame mounting of the camper..
3-Could not take off the camper to have a pickup..LOL
4-To high and wide for the area's I go..



Lance 9.6
400 watts solar mounted/200 watts portable
500ah Lifep04

Reality_Check
Nomad II
Nomad II
Top 5: hmmmm..

1: can tow the boat
2: can tow the snowmobile trailer
3: can tow the support trailer
4: can do all this and go where the MH's and 5ths pretty much can't
5: can do all that and still be sexy
'16 F550 CC, 4x4 with Link Ultraride air suspension, '18 AF 1150. Just so we can play with our snowmobiles, dirt bikes and fishing boat. And new 20' tag along...kayaks, bikes, mc's and extra water and food!!

Mote
Explorer
Explorer
Not in any particular order:

1) No plates or registration required
2) My wife is willing to drive
3) Can pull in to almost any fuel station to fill up
4) Have our bathroom, kitchen, change of clothes with us everywhere we go.
(Nice feature in a big NP like Yellowstone)
5) see number 4 again
2005 Dodge 3500
2001 Lance 1030
2006 Cougar 29RL