New to truck campers. Need both Truck and camper recs!

[rvstarter]

Live in Colorado. Currently have only 2wd Hondas. Looking to buy a truck with a compatible camper in mind. Internet browsing has been a lot to take in. Initially I was thinking a used F150 EcoBoost Supercrew with 6.5 ft bed along with a Lance 815 or Lance 825. The more and more I read the less sure am I about the combo, specifically, if the half ton can SAFELY handle such a camper. I have no pulling/work needs for the truck which makes me timid to make the jump to a 3/4 ton. My general day- to-day needs are well within a 1/2 ton pickup minus a possible truck camper. Want something that can ideally sleep 5. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Looking to make a smart long term purchase!

[Grit_dog]

Depends what you want your accommodations to be like with the camper, and how big the kids are.
New to the game and wanting the luxury of a RV with the mobility of a pickup truck, you'll likely want a big TC that has room for all 5 people and big tank capacities etc.
Coming from tent camping and anything with a toilet and a roof is a luxury and a kid or 2 can sleep in a tent or on the floor? You might get by with a heavy half and a popup camper.
But in general, 1/2 tons and TC's don't mix well.
I'll leave the axle weights and all the gvw drama to the rest of the group here.
For us (family of 4, boys are 12 and 16 now) we came from tent camping and got a TC several years ago. Both boys, at the time 7 and 11, fit on the dinette bed. Current camper has a pull down bunk, so it still works, but have kicked them out into a tent the last couple years. Camper smells better that way! lol

That said, we have a short bed model with a full slide and for us it's the right size. We don't live in the camper unless it's pouring rain or something though. Generally hang out outside, cooking is 50/50 in or out.
If starting from scratch, I'd be ideally looking for a long bed 3/4 or 1 ton and a relatively large TC. Short bed truck if that's preferable to you for the rest of the year, but then 8.5-9' is the max size camper you can haul.

[Grit_dog]

SidecarFlip wrote:
Forget a 150 anything. That is a soccer mom's grocery getter truck. Get a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton truck and then go camper shopping. Preferrably a 1 ton in the 4x4 flavor.

While the jist of this is correct, gotta love the rvnut mentality!

Only saying this because I've towed and hauled alot of chit with F150s. Of course they were company trucks and my motto is "the only good Ford is a free Ford!" Lol

[AnEv942]

A young family of 5 in a TC would be cozy. Sleeping, unless 1 on the floor would be 3 in the cabover, a tight 2 on dinette, fine for small children. They grow up faster than you think so not sure long term applicable.
Id suggest taking the family out shopping. Climbing in & out, give you a better idea what folks are relating.
Even a small trailer trailer would be a lot more livable than whats available in a TC. Not to mention 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of a TC- heck you can even get bunk beds.
If you still want to go TC narrow down the camper that would work 1st.
Likely more than a half ton needed. Dont buy truck 1st.

[jaycocreek]

Don’t buy a 1/2 ton because the book said it’s payload was the same as a 3/4.
The 1/2 ton is straining and the 3/4 or 1-ton is grossly underrated.

I agree but,I believe it is the modern 1/2 ton that is grossly underrated.

Point and case....I just sold a 2008 F-150 with a 7200 GVWR which was the same as my old '76 F-250..The F-150 did everything better than the old 3/4 ton that I had beefed up to haul a very heavy 35 foot fifth wheel.390 vs the 5.4..No contest,the 5.4 and the gearing was much better hauling wood in the bed and a trailer with 3 cords in it...

I work my trucks very hard hauling firewood in rough terrain and hauling trailers in said stuff..

I am not recommending a 1/2 ton over a 3/4 or 1 ton for a TC but I am saying a modern 1/2 ton is up to the task with mods for a smaller lighter TC as the op stated..

It's the grocery getter that always get my goat..(laughing)..I never brought home a sack of groceries(Beer maybe) in my modern 1/2 ton but I did bring home probably 15 cords of wood over a couple years..

I always have to come to the rescue of the poor 1/2 ton trucks everyone wants to put down "usually" without any hard experience to back it up,just worthless numbers as stated above..

[burningman]

New 1/2 tons with higher payload than old 3/4 tons don’t actually have stouter chassis parts.
They just hung a bigger number on the sticker.
I have an ‘86 GMC one ton dually that has about a 2500 pound rating sticker.
Rest assured that truck is way stouter than any 1/2 ever made.
My point being the rated payload numbers on pickups are utter BS.
Don’t buy a 1/2 ton because the book said it’s payload was the same as a 3/4.
The 1/2 ton is straining and the 3/4 or 1-ton is grossly underrated.

[d3500ram]

rvstarter wrote:
Live in Colorado. Currently have only 2wd Hondas. Looking to buy a truck with a compatible camper in mind. Internet browsing has been a lot to take in. Initially I was thinking a used F150 EcoBoost Supercrew with 6.5 ft bed along with a Lance 815 or Lance 825. The more and more I read the less sure am I about the combo, specifically, if the half ton can SAFELY handle such a camper. I have no pulling/work needs for the truck which makes me timid to make the jump to a 3/4 ton. My general day- to-day needs are well within a 1/2 ton pickup minus a possible truck camper. Want something that can ideally sleep 5. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Looking to make a smart long term purchase!

You are asking for a lot of camper but with very little truck capacity. The truck you want will limit TC choices and those models that might fit may not work for your outlined program needs. Heed the responses posted by members here even if they seem stark- there is a lot of knowledge and years and miles of experience behind them.

I think you will need to determine what is more important: a TC type RV or larger space for your program need... (read that second comment as it might be worth considering a TT instead.)

Don't know where in Colorado you are located, but if near the DVR metro area, take a trip up to Five Star RV in Henderson (close to Brighton) and look at the line of smaller Northstar campers. You might (I stress "might") be able to use a TC600, TC650 or one of those Vista models on a 150. If you have one of the higher rated F150s you might (I stress "might") be able to investigate a TC850 or Liberty. Even if you think the weight arithmetic works on paper after looking at these you need to be aware that add-ons pack on the pounds QUICKLY! From there, judge if that will meet you family needs. I think you will find that they doe not.

Can a camper be done on a 150- yes. Should it be done on a 150... I would opine otherwise. If you are set on getting a truck camper and have not purchased the truck, do yourself a favor... consider greatly at least a 250/ 2500 series truck at a minimum.
JMHO, DYODD.

[phleeb]

Since you are in Colorado there is an RV show sometime in March in Denver. Although mostly shown are Class As and Class Cs, there is a truck camper section. This helped our decision on what to get.

[jaycocreek]

Forget a 150 anything. That is a soccer mom's grocery getter truck.

Laughing....

I am not going to set here and try and tell anyone a half ton can and has hauled alot of truck campers,because it can and has,properly equipped...

Last time I looked some have a payload of 3270 lbs which is more than alot of 3/4 and 1 ton trucks of ancient erra.Heck,I hauled a brand new 8ft Security TC on a brand new 1976 Chevy 4X4 Scottsdale without any issues at all along with a monster super heavy 8ft Sturdy built on a 1/2 ton stepside GMC..Friends even went with 10ft models on 1/2 tons which was over the limit in my opinion...

That being said,I would buy more truck than you need and forget upgrading..

JMHO

[noteven]

Also take a look at Truck Camper Magazine and Truck Camper Adventure on line. Lots of info there.

[burningman]

Rule # whatever, DON’T get the weight of an RV by believing the published “dry weight”.
That’s at least 1000 pounds shy of the truth.
Ask on camper forums what people have actually scaled theirs at, loaded ready to go.

Seriously, the stock answer of “match the truck payload to the listed camper weight” leaves a lot of reality out of the equation.

[sonuvabug]

I am going to make the assumption your family have all been out camping together and all members enjoy camping and want to get into camping in a bigger way. Right? I say this because if you've never really tried it, you should before investing a lot of time and money into this past time ... because it's not for everybody.

Back to your initial question, conventional wisdom dictates finding the RV first which 1) meets your family's camping needs and; 2) identifying what you like in terms of floor plan and amenities.

Then, once you know the weight numbers of that unit (whether it be carrying or towing the RV), go find and match the right tow vehicle to do the job safely and with the appropriate power and set up (i.e. camper and/or tow package, upgraded suspension & tires etc.)

Similar to comments above, with two adults and three kids I question whether a truck camper (TC) is the right kind of RV for your family's camping needs. We downsized from a Class C that would sleep 6 comfortably including 4 kids inside and 4 outside in tents (when we used to have lots of kids come camping with us) to a truck camper after they all got older and moved on and we wanted to limit our camping experiences to just the two of us. The TC does all of that for us and people know it really only accommodates two people comfortably ... 3 total in a pinch.

Also, you'll need a minimum 3/4 ton truck for a TC whereas a well equipped and powered 1/2 ton can do a lot of pulling (i.e. travel trailer or hybrid). If you've not RV camped before, get to the RV shows or at least some dealers with all of your crew and try things out like beds, sitting in the dining area etc. ... also think about what you'll be doing if stuck inside during bad weather.

You might also want to try renting an RV for an outing or two to see what works and what doesn't for your needs. A more typical approach with a 5 person, young family is to start with a good, used tent trailer, figure out your routines and then step up into something else once you know what you want and need.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

[mkirsch]

The only hope you have of carrying any sort of camper comfortably in an F150 is with the "HD Payload" option. This gives you up to 3000lbs of payload, which would be passable for smaller campers like the 825 if you pack light.

The monkey wrench in the works here are the three kids. An 825 is nice for a couple, but to sleep 5, you'd need to stuff one kid in the bathroom, and duct tape the second kid to the ceiling! Stacking them like cordwood in the dinette might work when they're small but unless you've got a strange family they will want their own beds as they grow up. Camping weekends will be a nonstop fistfight of, "He's touchinggggg meeeeeee!" ALL... NIGHT... LONG...

I recommend you GO SHOPPING. Get in the campers. Look at a few makes and models.

[burningman]

Half tons are not camper haulers. That will be an expensive mistake you’ll regret.
It really does sound like a trailer is what you want.
You want too light of a truck and you want to put too many people in the camper for the truck-camper plan.

[ORbiker]

I agree with Fishorgolf.
A pickup camper is for a couple. It's tight quarters. Only 1 person can move at a time. Go to a dealership that has some camper and get everyone inside. Stay it there for a half hour or so. Try moving around to look at the bathroom, etc.

A trailer with a slide or 2 would be a better idea. KEN