Moving from #Vanlife to a Camper

[JMyerz]

Howdy!

Having done the van life thing for a little while in a modestly decked out sprinter I'm finding myself wanting to join the truck and camper crowd. The main motivation is while I've taken my 2WD sprinter to some remote replaces, I want to go further and am feeling limited by the van.

My biggest question for the hive mind here is size of camper. I have a family of three; 10y old son, myself and wife and am trying to figure out what size truck and camper we need. Ideally I would like a four door tacoma long bed and run a FWC Fleet, does anyone have experience with three people in the camper?

While we've taken a couple ten day trips in the van, our family trips are mostly limited too long weekends. We like to primarily cook and play outside so our "indoor" time is limited to sleeping and ducking the occasional summer rain storm. In the winter however my son and I will go fly fish and surf but I'm assuming two is an easy sell for the fleet.

In addition to camping, this would be a mobile office for myself. I'm an adventure photographer and often times sent across the west on assignment so I'm looking for something comfortable to sleep and work out of for a week at a time.

Thanks for the help

Justin

 

[camper rich]

3/4 ton truck and a Grandby. You will find the small camper on a Taco pretty cramped for 3 people in that little aisle. You will want to move up to a larger one sooner or later anyway.

 

[jimjxsn]

I agree with camper rich. Our old camper was a FWC Ranger (8ft bed) on a Gen 1 Tundra. It was narrow but we appreciated the space the 8ft length provided. It had an extra pantry which provided much needed space for gear.

My current camper is an ATC Panther which is 84" wide, on a Tundra. The wide aisle is great. Two people can actually pass each other in the aisle. And you actually still have aisle space when the lower bed is set up.

My adult daughter has camped with us and there is plenty of room. On our Panther we had it made specifically with a closet and the pantry as storage space is lacking in most of these small campers. You can see pictures of my camper in the ATC section.

 

[AWG_Pics]

If you are near Issaquah or Portland, check out one of the two Mule Expedition Outfitters. You will find four wheel popup campers there in Fleet, Hawk and Grandby sizes to look at. We have a Tundra double cab (2019) and should take delivery on a Hawk in late December or January. the hawk seems like it will work for two, but I would worry about three. The Grandby may be the best recommendation, as camper rich said.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Justin, in addition to FWC, check out the ATC line of campers. They are a great crew to work with, and very willing to do custom work for their customers. For additional interior room, you may want to consider a flatbed model. ATC campers are typically less expensive than FWC.
and... Welcome to WTW.

 

[windy]

We had a Tacoma and camper and while the camper was ok for 2, 3 would have been a stretch. Of course the dog comes along as well. But the real downside for us was the tacoma. It was a 2013 DCLB but the interior space was really small for us and we didn’t find it all that comfortable on longer drives. After considering all kinds of mods, from seats to suspension, we opted to upgrade to a 1st gen tundra and couldn’t be happier. We find that the overall footprint of the truck is not that much bigger than the Tacoma but the interior space and comfort is significantly better (for us anyway).

 

[Cayuse]

I run a Grandby on a Tundra and have had 3 in it on more than one occasion, not sure I'd want to try it with a Fleet for any length of time. I would go 3/4 or 1 ton on the truck, in my case I had the truck first and it works but when the time comes I'll probably go straight to a 1 tone ideally with a flatbed configuration that I can put some boxes on for additional storage.

 

[knoxswift]

I have a Tacoma with Eagle FWC. We did 3 people and dog for several months - trip to AK. It's a tight fit. There will be bickering...LOL!

I would think with your kid being older it might be more desirable to go larger right from the start as many have already mentioned on this thread. At 10 you really want them to enjoy the trips.
As for the comments on the Tacoma, it's very capable with the correct setup. Very capable. But the correct setup will cost you. It might be wiser to get an out of dealer ready full size.
But again if you intend a bigger camper full size would is the only option for payload and many of the full size trucks options are very nice out of the box dealer setup would be the way to go warranted no aftermarket trial and error...
I've been shopping for a truck upgrade for 2 years now. (Shows how much I like the Tacoma that I've not flipped too quickly). I think full size is in my future even though I'd plan to keep my smaller Eagle FWC. I'm hoping to see in the next year or 2 improvements on the Hybrid side of Full Size pickups that would help overlanding quite a bit. Full size you can delete the box and then go for a Flat Bed FWC which would be a great size for a small family who will work from the camper as well.

 

[Kolockum]

I have a 2000 FWC Eagle. I pretty much lived out of it for three years, now it is just for weekend getaways. It is perfect for one person. Two can get cramped especially with the bench seat as anybody sitting there gets in the way of the person cooking. Three would be hard for extended time inside. When the bench is folded out it takes up most of the isle and is hard for the people up on the slide out to get out in the middle of the night.

If you do fair weather camping it could work but if you are in the snow or rain it could get cramped fast. I would look at a bigger camper/flat bed.

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

I couldn't fathom traveling in a Tacoma with 3 others.

I have a Hawk (middle size of the bunch) and with 3 of us (adults) its pretty dang cramped.

If your kids are small, id suggest least a hawk, but a grandby would most likely be a much better fit.

The smallest truck id even consider for what youre doing it a Tundra.

A double cab Tundra will give you a proper 6.5' bed and room for a hawk.

Folks seem to gravitate toward the crew max with the small bed for some odd reason, but the double cab rear seating area is PLENTY comfortable for my big oafy 6.4" self, so it will fit kids with AMPLE room, and give you a proper bed.

 

[kluber]

Hey Justin,

Great question and I agree with the advice provided. My wife and I run a Taco Quad Cab + Fleet and really dig it. It's compact, gets good mileage, is easy to park, etc.

BUT...I would not want to share it with 3 or 4 people. Even with 2, we have to have a routine so as not to be getting in one another's way. Don't get me wrong, the camper is amazing...but compact.

Going to a full size is often incremental. people get a 150 / 1500 and beef up the suspension...and if they stay long enough, will sometimes (often) bump up to a 250/2500 or even a 350/3500. I go out with a lot of friends with truck camper. Every one of them has graduated up to a 250/2500 or 350/3500. You will be carrying more weight than you think and it's much easier to have a vehicle ready to handle the load. So basically, skip the 150/1500 step : )

Lastly, bed length. An 8 foot bed really gives you more space for a family. The trade off is a longer wheelbase = a little less nimble. But built properly, you will be able to go into most places without an issue.

Just one person's experience, so weigh all the input you get. You'll have so much fun!

Take care,

Karl

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

Hey Justin,

Great question and I agree with the advice provided. My wife and I run a Taco Quad Cab + Fleet and really dig it. It's compact, gets good mileage, is easy to park, etc.

BUT...I would not want to share it with 3 or 4 people. Even with 2, we have to have a routine so as not to be getting in one another's way. Don't get me wrong, the camper is amazing...but compact.

Going to a full size is often incremental. people get a 150 / 1500 and beef up the suspension...and if they stay long enough, will sometimes (often) bump up to a 250/2500 or even a 350/3500. I go out with a lot of friends with truck camper. Every one of them has graduated up to a 250/2500 or 350/3500. You will be carrying more weight than you think and it's much easier to have a vehicle ready to handle the load. So basically, skip the 150/1500 step : )

Lastly, bed length. An 8 foot bed really gives you more space for a family. The trade off is a longer wheelbase = a little less nimble. But built properly, you will be able to go into most places without an issue.

Just one person's experience, so weigh all the input you get. You'll have so much fun!

Take care,

Karl

I agree whole heartedly with every word of this

 

[m.r.h.]

I have an old Keystone on a 2500 and it can feel tight with one other and a dog.

Likes others have said go right to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. If it is going to be a full time camper/truck combo I imagine a flatbed would be the way to go.

 

[Sleddog]

I have an 83 Fleet on a Double Cab Tundra and have owned a couple of Tacomas over the years as daily work trucks. I can't imagine putting a Fleet on a Tacoma, it would be cramped in the truck and under powered in general with 3 people and fully loaded.

We travel with two people and two dogs and the Fleet/Tundra combo is the perfect size. The Fleet is just big enough for three people if all you want to do is sleep in it, it would feel cramped with three people hanging out for very long.

I wouldn't be afraid to put a Hawk on a Tundra. If I wanted to move up to a Granby I would definitely go for a 3/4 or 1 ton.

 

[camper rich]

Lastly, bed length. An 8 foot bed really gives you more space for a family. The trade off is a longer wheelbase = a little less nimble. But built properly, you will be able to go into most places without an issue.

My Grandby is on a shortbed Dodge 2500 QC. It hangs out on the tailgate, but no problems in 3 years. I bought the sb because I wanted the shorter turning radius.

 

[Wango]

Many factors to consider, lots of good advice.
For us, it was how many people (2) 1 dog. How long we could be in camper without wanting to kill each other. Extra space has been a blessing in bad weather.
If camper will be on most of the time, a flatbed is a good option. ATC will do about anything(within reason of course) to make what you want. There are other companies that will as well.
Have driven import, half tons and for over ten years full size trucks. For a camper with a couple of people and a pooch or two, I don't think I could drive either of the small trucks. Size of the people is a factor too I suppose. For me anyway 3/4 ton is the minimum I would consider.
Personally have only been hampered on trails once or twice, and for now the legs still works.
Good luck, exciting times huh?

 

[BBZ]

We started with a Fleet (an old 7.5 foot model) on a F150.. two adults and two dogs.. the floor width was just simply too small for us..

I bought an old grandby (83?) and redid the whole thing optimizing interior space. Like you we prefer to be outside and set up a table for cooking outside, but we did put a stove inside. Ours is super comfy for 4 people around the table playing cards or whatever as set up. We did not add furnace as we are warm weather campers, but have a little buddy heater and simply turning the stove on for a few minutes warms it up quickly on cold mornings.

I also made it so there is a removable smaller bed down below when we might have an extra person, super easy modification..

Some will say you have to have a 3/4 ton, but if build correctly, they can be light.. ours is between 900-1000.. only upgrade to truck are airbags and newer shocks.

 

[radarcontact]

Hi Justin...you've already had some great comments posted here, and I'm probably repeating what most have said already. Go with a Granby and a 3/4 ton truck. I have a Hawk on a 3/4 ton, and it's good for me and my wife (we're both 5'9"-5'10"), and it can be tight at times. Can't imagine what it would be like for 3 people. I'm guessing you don't really want a big truck, but, IMO, you need it for a camper the size of a Hawk or bigger. I had the 1/2 ton w/the Hawk originally, and I was consistently over the payload capacity of my Silverado - not by much, but enough to make it feel unwieldly and question the braking on Rocky Mountain passes. Anyway, there's plenty of threads on WTW where you can read about 1/2 vs. 3/4 ton trucks and FWC. The campers aren't as light as they used to be . If you're going to make the switch to truck camping, get something big enough in a camper (i.e., Granby) so you won't cringe every time you want to take it out. You won't regret it.

 

[kmcintyre]

I agree with others about the confined space for 3 in an Eagle (which we have). It's 2 of us and 1 dog and it works fine but if replace the dog w/ a person, the bench/bed might be an issue. We have no problems w/ 2 people sleeping up top. Not much "working" room in the camper and we have issues when we are in bad weather for more than the night when we're sleeping. Just not much room to do much.

If I had unlimited funds I would check out the flatbed versions of ATC and FWC or even Alaskan.

 

[m.r.h.]

JMyerz what do you think you will get?