In my introductory post I mentioned that Tom and I had a camper van. For four years we drove a #Winnebago Era Class B #Sprinter van and towed a #Jeep #Wrangler which carried our kayaks and other gear. We loved our setup and had a great time taking it through Canada and Alaska last summer.
We enjoyed the simplicity and flexibility of a camper van while the Jeep provided enough storage to bring everything we wanted; especially our kayaks. Of course, we could have towed a trailer instead but the extra vehicle allowed us to explore without always having to pack up our camper. And, a less obvious benefit of towing the Jeep instead of a trailer was that we could more easily turn around in tight spaces by simply unhooking and driving each vehicle separately. That came in handy multiple times. Tom and I are like a NASCAR pit crew hooking and unhooking the Jeep!
So, why a truck camper?
Prior to our Alaska trip we tossed around the idea of eventually getting a truck camper. It was the only camper solution what would allow us to have a vehicle we could separate from the camper and tow a boat without triple towing… which is illegal in some US states and most of Canada.
While we both have owned a variety of other types of campers, neither of us have ever had a truck camper. And, during our travels across the lower 48 states we saw very few of them. Last summer we discovered it’s because they’re all up north! We saw more truck campers driving through Canada and Alaska than all our travels across the lower 48 states combined! Maybe because there are so many lakes and everyone has a boat?!?
By the time we returned home from Alaska at the end of the summer, we were ready to exchange our beloved van for a truck camper and a truck that could carry it.
Van vs Truck Camper
When we bought our van 4 years ago, we couldn’t imagine anything more perfect for us. We wanted the simplicity and flexibility of a small camper with basic necessities like a toilet and shower. Being a relatively small vehicle allowed us to find convenient, and often free, parking spots to “camp” with no advanced planning. We stayed incognito on city streets or in parking lots while large campers, only a block away, booked expensive RV sites months in advance. July 4th week in Seward, Alaska is a great example!
We were happy to have a shower in our van but it was very small. I’m 6 feet tall and Tom is 6’3” so showering wasn’t comfortable. But, even worse, was the small fresh water tank. I could use the whole tank just to wash the shampoo out of my long, thick hair. So, I cut it!
Our plan, when we left for Alaska, was to take quick showers every few days. It sounded good in theory and was fine until we reached British Columbia, Canada in mid-June. We had plenty of industrial strength mosquito repellant. What we didn’t have was enough water to wash it off. And, I HATE going to bed covered in poison. We found ourselves seeking public showers for much of our trip. Fortunately many laundromats across Canada and Alaska offer clean showers for a reasonable price. A long hot shower, where we could stand up straight, felt like winning the lottery!
Most people, especially those camping in huge luxurious homes on wheels, could find any number of reasons to upsize from a camper van. Is it crazy that the one thing that pushed us over the edge was the need for a shower we could stand up in, with enough water to wash off the daily mosquito repellant? Don’t answer that! Our van and its small shower had a 25 gallon fresh water tank. The shower in our #ArcticFox 1140 is twice as big and we have 59 gallons of fresh water!
While a larger shower and fresh water tank were the driving factors in our decision to move to a truck camper, here are some of the other advantages:
Tow a boat - We don’t own a boat but it’s definitely something we’d consider in the future. As I mentioned above, a truck camper allows us to have a truck, a camper and a boat without triple towing.
All Season camping - Our Arctic Fox truck camper enables us to camp year around in temperatures well below freezing.
Living space - I kind of liked the challenge of living in a van. But with two people and so little space, there’s no room to get away from each other… and even less room with a big dog. During extended periods of bad weather, we were trapped in a small space with little to entertain ourselves and we couldn’t invite guests to visit because there was no place to sit. Our Arctic Fox has a large slideout and feels like a mansion compared to our van.
Storage space - I’m a bit of an organization freak. So, again, I kind of enjoyed the challenge of fitting things in the van. A place for everything and everything in its place. And, only the necessities! Our new rig isn’t just a camper on a pickup truck. It’s a camper on a flatbed truck. So, all that space that would normally be blocked by the sides of the pickup bed is open for storage. Compared to our van, we have so much extra storage space inside and out. Aly even gets her own storage bin!
Our new rig is only two feet longer than our van. But, because of the more rectangular shape, slideout, and flatbed storage, it feels about 3x bigger. Our camper is fully accessible and functional even without extending the slideout allowing us to continue camping incognito when needed.
The only inconvenience compared to the van is our inability to walk between the cab and the camper. For example, in the van, when we stopped for gas or anything, we could quickly run back and use the toilet or grab a jacket from the closet. It’s not quite so quick or easy with the truck camper. But, for us, the other benefits outweigh the inconvenience.
At last were ready to hit the road for our first long trip in our new rig!
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