Slide in Camper Questions
 

Looking for a slide in camper and I have a few questions. We have a f350 stupid duty diesel. We want a slide-in rather than a motorhome since that's just one more insured vehicle. So here goes...

What's available with easy over cab access?
Dealers - using Kijiji and Trader - the closest I found was near Saskatoon. That can't be right.
Tie downs, what do I need to be safe and legal?

Thanks in advance.

What do you mean by easy over cab access?
For tie downs, you want something like Torque Lift tie downs. They are truck specific and are easy to install. Not cheap though.

My wife has mobility issues and has trouble with ladders and stairs, so something with a gentler climb would be better. Having said that, IIRC most campers can convert the kitchen table to a bed.

Yeah most truck campers have that big step up and then another climb to get up into the bed over the cab.

Best you go look at some campers with your wife and see how it is for her to get up into the bunk, most are not easy

I agree, I'm thinking we'll be sentenced to the dreaded camper table bed or I sleep on the up and she sleeps on the down. Which, to me is weird.

That's how we go camping.
Nothing weird about it in my opinion.

Save your money and buy a good tag along trailer, overheads are a pain in more ways then one and if your wife has mobility issues it would not be my first choice.

How do I drag my boat along? I've already ditched the 2 5th wheel "solution" that wasn't a solution. It's either this or a motorhome and I'm not a fan of the motorhome solution.

How about a nice country motel, with day trips out to your favorite lake? No climbing, all the conveniences, and a fraction of the end-of-year price. I hear it's tough to find campsites this year to boot.

Some models hang down below your bumper a little making the climb in not too bad. Also they have folding steps that come out ti the ground I’ve seen. That would make access abs egress better then a climb onto a 2 step.

Since we’re on the track of stupid ideas. Why not just ban all the people in Covid hotspots from camping until November? Seems reasonable to me.

Nov 1, General season opener... OK, no prob.

truck camper
 

You will find that a truck camper is not exactly the best fit for someone with mobility issues... getting in and out will be a challenge, if your looking for the best tie down system, Torklift will be your best bet but expensive... you will most likely need to get an extended hitch as well if towing something behind the camper which Torklift sells as well

Not that difficult to get in
 

We have a hard side campper with a slide. It extends a couple of feet past our rear bumper and has a flip over step that is not any higher than any other stair. Hand rail next to door as well. Inside the kitchen table area is the slide with a full bed. Over cab area is also readily accessible. As someone previously mentioned, Torq Lift tie downs work best and are very secure and do not impact ground clearance. We also installed the super hitch to tow the horse trailers and get the necessary extension past the back of camper. These units are top heavy so air bags are a must for ride quality and safety IMO. Go look at them. Pretty much every RV dealer has them somewhere on their lots. Good luck.

Biggest disadvantage of overhead bed in camper is to low for many sex positions, your wife will not be happy! Get a trailer with lots of room for some real action.

Sounds like you are in the know on some of this but first question I would ask is what is the payload ( sticker in yellow on b pillar) of your truck? I ask as truck campers can go to 5500 pounds!!!!
I tow my heavy toyhauler with a 2017 350 SRW and know my payload is 3400 but axle is good for 4000.
Check that to keep your camper around 2600-3000 dry.
Many will chime in and say add airbags and you can tow anything. I am not of that belief.
Good luck.

Outback RV in Sherwood Park carries Lance campers. Might be worth a look!

https://www.lancecamper.com/dealer/i...ountry%20RV#TC

Ones that have a "basement" sit a bit higher, so the leap into the cabover bed is not at high. Of course that means your center of gravity is higher etc.

Been looking into this as well, since soon the kids won't be camping with us, and it would be great to camp and pull a boat too.

I'm in a similar situation as you, where my wife has knee issues, so the potential issues of climbing up into the camper, as well as entering the cabover bed need to be considered carefully.

If your wife can't climb up a standard step ladder then the camper is not going to be a viable option. If she can, you can make a camper work just fine, though she may still have to sleep on the lower bunk. Some of the new campers actually have very comfortable lower bunks. If your pickup has an 8' box that helps a lot. You still want to look at air bags, firestones are good, on the back at least.

Your welcome...Have a nice day!!

This last comment prompted me to re-read this thread. OP doesn't want to pull tandem with a 5th wheel, thinks sleeping apart or on the lower bunk is weird and doesn't like the motorhome option but has a spouse with mobility issues that make a camper overhead bunk an issue. With that many limitations and conditions it makes it impossible to help so all I can say at this stage is best of luck.

Agree. Just getting into it sounds like it could be a problem.

I was gonna say they are rediculously heavy but that's not a problem for a F-350.

After having a slide in I wouldn't ever own another one.

That's just me tho, they might work for you.

Good luck

I see you have the dually. When I chimed in I said keep camper to 2600-3000 dry. I was thinking SWR. You can go heavier than that but note how much weigh you want to add. No need for airbags at all with the dually. Many guys throw these on and they have their place but it is often not needed. Springs are supposed to engage and and you have overloads.
The 2500 and 250 series need the bandaids as the springpack for an HD truck is rather pathetic. The scales will help you decide if you go camper route. Best of luck!

Camper
 

My (mobility challenged) wife and I have been camping in truck campers for 30 years. On my latest unit I have the scissor type stairs and a handrail . She makes her way in and out with no concerns. We both sleep in the overhang bed and have lots of extra activities up there.

Make sure your jacks can be wide enough if you run dual wheels.

Have fun, and hope to see you out there.