Slide in Camper or Travel Trailer

[jayquiver]

Looking to get my first camper or trailer this season. It will only be for myself and partner, no kids, maybe a couple of very small dogs on occasion (hers not mine, lol). I have only camped in tents, but looking for some more comforts.

It will be used 5-10 trips each year mainly as a basecamp for hiking, fly fishing and hunting. Trip length for the next few years will be from 2-10 days in length. Then longer as retirement gets closer.

Currently I have a 2014 GMC 1500 Sierra so a travel trailer is cheaper and easier to do right now. If I go slide in camper style I would probably need a 2500 or 3500. However I expect this to be a long term investment 8+ years so willing to trade trucks if its worth it.

Must Have’s

Smaller size if a Trailer (Nash 17K, is my 1st choice right now)
4 Season - good in cold weather hunting seasons.
Good reputation of brand (I know very little about brands)
Bathroom wet or dry. Dry preferred
Don’t really want Slides.

Pros and Cons of each style? If you have tried both styles what did you like and didn’t like of each and what are you using now?

Brand recommendations? I'm ok with used too.

Thanks

[Geraldsh]

A trailer frees up your box for more toys- small quad, boat, etc. I recommend buying used first time because as you use it a few times you will discover things that you (or your partner) wish were different . Easier to modify or trade in if you don’t have as much cash sunk into it.

Most brands are quite similar but they come in different levels of quality; the higher the cost the better the quality.

[Kyle]

I have a slide in truck camper and love it. Hook up to boat, quad trailer, enclosed trailer and go. You can also camp pretty much anywhere especially with nothing hooked up (same size as truck)

You will need a bigger truck though, if you go gas 3/4 ton might work for payload and if you go diesel then you will need a 1 ton.

[JB_AOL]

Honestly...rent both, try it for yourself. Rvezy

Imho.. for what you "plan" to do (base camp), I'd get a travel trailer. Don't need a bigger truck, more space, more storage (truck bed).

The advantage to slideins is the mobility of them. Let's say you plan to drive down the coast and stop along the way, you are limited where you can stop with a trailer, not so with a trailer. But that also depends on the length of the trip and # of people.

With that being said, where do you plan on camping? Back country? Govt campground? Lots of gravel roads?

[jayquiver]

Originally Posted by JB_AOL

Honestly...rent both, try it for yourself. Rvezy

Imho.. for what you "plan" to do (base camp), I'd get a travel trailer. Don't need a bigger truck, more space, more storage (truck bed).

The advantage to slideins is the mobility of them. Let's say you plan to drive down the coast and stop along the way, you are limited where you can stop with a trailer, not so with a trailer. But that also depends on the length of the trip and # of people.

With that being said, where do you plan on camping? Back country? Govt campground? Lots of gravel roads?

I plan on camping in Back Country (fishing and hunting) and Gov't campgrounds mainly. Typically in Alberta and B.C. Yes, to gravel roads. The Nash 17K has good clearance so thats a bonus.

[JB_AOL]

Originally Posted by jayquiver

I plan on camping in Back Country (fishing and hunting) and Gov't campgrounds mainly. Typically in Alberta and B.C. Yes, to gravel roads. The Nash 17K has good clearance so thats a bonus.

If that's the case.. I'd go with the Nash, it's a well built trailer that can handle gravel roads. Avoid lightweight crap for gravel.

I still think a trailer is best for basecamp style camping. All it takes is a day or two of rain for anyone to appreciate the room of one. But Mostly because it leaves the truck for toys, ie kayak/canoe/etc, and it means you don't have to unload anything to head out fishing if it's outside of walking distance.

Unless you are thinking of bigger toys in the future.. ie fishing boat, sxs or something that doesn't fit in the back of the truck.

Honestly.. rent one of each..you'll figure it out almost immediately which one works for you best.

[jpohlic]

Sounds like a situation similar to us and we went with a 10' slide-in camper on a GMC 3500HD crew cab gas truck. We towed a 17' ski boat or a utility trailer with kayaks and I used it for hunting every fall and got into some places I wouldn't dream of towing a trailer (and I used to pull a 13' boler behind a modded jeep.... waaaay into the bush!)

The only real downsides I've found to a slide-in camper is going up and down all those steps to get in/out and having to crawl up into bed.

If you get a slide-in make sure to look for one with a north-south bed and a large fridge.

I sold the truck to fund a business expansion but our is still for sale.
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=363796

[sewerrat]

Originally Posted by jpohlic

I used to pull a 13' boler ?t=363796[/url]

I suppose you sold the boler eh?

[bat119]

The problems I had with a slide in was
Every day putting the boat in the lake or going to the store you have to uproot camp.
Crawling up to bed and having to setup the table/bed for the kids if you get up to pee you could step on somebody.
It was always windy when I jacked up the camper to mount on the truck after a couple tense moments I ended up leaving it on.
Backing the boat in the lake was difficult because you can't see the boat until it jackknifed never did get around to putting a hitch on the front.

As others have said try both out see what works for you.

[Geraldsh]

I took an online look at the Nash- a well built trailer, big step up from a tent but still cosy .
You should also buy a new truck anyway; your 1500 will have to pay attention when towing whereas a 2500 will walk away with it, making the drive more enjoyable.

[Albertadiver]

I had an arctic fox 22H. It was bombproof, and I regret selling it for a keystone cougar. You won't go wrong with Nash, which is the same manufacturer as the fox. They are hands down the best RV manufacturer and I've done a TON of research over a number of years. What i like is that they start on a really solid beefy frame and work their way up from there.

[Okotok]

Saw this on the Avia line recently. Looks like a pretty cool unit. A lot of similarities to my 2012 Earthbound which went defunct after 3 years in production. I wouldn't consider it a starter unit unless you're looking at Airstream type pricing. Pretty cool unit though just to show what some of the upper end stuff is like. Only 5000 lbs as well. I think my Earthbound 29' is 4700 lbs dry.

https://www.motor1.com/news/315058/n...n-price-specs/

[Sooner]

Buy a trailer and keep the 1/2 ton. No slides if your going on rough roads. Have a trailer shop flip the axles and get that trailer off the ground for those back woods road ruts and pulling in and out of camp spots.

Some pretty nice floor plans out there these days for smaller length trailers. Hit the RV show to see what you like, then find a used one.


Plus your always hauling the camper everywhere you go and you will most likely still be pulling a trailer to haul gear or machines. Nice to unhook at camp and have a empty truck for whatever comes next.

[Big Grey Wolf]

First stand in the box of your pick-me-up truck. Even if you have full 8 ft box you will only have a 4x8 sheet of plywood, not a very large space. If you want some room buy a trailer, campers only good for 2 people and cost just as much as decent trailer.

[walker1]

I would steer you towards the TT in your case. Good points made about space, weather conditions etc.
The Nash would be built well.
Also, you can never have too much truck. The 1500 series would probably work for the TT. If you decide truck camper, I own a fifth wheel toyhauler, payload is king and tow rating means BS.
I would skip 250 and go 350 as price difference is minimal but gains in payload can be over a thousand pounds.

[glen moa]

My slide in was a pain to get on and off. Heavy. Not much room. But I had to tow my boat. Now I would go with a cargo hauler. Maybe custom build one.

[jstubbs]

Agreed with the others about getting a travel trailer over slide-in camper, for all the same reasons.

I'll tell you right now, especially since you want a smaller unit: look for the one that still has the greatest amount of storage for the size. Anyone who has owned a few RVs will tell you it's a make-or-break feature. And for bush camping for more than just a weekend at a time, it'll be really nice having the space for extra supplies. Check for things like is the under storage pass through, are the interior cabinets in the kitchen area sufficient to hold a full size plate, are there any larger storage spaces inside, etc.

Not to mention, it's much easier to have all your gear loaded in your trailer so you can simply hook up and go, than have to go and each time load and unload gear into your truck, especially since the latter leads to forgetting stuff.

I won't comment on brands as it'd be a conflict of interest on my part, but my advice is find floor plans you like, check them out, and really just start looking at the build quality. It's easy to tell what is built like **** and what actually has some craftsmanship & good materials to it.

[fordtruckin]

I’ve had a 20’ Rpod 178 since 2013. Tow it with my F150 and have taken it into some pretty rough campgrounds. It was just my wife and I until this spring when we added a golden doodle names Winston to our camping clan. Whatever you decide to get brand wise, I agree with all statements of choosing a travel trailer. The 1/2 ton is more than capable of towing it (20’ 4000# wet) AND more importantly stopping it. The only bits of advice I can give are 1, no matter how much storage you think you need, get the next model up storage wise. 2, make sure it has 6volt golf cart batteries, 3, depending how tall you are (>6’) look for a bed that lies front to back not side to side. my Rpod is side to side and I sleep at an angle. Storage wise I ended up rebuilding the bed just so I could have more accessible storage without having to raise the mattress or go outside. This spring I will rebuild the dinet so I can access underneath to avoid having to lift seat cushions etc...

[Bushleague]

I used to have a truck camper, a POS that cost me $500. I now have a nice Arctic Fox trailer that cost me $35000... honestly, I badly miss the camper.

Depends what you want to do, I don't like campgrounds. I like flying under the radar, sleeping in whatever little pullout is handy while on the road or any other place that strikes my fancy. Wherever I can park a truck I can sleep. For some reason a truck camper seems to get a lot less attention than a travel trailer when your trying to keep a low profile, as well you can back out of little dead end dirt roads when you are exploring.

All the best trips I've ever enjoyed were unhurried wandering type deals in my truck camper, where we set off across the country with hardly a destination, and just parked the truck for a few days whenever we found something nice. Trust me, that kind of trip just doesn't work as well with a travel trailer.

[jayquiver]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I used to have a truck camper, a POS that cost me $500. I now have a nice Arctic Fox trailer that cost me $35000... honestly, I badly miss the camper.

Depends what you want to do, I don't like campgrounds. I like flying under the radar, sleeping in whatever little pullout is handy while on the road or any other place that strikes my fancy. Wherever I can park a truck I can sleep. For some reason a truck camper seems to get a lot less attention than a travel trailer when your trying to keep a low profile, as well you can back out of little dead end dirt roads when you are exploring.

All the best trips I've ever enjoyed were unhurried wandering type deals in my truck camper, where we set off across the country with hardly a destination, and just parked the truck for a few days whenever we found something nice. Trust me, that kind of trip just doesn't work as well with a travel trailer.

This is the other option we have thought about...being a dedicated older truck and putting a older slide in camper on it and keeping it on it. We can park on the street and no worry about storage. Downside, another truck to maintain and insure. Also not sure how good older campers and trailers would be in colder temps. I know the Nash and Arctic Fox are rated for 4 Seasons. Not sure what other brand are, Lance i think is.

Having a quick set up for last minute getaways are kind of nice too.

[jpohlic]

Originally Posted by jayquiver

This is the other option we have thought about...being a dedicated older truck and putting a older slide in camper on it and keeping it on it. We can park on the street and no worry about storage. Downside, another truck to maintain and insure. Also not sure how good older campers and trailers would be in colder temps. I know the Nash and Arctic Fox are rated for 4 Seasons. Not sure what other brand are, Lance i think is.

Having a quick set up for last minute getaways are kind of nice too.

This was a key factor in our decision also. We live on a small city lot and the truck fit on our back driveway. If we had chosen a trailer we would have had to pay for storage. It's also nice to come home from a camping trip, plug in the camper and not worry about emptying the fridge every time.

I kept the camper on the truck from early spring to end of hunting season.

[Stinky Buffalo]

RV show in Edmonton starts tomorrow, might be worth having a poke around to see what is out there.

Originally Posted by glen moa

Now I would go with a cargo hauler. Maybe custom build one.

I'm thinking that will be my choice as well.

However, I'm looking at getting a little camperette for the Tundra for excursions where I would be taking my boat. I don't need a washroom, fridge or sink, etc. Just a dry, warm place to sleep with a companion.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Guys forgot to mention the most important dis-advantage of camper. The low ceiling space above the camper bed really cramps your sex life, your wife will not appreciate the lack of performance.

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Guys forgot to mention the most important dis-advantage of camper. The low ceiling space above the camper bed really cramps your sex life, your wife will not appreciate the lack of performance.

Where there's a will, there's a way....

[roper1]

I've owned both, each has their advantages/disadvantages. Slide-in for rough country, trailer for room & mobility. We do prefer the trailer, but will need both trucks to get it & the boat out at the same time. Good luck!

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by jayquiver

This is the other option we have thought about...being a dedicated older truck and putting a older slide in camper on it and keeping it on it. We can park on the street and no worry about storage. Downside, another truck to maintain and insure. Also not sure how good older campers and trailers would be in colder temps. I know the Nash and Arctic Fox are rated for 4 Seasons. Not sure what other brand are, Lance i think is.

Having a quick set up for last minute getaways are kind of nice too.

My old camper was at least as good in cold weather as my arctic fox trailer is. Its a small space and you sleep up near the roof, it took a great deal of care not to cook yourself out. The Arctic fox blows the air through the belly pan to keep you're water thawed, which is less efficient at heating the interior than the more simple system that my camper had.

[jayquiver]

Heading to Calgary next week, I will have a look around while I'm there.

Any other feedback or suggestions or things to look for?

[omega50]

I like these, especially the Polyblock hitch.
https://ca.video.search.yahoo.com/se...77&action=view

[Kurt505]

I’m with JB, rent them. I bought a new trailer for $40k, used it for 4 or 5 years then sold it for $18k. They depreciate as bad as vehicles only with way less use. Plus you have to store it, winterize it, summarize it.

Now I just usually rent a cabin or use a tent. I bought a nice 14x16 highwall tent with a 7’ awning and a wood stove and all the camping gear for around $2500 and I have more room to move than my 32’ trailer. Bring a generator and the only thing you’re missing is a washroom.

[KinAlberta]

We tented for years. Would sometimes take two tents. A cheap pup tent to dive into for an overnighter when it was raining and a big tent for longer stays. Graduated up to a tent trailer and I still miss the ease of pulling it.

Now have a long travel trailer. While I love the slide outs, it’s a pain to tow and maneuver. Stay short to keep things simple.