Whenever you are looking to camp in an RV, there are plenty of options that you will be faced with. For instance, single-unit motor homes are large enough for the entire family and make for comfortable traveling.
Truck campers tend to be limited in space, and as such, they are not suited to all kinds of scenarios.
However, there are many reasons to avoid truck campers which we get to look at in more detail in this article.
Following are some of the reasons why you should not be thinking about getting yourself a truck camper.
Reasons to Avoid Truck Campers
Lets see some of the primary reasons why you should avoid truck campers and probably be go for something that better.
1. They are Expensive
Generally, truck campers are more expensive per square foot than other kinds of RVs. A brand new truck camper usually costs between $8000 and $40000, but on some occasions, they are known to go as high as $80000.
For a used truck camper, you will be lucky to get from between $1000 and $25000 based on its current condition, how long it has been used, features, and even the brand itself.
The truck camper also requires that you have a large enough truck to carry it. If you do not own such a truck, you will be faced with additional expenses, which means that you will have to incur other costs in addition to the already high price of the truck camper itself.
Additionally, you will have a larger payload for your truck, so not all trucks will be suitable for the job. The car will need to have a greater capacity to carry cargo.
The cargo you hold in your truck camper will also contribute to the overall payload of the truck camper, which usually depends on what you will be doing.
For instance, kitchen supplies, fresh water, propane tanks, batteries, and camper accessories might contribute more weight, and as such, your choice of the truck will be limited. You will need a powerful truck that can take on the camper’s weight in addition to all the contents inside the camper.
2. Bad Gas Mileage
Combining the weight of the truck that will be used to carry the truck camper and the camper itself, you have a much higher GVW than the original truck weight. This is an important thing to have in mind since the gas mileage of the final setup will depend on how much you intend to carry with you.
Packing a lot means you will have more weight, and as such, you will not get the same gas mileage as you would with an empty truck.
These are additional factors that most people don’t realize until they have run out of gas while in the middle of the highway.
You must account for the extra weight of the contents of the truck camper and have enough gas to power you through the journey.
Reduced gas mileage is what you get when you have a truck camper and when you opt for the other alternatives, you will not experience this.
For instance, motor homes allow you to tow a commuter car, and there are travel trailers that you can separate from the vehicle that is towing them for much-improved gas mileage.
You also don’t have the freedom to separate the truck camper from the truck once you have arrived at the campsite since you risk knocking the entire camper over.
If you are conservative with how you intend to spend fuel on your adventure, you will have to consider alternatives, such as a home that can be towed behind your truck, since these will not use up as much fuel as the truck camper on top of your truck.
3. Not as Comfortable as other RVs
Owing to the limited space and the design of the truck camper, you will not be as comfortable as you would be in the traditional camper or motor home.
The entire space gets confined to the size of your truck bed, so there is not much room to move your legs.
You will also notice that living in the truck camper is much more complicated since the limited space makes it easy to clutter things and leave them in a mess. You will also feel cramped and out of space when traveling with your pets or other people.
The limited space also means that you will have limited accessories to carry with you, so restocking will be done more often.
This calls for more stops than you would have anticipated, and you will have to plan out meals and think carefully about buying perishable items.
If you value comfort when traveling, you should consider getting yourself a camper that does not sit on the bed of your truck.
4. Lack of Full Bathroom or Kitchen
Truck campers tend to be small in size, and as such, you do not have the pleasure of having a full kitchen or a bathroom. There may be a portable toilet, but you do not get to have the liberty of having full-sized features.
The constraint of these facilities might be another reason you resort to other, more spacious alternatives.
The inconvenience is also not pleasant for your camping, and if you love to cook your meals whenever you are traveling, the truck camper is not an ideal option for you.
The lack of a full-sized kitchen also limits your food choices, and an essential factor will cut down your menu.
With a full-size kitchen, you can easily prepare full-course meals and have them hot and delicious within hours.
A smaller kitchen means you will only be able to heat pre-cooked meals or small meals that are limited in their nutrition range and how good you will feel eating them.
5. They Don’t have ACs or Hot Water Tanks
Truck campers mostly do not have air conditioning since the unit tends to be bulky and would require a lot of space to be installed. For this reason, you will need other alternatives and means of cooling when traveling during the hotter months of the year.
A heavy water heater will also not be available or even viable for your truck camper since it tends to be quite bulky and will add to the overall payload of your truck camper. Without it, you will be unable to bathe while on the road.
This means you will have to find alternative venues to show, such as at a gym and the occasional hot or cold shower when you are resting for the night.
The lack of such amenities could be another reason for not getting yourself a truck camper while on the road. The other alternatives tend to have more space, and as such, the installation of such amenities is simple and will not be an inconvenience for you.
6. Minimal storage space
The compact design of the truck campers is what they are known for, not their abundant space. The limited footage of the truck camper reduces the available living area, and the storage space is also affected by this space shortage.
Whenever you intend to travel a long distance where you will be required to bring plenty of supplies, you will be frustrated when you have a truck camper with you.
Your hobby might require that you carry a lot of bulky gears, and whenever you opt for the truck camper, you might have to leave a lot of that gear behind when traveling.
The truck camper sitting in the truck bed brings the lack of storage space, and as such, there is little room left for anything other than your essential possessions and a bit of supply.
7. They are Elevated
Truck campers tend to sit in elevated truck beds, so you will have a tedious time trying to get into one. Most truck campers will have a small ladder or steps to help you, but these aren’t as strong as you would like. As such, getting into the truck camper tends to be difficult for most, owing to their elevated nature.
You will have to climb much more than you are comfortable, which often leads to a tiresome experience. Getting to the truck bed also means a bit of climbing, and the combined climbing you will have to engage in when getting into the truck camper will be very tedious for most people.
If you tend to get tired very quickly and are not as athletic as most, the truck camper will be a massive challenge since you will be forced to climb each time you need to get in. This is a reason to avoid the truck campers.
8. Bulky and Difficult to Maneuver
Due to their relatively smaller size, the truck campers are not as stable as larger RVs, and they can also be quite challenging to maneuver. This is evident when traveling in a tight space where the space to move around is much more limited than you are comfortable with.
You should also be aware of the weight of the camper since overloading the camper can cause some severe damage.
Ensuring that the weight is evenly distributed in the camper is essential to prevent tipping over and to damage the tires on your truck.
The height also means that you will not be able to get into some garages owing to their setups.
As such, getting repairs will be complicated, and you will have difficulty finding a fitting garage that can take care of your truck camper repair or maintenance.
9. They are Difficult to Load and Unload
Loading and unloading the truck camper can be a little hectic and will also take a long time. Unhitching a trailer is much simpler and takes less time, but you must undo all the straps and lower the camper legs when you are unloading your truck camper.
Additionally, you might accidentally knock over the camper when you are unloading, damaging your items and making it more difficult for you to get the truck camper back up.
It also takes a bit of practice and might be difficult for you when traveling alone. You will have to learn to unload and load, which you might have to think about before purchasing.
10. It is a Challenge when You Break Down with a Truck Camper
Mechanical issues and breakdowns always happen, which is not uncommon when you have a truck camper. However, they are more challenging in such conditions since you will need to find a means of towing it to the nearest repair ship.
The camper might also need to be carried separately in another vehicle, and when the repair is taking place, you will not be allowed to sleep in the truck camper. It will also cost you more for repairs and towing the truck and the camper separately when you break down while traveling. You would be required to transport the two separately and the bill could be quite enormous.
Also, the garage or repair shop would have to charge you for both components which could mean dealing with huge bills. In the event of a breakdown, such bills are totally unforeseen and are just plain inconveniencing.
With a trailer, towing both at the same time is possible and you won’t have to wait as long for the repairs and other maintenance tasks to be completed.
For this reason, it is much better to look for alternative RV options that are more convenient and less stressful than truck campers. There are plenty of good choices, such as travel trailers and motor homes, which give you more space and features than you would get with the truck camper.
Conclusion
Before purchasing a truck camper for your next outdoor adventure on the road, you should carefully consider the above reasons.
It would be much easier to avoid the truck campers in the first place and buy alternatives that are easier to move around, cheaper, and more spacious.
In many cases for many of us there are other better options to choose, of course with some considerations and factors. A compact Class B Motorhome or a less priced Class C Motorhome can be better options. If you are okay with pulling the RV behind then spacious travel trailer or little high end fifth wheel are much better for longer duration camping need.
Hopefully, this article gave you more insight into truck campers and how they may not suitable for you.
