Truck/ Bus Campers

Now we're talking! If comfort and go anywhere grunt is your thing, a truck camper is your thing.

And if money is no object,  you really can have the best of both worlds with comfort and remote adventure. But if we peel back the budget, there's a very wide range of options, with vehicles ranging from a four wheel drive bus, to trucks.

What are essentially RV motorhomes, the camper is generally mounted on the chassis. Some mount  a slide on camper on the back of a truck tray, but essentially that would come under the slide on category.

One of the biggest limitations of the regular four wheel drive ute (Ford Rangers, Mazda BT50’s, Isuzu Dmax, Toyota Hilux) is the payload weight. Payloads of ute based 4wd campers on the road are typically near their maximum or in many cases over the legal GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) weight limit.

A truck however gives you the freedom to be far more generous with your camper fit out and what you take with you, which all adds up to extra weight. Comparing a truck camper to a ute based 4wd camper is like comparing a house to a minimalistic living cottage.

But the benefit of a truck camper is also its disadvantage. The bigger the size, the less flexibility such as limited options for parking, maneuverability and cost of running.  And if you find yourself bogged on the beach, desperate for a helping tow, your chances of help are minimal. Simply because you need the pulling power of another truck to help you. Unlike utes, there’s just not as many other trucks around.

Also truck campers can take a much longer time to sell, given the smaller market.

summary...

Pros: The bigger the truck the more comfort. Payload and therefore features and comfort can be stretched to whatever size truck you have. Has all the agility of a regular four wheel drive. For example, thinking out there, if you fixed a mobile home on the back of a military truck, I'm sure you would appreciate there's no where it couldn't go. 

Cons: A truck is a truck so you can never expect the same driving comfort compared to your regular four wheel drive ute. 

 


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