Vanlifers or Cab over 4WD pick-up?

[Pico]

All these POS sh!t Sprinter Vans driven by Asians from Garden Grove and Retirees from Temecula. Fucking Choades.

Back in the day you got a van and laid down some shag and built in a cooler and went out to the desert to fuck. Now these tards in the Vanlifer Vehicles never let them see dirt. They just want to be seen doing what they think they are supposed to be doing. They never washed a dish in that thing. It has no real off road capability. They drive it to their destination and then stay at the Westin.

Fuck get a 4WD truck with a bithchen camper and go where you want to go and way more room in the interior with the cab over sleeper. Carry more sh!t with a higher torquing trans (Let alone get out of sh!t). Parking the same you fucking Vanlife Queens. I fucking hate you.


Thank you.

 

[Sharky]

lmao off at the shag carpets and bean bags. Probably 5 layers of carpet padding under the shag. The proverbial fuck-truck. Good times.

 

[Clayster]

All these POS sh!t Sprinter Vans driven by Asians from Garden Grove and Retirees from Temecula. Fucking Choades.

Back in the day you got a van and laid down some shag and built in a cooler and went out to the desert to fuck. Now these tards in the Vanlifer Vehicles never let them see dirt. They just want to be seen doing what they think they are supposed to be doing. They never washed a dish in that thing. It has no real off road capability. They drive it to their destination and then stay at the Westin.

Fuck get a 4WD truck with a bithchen camper and go where you want to go and way more room in the interior with the cab over sleeper. Carry more sh!t with a higher torquing trans (Let alone get out of sh!t). Parking the same you fucking Vanlife Queens. I fucking hate you.


Thank you.

How much would that rig cost? Not the shagging van.

 

[manbearpig]

It’s doable, the pop up camper is definitely cheaper than the tricked out van lifers but can definitely get expensive quick if you balled out. Best decision I ever made. The most accessible price wise is a fiberglass cap, which I’ve always had in my trucks. In some ways i miss it

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Proverbial fuck truck was the name of your mom in high school

 

[Aruka]

I'm on team truck camper but I do see the appeal of vans. No setup required. Pull over and crawl into bed. More room for boards, bikes, etc. indoors. Better mpg in most cases.

The dealbreaker for me is the lack of true 4wd in most vans. I can take the tundra/hawk into some pretty remote places and get away from all the sprinter vans.

Just like @manbearpig I did the truck cap setup for years before I got the pop up camper. First in a tacoma and then in my current tundra. Definitely something to be said for the simplicity and, escpecially in the tacoma, the offroadability. More of a one person type setup though unless your lady is a real trooper.

Hard to imagine going back now that ive experienced the luxury of cooking indoors when its cold/raining/windy.

The next step up for me when this Tundra dies is possibly a full sized truck (f250 etc) with a flatbed version of the hawk so I can have more storage and a better floor layout as well as enough payload to carry my dirt bike and more water/fuel.

 

[SteveT]

Wife and I have been talking about getting an RV.
She has to have a bathroom of some sort.
Me, not an issue. But I want her to be comfortable.
We think the best of both worlds would be a cab-over camper. Not too big though.
I like the idea of pulling into a spot with hookups -or not- and jacking the rig up and pulling the truck out from under for mobility. Day-trip/wood gathering/propane refill, head to the store, etc.
Something like this set-up.

 

[Sharky]

After you have jacked the camper up and gone for a drive without it, how hard is it to get the camper back ON the truck and secured?

 

[hammies]

A guy a couple blocks down the street from me has one of these:

 

[manbearpig]

After you have jacked the camper up and gone for a drive without it, how hard is it to get the camper back ON the truck and secured?

Super easy, just take it slow. Mine has barely any tolerance between wheel wells but as long as you stop a few times to make sure things are lining up you’ll be fine.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Transit trail looks cool but 70k just to start.

I think I’d rather put a 4 wheel camper on a truck

 

[Sharky]

Super easy, just take it slow. Mine has barely any tolerance between wheel wells but as long as you stop a few times to make sure things are lining up you’ll be fine.

You have a backup camera?

 

[manbearpig]

You have a backup camera?

Unfortunately not right now since it was on the tailgate. It’s on the to do list to put one on with the camper but it’s pretty low on the list for me.

 

[Pico]

A guy a couple blocks down the street from me has one of these:

View attachment 172611

Do you live invthe SF Castro or Garden Grove. Torqueless beast. Great for the highway and city Just keep it on the road

 

[Pico]

Unfortunately not right now since it was on the tailgate. It’s on the to do list to put one on with the camper but it’s pretty low on the list for me.

I put one on the wife's RV and my 250. Pretty cheap and easy

 

[One-Off]

My ride has been a VW Vanagon for about 20 years. I kind of want a ride that can do the speed limit in Utah- 80mph, meaning everyone in going closer to 90.




I would lean towards the van. I've looked into both. Actually I'd go for just a pick and a tent, but that rules out off season camping and grizzly country. Cost wise,a van and a pick and pop up camper are about the same- a new full size 4WD truck and the pop up rigs are not cheap. For me the advantage of the van is for off season camping. It seems easier to insulate and heat. And you don't have to get out. Like Aruka said, you just park and walk back and do what you're going to do. Easier to go stealth too.

I don't like the tall ones. I'd get a low roof (Still has 5'-5" headroom so my wife- aka cook- can still stand up inside). I'd get something kind of low key like this-



Sprinter diesels get over 20mpg highway.

I don't need an expedition vehicle. We just go to campgrounds and the remote areas we go to by foot.

 

[scdad]

I just started looking at the pop-up campers. You guys stoked me out on liking yours. I wasn't sure if they would be good for camping with my vanlifer friend on his baja trips. Anyone know anything about Topo-Toppers in Ventura. I didn't realize my stupid short bed F150 has a low payload and limits the campers when I bought it. Doh. So I think the pop-ups are the thing I need. Do they hold up decently with wind with the canvas walls?

 

[manbearpig]

I just started looking at the pop-up campers. You guys stoked me out on liking yours. I wasn't sure if they would be good for camping with my vanlifer friend on his baja trips. Anyone know anything about Topo-Toppers in Ventura. I didn't realize my stupid short bed F150 has a low payload and limits the campers when I bought it. Doh. So I think the pop-ups are the thing I need. Do they hold up decently with wind with the canvas walls?

The canvas holds fine. Have spent many stormy winter nights, one night having 50-60mph winds I swear one gust broke 60; it sounded like a freight train.

four wheel campers makes the raven for short beds.

 

[Aruka]

When its blowing 40+ you are not sleeping well in a pop up camper. I can only speak to the 4wheel brand and it has held up fine in some pretty gnarly winds. Would much rather be in a van on those nights though.

The more simple pop up wedge campers that mount to the bedrails do have a certain appeal if you are going offroad alot or just dont want to drive a big camper. Also allow you to use your truck for some truck stuff without taking them off. Some of them seem expensive for what they are but I havent gone down the rabbit hole researching them.

 

[JKordel]

Plenty of pros/cons for each with a lot of good points above. I built out an AWD Ford Transit & it works for me & my wife. If it is just me it is hard to beat the cost & simplicity of a toyota sienna minivan. But definitely not as comfy & you're cooking and out in the elements most of the time. When it's wet & cold I think the vans are more comfortable. The Ford has a pretty good balance of city stealth & light offroad capability. I like that bikes, boards, skis etc go inside. Many years ago I had a westy. Mostly I loved it but sleeping w/ the top up not really a good option when really cold & wet.