The sun crests over the mountains to the east, illuminating a winding trail that leads down into this pristine valley. Four sides of craggy peaks surround a verdant meadow cut by a serene stream, and there we are, right in the middle of it.
We’re in our F-250 with a Scout Campers Kenai truck-bed camper. We absolutely love this setup. It’s rugged, nimble, and quite comfortable. It has taken us to some incredible locations, like the one I’ve described here.
So, the conclusion of this camper selection process seems pretty obvious–we’re getting another slide-in camper before we hit the road full-time, right?
Not so fast…
We’re not buying a truck camper (well, kind of)
Our travel history points a strong finger toward a truck camper being the ideal camper for us. We’ve spent well over a year (I did the math) sleeping in rooftop tents and our minimalist Scout Camper. We have the experience, and we clearly have a preference.
Our Scout Camper took us on many adventures, including to the stunningly unique landscape of Craters of the Moon National Monument.
It may come as a surprise, then, that we are not getting another slide-in camper. Despite their many advantages, which I will happily dive into in a moment, there are a few deal-breaking compromises that deterred us from jumping head-first into a larger slide-in truck camper.
The benefits of slide-in truck campers
Let’s get one thing straight–we love truck campers. Sure, they have their shortcomings, but golly–there’s just something special about them. So, when we get to the reasons we’re not buying a slide-in camper, keep that in mind. We genuinely adore these mobile habitats.
What exactly do we love about them? I’m glad you asked. It’s a long and compelling list, and dadgum if it didn’t almost push us in that direction again.
Mobility. Other than certain Class B RVs and vans, truck campers are likely the most mobile camper option out there. They don’t require that you tow anything, they can be quite compact. Throw in the wheelbase of a truck, and you have a pretty mobile package that allows you to navigate city streets and parking lots with relative ease.
Capability. A slide-in camper is just about as capable as the truck it is on. If you have an extremely capable truck with a high degree of off-road ability, you’ll be able to take your camper practically anywhere. Just watch out for low branches!
Removable. Setting up base camp or pausing travel for a while? Simply remove the camper, and you have a truck to use for all your daily driving needs. This is a tremendous benefit for those of us with only one vehicle, and while you may not remove it often when traveling, the option is worth noting.
Upgrade the camper, the truck, or both. Unlike RVs, which are all-in-one units, truck campers allow you to separate the camper from the truck at any time, sell one or both, and upgrade as you see fit. So, if you outgrow your current camper or your truck has engine problems, you can easily change it up without selling the entire setup.
The argument against truck campers
If you’ve read the other blogs in this series, you can probably sense that we are most enthusiastic about truck campers. It’s fair, then, to question why we’re deciding against a slide-in truck camper.
The truth is, we came dadgum close to replicating our former truck camper build, just with something a bit bigger. When we got close to making that choice, there were a few key considerations that deterred us, ultimately steering us in a different direction.
As much as we loved our Scout Kenai, it did have some shortcomings.
Cramped interiors and minimal floor space
The greatest weakness of truck campers (in our humble opinion) is the fact that they sit between the wheel wells of a truck bed. This, along with the sides of the bed, severely limit floor space and interior room. While these compromises are fine for shorter trips (and the benefits arguably offset them entirely), they were a deal-breaker for us when considering full-time living.
The narrow walkway within the camper is reason enough to reconsider, especially if you have a rather sturdy pup that likes to stretch out as long as possible. So, blame this one on Chowder if you have to.
Difficult to use as a base camp
While you can technically remove most truck campers and use them as a base camp, the process is tedious and dangerous. Unless you are in a single location for quite some time, it’s unlikely that you will go through the hassle of removing and reloading the camper. This is not a huge concern of ours, but it is worth mentioning.
No pass-through to the cab
Because truck campers are not a single unit, there is no way to move from the camper to the truck without exiting. Again, this is not a tremendous negative to us, but it is a downside, especially if the weather is temperamental or, God forbid, you find yourself in a sketchy situation where safety is a concern.
There are better options (we think so, at least)
If you’re looking at our list of truck camper cons and thinking it looks awfully short and unconvincing, we agree with you. That’s why the camper we ended up buying is in the same family as a slide-in truck camper–call it a distant cousin.
Stay tuned for the final piece of this countdown to our new camper. We’re excited to share our new home with you and hope that you’ll follow along as we embrace the adventure of full-time travel in 2025.
In the meantime, please connect with us. We want nothing more than to grow our community, learn from those who have more experiences than us, and make some genuine connections along the way! Drop a comment below or follow us on your favorite social media platform. We’d love to have you join our little family.