I'm going to retire in 6 to 12 months and thinking a truck camper would be a fun way to see some areas of the country I have never visited (national parks, etc. out west and northeast). I've done a good bit of wilderness backbacking and truck camping with tents/hammocks off the beaten path, but have never owned an RV or spent much time in more structured campgrounds. A truck camper seems the right fit for me as I think my adventures would include stays at both formal campgrounds as a basecamp for hiking/backpacking and a truck camper should also be able to do some light offroading to backcountry locations. I tentatively see just myself going on these excursions alone with the wife and dog coming along on occasional trips. When she retires a few years later perhaps we can upgrade to something that will provide more creature comforts I think she will want.
I have a halfton 4x4 but it has the shorter 69" truck bed, so I think I might shop around to replace it with a used 2500/250 class truck with a longer bed. I probably would want a used truck camper too but there are not many around me. I plan to go to a RV dealer about 1.5 hours away in a bigger city just to familiarize myself with basic truck camper features (assuming they sell them there, haven't checked) and then continue shopping for a used truck camper within a couple hours drive. I recognize I don't know much about them, especially if there are better brands to search for and less desirable brands to avoid. I figure autotrader.com (if they still exist) and Facebook Marketplace would be 2 key places to start watching.
I have searched rvshare and outdoorsy for a truck camper to rent and experience first hand but there is nothing remotely close to me. Any suggestions about how to figure out more what I want including brands to target and things to look for/watch out for?
I have a halfton 4x4 but it has the shorter 69" truck bed, so I think I might shop around to replace it with a used 2500/250 class truck with a longer bed. I probably would want a used truck camper too but there are not many around me. I plan to go to a RV dealer about 1.5 hours away in a bigger city just to familiarize myself with basic truck camper features (assuming they sell them there, haven't checked) and then continue shopping for a used truck camper within a couple hours drive. I recognize I don't know much about them, especially if there are better brands to search for and less desirable brands to avoid. I figure autotrader.com (if they still exist) and Facebook Marketplace would be 2 key places to start watching.
I have searched rvshare and outdoorsy for a truck camper to rent and experience first hand but there is nothing remotely close to me. Any suggestions about how to figure out more what I want including brands to target and things to look for/watch out for?
