5er vs. camper

[SRehberg]

We currently have a 27ft 5er that we like a lot, but getting into some campgrounds, small town parking etc etc, it gets difficult. With the Cummins we are running 12-12. 5mpg @ 63mph, which is normal I suppose. What I wanted to ask, directed to camper owner's, how do you find the camper for extended trips and what kind of mileage are you seeing? We are looking at the 11-11. 5ft models that weigh in around 3500-3600lbs. It seems the ability to park in small town parking spaces, a larger selection of camp spots would be attractive. The room in the 5er is nice, so the downside to the camper would be storage, space etc.



I would appreciate any comments either pro or con that you care to share about owning a larger camper. Thanks

 

[swaite]

In an ideal world I would have both. The camper works good for tucked away places and travelling with just me and the wife. The fifth wheel works better when we are going somewhere and planting roots for several days or longer but it is harder to get into many places. We traded the other way when we started taking the Grandkids along with us and needed the space. It really depends on the camping you are doing. If you really find the fifth wheel is limiting you camp ground choices and you don't need sleeping space for more that two to three people, the camper will work well. If I were to get another it would have remote control electric jacks.



Steve

 

[Jumbo Jet]

Two years ago bought an 8' Lance camper. Have taken two trips out west. 4,000 miles each trip. Averaged 14. 5 mpgs driving 65-70 mph.



We bought the 8' Lance to see if we would like it - used for $2,700. No shower and it has a Porta-potty. We loved the size, mileage, and ease of getting in and out of places.



It was our first truck camper. We own a 2003 31' 5th wheel also.



Three weeks ago, I bought a Lance 1030. Weighs 3600 lbs. I drove 800 miles on I-40 between 65-70 mph and averaged 14 mpg for the entire trip. We have camped one weekend in it and really enjoyed it - just for the two of us.



Last weekend, 5 of us camped in the 5th wheel for three days.



I wouldn't want to carry all the kids and grandkid camping in the truck camper, but it sure is nice for the wife and I - well, I would take the grandson with us!!



My wife even commented that we could probably sell the 5th wheel trailer!

 

[SRehberg]

Swaite, I understand what you mean about both are good. Camping spots are not as bad as trying to find places to park in small towns etc that we like to stop or sight seeing places. It's like they don't think about the length involved when a truck/trailer pulls in. The room in the 5er is unbeatable and not a fair comparison to the camper, they are different. That's why I wondered how the smaller space worked for togetherness. Usually it is just the wife and I and our fuzzy Newfoundland who takes more room than both of us.



Jumbo Jet, I appreciate your comments on the mileage and the enjoyment of the camper. I see your signature indicates you have a 2500 4X4 carrying the camper; mine is 2WD but the load capacity is roughly within 500lbs. Do you find any problems carrying the 3600lb Lance?



I would think the electric jacks would be a nice option.



Thanks for the help

 

[DPelletier]

I'm not going to preach to you about being overweight, but a couple of points to consider;



- what is camper weight? Dry weight? wet weight? laden wet weight? Many RV manufacturers weights are suspect. My camper dry weight is about 2,200 lbs. Fully loaded with gear, water, propane, etc. it's 3214 lbs.



- my last truck was a 2001. 5 2500 QC, LWB, 4x4, camper special that I moddified with custom overload springs and Rancho RS9000 shocks. Drove the rig from Kelowna, B. C. Canada to Gonzaga Bay, Baja, Mexico and back and decided to buy a new dually. My new 3500 DRW is much more stable with the camper on than the SRW. I won't be going back to a SRW as long as I have a slide-in.



- A small utility trailer can help with the gear. A trailer typically carries a max of 15% of its weight on the tongue, so you can carry 1500 lbs of "stuff" and only affect the trucks GVWR by 150 - 225 lbs.



- we went from a 24' trailer to the 9. 5' camper and are pretty happy with it since we boondock alot. Each has thier advantages; there is no perfect RV.



Make sure you know what you're getting into.



Cheers,

Dave

 

[SRehberg]

We just came back from looking at the Lance camper line, where we noticed the weights (dry) as spec'd by the mfg. , were running 3500-3600lbs. Like was mentioned, if anyone else's rig ends up like ours, they get heavy. The campers were really nice, especially with the slideouts, giving ample room.



Along those lines, can a 2500 be converted to a 3500 with the addition of rear axle, springs, front calipers, wheels etc? My concern would be the frame, I have heard they are the same.



Tomorrow we are heading to look at the Alpenlite line as well as Big Foot. The Artic Fox is nice as well, lots to choose from. They run more $$$ than I thought, but still nice outfits.

 

[DPelletier]

My advice;



- a SRW 3500 isn't a dually. Nothing short of another set of wheels will make a huge difference.



- I give the Bigfoot 2 big thumbs up. Between us and our friends we have 4 of them and have only good things to say.



- Don't go any larger than a 25C9. 5 with a SRW truck and even then, pack light.



- I would definitely stay under 2500 lbs dry with a SRW.



Dave

 

[Bill Stockard]

My wife even commented that we could probably sell the 5th wheel trailer!

Yep, that's exactly what we did in '00... sold our 31' two slide-out Hitchhiker fifth wheel and have never missed it. Now our RV can go anywhere the truck goes and U-turns have never been easier. We've been sight seeing in downtown in cities like Charleston, Savannah, and St. Augustine with the camper on the truck without a problem. We don't have to make reservations at RV parks because we can take the back-in sites that are too short for the other big RVs. We park overnight at small city and county parks because we don't have to worry about our height and length. Our kitchen and bathroom is always with us and we enjoy lunch stops in cool air-conditioned comfort.



The truck and camper combination is like a small motorhome, but without the motorhome hassles. The Dodge CTD 3500 dually makes an excellent "camper hauler".



Bill

 

[K5IP]

We also became tired of a larger (28 ft Jayco with slide) and opted for a smaller rig.

We got a 21 ft Nash, no slide. raised the axels so we could get into rough areas.

The Jayco weighed about 9000 lb wet and the new Nash weighs about 5000 wet.

Hugh difference, we miss the extra size, though not much, but love the lighter weight.

Mileage did not change that much though. Jayco average on a trip to Alaska was about 11. 5. Nash on the same trip was 13. 5.

Still, the smaller trailer gets us into the back woods, and it is much more fun to drive.

My 95 4x4 really can't support much in weight in the bed, hence the choice for a 5th whl.

Rog

 

[SRehberg]

We checked out the Lance campers, Alpenlites, Big Foot and some others we were not familiar with today. Prices seem all over the place with the same unit, but we are starting to narrow it down to the Alpenlite or Lance models. We like the idea of being able to do small town stops without having to find something 50ft long to park in. This has been the major drawback. As far as comfort, the 5er wins hands down, but we don't go somewhere just to park. The camper is looking like a better choice all the time.



Now I need to see what a dually runs or to convert mine over to a 1 ton. Nothing is simple.

 

[Grizzly]

We had a 29' 5er. Switched to 11' 3" Lance in '98. We like it much better, it's easier to haul, park and mileage. You do need the right truck under it and you don't have the space in it compare to the 5er. Camper cost less. Lots of pros and cons, all depends on your needs.

 

[catoiler]

Campers good and bad.

Good--everything on your back and can tow a boat or whatnot behind you with ease.



Bad--everything on your back,if you did not tow the car behind you,you pack everything up to go to town or wearever.



I have done both and have a Lance 10' in the backyard and have not used it in 4 yrs. I like the trailer a lot better and have not found to many places that have been a problem to get into. I guess it comes down to personal choice.

 

[geusterman]

We went from Class A motorhomes to a BigFoot camper. Motorhomes, as you may know, are from Satan. Campers much better. Wherever I am... there I am. Don't HAVE to go anywhere for the night. George.

 

[SRehberg]

I appreciate the view points and we have been looking at a TON of campers. It starts to get confusing with all the different features. My biggest problem at the moment is my 2500 can't carry the load, so that means I need to find a 3500. I would like to get a 12v with decent mileage on it. I love the space in the trailer, but for our style of traveling, I think the camper maybe the answer. Anyone have any problems with Alpenlite or Lance?



Thanks

 

[Boomer II]

I've got a Bigfoot 10. 6 on a 97 dually, space is OK for two, but that's about it. We have brought a big dog along and it's not too bad, you just have to step over him a lot. I owned an Alpenlite some years ago and liked it pretty well, I believe they have an aluminum frame. I'm usually towing a Jeep or Tractor, so my mileage runs around 11mpg. Head and crosswinds suck, but that pretty much applies to any camper.

 

[ralbert]

We bought a 1995 945 Lance new in 95 and throught we would use it until we went to Alaska. After the Alaska trip we plained to trade it on a 5th to use as a winter home in the sun. After returning from 13000 miles of Alaska trip in 2002 we decided not to sell the TC and just go buy a 32' 5th. The 5th is in the barn and the TC is washed and ready to head to Maine. Two of our freinds who always owned 5th's have since gone and purchased used TC's. If you can find a way to own both, it will not get much better than that. I also second the idea of a daully for a big TC. Even with four rear tires I know I have a load. Front axle 4420, rear 7160, tgross 11580. Remember we are limited to only two sets of brakes with a TC. Weight is a major factor. Rob

 

[SRehberg]

It would be nice to keep both, but alas the budget dictates one or the other. I was just in the 5er tonight and it is going to be hard to give up the room but I think for our style of traveling the camper maybe the better choice. I had just purchased one of the Easy Rider air hitches which takes all the jarring, bounce out of the trailer to tow vehicle. We towed to Canada and back one time, so an expensive one time trip hitch. Thanks for the reply.

 

[dresslered]

I have always enjoyed the outdoors, but as I've gotten older, I've found that I really must have a nice bed to sleep in, a shower, and cold beer. The camper offers all that. Most of my time is spent outside of it anyway. I can pretty much take it wherever a car can go and I am not confined to the parking lots. Of all the campers that I looked at, I was the most impressed with the Bigfoot 3000. The drawbacks are that it is a very heavy unit (lots of insulation and double-pane glass). Another real advantage with the slide-in is that there is no registration and insurance is dirt cheap since it is considered an extension of the truck regardless of whether it is on the truck or not. I think I pay an extra $60/year. The training wheels on the 3500 are a "must have" unless you go with an ultra-light.



P. S. My mileage drops from 15. 5mpg empty to about 11. 5mpg with the barn.

 

[SRehberg]

Thanks for the reply. We just got back from Hollywood where we purchased a Lance Max w/slide as it seemed to offer a lot of room. I hated to give up my 5er but fighting the parking situation became a real issue. We could never take anything extra with us (kayaks, building materials to our cabin etc) as the bed was used up with the hitch etc. We looked at the Big Foot campers and even the largest one my head brushed the ceiling. With the Lance, I have a few inches above my head. This particular unit weighs around 4400lbs wet w/o whatever we toss in... to much for a 3500?

 

[dresslered]

This particular unit weighs around 4400lbs wet w/o whatever we toss in... to much for a 3500?

Yes, it weighs too much from a legal standpoint. My Bigfoot weighs the same. So what truck were these campers intended for? Last I checked, the F450 doesn't come with a pickup bed. I made it a condition upon my purchase that I test drove the camper first. I drove it straight to the scales and knew exactly what I was getting into. The truck handles the load just fine. The exhaust brake gives more than enough stopping power. I always run the best tires and make sure that they are properly inflated. I have seen many much more overloaded vehicles than mine, but I suppose that isn't complete justification. Just take it easy and enjoy. Sounds like you found a great camper.



P. S. Make sure you use some nice heavy-duty frame mounted camper tie-downs such as the Tork-Lift. Also, you might want to throw a heavy duty polyurethane horse mat into the bed for that extra bit of padding. Where's your cabin at?