Ski RV's, who's sleeping in parking lots?

[stoepstyle]

Can I get your guy' opinions on the pros and cons of a van vs. a truck with a DIY cabover camper? I searched

[Trackhead]

Can I get your guy' opinions on the pros and cons of a van vs. a truck with a DIY cabover camper? I searched

4wd is the obvious one, unless you have the rare 4wd van to work with.

[somerandomskinner]

recently spent a week driving around the NE in the truck and skiing some fun lines


Trip report can be seen here

still need to post up pics of how we built the platform....have them around here somewhere.

[El Chupacabra]

Ford Raptor + Phoenix camper:
http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/2...oenix-campers/

Lots of $ just to be able to sleep in the back of a pickup truck...

[counterfeitfake]

Ford Raptor + Phoenix camper:
http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/2...oenix-campers/

Lots of $ just to be able to sleep in the back of a pickup truck...

Yeah, I'm not going to say it's not cool, because it is cool. But

Jim also wanted the extra security of a locked tail gate behind the camper.

Sounds like the guy has more money than common sense.

[That was Pontus]

Sounds like the guy has more money than common sense.

Shit looks secure to me...



....don't tell Jim about the big ass window on one side.

[El Chupacabra]

Tailgates are handy though (cooking, etc.).

Don't those Fords have a pull-out step from the tailgate? That would be a nice feature for climbing up onto the tailgate, and then into the camper.

[anemic]

Survey says I'm finding a lot of downsides as follows.

Ambulances seem really cool at first but are subject to a short duration of severe service (abusive treatment but thats how I want my ambulance ride to go - drive it like you stole it please!) & are overbuilt for rolling, so they are heavy & consequently ponderous to drive. Decommissioning the cabinetry and the electrics looks like a massive project. On the tight side for a family of four for a ski week. Really difficult to modify that tough frame - for example to add a cab over or more height.

A short bus skoolie looks intriguing at first but a lot of guys wives quickly grow tired of looking at a schoolbus project in the driveway, it then goes away to hide in the woods untouched, then he gets back to it a year later - it costs more good ski money and way more time & effort than he thought.

Class C motorhomes have come WAY down with the economy. Might be the best most practical solution. There are no Class C diesels except newer hi$$ models. So we are talking about a V10 gasser with 10 mpg at best with a possibility of single digit mpgs. So a 1,000 mile trip burns 100 gallons of gas! The greenie weenie in me says no. A Class A is easier to find with a diesel, however they are so huge that you can expect less than 10 mpg still!

How about a shuttle project? Examples; a casino bus, airport shuttle, hotel shuttle, from 16 to 20+ passengers. Lots of windows. Rear HVAC. Sometimes can get dually rear axle & sometimes even two axles, either of which I think might drive better for stability. Can easily find diesel Ford 350 & 450 chassis. Seems like these might drive alright in skiville, or outside of skiville better yet as a trailhead access platform and over passes without too much terror. I think one could equip it quite easily as a 12 month living quarters w/everything necessary and nothing you don't need. Are you better off than a Class C which you are basically engineering? Possibly. You have the diesel. It's like the Ambulance project without the significant decommissioning. I think you have a prayer at 16, 18 possibly even 20 mpg. I have seen a hotel shuttle with Blizzaks, which probably makes more sense than a Ujoint AWD kit for on-road intentions and lighter off-roading on mellow dirt & fire roads. How do they drive with a moderate load?

Invite your input please.

[counterfeitfake]

You CAN occasionally find a diesel class C rig.

The BEST option would be a high-top or pop-top camper van with a diesel motor and 4x4. And you could build one! Time is money.

I've put a ridiculous amount of thought into this (and very little action) and decided a 4x4 diesel truck with a camper was the best option, for a lazy guy like me with no garage.

[El Chupacabra]

I've put a ridiculous amount of thought into this (and very little action) and decided a 4x4 diesel truck with a camper was the best option, for a lazy guy like me with no garage.

I've daydreamed plenty about this too.

1) Money no object, space no object: something enormous like this:
http://globalxvehicles.com/vehicles/

2) Back in the realm of someday possibility, though realistically, still too much $ to sink into a camping/skiing rig:
http://www.sportsmobile.com/4_4x4sports.html

And Sportsmobile is working on a pop-top conversion on the new Nissan NV van, which is a lot more appealing platform to me than an Econoline van.

3) Best bang-for-buck, ease of use, ease of driving/parking/etc.: used 3/4 ton extended cab, longbed, Chevy/Ford/Dodge truck with a pop-up camper on the back. Gets it all done for well under $20K total.

[counterfeitfake]

What I want to know about the pop-up option:

How much of a hassle is it to put it up and down?
With a roof box on top?
Is it warm enough?
How big a problem is moisture? Especially if you're out for a really long time?

[hutash]

I have a sports mobile and popping the top with a full roof box is not going to happen. They have an electric lift as an option, so don't know if that would work. I just pull the skis out before opening, but it is a hassle. Otherwise, the top is easy to open and close.

Not super warm, but with a good heater it would not be a problem, and using a propex type heater will dry out the camper nicely (I don't have a heater in mine yet, but my trailer does and it works great and dries gear out over night.

I have used a coleman propane heat, and it is okay, but not great and does add moisture, but I have not used it for more then a weekend. Running the van heater would help dry things out when driving.

[Diesel]

How much of a hassle is it to put it up and down?
With a roof box on top?
Is it warm enough?
How big a problem is moisture? Especially if you're out for a really long time?

Mine has a crank handle. Up: unbuckle outside buckles, climb in, turn handle till fully popped. Takes maybe three minutes. Putting it down is essentially the same thing in reverse, except I do have to get out of the camper and make sure the sides are all tucked in. Maybe 5 minutes.

I don't have a roofbox on top, but I've raised/lowered with a fair amount of snow weight, and it's been fine.

My canvas is not insulated. I've camped in it down to -10 (possibly colder, but the thermometer died), and I was plenty warm.

Moisture: I live in Colorado, so it's a lot drier than Seatown. On the coldest nights, with multiple bodies in there, there is a fair amount of condensation. Popping the roof vent a little does help.

[MakersTeleMark]

I have a sports mobile and popping the top with a full roof box is not going to happen.

You should look into installing some gas struts for lift assist. 4 Suspa 40lb'ders should do the trick nicely.

A few from last night on the Green River:

[Rossta]

Here.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...ad.php?t=53577

It's going to be a bit slow right now as I'm currently stuck in a bathroom remodel. Should start building the bed and getting the camper/body mating surfaces built up next week.

I have a truck with a camper shell and a platform set up in the back. After living in it for months at a time, here's what I got

Truck
Pros
-Clearance
-4wd
-really great setup for camping out in the mountains where you can drive out to the middle of nowhere to sleep

Cons
-Sucks to be living in the truck when you're in any type of urban environment
-Tinted windows and a windshield cover could help so you have some sort of privacy
-No access to your 'home' in the bed without crawling in and out.

Van I don't have actual experience with a van, but after living in my truck, I would rather have a van.

Pros
-Ability to pull up anywhere you want and walk to the back undetected. stealthiness.
-They come in 4wd with high clearance too.

Cons
-non 4wd low clearance vans are most common
-it's a van and not a truck...

[anemic]

I have to admit that I did not realize class b van based rigs actually have a real head w/shower which tips the scales to family travel reality. However, from what I am seeing in the $10 to $12g range, the class c selection is much nicer. There are precious few class b's. the b's are divided into couple or family layouts. The couple layouts lack travelin' seats for the kids so one needs to be aware of this.

I'm not sure if it strictly is a class b anymore when they chop it off & add the widebody to it (chinook baja) but that adds tons of liveability.

I REALLY like the smaller physical size, more like 21 feet of the chinooks vs the 30' class c. it's almost garageable and all around more practical.

[El Chupacabra]

For AWD/4WD class C rigs, these are pretty nice. Not cheap, but none of them are...

http://www.tigermotorhomes.com/home.htm

[anemic]

well if you are close to spending sixfig's you better check in with http://www.outsidevan.com

As the research evolves, my needs a clearer. A huge class B has everything I need but cost more than I have. So a small class c will do everything I need and I will probably get Blizzaks for it and it will be suitable for my intended purpose which does not include extreme jeeping. Generator is a must have. Wondering about winter plumbing issues next...

[counterfeitfake]

Those little Toyota class-Cs seem pretty sweet.

[linds-o-rama]

We originally tried a '78 Six-Pac camper for my Tacoma, but it was super wobbly and heavy and huge. So we sold it and craigslisted a Panther camper... which is sort of a hybrid between a canopy and a camper. It weighs about 500 lbs and sleeps 2 w/dog comfortably. Slept in it in ski area parking lots and sno-parks a handful of times this winter and it rules! My V6 can haul 2 sleds with the camper on and still go 50 mph up a hill no problem.



We have the smallest, most bare-bones model (they don't make it anymore) but the bigger ones are still pretty sweet!

Panther campers: http://www.panthercampers.com/

[CarveMan]

Swap the quadbike for a sled: http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...404-1cwd4.html

[mi_canuck]

i'm not a van guy, but this one is pretty cool... pretty badass looking and tons of room... 4wd too...

http://www.sportsmobile.com/z-PO_calif.html

[boltonoutlaw]

115,000 worth of cool, that is. If'n it's a SMB you're wantin', here is a link to some more reasonably priced units FS: http://rv.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi...=d&submit=+GO+

[wicked_sick]

Survey says I'm finding a lot of downsides as follows.

Ambulances seem really cool at first but are subject to a short duration of severe service (abusive treatment but thats how I want my ambulance ride to go - drive it like you stole it please!) & are overbuilt for rolling, so they are heavy & consequently ponderous to drive. Decommissioning the cabinetry and the electrics looks like a massive project. On the tight side for a family of four for a ski week. Really difficult to modify that tough frame - for example to add a cab over or more height.

A short bus skoolie looks intriguing at first but a lot of guys wives quickly grow tired of looking at a schoolbus project in the driveway, it then goes away to hide in the woods untouched, then he gets back to it a year later - it costs more good ski money and way more time & effort than he thought.

Class C motorhomes have come WAY down with the economy. Might be the best most practical solution. There are no Class C diesels except newer hi$$ models. So we are talking about a V10 gasser with 10 mpg at best with a possibility of single digit mpgs. So a 1,000 mile trip burns 100 gallons of gas! The greenie weenie in me says no. A Class A is easier to find with a diesel, however they are so huge that you can expect less than 10 mpg still!

How about a shuttle project? Examples; a casino bus, airport shuttle, hotel shuttle, from 16 to 20+ passengers. Lots of windows. Rear HVAC. Sometimes can get dually rear axle & sometimes even two axles, either of which I think might drive better for stability. Can easily find diesel Ford 350 & 450 chassis. Seems like these might drive alright in skiville, or outside of skiville better yet as a trailhead access platform and over passes without too much terror. I think one could equip it quite easily as a 12 month living quarters w/everything necessary and nothing you don't need. Are you better off than a Class C which you are basically engineering? Possibly. You have the diesel. It's like the Ambulance project without the significant decommissioning. I think you have a prayer at 16, 18 possibly even 20 mpg. I have seen a hotel shuttle with Blizzaks, which probably makes more sense than a Ujoint AWD kit for on-road intentions and lighter off-roading on mellow dirt & fire roads. How do they drive with a moderate load?

Invite your input please.

This is for sale locally. It's 4x4, not sure about diesel.

[boltonoutlaw]

Awesome post right there ^^^