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

[SirVicSmasher]

hmmm looks just like a old buddy of mines. Did you get it in or around Sandy? Guys name Robert by any chance?

No this is came from northern wa

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[jackattack]

nice score SVS!

[SirVicSmasher]

nice score SVS!

Thanks bro

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[tmokes]

I drove FWD Saab for several years and AWD SUV and Subaru after that. I just bought used Saab 9-2x for cheap commute to the hill because I don’t want to drive a 1 ton truck everywhere all the time if I’m not using a camper.

Research I did all come from non skier and wanted to get real life experience. Some people say get an aftermarket limited slip differential... I’ll have kids so I want to make it so that I don’t have to chain up or put it in 4x4 only after you start sipping. I want to put it in 4H and forget about it.

If your condescending advice is to get snow tires and drive slow, I guess I’m asking the wrong person.


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[tmokes]

And yeah I never have driven a big truck with a camper in snow so I’m bit nervous so here I am asking bunch of questions to make sure I got it as capable and safe as possible. Sure for others around me but more so for my kids inside with me.


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[jackattack]

any 4wd domestic 1 ton will be fine with a slide-in camper.
they all have shift on the fly 4h. if you need it, you'll know.
twist the knob.
the limited slip rear diff will do you more good in 2wd than the e-locker in icy conditions.

if you want to put it in 4h and forget about it, get fucking snow tires.

[Huskier]

I am hot for an AWD Transit to do a conversion on. Any reason - budget aside - I should push for a Sprinter instead? I am scared off by internet rumors of Sprinter maintenance nightmares. AWD Transits are just unicorns at the moment so considering stretching my budget for a Sprinter but fearing my impatience will lead me astray. Never considered myself a Mercedes guy.

I hate mercedes with a passion, and I hate that the sprinter is mercedes. I've heard all of the same cautions as you and went with the 4x4 Sprinter, the only reason being resale value on the other end. I mean, check CL or similar and try to find a 4x4 selling below like..50k. You can't. Also, I haven't heard the greatest things about the ecoboost's longevity. Not that the sprinter is supposed to be much better. I might start a "sprinter took a shit" rainy day fund and start saving now...

[Conundrum]

You should be able to put it in 4H after leaving dry surface and be good with appropriate tires. I would favor a limited slip over a locker. Most of the newer full sizes will have some type of traction control through ABS, ESC, VSC, etc that will give the same or better traction as an old school mechanical LS you put in the pumpkin.

Sorry to be condescending...basically rude. I'll keep going though. I see your situation a lot. A driver of an all wheel drive car weighing 3-4,000 pounds thinks getting a camper to go skiing with the family will be cool. And it is cool. So they buy a behemoth of a vehicle without much experience driving 10-12,000 lb., hard to stop, slow to respond, top heavy vehicles and jump right into the worst mountain conditions they can find to learn how to drive the big rig. Then they talk about buying the safest features vehicles for the safety of their family. Because the situation of taking the kids skiing in a 12k # pile of metal they put themselves and their family in wasn't as much of a choice as getting the truck with traction control enhancements. Maybe I'm assuming too much. If so, my apologies.

I'm grumpy because I'm seeing all sorts of assholes all over where I live who are causing accidents and jamming up traffic because they decided Disneyland was off this year so let's get into RV'ing with all the other people who have never driven larger vehicles or towed a trailer. Why not get the 35' toy hauler...can't be that hard to drive right?

All I ask is practice up on some dry land prior to ski season.

Even though condescending, I did answer your questions. Take it from another point of view-a guy comes on asking how to set up a camper in a one ton pickup but isn't sure how the 4x4 works in pickups...that could make some folks nervous. Especially when we're all trying to get to the same pow but we're stuck behind some guy new to bigger vehicles learning how to get to the hill with 30 cars stacked up behind them and is too nervous to use the slow vehicle turnouts.

[Doremite]

I hate mercedes with a passion, and I hate that the sprinter is mercedes. I've heard all of the same cautions as you and went with the 4x4 Sprinter, the only reason being resale value on the other end. I mean, check CL or similar and try to find a 4x4 selling below like..50k. You can't. Also, I haven't heard the greatest things about the ecoboost's longevity. Not that the sprinter is supposed to be much better. I might start a "sprinter took a shit" rainy day fund and start saving now...

Cost aside I don’t even know if I have a local service option. Which sounds like I will need a lot.

Serious question: Is the diesel stinky? My kids vomit at the drop of a hat and if I get a stinky diesel van I will be mopping up vomit on the regular. Never owned a diesel.

[pyromaniacman129]

You should be able to put it in 4H after leaving dry surface and be good with appropriate tires. I would favor a limited slip over a locker. Most of the newer full sizes will have some type of traction control through ABS, ESC, VSC, etc that will give the same or better traction as an old school mechanical LS you put in the pumpkin.

Sorry to be condescending...basically rude. I'll keep going though. I see your situation a lot. A driver of an all wheel drive car weighing 3-4,000 pounds thinks getting a camper to go skiing with the family will be cool. And it is cool. So they buy a behemoth of a vehicle without much experience driving 10-12,000 lb., hard to stop, slow to respond, top heavy vehicles and jump right into the worst mountain conditions they can find to learn how to drive the big rig. Then they talk about buying the safest features vehicles for the safety of their family. Because the situation of taking the kids skiing in a 12k # pile of metal they put themselves and their family in wasn't as much of a choice as getting the truck with traction control enhancements. Maybe I'm assuming too much. If so, my apologies.

I'm grumpy because I'm seeing all sorts of assholes all over where I live who are causing accidents and jamming up traffic because they decided Disneyland was off this year so let's get into RV'ing with all the other people who have never driven larger vehicles or towed a trailer. Why not get the 35' toy hauler...can't be that hard to drive right?

All I ask is practice up on some dry land prior to ski season.

Even though condescending, I did answer your questions. Take it from another point of view-a guy comes on asking how to set up a camper in a one ton pickup but isn't sure how the 4x4 works in pickups...that could make some folks nervous. Especially when we're all trying to get to the same pow but we're stuck behind some guy new to bigger vehicles learning how to get to the hill with 30 cars stacked up behind them and is too nervous to use the slow vehicle turnouts.

Aka half the sprinters/slide ins even clogging the road up to crystal/plenty of other mountains last winter. The civics on summer tires were bad enough let alone the "but I have awd/4x4 I don't need snow tires!"

What he's saying is accurate. If you want to be safe listen to the guys who do this often.
A bit of condescension isn't necessarily towards you specifically but the #vanlife epidemic.

[Conundrum]

Old school diesel can and does smell. The newer diesels with DEF and upgraded emissions are not bad at all. My neighbor has a newer diesel Sprinter that I can neither smell nor really hear a difference over gas.

[El Chupacabra]

any 4wd domestic 1 ton will be fine with a slide-in camper.
they all have shift on the fly 4h. if you need it, you'll know.
twist the knob.
the limited slip rear diff will do you more good in 2wd than the e-locker in icy conditions.

if you want to put it in 4h and forget about it, get fucking snow tires.

I'd revise this a little -- there are SRW and DRW 1-ton trucks that would be overloaded with some of the largest truck campers out there. For example, there's a Host triple slide-out camper that has a dry weight of 4700# -- so you're looking at a F450/550 or bigger.
https://www.truckcamperadventure.com...-truck-camper/

[simple]

Older diesels don't smell. They STINK and are rotten to be around.

[snowaddict91]

Older diesels don't smell. They STINK and are rotten to be around.

Okay Karen.

[Conundrum]

Older diesels don't smell. They STINK and are rotten to be around.

I thought it was the smell of awesome freedom. And yes, my old van smells very free.

[El Chupacabra]

You should be able to put it in 4H after leaving dry surface and be good with appropriate tires. I would favor a limited slip over a locker. Most of the newer full sizes will have some type of traction control through ABS, ESC, VSC, etc that will give the same or better traction as an old school mechanical LS you put in the pumpkin.

Sorry to be condescending...basically rude. I'll keep going though. I see your situation a lot. A driver of an all wheel drive car weighing 3-4,000 pounds thinks getting a camper to go skiing with the family will be cool. And it is cool. So they buy a behemoth of a vehicle without much experience driving 10-12,000 lb., hard to stop, slow to respond, top heavy vehicles and jump right into the worst mountain conditions they can find to learn how to drive the big rig. Then they talk about buying the safest features vehicles for the safety of their family. Because the situation of taking the kids skiing in a 12k # pile of metal they put themselves and their family in wasn't as much of a choice as getting the truck with traction control enhancements. Maybe I'm assuming too much. If so, my apologies.

I'm grumpy because I'm seeing all sorts of assholes all over where I live who are causing accidents and jamming up traffic because they decided Disneyland was off this year so let's get into RV'ing with all the other people who have never driven larger vehicles or towed a trailer. Why not get the 35' toy hauler...can't be that hard to drive right?

All I ask is practice up on some dry land prior to ski season.

Even though condescending, I did answer your questions. Take it from another point of view-a guy comes on asking how to set up a camper in a one ton pickup but isn't sure how the 4x4 works in pickups...that could make some folks nervous. Especially when we're all trying to get to the same pow but we're stuck behind some guy new to bigger vehicles learning how to get to the hill with 30 cars stacked up behind them and is too nervous to use the slow vehicle turnouts.

X3 on all of this. And I'll add:

- There may be some 3/4 or 1-ton trucks available now with a "fulltime" or "auto 4WD High" setting, which would be nice to have for onroad snow use.
- Winter tires ("snow tires") make a huge difference.
- Locking differentials ("lockers") and limited slips ("LSD") are not benefits for on road snow use, at highway speeds. Computer-controlled anti-skid systems are helpful -- and not all trucks will have them.

A lot of what you'll read about online with respect to lockers and limited slips is in relation to off-road use, like Jeeps on trails or rockcrawling. Those discussions do not translate to safe and effective on-road snow driving.

[Doremite]

Old school diesel can and does smell. The newer diesels with DEF and upgraded emissions are not bad at all. My neighbor has a newer diesel Sprinter that I can neither smell nor really hear a difference over gas.

Thanks! Doubt I’d go Sprinter but still good to know. Stench would be a full on deal killer.

[CascadeLuke]

Nice score SVS!

I’ve been driving to the mountain for 25 years with various awd/4x4. Last year got a set of snow tires for the first time and it’s was next level. Almost to the point of too much locked in confidence now, as to not let my guard down. If you’re new to the big rides and safety conscious it’s a must.
I found hauling with DEF diesels to smell sweet if anything.
Did someone make it out to see the Wenatchee class C up thread?

[jackattack]

Did someone make it out to see the Wenatchee class C up thread?

negative. sent a text, but no response. it was gone when I woke up the next day.

[tmokes]

Thanks. I did rent a new, 2018, F-150 with a slide in camper this summer from cruise America. It handled great as in I didn’t feel like driving something big and top heavy. If I had money to spend on new F-150 and new half ton camper, I would go with that. Close to 20mpg.

However my budget for the whole system is $30k.

It’s going to be our occasional recreational vehicle so going with the gas engine. Eventually I want to tow snowmobiles or jet skis in few years. That’s why I’m looking at F-350. Never driven a heavy duty truck, RWD or true 4x4, so I got lots to learn. I’m just trying to make that learning curve as flat as possible.


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[BFD]

Thanks. I did rent a new, 2018, F-150 with a slide in camper this summer from cruise America. It handled great as in I didn’t feel like driving something big and top heavy. If I had money to spend on new F-150 and new half ton camper, I would go with that. Close to 20mpg.

However my budget for the whole system is $30k.

It’s going to be our occasional recreational vehicle so going with the gas engine. Eventually I want to tow snowmobiles or jet skis in few years. That’s why I’m looking at F-350. Never driven a heavy duty truck, RWD or true 4x4, so I got lots to learn. I’m just trying to make that learning curve as flat as possible.


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did you happen to see if the F150 was the extended payload GVWR 7850? I tried to order one but not possible this year. I ended up getting truck with 2050 lb capacity. I think that Lance 650 might be a bit heavy. I am trying to pick up a Travel Lite 610R which I think would work well. Open to buying it or any light weight camper anywhere if anyone spots one on Craigsist.

[chaka]

Nice score SVS!

I’ve been driving to the mountain for 25 years with various awd/4x4. Last year got a set of snow tires for the first time and it’s was next level. Almost to the point of too much locked in confidence now, as to not let my guard down.

this! same here, finally bucked up and got a proper set of winter tires for my outback last season. night and day difference. kinda pissed I waited as long as I did, probably cost me a couple years of life from stressful driving getting to the hill.

[tmokes]

did you happen to see if the F150 was the extended payload GVWR 7850? I tried to order one but not possible this year. I ended up getting truck with 2050 lb capacity. I think that Lance 650 might be a bit heavy. I am trying to pick up a Travel Lite 610R which I think would work well. Open to buying it or any light weight camper anywhere if anyone spots one on Craigsist.

I didn’t see it but with that aluminum bed and lance 650, it wasn’t that stressful going to the top of Lolo pass, but I didn’t feel like Lolo pass was that steep. We also took it on dirt road up to camp but my gf didn’t want to stay there. Found a spot to turn around and after 3 or 4 point turn, we were headed down. Lots of ruts but the truck handled great. I should have tried out 4x4 but I didn’t think of it then...


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[simple]

Okay Karen.

Ok coal roller. Enjoy your clogged injectors. Lol

[caulfield]

You should be able to put it in 4H after leaving dry surface and be good with appropriate tires. I would favor a limited slip over a locker. Most of the newer full sizes will have some type of traction control through ABS, ESC, VSC, etc that will give the same or better traction as an old school mechanical LS you put in the pumpkin.

Sorry to be condescending...basically rude. I'll keep going though. I see your situation a lot. A driver of an all wheel drive car weighing 3-4,000 pounds thinks getting a camper to go skiing with the family will be cool. And it is cool. So they buy a behemoth of a vehicle without much experience driving 10-12,000 lb., hard to stop, slow to respond, top heavy vehicles and jump right into the worst mountain conditions they can find to learn how to drive the big rig. Then they talk about buying the safest features vehicles for the safety of their family. Because the situation of taking the kids skiing in a 12k # pile of metal they put themselves and their family in wasn't as much of a choice as getting the truck with traction control enhancements. Maybe I'm assuming too much. If so, my apologies.

I'm grumpy because I'm seeing all sorts of assholes all over where I live who are causing accidents and jamming up traffic because they decided Disneyland was off this year so let's get into RV'ing with all the other people who have never driven larger vehicles or towed a trailer. Why not get the 35' toy hauler...can't be that hard to drive right?

All I ask is practice up on some dry land prior to ski season.

Even though condescending, I did answer your questions. Take it from another point of view-a guy comes on asking how to set up a camper in a one ton pickup but isn't sure how the 4x4 works in pickups...that could make some folks nervous. Especially when we're all trying to get to the same pow but we're stuck behind some guy new to bigger vehicles learning how to get to the hill with 30 cars stacked up behind them and is too nervous to use the slow vehicle turnouts.

x4

Those questions made me nervous too, but kudos to tmokes for asking and conundrum for giving good answers. Important to recognize that not everybody grew up with trucks or had some shit job with a farm truck. Better for those that did to share the love than to sit around in some fortress of protected redneck knowledge.

tmokes, anything with the right payload built in this century will have a more than sufficient 4wd. Early 2000s are getting to be awhile ago though, so don't buy one of those unless you want to become a mechanic