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I did my Truck Camper Adventure backwards. Bought the camper…BEFORE I bought a qualified truck. Some have seen my posts – I am the goofy guy with the Military Humvee slinging my Northstar TC1000…but that is NOT a permanent solution. My wife wants to travel and see things far further away than that Humvee can go. Adding her to the mix adds all sorts of other considerations. The future truck to do the deed has to have certain creature comforts like heated seats. I am a GM guy. WAY too late in the game to switch teams for me. We live in Illinois so any USED trucks are already rusty. I treat all my vehicles with a special solution to keep rust away and have to start NEW to make it work right. Also, new means warranty. The 2020 Silverado 2500 6.6 (GAS) 4×4 is an interesting package. Because of TC1000, I have to get an 8′ bed! We also want a crew cab for our kid and dog to ride with.
So…here is the deal. Thanks to the GM strike – inventory is way down. Dealers that have 8′ beds (which are rare) in that configuration WITH heated seats (requires certain packages) don’t want to dealer trade local. I don’t have enough time off work to drive 500 or 1,000 miles to try to do business out of state. That leaves us with ordering – thanks to the holidays and a local GM dealer that is SLOW to do much of anything – I’m just stuck twiddling my thumbs.
I’m about to just put the TC1000 in the paper sale and forget all about this – or find a smaller soft side that will fit my 2014 1500 short bed. UGH.
Just venting here. Nothing is simple and easy and quick. If we order one – it is 2 to 3 months wait time.
Check out Lenz Auto in Fond Du Lac, WI. All kinds of GM trucks.
Call them and ask for Brad and tell him what you are looking for.
Chris, you need to slow down. Assuming you sell your TC you will have a fresh start. Don’t make the mistake that many of us do by buying a truck that is to small for your dream camper. I would first decide what model camper you and your wife would be happy with. Understanding how much it will weigh rigged exactly the way you want it is critical. Then pick your truck configuration based on your needs. Eventually you will probably want to tow something so tongue weight must be considered and added into your payload number. Unless your wanting a camper that is very small I think you will quickly learn that a 2500 will not do the job.
I don’t know your level of knowledge when it comes to trucks and campers so I will state the obvious. Understand how a truck is configured determines it’s payload. Buying a 3500 with a diesel,crew cab and 4×4 option will greatly reduce the payload. Gas powered,two wheel drive trucks will carry significantly more weight. Diesel trucks tow more weight. For 2020,GMC not only talks about payload they have addressed it. The same truck in 2020 will carry over 1000 lbs more than my 2016 and tow over 10000 more. To say I wish I would have waited is a gross understatement.
So lets talk briefly about TC’s. Slides are nice but they add weight and sometimes suffer from mechanical issue’s. They also cause leaks and allow heat to escape. There is a reason why Northstar has been successful for over 50 years. Refrigerators mounted on fixed walls normally cool better than one’s installed in a slide wall. TC’s with overhang will normally require a hitch modification. That means if you want to do it right removing your factory hitch and going with a twin receiver type that will allow the proper length extension to be used. My total set up installed was nearly 4K.
Hopefully, after reading this, you will slow down. The rig you are dreaming about will come at a very high price so choosing the right combination is critical. Go to a lot and look at the drivers side door jamb. The sticker there will tell you the payload number. Compare the difference between the trucks on the lot, or just carefully read GM’s print out for 2020. Your time to buy puts you in a very enviable spot, the new GMC’s are bigger and better than ever before. The opportunity to build a truly awesome rig is right there in front of you. I would diffidently custom order the truck once you determine how much truck you need. Good luck.
So…good advice. Here is what we found since posting. There is at truck about 75 miles north of me – not the color we want…but can live with…that has all the options we need. My camper wights 1,560 lbs dry. The new 2020 2500 with the 6.6 gasoline (new engine this year) can carry over 3,000 lbs in the crew cab 4×4. The big issue is the length – this is a 10′ floor so it has to be an 8′ bed.
I’ve been thinking about what you wrote – and honestly I don’t know if this camper is the best fit for us. If I sold it and went to a smaller one – we would have a bigger world of truck options. Mostly, a shorter bed. The 2020 2500 is right at 22′ long which leaves only an inch or two on each end to park it in our house garage which is important during the winter to keep ice off the glass. Parking a 22′ long truck for normal grocery runs, and normal use is going to be tricky. It is a big investment in a truck that will be used to go camping the minority of the time – and used as a family transport truck the rest of the time.
I think GM got the 2020 2500 right. The one we spec’ed for order…has some really cool features that would make daily driving and TC or 5th wheel or bumper hitch camping a pleasure. But…at the end of the day my current silverado that will pull a bumper camper just fine is paid off…and so is the TC, so yes, it is a big expense commitment.
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