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I am about to new to truck camping. Not new to camping or driving trucks just truck camping. Here is my dilemma, Should I buy a base truck and upgrade from there or buy a truck with the 4 wheel package and start my upgrade there? I’m torn because I had a stock yukon that I took places successfully that many were afraid to follow, lots of stories there. I would appreciate anyone’s advice. Thanks in advance.
Personal opinion – I’d buy the base truck (4×4/SRW) and add the camper. The truck is where the big investment is to begin with. If you decide, like we did, that you bought the wrong camper, then it’s a lot less money to trade up/down.
I’d start on the small side on the camper. Yes, you can plunk the Taj Mahal on the back of your truck and go lumbering over hill and dale, but smaller is (usually) lighter, less expensive and more maneuverable. Besides, you might decide that smaller rig is not bad at all. We ended up going to a smaller camper and love the backcountry agility it provides.
You didn’t mention if you are solo or a couple. If a couple, make sure to involve the SO! We looked long and hard at the pop-up campers and while there’s a lot to like, we decided a hard side was more our speed. My wife is **really** not a fan of the cartridge toilets and my back ain’t that happy with them either.
All this is me talking outta my bellybutton – I’m sure you’ll get other opinions!
Bryan
Thanks bryan,
What I’m really asking tho is whether to buy a base 4×4 and equip it to be a boss offroader with aftermarket products or a loaded 4×4 like the GMC AT4. I guess I’m thinking more along the lines of which is more economical and/or better to accomplish my goals of going where most dare not.I’d say buy the base model, and do it how you want it. If you buy the “off road” package, and aren’t happy with the suspension, you just threw out the “off road” package anyway to upgrade. The money you save up front could buy you some nice uprgades. If the cost savings pays for tires, suspension, and lockers, buy the base.
I gotta go with Chris on this one. You buy a “package”, you’re buying what someone else thinks you need. Maybe they’re right, but chances are your package will have stuff you either don’t need or would have done different. My 2 cents.
Bryan
We have the Lance 650 and it is a pretty good camper.
Cons
One propane tank, small holding tanks, ONE battery, fridge location is odd and it’s performance could be better. The DC option doesn’t keep up when driving down the road. No place for a generator if you want/need to carry one (so far, we’re doing without).Pros
Very agile since it is a snug fit on our Ram 3500, so no big overhang on the sides on those narrow trails. The jacks are nice and tight to the truck and we don’t worry about snagging them on obstacles like we did with the larger camper we used to have. If staying in a campground we fit in any level spot since we’re 22′. There is decent storage inside for the small size, and we’ve learned to live with the small tanks. If you’re on shore power, the air conditioner is MORE than adequate. We carry a Zamp 160w solar panel which actually does really well topping off that single battery.Our truck is a crew cab, SRW 4×4. We use the back seat to store a lot of stuff. We installed a safety net behind the front seats to protect against heavy stuff flying around in case of an accident.
All in all, we like our camper.
Bryan
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