So you wanna live the "Vanlife"? let's make sure you buy something that fits your lifestyle AND your Budget.
#1: Are you ready to live on the Road? How do you know it's right for you?
First things first, ask yourself, do you really want to live on the road? I had been thinking about my first home being a Van or a camper of some sort for a while (like 5 years). I was juggling between investing in a house like all my friends and family the last couple years. It was not a glorified thought after watching a beautiful TIkToc. As a kid my family would camp for 2 months of the summer basically straight we didn’t have a lot of money, so this to us was vacation time. Then I started performing as a professional singer on the road or at sea. Tight spaces aren’t a problem. Different destinations as a home, not an issue. Being by myself also not an issue, but in my last couple contracts at sea, I was seeing all of these beautiful places and had no-one to share them with.
My first big trip was to South Africa at 21 years old . I went with 4 friends for FIFA World Cup in 2010. I had saved a bunch of money bartending and singing in a cover band and was ready to adventure until my pockets bled dry. Looking back, that trip to South Africa showed me just how much you can learn and grow from getting to know different cultures. I backpacked for 4 months through South Africa Botswana and Zambia. It was incredible. I’ve never learnt so much in such a short amount of time. After that, I knew staying in Winnipeg was not an option. If that wasn’t enough, I started to work as a traveling performer, a magicians assistant to be specific, and then onto cruise ships as a singer, going home in-between contracts and working in Winnipeg in the restaurant industry. All of this to say–for me, living on the road is very normal. Very feasible, and comfortable–it’s not for everybody. I went through my life story here to explain why it’s good for me. So take the time to go through yours. The simple comforts in your life, will they still apply on the road?
#2: What are Your Non-Negotiables?
There are some “non negotiable’s” for me. That without these, living on the road would not be comfortable.
- A flushing toilet
- The ability to shower.
- A queen size bed.
- 4X4 (because -adventure)
- A kitchen and a table (morning coffee, and when I write the most)
These are MY “non negotiables”. Make a list of yours before you even start to look to narrow down your search.
I was set on having a house on wheels before I met Emi (my partner). After a few months of being together, it started to sink in that I found someone one who not only understood my love of traveling and learning from others but also taught me how to travel better. Emi also grew up traveling. He left Argentina when he was 18 and moved to Spain. He soon found the love for the sport of Slacklining. He travelled and competed professionally for years. Then he got hired to work on ships. We both feel very comfortable on the road and each have different ways of feeling grounded. For me, it’s my Yoga mat and singing. For him, it’s Adventure of all sorts. Both of which we strive to find everyday in one way or another. Emi came with a few “non negotiables” of his own.
- A big TV
- At least a queen size bed
- A good fridge and freezer for ice cream
- 4X4
- Security cams
With ALL of that considered and the fact that Sprinter vans are like 100k and don’t really have comfortable bathrooms, it started to narrow the search. After my years of research camping in all different kinds of RV’s (5th wheels, pop up campers, bowlers) and what was available within my Budget. A truck camper was the best fit!
Truck Campers are what I know. We had one growing up, so I guess that’s where my comfort lies. I’m sure some of this applies to buying an RV or other homes on wheels. But for now truck campers is what I’ve experienced and I had a really tough time finding information about this out there on the internet , so this will hopefully answer some questions I had such a hard time finding the answers to.
3: Do you buy the CAMPER first? or the TRUCK First??
Chicken or Egg Scenario#1:
Buy the Camper first or the Truck first? Its a great question. The home that sits on top of your truck is important! it’s where you sleep eat and make memories. But equally important is the support below, moving you from location to location safely. I looked for both, but at the end of the day. I decided to spend more time looking for the right truck as that is what I wanted to spend more money on and because I can’t fix it myself making it so much more expensive for repairs.
To find the right truck size you need to know how big of a camper do you want? If you want a wet bath (waterproof bathroom and shower), a big bed and a solid roof over your head with the ability to go to colder places (not a pop up).. you’re looking at something over 2000lbs dry. Which means you need a 3/4 ton truck or more to support the payload capacity. You also need to factor in if you want to be off grid. That is going to weigh you down more. Even though we have the lightest and quietest generator you can find out there (PowerSmart 2500) and This Air Conditioner which is the smallest external AC (6000 BTU) we could find. With some really light bikes…it’s all adding to your payload capacity, unless you want to pull a trailer with a bunch of stuff which might limit where you can park.
If you’re planning on staying in warmer climates, and maybe really off road places and don’t mind setting up an outdoor toilet like this one. A pop up truck camper or a smaller truck camper with no bathroom could be for you! You can then maybe get away with a 1500. but like I said , as soon as you start adding toys, the 1500 might not be able to support you’re adventure.
We searched high AND LOW for a hitch cargo carrier that could hold our big stuff like our snowboards, the generator and most importantly, that could fit our tailgate of our Ram2500 and FINALLY found one! The “Mockings XXL 70X30X6 trailer cargo carrier hitch” . Trust me on this one. Don’t waste anymore time looking. It’s long and sturdy and has a stabilizer. It can support 500lbs but just remember, that all is added on to your payload capacity.
4: Diesel or Gas for a Truck Camper?
chicken or egg scenario #2:
There are so any schools of thought on this one.. that its probably click-bait without me even trying to make it click-bait. I’ve put together information I’ve gathered from the internet and some automobile -expert friends. At the end of the day, it really comes down to your own unique situation. Here are the questions you need to ask yourself:
1: Where are you located and where are you going ? In some countries diesel is very hard to find while road-trippin’ so just know it might mean carrying a jerry-can around and tressing about finding a gas station. We are located in North America, but Plan to travel around South America where diesel is used primarily for commercial vehicles. In some countries like Denmark Diesel is actually being Fazed out for environmental policies. Repairs also are inevitable. They will happen, and maybe do your research as to if parts will be readily available if you are traveling outside North America.
2: Towing VS Payload capacity. For TOWING diesel wins. I had a few people scream this at me during this research. But for PAYLOAD CAPACITY gas wins. Payload and Towing capacity are different. the Towing capacity is higher in diesel due to the higher torque and efficiency. Whereas for TRUCK CAMPERS, GAS MOTORS are actually better for when it comes to payload capacity . The truck is lighter overall with a gas motor as opposed to a heavier diesel motor leading to a higher payload capacity…according to my sources (YouTube and Automobile experts I know)
3: Price: In short.. if you plan on selling your truck after your adventures with a bunch of KM/miles on it.. resale value for a Diesel will be better (you can sell a diesel easy with 400,000km and it’s still a viable motor. Now if you tried selling a Gas truck with that on it .. you might not get as many bites.
On the other side, what you might get back in resale value, you may have already spent on repairs. It’s more expensive to buy and repair a diesel than a gas. And (depending on where gas prices are I guess) diesel is more expensive to fill.
Essential Additions to your truck Camper You NEED to include in your Budget before buying
Before even thinking about picking up or really buying truck camper, make sure you have the budget for these things. They are non- negotiable. YOU CANNOT PICK UP YOUR CAMPER WITHOUT TURNBUCKLES AND TIE DOWNS and some of these items are essential to make sure you’re safe. I did the footwork for you, and you can decide what is in your budget and what works for you. On this list I’ll give you sometimes a few options. The budget–but works well, and the reliable more expensive , top of the line versions. I’ll let you know which ones we have personally. There are some things you can spend less on like, beach chairs and hair ties. This is different, buy reliable parts.
Turnbuckles: What you use to attach to the camper to your desired Tie-downs. Turnbuckles can be picked up at any hardware store really or on-line. Just make sure you get the right size. Turnbuckles are an adjustable mechanical devise built to tighten or adjust in size to secure once attached to your tie-downs. They consist of a metal body with internal threads.
BEST: HappiJac Qwik-Load Turnbuckles for Truck Camper Tie Down. These are compatible with the Torklift Tie-downs reccomended below
GOOD: Brophy Tie-Down Hardware kit (these are recommended with the Brophy Tie downs below that we have.)
The ones we actually use we bought at Princess Auto. They have multiple types there… at least at the location we went to, so we were able to get a few different options with some carabiners to attach to our Tie-downs.
Tie-downs: What you attach to your truck which secures your camper safely using the Turnbuckles. There are 3 different kinds I’ve personally seen. The most popular and I’m sure the most sturdy and reliable are the “Torklift Tie-downs”. We did want to get these, but they were a little out of our budget. We also took into consideration that we wouldn’t be hitting any super challenging routes until we head up to British Columbia in April 2025. At that point, which is coming up, we’re going to have to invest in them.
The ones we have are the Brophy Tie-downs. Honestly, they have been great! we haven’t been in any Wildly hilly places yet. Mostly flat easy roads. That being said, they’re sturdy. So if you’re sticking to smooth roads, I highly recommend as they are a fraction of the cost and great quality. super easy to install. That being said.. in April we’ll be traveling through the California mountains up to British Columbia near Hope BC. Needless to say, I won’t feel comfortable driving in those mountains without the Torklift Tie-downs and They are the only company supplying this style of system.
BEST: Torklift Tie-Downs
GOOD: BROPHY C.R Machine Heavy Duty Tie Down (what we have)
Air pressure gauge:You should always have one of these guys handy. Especially if you have all of this weight on your truck. Make sure you know what pressure your tires should be based on its payload capacity (should be on the sticker on the inside of your trucks door).
Truck Jack: Rule of thumb: think of the worst care scenario. what if you blow out a tire? clearly you should have a spare. But make sure you have a jack that can support your truck AND your proper jack for the road. We didn’t know ours was missing. So we had to buy one (fail on my part when I bought the truck). Luckily we haven’t needed to use but, so I couldn’t tell you how they work. But both of these should hypothetically work.
BEST: Vevor Farm Jack
GOOD: LUSHIH Car Jack 2 TON
Extension Mirrors: First we bought some flimsy ass attachable mirrors at Canadian Tire because we couldn’t see anything beside us, ast he camper blinds you. Cheap and floppy and shaky for about a week, risky our lives. Until we finally bought some nice used mirrors this guy on FB Marketplace that are built for our truck which he got on Facebook marketplace. We love them. I’ll attach the type of mirrors you should look for, using our Truck specs. But when looking for mirrors you need to look for your specific Truck make and model. Don’t buy the shitty ones, trust me. SCARY lol.
GOOD: WLLW Towing Mirrors (these fit Ram 2500 2016, but you can easily switch to your truck specs using amazons “confirmed fit” tool)
What we decided on in a truck and WHY!
I had a $30,000 budget. I don’t like owing money. So it’s what I was comfortable paying cash for the truck and the camper . In hindsight, that is NOT a lot of money for both. I made the decision I wanted to spend the majority on a reliable truck but I couldn’t find anything remotely good for under $30,000. In Ontario during the winters they use salt on their roads to prevent cars from slipping on the ice. Unfortunately it makes used car buying a needle in the haystack type of scenario trying to find a truck that isn’t full of rust. We were looking for a 2500, 8 foot box to support a longer, heavier camper under 200,000kms for around $20,000. After seeing 2 completely rusted out trucks that the owners said were AMAZING DEALS we were a little discovered. The next truck we were going to see, I made sure I was clear that I had no interest driving an hour to see it if rust was a problem. The owner was super straight forward. He had put this black oil spray on every year to protect it. He assured us it was the best we were gunna get for a truck this age from Ontario. It wasn’t safetied but he agreed to me taking it to a mechanic before hand to make sure it would clear a safety with no issues. We took it to a family friends Mechanic shop who we trusted and after an inspection and a couple small repairs we were good to go. We named her Rosita, as she was a strong, powerful outspoken truck that would support us and our home for the next chapter in our lives. She needed a little love on the brakes and a couple lights fixed, but all in all, she ran amazing, was the motor size we needed and the box size we needed, and just over my price point.
So, that is what WE decided on because we knew it would accommodate the type of camper we wanted. which would inevitably be around 2000lbs. And at the end of the day, you can’t buy a truck camper without a truck. And so the search for Eddy began. Finding Eddy was a little less pressure because I knew I was spending less. I had about 7/8 grand to play with.
