1 big rig vs Truck bed camper and hitch camper

[star1k]

Hello everyone. I am in the process of becoming RVier. At this stage except for F450 on order I did not order anything. I am exploring ideas about setup. we are a family of 4 ( 3 adults and 1 kid) and hopefully soon a family of 5. I wanted to hear your thoughts regarding buying one big 5th wheel +/- toy hauler vs buying a 20-25 ft hitch pull camper and adding a truck bed camper. My thoughts are that is a little more universal, we can visit more places in comparing 40 ft 5th wheeler, easier to drive, separate sleeping areas( in case kids are noisy), and have redundancy for the kitchen, shower, etc ( yes double maintenance as well) this approach seems to be little cheaper than buying 1 big rig and I can spread out spending over. I can not find any pictures of that setup, and not a lot of information about that except truck bed camper towing a car or boat. So what am I missing?
Thank you.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

The extended draw bar often required with a slide in camper could be a limiting factor depending on what slide in camper you settle on. A diesel F-250 could save enough money with identical interior truck volume to put a very healthy dent in the price of a big fifth wheel.

 

[star1k]

The extended draw bar often required with a slide in camper could be a limiting factor depending on what slide in camper you settle on. A diesel F-250 could save enough money with identical interior truck volume to put a very healthy dent in the price of a big fifth wheel.

Thank you for the reply. I was researching F 250 models as well. I see one problem with them is Cargo capacity with long bed and crew cab only around 3000 lbs ( give or take a little) and I was looking at artic Fox campers and all of them ( with dry bath) over that number. Yes, I am considering 48 inch extended drawbar.
With 5th wheel camper, F 250 will work just fine, but i will not be able to put camper at the latter time
To me f 450 is more universal, yes universal comes with a higher price tag ( unfortunately )
On "paper' it seems to be possible and very doable, but why it is not a popular option?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Quit looking for popular, and find your best solution.

 

[Rosy]

The trouble with a truck camper is that if you want to go anywhere else while you're camping, you either have to break camp so you can haul it around with you or you have to have a stand for it so you can take it out of the truck bed every time you set up.

I would look at a one ton (350/3500) with a 5th wheel.

 

[star1k]

Quit looking for popular, and find your best solution.

Thank you for your input. I probably should not use the word "popular" instead I should've used "common" as to why this setup is not common.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Thank you for your input. I probably should not use the word "popular" instead I should've used "common" as to why this setup is not common.

For me my choice would be a box truck,with a pull behind. I don't care what others do.

 

[star1k]

The trouble with a truck camper is that if you want to go anywhere else while you're camping, you either have to break camp so you can haul it around with you or you have to have a stand for it so you can take it out of the truck bed every time you set up.

I would look at a one ton (350/3500) with a 5th wheel.

Good point. I either need to pack my bed camper or offload it. I personally do not have any experience with that, but what I see on youtube videos it is not that long/hard ( Right?). Obviously packing a truck bed camper is longer than offloading it. Wait, do I need to have a special stand to put the camper on the ground? I thought leveled ground with a tarp is sufficient.
Initially, we were looking for a 40 ft 5th wheel toy hauler, but it will limit our ability to visit some national parks/forests. plus this thing is huge and I'm kinda afraid to have such a big camper as our first rig. That is why I am considering other options.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

You've got your truck scheduled for delivery at some point, a goose neck hitch could be a good alternative to a 5th wheel as they take up literally zero room when the ball is pulled out. This would still allow a truck camper to fit in the bed or haul a 5th wheel with a goose neck adapter. As an added benefit, you could borrow or rent a goose neck equipment or car hauling trailer to pull around to give you a sense of the width and length of a big 5th wheel without additionally dealing with the height or mass.

I've considered going all in with a diesel truck and a big bumper pull camper but the cost of the truck is the turn off for me. I've already got a truck that works great and I like it, it's just way too small for a big camper. I wouldn't want to drive a diesel on a regular basis nor would I want to own two at the same time. That starts pointing me toward a big class C or a class A with a toad, either purchased used would be far less expensive than diving into a new truck Ford is exceedingly proud of with another $40-90K behind it.

 

[star1k]

You've got your truck scheduled for delivery at some point, a goose neck hitch could be a good alternative to a 5th wheel as they take up literally zero room when the ball is pulled out. This would still allow a truck camper to fit in the bed or haul a 5th wheel with a goose neck adapter. As an added benefit, you could borrow or rent a goose neck equipment or car hauling trailer to pull around to give you a sense of the width and length of a big 5th wheel without additionally dealing with the height or mass.

I've considered going all in with a diesel truck and a big bumper pull camper but the cost of the truck is the turn off for me. I've already got a truck that works great and I like it, it's just way too small for a big camper. I wouldn't want to drive a diesel on a regular basis nor would I want to own two at the same time. That starts pointing me toward a big class C or a class A with a toad, either purchased used would be far less expensive than diving into a new truck Ford is exceedingly proud of with another $40-90K behind it.

About truck - it has been 6 months since I ordered it and still don't have VIN or scheduled production date... so maybe I will be looking at something else if no updates in 1-2 months. I was looking at gooseneck and really liked the idea - much smaller, has the same carrying capacity, and is easy to put in/out and some frames are certified and will not lose warranty
Thank you for suggesting getting to rent big utility gooseneck for practice.
I have my daily vehicle. This diesel will be only for travel and yes it is expensive. My idea to spread out cost instead of having one huge purchase.