Staying in a camper/trailer for a week+ at a time.

[jeeper]

I’m always down for camper life. However, if the cost is your driving factor, I believe you will actually be ahead by staying in cheap hotels. The cost of purchasing, maintaining, towing, etc will be more than the money spent at a cheap hotel.
If you are really trying to go cheap, spend one night in the hotel, then one under the stars in the bed of the truck, back and forth.

 

[Greg]

I’m always down for camper life. However, if the cost is your driving factor, I believe you will actually be ahead by staying in cheap hotels. The cost of purchasing, maintaining, towing, etc will be more than the money spent at a cheap hotel.
If you are really trying to go cheap, spend one night in the hotel, then one under the stars in the bed of the truck, back and forth.

I'm not trying to go really cheap, I want to be comfortable... but not burn money.

 

[jeepin4x4james]

I lived in my Arctic Fox 990 slide in camper from the first of April through Thanksgiving the last 2yrs... The majority of the time (80%+) I did have shore power available though. When not on shore I had 2 large deep cycles and a nice Renogy solar setup that works very well, and the generator for backup.
This model has the heated ‘basement’ to keep the tanks from freezing, and the propane lasts a lot longer than expected.
For the summer months I bought a huge chunk of military camo netting that I draped over the camper... it’s big enough to create a large shady area off the side as well as cover the entire camper - drops the temps significantly and really reduces A/C usage.
I also bought a normal bbq grille, did lots of outdoor cooking and it’s much nicer on a full size unit.

 

[Tonkaman]

I don’t have first hand experience, but have been around a few linemen who travel weekly and loggers who stay out for months in end. Here are a few random thoughts that stick out to me.

The camper will get TONS of wear and tear. Most campers are designed for a few weekends a year use, so maybe 15-20 average. You’ll effectively be taking years off if it’s life each season. Not a deal breaker, but something to consider.

Finding a place to park legally gets tricky sometimes. I don’t know if that will be an issue for you, but could be a really be a hassle in some situations.

When your really remote the washboard dirt roads are going to make you want to keep it parked as much as possible. You can easily work with this as long as you know work won’t make a sudden change of direction the following week.

My brother and brother-in-law both live in the Uintas full time except for winter. Their biggest obstacle is hauling out black tank waste and hauling in water. Neither is terribly difficult but take some logistics.

I think you’ll love it and totally support this idea! The time wasted driving to hotels, eating out nightly, getting poor sleep is all fixed by having a camper.

 

[J-mobzz]

Interesting... so the diesel tank sits inside the van or do you mount the tank outside? No funky smells or fumes?

I mounted mine inside after watching several videos of others. I honestly can’t smell it at all. But if I had a better location outside I would have done that.

 

[Pike2350]

I found your solution....old school

Barnwood trailer!

$5,000.00 Barnwood trailer! for sale in Sandy, UT on KSL Classifieds. View a wide selection of Travel Trailers, Bumper Pull and other great items on KSL Classifieds.

classifieds.ksl.com

 

[boogie_4wheel]

I lived in mine off and on over the years, the longest being 26mo for 5 days a week. I'd set up at the nearest RV Park and pay monthly rates, or in a mobile home park and pay the lot fee and set up the elect bill. Doing this is great because you won't have battery or water anxiety.

The smaller the trailer, the less you have to heat/cool. The downside is they typically have smaller holding tanks. Adding fresh water isn't too hard, but ditching gray/black might be.

I stayed in a 21' toyhauler with an exposed belly. I added 120V stick on tank heaters, then skirted with osb with 1" styrofoam insulation on the inside. In the winter I hung a comforter inside to block the back 6' in an effort to heat a smaller area. -20° was seen at times. Inside could be kept comfortable with electric heaters (more convenient than dealing with propane tanks, and free electricity at many rv parks).

I'd try to find a place to park the trailer where you have access to direct and water/sewer. Or at least try to string a cord at the jobsite if available. If you are truly in bfe, drain the gray on the ground, haul fresh with you on your rotations, and the black tank can be stretched out a long time being one male user; or use a portable cassette toilet that can easily be dumped elsewhere.

Plastic utensils and paper plates help conserve a lot.

 

[Tonkaman]

My brother uses a small black water tank trailer to empty his weekly. If you had equipment you could just load the tank in not the bed if your truck

 

[N-Smooth]

I’m always down for camper life. However, if the cost is your driving factor, I believe you will actually be ahead by staying in cheap hotels. The cost of purchasing, maintaining, towing, etc will be more than the money spent at a cheap hotel.
If you are really trying to go cheap, spend one night in the hotel, then one under the stars in the bed of the truck, back and forth.

This. My dad is crazy about saving money so when they bought their trailer ~15 years ago he tracked every cost in a spreadsheet. He came to the conclusion that they could've stayed in cheap-ish hotels for less money but the experience with the trailer is better. My mom likes sleeping in her own bed so he didn't have a choice anyways. The point is I wouldn't do it unless you want to have the trailer for recreation as well.

 

[Greg]

This. My dad is crazy about saving money so when they bought their trailer ~15 years ago he tracked every cost in a spreadsheet. He came to the conclusion that they could've stayed in cheap-ish hotels for less money but the experience with the trailer is better. My mom likes sleeping in her own bed so he didn't have a choice anyways. The point is I wouldn't do it unless you want to have the trailer for recreation as well.

Interesting.... it's always good to hear the other side of the debate. Part of my issue is that I can't always find 'cheap-ish' hotels near where I'm working. Last week I could have stayed in Mesquite and for the days I needed (thru the weekend) hotels were $90/night. I found a hotel in St George at $45/night, but it was over an hour from the jobsite, meaning earlier mornings, longer days and more miles. I've stayed in some sketchy, cheap hotels in my time traveling for work.... I do like the idea of having control over where I'll be sleeping.

The downside is the hassles that come with the camper, towing, fuel mileage, power, mileage, etc. IMO both options have pros & cons, the costs are a big deal and what you want to deal with end up being the deciding factor. It's not an easy choice!

 

[Greg]

I lived in mine off and on over the years, the longest being 26mo for 5 days a week. I'd set up at the nearest RV Park and pay monthly rates, or in a mobile home park and pay the lot fee and set up the elect bill. Doing this is great because you won't have battery or water anxiety.

The smaller the trailer, the less you have to heat/cool. The downside is they typically have smaller holding tanks. Adding fresh water isn't too hard, but ditching gray/black might be.

I stayed in a 21' toyhauler with an exposed belly. I added 120V stick on tank heaters, then skirted with osb with 1" styrofoam insulation on the inside. In the winter I hung a comforter inside to block the back 6' in an effort to heat a smaller area. -20° was seen at times. Inside could be kept comfortable with electric heaters (more convenient than dealing with propane tanks, and free electricity at many rv parks).

I'd try to find a place to park the trailer where you have access to direct and water/sewer. Or at least try to string a cord at the jobsite if available. If you are truly in bfe, drain the gray on the ground, haul fresh with you on your rotations, and the black tank can be stretched out a long time being one male user; or use a portable cassette toilet that can easily be dumped elsewhere.

Plastic utensils and paper plates help conserve a lot.

My plan for where I'll be staying would be dry camping, on company property. So no power or water, unless I get lucky. The places we work in are often pretty remote, not too many options for campgrounds, etc.

Good insights and thoughts on heating with shore power. I have been talking to camper dealers about enclosed bellys, heat tape & heated pads under tanks, pipes, etc.

 

[Greg]

I don’t have first hand experience, but have been around a few linemen who travel weekly and loggers who stay out for months in end. Here are a few random thoughts that stick out to me.

The camper will get TONS of wear and tear. Most campers are designed for a few weekends a year use, so maybe 15-20 average. You’ll effectively be taking years off if it’s life each season. Not a deal breaker, but something to consider.

Finding a place to park legally gets tricky sometimes. I don’t know if that will be an issue for you, but could be a really be a hassle in some situations.

When your really remote the washboard dirt roads are going to make you want to keep it parked as much as possible. You can easily work with this as long as you know work won’t make a sudden change of direction the following week.

My brother and brother-in-law both live in the Uintas full time except for winter. Their biggest obstacle is hauling out black tank waste and hauling in water. Neither is terribly difficult but take some logistics.

I think you’ll love it and totally support this idea! The time wasted driving to hotels, eating out nightly, getting poor sleep is all fixed by having a camper.

I get that campers aren't built for living in full time, even then the build quality of most campers on the market seems quite cheap. I'd like to find something lightly used, at this point I'm thinking anything over 10 yrs old is too old.

No plans to drive down dirt roads with it, some dirt parking lots but paved roads.

 

[I Lean]

I have one request--just from my personal perspective.

Stop calling it a "camper". You're clearly thinking of a trailer instead.

That said, have you considered a camper? Your truck is a longbed, right? That opens up your options a lot compared to shortbed--and if you're looking at smallish trailers, you don't give up much--it's just a different layout. And you'd reduce maintenance needs a bunch, by not having any axles or towing apparatus.

 

[Greg]

I have one request--just from my personal perspective.

Stop calling it a "camper". You're clearly thinking of a trailer instead.

That said, have you considered a camper? Your truck is a longbed, right? That opens up your options a lot compared to shortbed--and if you're looking at smallish trailers, you don't give up much--it's just a different layout. And you'd reduce maintenance needs a bunch, by not having any axles or towing apparatus.

I'm camping in it, aren't I? Yes, what I'm talking would be a bumper-pull camp trailer.

I have considered a slide in truck camper like your talking about, but my biggest concern is the size of the fresh water tank as well as the grey and black tanks and needing 8 days supply. My truck is actually a shortbed, extended cab. A fullsize slide-in camper would look a little funny in the back, IMO.

 

[Greg]

I did walk around a few local recreational vehicle dealers today and met a salesman that I actually know. We spent about an hour walking thru different models and talking layouts, options, build styles, etc, etc. It was very educational, I've never owned a camper or a RV/trailer so this is all new to me. There are some pretty decent new options out there that would work for me in the $20k price range, that would be nice to have for personal vacations as well.

 

[rholbrook]

This is what I would do.

1976 Chevy Blazer Chalet Bed Camper Yours For Just Below $20K

It’s one of just 1,800 examples of the Chalet camper built and is in largely original condition.

www.motor1.com

Blazer Chalet For Sale | Barn Finds

barnfinds.com

 

[Greg]

This is what I would do.

1976 Chevy Blazer Chalet Bed Camper Yours For Just Below $20K

It’s one of just 1,800 examples of the Chalet camper built and is in largely original condition.

www.motor1.com

Blazer Chalet For Sale | Barn Finds

barnfinds.com

I can't even stand up in it & I bet there's no toilet.... or shower.

I'm OUT!

 

[Kiel]

Funny, I've seen one of those blazer campers at pick and pull maybe 3 years ago. Beat down, but still cool

 

[Seven]

My couple of thoughts. I would figure out ways to lock down batteries, propane, and other things that can walk off. I might even strengthen the door.

Park out of wind. Nothing robs camper heat like wind. Might even make some sort of windbreak with a tarp. Cut some 1 inch styrofoam insulation to fit inside of the roof vents since currently the only insulation is the thin piece of plastic of the vent.

I have a renolgy flat (flexible) solar panel that I just used roof tape to tape down to the roof. That way I didn't have to worry about drilling into my roof to mount.

 

[anderson750]

Here is a new wrinkle for you since I have a friend who works the same job and have seen this many times. What do you do when you have left it st your job location for your 6 off and they notify you that you are going someplace else for your next shift 3 days before you are set to go on