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Old 02-12-2020, 05:10 PM   #1
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SMB, Roadtrek, Truck Camper?

At the risk of being cast out as an apostate, I'm starting to think about moving on from our SMB and into something with a few more amenities (especially an indoor toilet). We still love our SMB, but after renting a nice, new truck camper for a month two years ago we kinda got to like the amenities that other types of rig offer.

We've been looking seriously at Roadtrek 170 (RB) and 190 (EB) vans, and are also considering a pickup truck and truck camper combo. Right now we're leaning to the Roadtrek because we're still campervan folks at heart.

So... I welcome any thoughts or advice from others who may have gone down this route. Part of me says just to figure out a better way to put the Porta Potty in the SMB, but the Roadtreks we've looked at are pretty tempting. The only attraction to the truck camper route is being able to do away with an extra vehicle, as I'd use the truck as a daily driver.

We are two adults and a mid-teens son. Our traveling style is roadtripping and touring, staying at most three nights in one place (usually 1-2). We've spent up to five weeks living in our EB SMB, so we're used to smaller spaces.

While most time is spent on pavement, we do like to explore fire roads and the like. Even though our van is 2WD, the high clearance of the Ford E250 and the LS rear have never let us down. We just about always have bikes on the back and all the requisite gear inside. Our SMB has a ton of storage, which the other options don't really offer. The limited clearance of the Roadtreks is one of the biggest negatives in my mind.

I've also thought about getting a new(er) Transit and building out a somewhat basic camper, but not sure if I want to embark on that right now.

The thought of selling our SMB, though, is somewhat heart-wrenching, as we have so many great memories made in it and it's still in very good condition and ready for the next trip. I know it intimately and love the E-van platform (the Roadtrek is a Chevy Express).

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Old 02-12-2020, 06:35 PM   #2
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Can you rent something that is more up your alley to test it? For example a revel or something like that? Just a thought.

Truck campers are awesome if you can use the truck the rest of the time. Owning a 2006 SMB and two transit campers right now, I would have a real hard time getting another e-series unless I really needed the off-road capability. Driving a transit (especially a turbo one) is so easy compared to an econoline.
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Old 02-12-2020, 06:54 PM   #3
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Here is a great example of both worlds:



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Old 02-12-2020, 07:12 PM   #4
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Very much in the same position, except my kids are out on their own or in college. The wife really wanted a little more space and yes a proper bathroom. We chose to go the route of ordering a Transit AWD, about a month ago. I am cleaning up a few things on my sportsmobile and will be putting it up for sale as soon as that is done. It will be a sad day to see it go, lots of memories. I am looking forward to building out the new Transit though.


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Old 02-12-2020, 08:14 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scalf77 View Post
Very much in the same position, except my kids are out on their own or in college. The wife really wanted a little more space and yes a proper bathroom. We chose to go the route of ordering a Transit AWD, about a month ago. I am cleaning up a few things on my sportsmobile and will be putting it up for sale as soon as that is done. It will be a sad day to see it go, lots of memories. I am looking forward to building out the new Transit though.


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Very curious exactly what you ordered. Can you post your specs? Which dealer did you go through?



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Old 02-12-2020, 10:21 PM   #6
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SMB, Roadtrek, Truck Camper?

We were contemplating this same thing over the last few years in preparation for our current full timing with our 12 yr old. We decided that we didn’t want to give up our van, but wanted and needed something bigger with a few more creature comforts that would make life easier on the road.
We had looked at countless combos and gone to several RV shows, but decided that towing a travel trailer behind the van would suit our needs the best. It affords us the opportunity to still keep and use the van, plus we are able to drop the trailer at a campground, RV park or storage facility for longer stints and go off in just the van for the day to explore or accessing those more remote areas we love to go and spend a few nights or a few months without the trailer, all of which we’ve done since on the road. We went with the Lance 2185, it’s got a great layout with bunks in the rear and a convertible sofa that lays down to provide the platform for the bed.
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Old 02-13-2020, 04:41 AM   #7
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I'm in the same situation as well. I love traveling in the van and it is great for me by myself, but not enough space/amenities for my wife and I. So I've been pondering the whole thing as well. My wife says a truck camper isn't big enough. I've been looking at bigger RVs, but can't make myself go that route yet.

So for now I've ordered a custom aluminum 6x12 plus v-nose cargo trailer that I will make into a bedroom with bathroom/shower and extra storage, maybe a small kitchen extension. It will have recessed wheels/tires so the track is very similar to the SMB and a cargo rack for carrying things like a canoe, gear, etc. SMB will be used for the living room and kitchen, if you will, and for back country excursions where we drop the trailer as REF mentioned as needed. This will also allow me to bring my motorcycle or other toys. Bed will be on vertical e-track or the like so we can raise it out of the way to use the cargo portion of the trailer.

We visited a Lance dealer and liked what we saw as well. They do have 20-year PVC roofs I believe.

I want to stay away from anything too heavy that requires weight distribution and anti-sway. If the trailer and van idea works, but the cargo trailer isn't enough, then we'll look at a bigger trailer. I still am jonesing for a vintage Airstream.
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Old 02-13-2020, 08:25 AM   #8
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While I’m sure trailers work great for some people, unfortunately we don’t have any place to park one, plus they don’t really fit the way we travel. I would never have even thought about a truck camper until we rented one for a month for a trip to Alaska. It was really nice and had plenty of room for three of us, with nice amenities (An oven! And shower! And freezer!).
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Old 02-13-2020, 10:00 AM   #9
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Hey Brian. Having recently gone through this same process but the other way (trailer full of amenities with teen to E series camper buildout, no kid), I can sympathize with your thoughts. I was about to respond with some of mine when I realized I don’t know the layout of your SMB (got a couple interior pics?) and, specifically, the amenities you’re seeing in other rigs that you don’t have. I’ve got a bunch of thoughts about bathroom amenities, having gone from a full shower to a porta potty. Having a teen to accommodate in a small rig can sure create privacy issues.

One general thought I’ll share is that the fancier you get, the more work it is, which I’m sure you know. That trailer full of amenities - even in a small 16-footer - had a lot of things that could go wrong. I’m luxuriating now in the simplicity of having just enough but not too much. A fine line.
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Old 02-13-2020, 01:52 PM   #10
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Nice bathrooms to boot!
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