Camper Van Vs Camper Truck

[chartneck]

Hi Everyone!

I am a noob on this forum. Sold my Sprinter because it got stuck everywhere. It was a dually and I live in MN. Had it completely converted to a nice home on wheels. Well I sold it and bought a 2008 Ram 4x4 with a 90s camper on it. Put a lift, some Timbrens and K02s along with a Hellwig sway bar. Now she goes anywhere, (almost lol). Well, I'm just not happy about how heavy it is, and am looking for a Ford diesel E350 van to convert. About to pull the trigger on one. My question is, with all I will have to invest to convert it to a 4x4, then the camper conversion, Am I really going to love it more than my camper truck? Your opinions would really help.

 

[Lilnuts2]

Would probably be cheaper for you to get a newer (2007 and up slide-in camper. The newer ones are much lighter then the older wood framed ones.
Weigh your truck & unloaded camper. Then weigh just the truck. That will tell you your camper weight, then look at other, newer camper weights. See if you get a reduction that might work for you.
A loaded camper van can weigh 10,000 fully loaded, but carries the weight much lower.
A camper van is more of a RV. With a slide-in you can always drop the camper and still have a truck.
We have both and they have different strengths.

 

[REF]

I think you’ll get a lot of skewed opinions here, since most of us are, or at least were, van owners at one time or another. It really all depends on what you’re looking for in a travel rig.
I personally don’t think I’d be able to give up our E350 for a truck camper for our needs and uses-too big, unwieldy and there’s no way to really use it for any off-roading, not to mention them having a lack of any usable floor space.
You’ve owned both, although not an E350, but you might be in a better position to answer your own question. I’d say get it, convert it and use it, if you don’t like it you can always sell it for 2X what you put into it. Good luck and welcome to the rabbit hole

 

[marret]

Welcome. Plus 1 on REF’s comments.

The benefit of a van is a pass through, more useable space within the total length (swivels on front seats for seating), shorter front end with associated visibility.

As mentioned, a fully built van will likely be heavy depending on build.

 

[deserteagle56]

Plus 2 on what Ref says. I have both an E350 4x4 and a Dodge/Cummins with a Bigfoot camper on it.

I can take the E350 darn near anywhere I can drive my Jeep. The Dodge with camper is restricted to good roads. Try 30 miles of rough washboard and see what it does to your camper - and everything in it. Not to mention things like brush and tree limbs that I can just push through with the van that would destroy the camper.

 

[lchukar]

Ditto to what everyone else has said. In addition, during nasty weather it is so nice in a van to just get up out of your front seat, turn around, and be in your cozy space. No need to run around outside to get to the rear door on the camper. if you have a dog, kids, etc, even more so.

 

[Beasty Boy]

Here's my answer

Hi Everyone!

I am a noob on this forum. Sold my Sprinter because it got stuck everywhere. It was a dually and I live in MN. Had it completely converted to a nice home on wheels. Well I sold it and bought a 2008 Ram 4x4 with a 90s camper on it. Put a lift, some Timbrens and K02s along with a Hellwig sway bar. Now she goes anywhere, (almost lol). Well, I'm just not happy about how heavy it is, and am looking for a Ford diesel E350 van to convert. About to pull the trigger on one. My question is, with all I will have to invest to convert it to a 4x4, then the camper conversion, Am I really going to love it more than my camper truck? Your opinions would really help.

More versatile. Weighs less than my van did. Goes anywhere my van did. V10 NO 6.0 B.S.:b5:

 

[blair-SMB]

Pass through is it for me.
Easiest vehicle to escape fast in event of Zombie Apocalypse.

 

[IanF-SMB]

The pass-thru is the biggest issue for me along with secure storage for my very expensive bicycles.

Back in my 20's and 30's, I could probably deal with crawling through a small window opening between the truck cab and the camper. In my 50's, notsomuch...

 

[loper]

My .02:

I've used a Ramcharger with a bed in the back, a 24' camp trailer, a shell on the back of a F250, and my current van. For me, it's the van hands down.

The bed is always there, and I don't have to move things off it when I get to my spot. We set the kitchen up outside, so it doesn't get hot or have leftover grease smells in the van. Easy walk through to get to things in the back. Lots more room. Our van is a high top, so I can stand up to get dressed in the morning.

Down side? Expense (5 grand for the high top, 20 grand for the 4X4), and it's pretty high to get in and out of the side doors. I made a budget to cover the expense, and I have a step to get in and out.

I'm getting a little long in the tooth, and many years of playing rough for Uncle Sam is catching up with me, so I'll take the convenience of the van over any other combo I've tried over the years.

Build it yourself and you can tailor it to your exact taste and application.

 

[Beasty Boy]

Yea,don't get me wrong, I liked my vans also for those reasons. But.... the EVIL
Wood Rats like it better. 5K in damage:r5: Now when it's off the truck on the sawhorses the little bast......s can't get to it. Plus..... I've said MANY times how I feel about the 6.0.

 

[geoffff]

I am also firmly in the van camp for the above reasons.

The van provides the most usable interior space for the given vehicle outside size. The diagram below shows an RB E-350 cutaway overlaid on a F-350. Note how the shortened hood of the E-350 buys you a couple extra feet (21") of interior space, and that doesn't even include the fact that the cab gets re-used as camping living space in the van. An EB van would be about the same length as the F-350. Why do pickup trucks need such giant hoods?



But, of course, with a 4x4 van you pay the cost (reliability, and $$$) of a custom conversion rather than a tried-and-true factory 4x4 system.

 

[chartneck]

Thank you all for the great feedback! I sold the camper. Now shopping for a van. Am the high bidder on an auction. Will see how it goes. I agree, that a van would be more useful for me than a camper truck, mainly because of the pass-through and lower center of gravity, along with more usable floor space.

 

[86Scotty]

I am also firmly in the van camp for the above reasons.

The van provides the most usable interior space for the given vehicle outside size. The diagram below shows an RB E-350 cutaway overlaid on a F-350. Note how the shortened hood of the E-350 buys you a couple extra feet (21") of interior space, and that doesn't even include the fact that the cab gets re-used as camping living space in the van. An EB van would be about the same length as the F-350. Why do pickup trucks need such giant hoods?



But, of course, with a 4x4 van you pay the cost (reliability, and $$$) of a custom conversion rather than a tried-and-true factory 4x4 system.

Geoff that's a very succinct version of my lifelong conundrum, and I know I'm not alone. I really dig the overlay too. It makes me a bit dizzy but it also clears a lot up. In this case, a picture is worth a lot more than a thousand words.

:b5:

 

[blair-SMB]

The second biggest reason for going with a van,,,,it gets the babes.

 

[86Scotty]

The second biggest reason for going with a van,,,,it gets the babes.

Oh boy, I'm swinging back to truck then. I've had one babe for twenty something years and don't want another. That's not being harsh, she'd likely say the same.

 

[daveb-SMB]

Hi Everyone!

I am a noob on this forum. Sold my Sprinter because it got stuck everywhere. It was a dually and I live in MN. Had it completely converted to a nice home on wheels. Well I sold it and bought a 2008 Ram 4x4 with a 90s camper on it. Put a lift, some Timbrens and K02s along with a Hellwig sway bar. Now she goes anywhere, (almost lol). Well, I'm just not happy about how heavy it is, and am looking for a Ford diesel E350 van to convert. About to pull the trigger on one. My question is, with all I will have to invest to convert it to a 4x4, then the camper conversion, Am I really going to love it more than my camper truck? Your opinions would really help.

Well if you had a Sprinter you probably have seen the differences as far as camping goes compared to a pickup camper. How big is your camper? Having to crawl out of the camper to get something in the truck cab is an issue for me. Access getting in and out is probably my biggest gripe with a P/U camper and why I prefer the SMB 50 type build with side barn doors. Everybody has different needs. I do prefer my electric pop top. Makes the living space feel more roomy compared to a hard top IMO and I enjoy the open feeling of the large windows when sleeping. Usually I use the top bed to sleep and gear in the back...YMMV. Not sure how your sprinter was build, but my passenger chair in my Ford rotates and another must have for my needs. I also use my awning often which is a big plus having easy access to the living area. I often set up the awning with sides and use a propane fire pit during bad weather or even with snow on the ground to warm up and enjoy the evening.


Unless you build a very basic campervan, weight can be more than a pickup/camper. My van weighs about 11.5K loaded up with fuel water and equipment when I'm by myself. I take my van on some fairly rough trails but there is a limit compared to a Jeep. I do think a pickup has a huge advantage for off road extraction over a heavy van if there is a need to be towed out of rough area. Other than my 6.0 shutting down in the middle of nowhere, having to be towed off a bad trail is always a concern of mine. EDIT there are some nice pop top type 4x4 campers out there I have been looking at.

 

[ConnieKat]

Amen to that, and after 30 years with Uncle Sam....I too would go for my van every time! Good Luck to you!
ConnieKat

 

[Scott_H]

It is really going to be on how you plan to use it. I've had a PopUp camper on a 1 ton crew cab short bed and currently have a 2003 SMB RB.

Pickup Truck Pros:
1) Can separate house from truck to use truck for other purposes
2) Long wheel base for towing and road travel
3) Many trim options, electronics, drive modes, etc.
4) Can decided between diesel / gas and transmission options (at least with Ford)


Van Pros:
1) Shorter overall length
2) Shorter wheelbase, better approach, departure, and brake over angles for off road use
3) Shorter and sloped hood for more visibility when offroad and more living space
4) With pivot seats, the cab creates open space with the living space
5) More open to the outside with big side doors and rear doors
6) For Ford's new e350 cutaway chassis, you get a 40 gallon tank.

I like the Van as I feel we can cruise on fast highways, pass when we need to, but have more capability for the places we like to go. It's just a more open feel when driving, when camping, when loading.

I did love my truck camper too. However, it was more difficult for my dog getting in and out of the truck , and yes, getting in and out of the bed Both Options are a terrific way to go, but one will be a little better for your style and travel plans.

 

[Lolo-ClassB]

Consider the difficulty and costs of repair and maintenance of the van motor. It is stuffed into a very tight space and much of the motor is hard to get to leading to expensive labor costs. Also, the batteries are hung underneath and are hard to inspect and replace