Poll- Do you actually sleep inside?

[Viggen]

I am at the point where I can now start putting aside money for my next build. Nothing fancy. I have had a few trucks in the past and liked them all but my wife has set out two hard and fast rules. First, air conditioning required and second, no ground tent. The first was thrown out there as my BJ60 did not have it and it gets hot and humid around here. The second, however, brings pause and changed up what I was thinking about putting together. Now, I am debating between a midsize dual cab with RTT in the bed, an older extended cab with RTT in the bed, or a 4wd Econoline. While the RTT is not exactly inside, it is off the ground which I think would make my wife happy. Wild card is a Beagle and an 11 month old, although both will be older and more mobile by the time I throw all this together.

So, how many people actually sleep inside? Was it all part of the plan? Advantages/ disadvantages?

 

[amo292]

I sleep inside my truck cap when we go camping. It is myself my girlfriend and our 50lb dog on the cold nights. Otherwise the pup stays in the cab. The benefits of this are that the sleeping situation is always set up. No messing around just pull in and go to sleep when needed. Its also very water tight. The downside is the lack of head room but that really only matters when getting in and out. Otherwise you never notice while sleeping. My Toyota Tundra holds a full size bed so its no too cramped. I have never been in a RTT but I can't imagine its as great as everyone makes them out to be. It is still a tent regardless of what you do. At least its up off the ground and easy to set up and take down. Sleeping inside the truck was all part of the plan. I wanted to remain as discreet as possible but still have the comfort. The best part is I can still use my vehicle as a truck for everyday use and when we want to go camping it takes one person less than 15 minutes to throw the platform in and the gear underneath. If I were to have a dedicated vehicle I would go with a 4x4 van so everything could be self contained. If I were to be traveling for weeks to months at a time it would make sense but not weekend trips like it is now.



Good luck with your search and build!

 

[smlobx]

We live down the road from you and know what you mean about the weather.
Unless I misread your post none of your alternatives will have A/C...so how do you square that with SHMBO?

In my situation my wife said that she wants a hard side so when we camp in bear country we'll have some semblance of protection. That has led us to investigate pop up campers. In fact we just went to Denver last weekend to look at Hallmark campers.
Very nice!

The only time we didn't sleep inside something was when we rafted the Grand Canyon a few years ago and that was spectacular.

 

[Brian McVickers]

I like sleeping inside the vehicle for the simplicity.
I don't feel like I have to, I'll sleep just about anywhere and often default to a ground tent or a bivy.

Having a sleeping arrangement setup inside the vehicle allows you to get to bed quickly at the end of a long day or start early without any packup.

Regards,
Brian

 

[tgreening]

For your stated use, I'd go with the E-series every time. RTTs attached to your main vehicle, even if it's only your main vehicle while camping, get old real fast. Ever time you move its break down, set up.

Sleeping under a cap on a pick up blows great big goats, no offense to those inclined, especially if there is more than 2 people. Zero head room, and essentially a 4x8 (at best) space for all of you plus your gear. Been there and done that along with the rtt. No more for me.

You can buy an E-series extended body and roll your own interior, or find a conversion already set up, and go from there. I can almost guarantee from a comfort standpoint you'll be way ahead of the game vs the other two options.

 

[Viggen]

We live down the road from you and know what you mean about the weather.
Unless I misread your post none of your alternatives will have A/C...so how do you square that with SHMBO?

In my situation my wife said that she wants a hard side so when we camp in bear country we'll have some semblance of protection. That has led us to investigate pop up campers. In fact we just went to Denver last weekend to look at Hallmark campers.
Very nice!

The only time we didn't sleep inside something was when we rafted the Grand Canyon a few years ago and that was spectacular.

The air conditioning will be for driving someplace, not necessarily for once camped. Once camped, we can find another alternative. The BJ60 had no a/c and when moving, was okay but if you know NoVa, you are not moving all that often.

The reason that she is uninterested in a ground tent has to do with a bear encounter in the middle of the night. I told her it was a deer sniffing at the tent to get her to calm down. My hand was firmly affixed to the axe however. In the morning, I made sure to be the first person out of the tent and 'erased' any evidence of our night time visitor. I told her a little while later that it was actually a bear. It was then that she swore she would never go out with me again unless we were off the ground. I showed her an RTT and also a van. She is fine with both.

The disadvantages of going van is that homeowner errands (fill dirt, mulch, wood, etc...) are made a little more difficult. Advantages are that sleeping is made so much easier and is easily adaptable. The advantages and disadvantages of the truck are the opposite of the van.

I do like to wheel and a truck or a van will be able to handle blues and greens at an ORV park.

 

[dBeau]

Yup... I sleep inside.

Sleeping under a cap on a pick up blows great big goats, no offense to those inclined, especially if there is more than 2 people. Zero head room, and essentially a 4x8 (at best) space for all of you plus your gear. Been there and done that along with the rtt. No more for me.

Ok... it might not be perfect but I think you are exaggerating the size of the goats. Head room isnt a problem unless you use a sleeping platform. Without one and a "high rise" cap I (6'2") can sit up an dress/undress in comfort. With a truck tent over the tail gate and rear window the bed is more than long enough. The tent makes getting in and out easy as a zipper is much less work than the rear window tailgate combo. I pack everything campsite related into two large totes that need to be unloaded before setting up to sleep... so there's the downside to my set up. Sleeping in a random parking lot isnt going to work unless I leave the kitchen and most of the rest of the camp behind. Fridge and food all go in the back seat of my access cab with plenty of room for a weeks worth of supplies and easy access to snacks while on the road.

Camping and overland travel is all about compromises... one or even two people in camper shell can be comfortable. I wouldnt attempt it with a dog and the entire family.

 

[tgreening]

Solo, not so bad. Shoot, my idea of camping prior to my wife was my CJ and a really nice hammock. But the OP is talking about him, wife, junior, and Fido. Beagles aren't exactly known as silent couch potatoes either.

 

[Viggen]

Solo, not so bad. Shoot, my idea of camping prior to my wife was my CJ and a really nice hammock. But the OP is talking about him, wife, junior, and Fido. Beagles aren't exactly known as silent couch potatoes either.

My Beagle is quiet as a church mouse. No joke, seriously. No barking at all unless you really get her worked up. She is fantastic.

 

[tgreening]

Lucky for sure. Beagles are usually quite vocal. Love their voice.

I can't imagine doing the truck bed thing with my Weim. He'd probably have me stomped into paste by morning

 

[TwoTrack]

We sleep outside, in a ground tent. It's my wife, 15 mo old daughter, myself and 2 labs. A RTT would be nice but IMO is to small and to pricey. We have a canvas Kodiak tent and it works perfectly.

 

[GR8ADV]

Let's see... We start with a completely enclosed, insulated, waterproof, windproof and reasonably soundproof enclosure. Now tell me again why when I want to sleep I should create new and different enclosure that is subject to animals nosing around, that gets wet and dirty, and has almost no insulation properties at all? :ylsmoke:

 

[goodtimes]

If I'm moving daily, I like sleeping inside. I did it in my TJ (passenger seat removed), & I did it in numerous trucks (fiberglass camper shells). Drip proof boxes with reasonable latches (IE: action packers) keep gear & food dry & safe from small critters (bears obviously require more substantial storage & planning), & if reasonably organized, it's quick to set up/tear down.

Once dogs & wet weather are in the mix - I typically move out of the vehicle in an effort to keep my bedding clean. I have yet to find a reasonable method of keeping the dogs off of my bed when inside a SUV or camper shell. OZ Tents, Jet Tents, etc. make this easier.

If I'm not moving daily (IE camped on a beach in Mexico, riding motorcycles, snorkeling, kayaking, etc), then I really like the FWC. It's a bit much for a quick weekend get away, but sure is nice on longer trips. I imagine a van would be similar. If you leave it loaded all the time (vs taking a camper on and off for each trip), it might have an advantage over the camper - but then you're stuck driving a van (some people like 'em, some don't).

 

[ZMagic97]

I sleep in both my 06 Sierra and 05 Silverado. It's always a good temp, dry, and secure. Great in all conditions IMO.

 

[carbon60]

RTTs attached to your main vehicle, even if it's only your main vehicle while camping, get old real fast. Ever time you move its break down, set up.

I'll add my two cents: hard shell RTTs are very expensive, very heavy and extremely quick to setup and teardown. I have a Roost.