It took us years, around 5 to be exact, to go through the process of deciding to get a camper, which type to get and eventually find one. Is she perfect? No, but this Toyota Tundra and Four Wheel Camper (FWC) rig ticks a lot of boxes.
The decision- Pop up camper VS Campervan
Initially we wanted a van, we still sort of do, but most vans can only go so far on rutted forest service roads. We wanted to get out and explore deeper than most. We wanted to camp with a little more privacy and feel like we were in the middle of nowhere. Leave it to our trusty 2000 Toyota Tundra V8 with newly upgraded Falken Wildpeak tires to get us there (Not a plug of any sort, Darren simply agonized over getting these tires or not due to cost, and he was so happy that he did. We went on some pretty rough roads this summer and everything held up.).
The ability for the truck to get us places most trailers, vans, and fifth wheel campers cannot swayed our decision. Sure, we could get a newer 4X4 van, but that would cost an arm and a leg. We are currently using this vehicle/camper combo to get us out for a few months at a time- not live in it full time.
Why a popup camper?
My obsession with campers began 5 or 6 years ago. With full time jobs, I couldn’t get Darren on board with dropping everything and buying some rickety old thing to travel the world in. Imagine that. So, in the spring of 2018 I rented a VW Vanagon and we roadtripped around the desert for a week, exploring Nevada and Utah. I had always been enamored with the style of the Vanagons, and our experience in the camper solidified that sentiment. It was indeed near perfect in its design. The thing was, these vehicles are not so reliable. They are old and break down often. Just in our one week in the Vanagon interior knobs and levers broke off.
Initially, this didn’t deter me. Once we got home, I continued to look for Vanagons for sale. The price was acceptable at first, then prices started rising higher and higher. There was no way we would spend $40k for a 30 year old vehicle that is bound to break down constantly. Then we looked at Eurovans. Same issue. One thing I loved about the Vanagon was the poptop concept. Vans with this setup were over our budget, and we didn’t really want a camper van as a main vehicle. Then comes the truck and popup camper idea. In the meantime, we would thru hike the John Muir Trail in 2019, Long Trail in 2020, and Pacific Crest Trail in 2021.
A Reliable Vehicle
When we returned from the PCT in fall of 2021, Darren purchased a 2000 Toyota Tundra. He had looked for well over a year before finding the right one. Being from Ohio, most of the old generation Tundras are rusted out underneath due to winter salt exposure. This one was pristine. Sure, he could have purchased a new Toyota but again, price and also SIZE. The old gen Tundras are small and that’s how we like it.
As a year 2000, I know you might say- but, that truck is OLD AF. Well, that’s true- 22 years old, but the previous owners took amazing care of the truck and this Tundra generation is meant to last. They can go upwards of 500,000 or more with the proper care and maintenance. Since it is a common Toyota, more mechanics will know how to fix it. We had it tuned up before our 2 month trip through California and Colorado and the only issue was a tiny chip in the windshield on the way home.
Gas mileage is pretty pitiful with the camper on the truck. We wager that it’s around 15mpg on the highway going at a responsible speed. If we go over 80mph, the miles per gallon decreases significantly. We keep her at a comfortable 60-70mph. It takes longer to get anywhere, so we take that into consideration with planning.
Reliable Camper
Our research for campers was extensive. Since we loved the popup concept, we gravitated toward popup campers to put on the truck. Low profile, lightweight and some of the most reliable on the market, Four Wheel Campers stood out as the ideal choice. They were known to hold up while the competitors popup campers were known to leak. We knew we wanted something older, because guess what? These FWC are some of the most expensive popup truck campers on the market. If you order one new it’s around $30k, and the wait can be a year or longer.
They hold their value, and possibly even gain value throughout the years. We were shocked by the cost of these campers, especially the used older models. These campers, new and old, were selling the day people listed them.
We realized that we’d have to get lucky and find one that was the perfect size for our small old truck. It would also have to be near-ish to us, which is a long shot because these campers are highly uncommon in the midwest. If it’s old, the condition has to be great, otherwise it’s not worth the money to us. We didn’t want to spend time stripping down and building out a camper, but we were willing to build onto it.
After over a year of searching and many failed attempts at purchasing, I finally found a 2005 Four Wheel Camper Eagle, the perfect size for our small Tundra. It was in great condition and was shell model, meaning it was lighter weight even with a custom build. It didn’t have a sink, but that wasn’t an issue for us. The thing was- it was in Florida. That’s a story for another time- I’ll share how we found our camper and the journey it took to get there in separate post.
We named the camper “Heisenberg” aka “Walter White”.
We Don’t Need Luxury… but a little bit is nice
As thru hikers, we know what it’s like to live with less. Living on the trail means no showers, toilets, or warm beds to sleep in at night. No refrigeration for cold drinks or skillets to make fancy tacos.
This camper is a legitimate upgrade from sleeping in a tent every night. We have a solar panel that keeps the battery charged, offering power for our refrigerator/cooler, laptops, fan and lights. The bed up top pulls out to make a larger than Queen size bed. We added extra storage for clothes and toiletries with the addition of the shelving with flexible rope baskets. There is no shower in the camper, but we do use a solar shower occasionally. We have a cassette toilet inside the camper, but we still haven’t used the thing. Reminder- we are thru hikers and are accustomed to taking care of business outside.
The camper is equipped with an old Coleman Camp Stove, which has flung itself from flimsy mounts on the counter multiple times when off roading. We’re going to have to find a better mounting system for that. We love to cook, but are somewhat limited with ingredients due to storage. We ate a ton of tacos and “bowl” foods cooked in our cast iron skillet.
Our Experience so far and additional thoughts
Over the past few months, we’ve had a blast in this camper. A positive is that it’s small, compact and lightweight- great for off roading and better for gas mileage. You don’t want your truck to be weighted down and struggling to perform. On the other hand, a negative is that it’s small and compact- for two people it juuuust works, but there will be times when you have to step outside to get your own space. It’s a pretty tiny area to share with another person for months at a time.
We drove up rutted out forest service roads with minimal clearance due to low hanging branches. Basketball sized boulders littered the road and we drove over them like a Tonka truck. We squeezed between trees that others had scraped up. When everyone was camped at the first pullouts, our rig was able to get us further in to be immersed in the wild.
In and out of the truck- this is where a van would be the better choice. Eventually you get comfortable in the camper and you will have forgotten something in the cab. We cannot easily access the cab without exiting the camper and going around. There is a lot of back and forth between the two depending on how you store things, but a van would be more convenient since everything in contained in one unit. That is our only gripe about having a truck camper… and it’s not really that big of an issue.
Stealth with a popup truck camper could also be an issue if you plan on sleeping in the city and want to be discreet. It’s not important for us to be stealthy, as we are mostly camping in the forest. You could opt to not pop the top and sleep on the bench, but I still think a van wins here.
Security was a big deal for us, so we took preventative measures and installed antitheft products in our rig. We saved so much on the camper that we had extra in our budget to customize a few things.
Lots more to talk about on this subject, but overall we had a great time and enjoyed our experience in the camper. We have made a few mental notes on things we could change for our next trip… bring less clothes, update the mattress, and possibly build out more storage solutions in the cab.
