115 replies to this topic

[Ace!]

Why would you consider diesel?  What is it that diesel does for you that gas doesn't?

[buckland]

for one thing distance.650 miles vs 500 ... much more power at higher end torque.  Longevity of engine, less maintenance,moving parts. I might think of more but only on first cup of coffee.

[CALIcamperdad]

Your toyota will sell fast. Dealers wont offer anything close to a good value. Just park it locally with a sign in it. Sunday by the church has worked well for me;-). No craigs list weirdos either.

I think range and mileage is something you'll really enjoy. Its a big reason I always find my self trying to make the Subaru work vs taking the truck which does 15mpg vs the Subaru that can pending my packed gear do 18-32mpg

[buckland]

A friend just told me I can save $3000 at the dealership if I buy the new truck with the Costco auto buying plan....wow... definitely something to look into. 

[snuffy]

you wont get that on a Colorado, there is only about $2100 markup before dealer holdback.  The market is too strong right now on those trucks, they are selling very well. You can shop and maybe find a dealer who will sell for less than MSRP.   Good luck.

[Tommydog]

Gentlemen

I stumbled across this web site and am intrigued by this discussion and your vehicles.  I'm about 18-24 months away from retiring (and if I get annoyed enough maybe less) and intend to spend more time in the hinterlands.  My plan was to get a pickup and camper, probably used to begin with because the Missus still takes some convincing - but an inside shower and toilet might help with that.  And I do have buddies who'll go fishing with me even if she says we're sticking to resorts on trips with her.

 

I was thinking of a F-150, but a full sized pickup would probably just sit in between trips to the mountains, though I might use a smaller truck as a daily driver.   So the idea of a camper on a smaller truck is appealing, but I'm concerned about putting a full sized camper on a smaller truck though it seems to be what you guys do.  Do you find it works well for you?  Are there downsides or compromises you feel you've made?

 

I do the see the Colorado/Canyons around me and could be interested in the extended cab version, but I found this comment about not putting a camper on them and curious as to whether you've come across this (if it's been previous discussed my apologies, but I didn't read all 11 pages of comments).

 

Thanks

 

http://coloradofans....uck-camper.html

 

 

Truck-Camper Loading

Information
The vehicle was neither
designed nor intended to carry a
slide-in type camper.
{ Caution
Adding a slide-in camper or
similar equipment to the vehicle
can damage it, and the repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not install a
slide-in camper or similar
equipment on the vehicle.

[buckland]

All welcome to happyville! or soon to be... Retired is a state of mind. About a slide in camper.... FWC pop up style it is not. It is a lightweight off road camper.... mine comes in at 800 lb dry... 1500 lb fully loaded wet...with people and dog. HUGE difference. A slide in camper is a road barn...one of those swaying monsters hanging out on all sides like .....well I won't say. Our pop up campers give us freedom to get into places off the beaten track...quiet...alone. But like life there are compromises... light weight small...a bit more roughing it....so small truck works.... you want shower stall and bathroom well a big truck is needed to haul that around. In the FWC on a small truck we are talking porta-potty. Like on a boat. A Colorado is more than enough truck for a FWC. If my little Taco can haul mine nuff said.  

Edited by buckland, 07 February 2016 - 10:02 PM.

[iowahiker]

Truck and camper choice depends on your values, purpose, risk tolerance, and mechanical aptitude/bank balance (you can always purchase mechanical talent).  The lightest trucks rated by the manufacturers to carry a camper are 1/2 ton regular cab long bed and 1/2 ton extended cab long beds so long as you stay below Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) which is on the door sticker.  Many truck owners have values... compatible with putting campers on trucks not rated to carry a camper (Tacoma, Colorado, 1/2 ton extended cab, 1/2 ton crew cab...) and/or exceed GVWR.  Almost all 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks are rated to carry a camper unless they have the snow plow package (someone plowed with a camper on and damaged the truck under warranty, so one or the other, camper or plow, but not both) as long as you stay below GVWR.  Mechanical aptitude/bank balance is required to modify an unrated or overloaded truck to better handle the camper but you are out of warranty coverage.  Long bed 1/2 ton trucks handle campers better because more weight is carried on the front axle since the camper has a more forward stance relative to the rear axle.   Overloading and/or excessive rear axle loading can cause bearing failures, spring damage, poor braking, and/or poor handling especially in emergency maneuvering and even frame damage if the used vehicle is especially old/poorly designed.   Vehicle repairs and modifications can mitigate these issues if they occur (i.e. mechanical aptitude/bank balance).  My truck is totally stock and requires no modifications, repairs, or warranty conflicts and that fits my values...

[Squatch]

I looked at that website. My opinion is that most folks who checked in on the 1st 2 pages haven't a clue and just want to hear themselves talk.

 

I do agree with those who say it's a lawyer thing to keep people from putting a huge hardside camper in it though.

 

I looked at a Colorado recently. There were things I liked and things I didn't. I think it's light years ahead of the old one but still has a lot of typical GM stuff that turns me off. 1st and foremost. At 6' tall with the size of that truck I shouldn't have to duck to get my self inside a pickup truck. This isn't a Civic. It's as big as any 1/2 ton 10 or 15 years ago. If i can get in and out of my Smart car without ducking why should I duck my arthritic back to get in a truck?

 

My neighbor has a 3 year old Silverado that's lightly driven. Yep we are in the salt belt. but the chassis rust that's already on that truck is impressive! Seems typical for GM's these days. That tends to scare me away. Along with the price tag.

Edited by Squatch, 07 February 2016 - 11:49 PM.

[Tommydog]

Thanks  I realize I'm starting from a point of ignorance.  I didn't even know that FWC was a brand of camper, but I see now.  I'm in CA and in Sacramento often enough, so going to take a look at one in Woodland would be easy.  I suspect a full size truck is probably more in the cards than a small one, but I'll research further.