Truck topper living this winter....

I am currently roaming the country in my 05 Tundra and towing a 21' TT. I was thinking about storing it and living in the back of my truck to chase the snow and ice. While the living will be harder in the truck I figure it will be easier not towing in the snow and finding parking for my trailer.

I have a nice Marmot 800 fill -40 bag so that is covered.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

The rigs

Buy a 4x4 sprinter and build it out:) or get a real camper that goes on the back of your pickup. It's gonna suck not being able to stand up to put your pants on all winter...

With that sleeping bag I sure wouldn't be worried about being warm while sleeping but getting out of the bag will suck. What are your Thoughts or plan on drying things out? Boots, gloves, rope, etc? That's what I would be worried about....
Go with the cab over! You can still parallel park on city streets, cook, dry things out, turn around at dead ends, etc.

Maple Canyon

If you're driving much, you can dry out things with the truck heater--gloves on dash w/ defroster, ropes on floor w/ heater--heat on high, window vented so you don't overheat. You might think about using a Mr. Heater Little Buddy for heat in the back--don't think I'd sleep with it on, though. The next larger size overheats a cabover camper, so you don't need much. I think there are dc powered boot dryers (maybe Dry Guy). Get a folding drying rack for clothes (think sitting in the back reading w/the heater on, and stuff drying). And there's always a laundromat to occasionally dry your sleeping bag, etc. thoroughly. Of course a heated truck camper is ideal.

Just do it! If its not for you, you're in a truck. Drive home. I use the little buddy in my van. Heats up nicely but don't fall asleep with it on or you'll die.

If you want a little insulation velcro some reflectix around the windows. Leave a gap though or its worthless. Foam board insulate the bed. Nice and soft and should keep you warm from underneath.

Best of luck. Have fun. Go climb in the desert!

Josh Hutch wrote:With that sleeping bag I sure wouldn't be worried about being warm while sleeping but getting out of the bag will suck. What are your Thoughts or plan on drying things out? Boots, gloves, rope, etc? That's what I would be worried about.... Go with the cab over! You can still parallel park on city streets, cook, dry things out, turn around at dead ends, etc.

Wow, nice Lance!

Yeah, drying the things is going to be tough. I wish the AC would work in cold temps...that would really help dry things out in the truck's cab.

Right now I have the money tied up in the travel trailer and to carry a camper like yours I couldn't do it with my Tundra. The payload is so weak....1350 lbs. I would have to upgrade the truck.

I was thinking about no heat or going with the Olympian Wave 3. I currently have the 6 in my trailer but I can exchange it for the smaller 3. The heater is amazing but if you don't vent enough it starts making CO in a hurry :/ I am not sure how much venting I can get in the truck topper. If I do have propane heat I could also get a propane stove and run it off the 20 lbs bottle.
amazon.com/Camco-57331-Olym…

Interesting idea on the DC powered boot driers. They don't seem to draw much. I know I would need a second battery in the truck. I could charge it via the 7 pin connector since that already has an isolation relay.

I am not sure what to do yet....I have a few days to decide....the TT is so comfortable.

wankel7 wrote: Right now I have the money tied up in the travel trailer and to carry a camper like yours I couldn't do it with my Tundra. The payload is so weak....1350 lbs. I would have to upgrade the truck.

That's about the payload on my 2003 Tacoma, and I use a heavy (1300# or so) Phoenix popup, so it can be done with some fairly minor suspension modifications. If you're interested, Four Wheel Campers are considerably lighter, and will probably replace mine after I wear it out.

Secret to car living in winter is two sets of soft gear. Boots/liners, skins, gloves, ropes etc. And go for high altitude parking spots, they're generally warmer and drier.

Condensation is always a pain. I'm getting ready to cut a roof vent into my fiberglass topper to help relieve the issue. (the kind you see on sprinters) You can get them with reversible fans for various uses. It might do wonders for your situation as well...condensation, offset the heater, etc.

Your AC will work in the winter. Just select AC and turn the temp knob to hot. The air still goes through the condenser and dries out. I use it to dry my floor boards after tracking snow in and it works great.

I doubt that a 7 pin connection will have enough amps going through it to be efficient at charging your battery. You need a large gauge wire to make it work the best.

I have seen people try to Winter car/truck camp in our area, and most don't last more than a couple weeks. If you have the trailer I would use it, only travel on days when the roads are in good shape, and plan ahead on places you can park it before arriving. If you have to pay to park at an RV place, it would be worth, also look at cheap places to rent in the areas you want to go. Car camping in cold Winter areas does not sound like much fun.