Van vs. Truck Camper: why we chose one over the other.
Choosing to live a life on the road often comes with a crucial decision - picking out an adventure rig. In the era of #vanlife, there are many options to choose from. Bus builds, ambulance builds, RV’s, trailers, sprinter vans, a Honda Element, a classic Ram Promaster, and of course, a truck camper.
We currently live in a 1989 Western Wilderness cabover truck camper. The one pictured above. But prior to truck life, we used to have a Ford Transit van. Why did we choose a truck camper over a van? Why didn’t we pick any of the other options on the market? Below I will go over the pros and cons of a truck camper vs. a van and why we chose one over the other.
THE VAN: Raintree
Casey acquired Raintree in the early months of 2021. She was a 2015 Ford Transit with a 148” wheelbase. Getting this van was an absolute dream in many many ways. And we will forever love Raintree!
We built this thing out very slowly. And at the same time, Casey was living in it. We took it on trips all throughout the build process and made the most of our weekend excursions.
We had this van for just over a year, and like I said, we took her on as many trips as possible. So we really got a feel for what life would look like full time in a van. Yet we still chose a truck camper as our home. Here’s a few pros & cons of living in a van.
VAN PROS
The simplicity and convenience. What I miss most when it comes to a van, is being able to access the cab and drive away without having to get out of the vehicle. This comes in handy in many situations. Stealth camping, a sketchy situation and just ease of use in general. Definitely something to think about if you’re deciding between a truck camper and a van!
Building out the van was 100xs easier than renovating the truck camper. Having a clean slate and not having to rip out old components was SO nice. We were able to build to our full potential and completely customize our dream van build. There are many different layout options out there, so there will always be something for everyone when it comes to building out a van! One factor no one considers in a renovation is the excessive trash from ripping out all the old components. We took many trips to the dump and even had to hire someone to dispose of our 1989 fridge properly. You wouldn’t run into this with a van build.
Stealth camping. Depending on what kind of van you have, it is so much easier to stealth camp in a van vs. a truck camper. A van can blend in with other vehicles. A truck camper? It screams “someone is sleeping in here!”. It is still possible, but it is a lot riskier.
Parking and size limitations. From our experience, it is a lot easier to maneuver a van in a city vs. a truck camper. But this does depend on what kind of truck camper/van you have. Our camper + truck combo is MUCH larger than our van was. Making it tricky to park in cities. But with the Ford Transit, we rarely ran into that issue.
VAN CONS
Off-road capabilities. Even if your van is 4x4, it just doesn't handle off-road conditions like a 4x4 truck would. We did highly consider this, but having a reliable 4x4 vehicle was super important to us. And we didn't want to go the 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter route as it was a bit out of our budget + the build on top of it. Our Ford Transit still worked in some 4x4 situations, but it didn’t feel super reliable.
Space was limited. Okay I’m not saying that there aren’t vans out there that don’t have tons of storage, but from our experience, there is a lot more space in a truck camper. Our truck camper specifically. In the van, you’re limited to your cabinet space and whatever “garage” situation you create. It wasn’t enough storage for us and our gear. Take into consideration that we had a 148” wheelbase vs the extended version! If we were to ever get a van again to live in full time, I think we would definitely get the extended wheel base.
THE TRUCK CAMPER: STONEY GREY
Our home! We acquired this truck + truck camper combo in June of 2023. You can check out a full tour of her HERE! She’s a 1989 Western Wilderness cab-over camper and we completely renovated her during the month of July. We’ve called her home ever since.
Like I said, we’ve called this camper home since July of 2023. That’s about 6 months from the time I’m writing this. We LOVE truck camper life and are really psyched on our decision. Although, that doesn't mean there still aren’t some pros and cons. Here’s a few pros and cons to consider if you’re thinking of choosing a truck camper as a home on wheels.
TRUCK CAMPER PROS
The 4x4 capabilities. Now this totally depends on what kind of truck setup you have, but we have a diesel 4x4 Ford F250, and she has not disappointed us at all. The truck and camper handle amazing in snowy conditions, dirt roads, and much more. We’ve been able to camp in some incredible places we otherwise wouldn’t of had been able to access.
The space! Not only is there tons of space in the camper itself, but you also have the back of the truck for storage. The back of the truck acts as our “garage” and we LOVE having this separation. It’s so much nicer to keep things organized and easily access certain items without getting our living space dirty. Skate boards, Onewheels, wet shoes and much more.
Detaching the camper from your truck. This could definitely be a selling point for some. Being able to detach your home and use your vehicle as a daily driver is huge. This flexibility is great if you plan on staying in one place for a while or if you end up moving out of your camper. You’ll still have your truck
Two different investments. The camper and the truck are two different entities. There’s so many different types of trucks and campers out there so the options are pretty endless. You can go with an old camper and a nice truck, or vice versa.
Separation between driving and living. I love having a separate commuting space and a separate living space. When we were in the van, after a long driving day it felt kind of meh to just swivel the front seat and continue to sit in the same spot we sat to get there. Having the separation makes it truly feel like a little cabin on wheels.
TRUCK CAMPER CONS
The size. Again, depending on what kind of camper you have, truck campers tend to be pretty large. Our camper is massive and sometimes that can make it difficult to navigate off-road terrain. In the future, we would highly consider trading this camper set up for a smaller more compact home.
Fuel efficiency. The combination of a truck and camper may have lower fuel efficiency compared to a standalone van. The added weight and bulk can result in higher fuel consumption, which may be a consideration for long-term travel on a tight budget. Our average MPG with the camper in our diesel Ford F-250 is around 12.2mpg. Although this isn’t a huge change from 14mpg when the truck doesn’t have the camper attached.
Insulation. This definitely depends on what kind of camper you have, but if you’re romping around with an older truck camper, the odds are pretty high that the insulation isn’t too great. Luckily, we’ve been able to add additional insulation to our build. But it is pretty difficult to get to the base of the walls and re-do all of the original insulation. I think vans definitely win in terms of climate control.
Daily checkups on the mounting system. Since the camper and truck aren’t one entity, things can shift around. It’s important to check up on the systems to make sure everything is still safe to drive. This isn’t necessarily a con, but just something that comes with the territory.
TO SUM IT UP…
Whether you choose a van or a truck camper is entirely up to you and what you’re looking for when it comes to a life on the road. Take these points into consideration and adjust accordingly based on your desired lifestyle and comfort levels. Maybe you’re not even a truck camper OR a van person. Maybe you go the bus route, a trailer or an RV. There is no wrong option when it comes to living on the road and everyone has different preferences.
When it comes down to it, we truly love both. Regardless of what vehicle you’re in, you’re most likely out there for the same reasons. To get closer to nature and to explore this beautiful place we live in. Maybe one day we will make the switch back to a van, but until then, we will quite literally keep trucking around. But I think our first move would be to get a smaller camper. If anyone is interested in our camper, send us a message! It would have to go to the right person for us to let her go.
What would you choose? A truck camper or a van? Let us know in the comments below.
Over & out, Far Out Stoke.