Side One:
One of the reasons we started documenting this journey so early is that we wanted to capture the entire process—not just the final destination. Sometimes reconnaissance confirms your assumptions. Sometimes it changes them completely.
This week, we visited a dealership to look at truck campers in person. We arrived excited and optimistic. On paper, truck campers seemed like they checked many of our boxes: mobility, simplicity, lower costs than larger RVs, and the ability to access places that bigger rigs cannot.
By the end of the visit, however, we had reached an unexpected conclusion: truck campers are probably not the right fit for us.
The biggest issue was accessibility. We knew there would be some climbing involved, but seeing it in person was very different from looking at floor plans online. Getting in and out of the camper required more climbing than we expected, and the bed arrangements presented similar challenges. With a bad hip already making certain movements difficult, it became clear that this was not a minor inconvenience but a daily reality that would affect comfort and quality of life.
We also discovered that many of the floor plans felt more confined than we anticipated. The smaller windows made the interiors feel darker and less open than we had imagined. We found ourselves paying close attention to natural light and sightlines—things that are difficult to appreciate from photos and specifications alone.
As we walked through different models, we learned another important lesson: finding a camper with the exact combination of features we wanted would likely require a special order. While some units had strong solar capabilities, others included generators. Some had layouts we liked but lacked features we considered important for long-term travel. The configurations that came closest to our wish list still required compromises, and custom ordering would increase the overall cost significantly.
None of this means truck campers are bad. In fact, we can absolutely see why they work so well for many people. They are compact, capable, and impressively designed for the amount of functionality they provide in a relatively small footprint.
What this experience reinforced is the value of seeing things in person before making major decisions. A floor plan, a specification sheet, or a YouTube walkthrough can only tell part of the story. Standing inside a camper, climbing into the bed, opening cabinets, looking out the windows, and imagining everyday life inside provides an entirely different perspective.
We would also be remiss if we did not mention the dealership itself. The staff were knowledgeable, patient, and generous with their time. At no point did we feel pressured to make a purchase or rushed through the process. They answered our questions honestly, encouraged us to explore different options, and helped us better understand both the strengths and limitations of various models. Even though we left realizing truck campers were probably not the answer for us, we left with a much deeper understanding of what we are looking for.
In that sense, the trip was a complete success. The purpose of reconnaissance is not to confirm a predetermined outcome. The purpose is to gather information and make better decisions. This week, we accomplished exactly that.
Side Two:
Truck campers are awesome!!!! If you are a single 20-year-old yoga instructor with questionable views regarding personal hygiene. But truly they are pretty cool, you can just take your truck out (gotta have a truck) and take your house with you, and if you don’t have hip problems getting up into the bed is not a problem. The problem comes when you have pre-existing injuries and are coming back from a 20-mile trail run, filthy and struggling to lift your foot above your knee for the 40,000 time. Of the various model we walked through over the weekend, all of them had the one commonality and that is needing a yearning to go back to the years when you played on a jungle gym to get into your bed (and potty in one case).
On the drive back home, Side One and I decided that maybe a traditional tow behind trailer that we could use our current vehicle for. Now the big question of which tow behind. It seems another scouting adventure is required. ADVENTURE TIME!!! (not the cartoon).
That’s all from Side Two this week, need to go stay horizontal to recover from 30-minute easy run. Later Days! (totally from a cartoon, look it up)