- When did Truck Camper Adventure start? Truck Camper Adventure began publishing online in September 2011 as a blog, Mello Mike’s Truck Camper Adventures, and evolved into an emagazine in July 2015.
- How often does Truck Camper Adventure publish articles? Truck Camper Adventure publishes articles four to 10 times a month, usually on Mondays and Fridays. Weekly newsletters are emailed on Thursdays.
- Does an email subscription to Truck Camper Adventure cost anything? Nope, it’s totally free.
- How do I get email updates when new articles are published? Look for the “Subscribe to Our Newsletter” form to the right or at the bottom of the page. Simply enter your email address then follow the directions. It’s quick and easy and free. You can also get an email notification via WordPress each time a new article is published. You’ll need to register as a WordPress subscriber to be able to get this service.
- If I subscribe to the weekly newsletter, will Truck Camper Adventure sell my email address to third parties? Absolutely not! Truck Camper Adventure values your privacy. We believe in the Golden Rule. We hate email spam as much as anybody and would never subject our customers to the same.
- Does Truck Camper Adventure spam its readership with numerous emails each week? No, we don’t. Unlike the competition, which bombards their subscribers with two or three emails a week to inflate their readership numbers, we send only one email per week on Thursdays.
- Does Truck Camper Adventure publish annoying multiple-page articles requiring numerous clicks to get through the entire article? We don’t! Unlike many websites on the web, we publish our articles requiring only one click. This results in a much more favorable reader experience and results in more accurate traffic totals for advertisers since the readership numbers aren’t artificially inflated.
- How does Truck Camper Adventure support itself? Through a combination of advertising and as an Amazon.com associate. If you enjoy our articles and value the information we provide, please support us by clicking on our sponsor ads or by shopping with us. Amazon.com links to truck camper related products can be found in most of our articles. It’s an easy way to say, thank you, for our time and effort. Testimonials and “liking” our articles on social media are very much appreciated too.
- I’m interested in advertising with Truck Camper Adventure. Are your rates reasonable? Absolutely! We are an affordable alternative to the overpriced competition. If you’re interested in reaching a large audience and are tired of paying outrageous advertising fees email us at tcadventuremag@gmail.com or click on the “Contact Us” link at the top of the page and we’ll provide you with our latest Media Kit.
- I have a news release from my company. Will Truck Camper Adventure publish it without cost? Yes, if your company produces a product of interest to our readership, we’ll be happy to publish your news release at no charge.
- Who reads Truck Camper Adventure? Truck Camper Adventure caters to the off-road, overland expedition crowd. We promote getting off-grid with your truck camper. As a result, you won’t find any ridiculous campground ratings or top 25 campground lists on Truck Camper Adventure. Instead what you’ll find are write-ups and tips on breath-taking destinations and off-road trails that can be explored and enjoyed in your truck camper. “Get away from the campground,” is our motto. If getting away from the campground is your modus operandi, too, then you’ll like what Truck Camper Adventure has to offer.
- What is the mission of Truck Camper Adventure? The mission of Truck Camper Adventure is two-fold: to support the truck camper industry and to promote the recreational use of our national parks and public lands. Truck Camper Adventure is politically neutral.
- What is overlanding? Overlanding is self-reliant exploration in a vehicle to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal. It’s not about “rock crawling” rather it’s about using four-wheel drive vehicles to explore and camp on pavement, back roads, or highly technical terrain. It’s Truck Camper Adventure’s contention that the truck camper makes a terrific overland expedition rig because of its ability to travel far off the beaten path in a self-reliant manner.
- What is boondocking? A simple definition of boondocking is RV camping in a remote location without water, sewer, and electrical hookups. Synonyms of boondocking include primitive, dispersed, or wilderness camping. The term boondocking is often misused in the RV community. A stop at a campground without hookups isn’t really boondocking, rather this is known as “dry camping.” Moreover, staying overnight at a Walmart, Cracker Barrel, or a Flying J’s parking lot isn’t boondocking either, though you’ll sometimes hear people refer to it as such. This type of “camping” is often called “overnighting” or “Wally-docking.”
- Who writes for Truck Camper Adventure? The majority of articles are written by the founder and senior editor, Mello Mike. Occasionally, truck camper reviews and other articles are published by guest authors who want to contribute their knowledge to the community.
- Are Truck Camper reviews legitimate and unbiased? Yes! Unlike our competition, we don’t “pay to play.” We review campers and trucks made by everyone, whether they advertise with us or not. Moreover, the reviews that we publish are in no way influenced by our sponsors. If we don’t like a product, we’ll say so. This ensures that we remain an unbiased, independent source for information for the community. As such, we are always in need of honest, thorough evaluations of products, so if you’re interested in writing a review of your truck, truck camper, or truck camper related product, contact us and we’ll get you on the publishing schedule.
- I’m interested in writing a review for Truck Camper Adventure. Who do I contact? Simply click on the “Contact Us” link at the top of the page or shoot us an email at tcadventuremag@gmail.com.
- What truck and camper do the folks who run Truck Camper Adventure own? The Truck Camper Adventure Rig is a 2013 Ram 3500 mated with a 2021 Bundutec Roadrunner. Details and specifications on the Truck Camper Adventure Rig can be found by clicking here. Reviews of both the truck and camper can also be found on this website.
- I want to buy a truck camper, too. What size pickup truck should I buy? Unless you’re buying a small popup, we always recommend that you buy a one-ton truck to haul your truck camper. Why? Because one-ton trucks have the largest payload ratings and are equipped with the suspension and brakes required to safely haul a truck camper. In the future, you may want to upgrade your camper to something larger and heavier. If you already own a one-ton, you can upgrade your camper without having to buy a new truck. To learn more about trucks and truck campers, check out our Truck Camper 101 article.
- Where can I find my truck’s payload rating? Your truck’s payload rating can be found either on a driver’s side door pillar placard or in the glove box on a payload certification form. You can also determine the payload rating by subtracting the curb weight of the truck (you’ll need to take it to a CAT scale to get this figure) from the truck’s GVWR.
- Can I haul a truck camper on my half-ton pickup truck? The answer is, yes, but with several caveats. It depends on the truck, it’s rated payload, and the size and weight of the camper you have in mind. The 2015 Ford F-150 short-bed (154 inch wheelbase), crew cab, two-wheel drive, with the heavy duty payload package, has a rated payload of 2,799 pounds. That’s a pretty impressive number even for a three-quarter-ton. Most half-ton pickup trucks on today’s streets, however, offer a much lower payload, usually around 1,600 pounds. This reduced payload basically limits you to pop-ups, small hard-side campers, and cab-less campers like the Northstar Vista. With the exception of the aforementioned Ford F-150, most half-tons will need upgrades to the shock absorbers, spring packs, brakes, and tires, the latter meaning a capacity improvement from the weak passenger tires that came with your truck to a set of good light truck (LT) tires with a Load Range of either D or E.
- I just took my truck and my brand new truck camper to a local CAT scale and my combo exceeds my truck’s payload and GVWR by 1,000 pounds. What should I do? Buy a truck with a bigger payload. If you can’t afford a bigger truck then I would upgrade your wheels and tires with a larger weight capacity. Grossly exceeding your payload and GVWR is a bad idea. Grossly exceeding the weight rating of your wheels and tires is foolish and can be deadly.
- I own an F-250 pickup truck with a 2,500 pound payload and would like to buy a 4,500 pound camper. Can’t I just add additional leaf springs, Torklift Stableloads, 19.5 inch tires, and a rear sway bar to haul it? You can, but we strongly recommend that you don’t. If you do you’ll neither be safe when the weather’s bad nor will you be legal if you get in an accident. The lawyers will have a field day with you and will take everything you’ve got if you injure their client. Is it really worth the risk on a recreational outing? Nope!
- Is it true that some states don’t require truck campers to be registered? Yes, that’s true! A large number of states still classify the truck camper as cargo rather than an RV. That means if you live in those states you won’t have to pay annual license and registration fees like you would with other types of RVs.
- Why do truck campers make such great RVs? Because they’re versatile, easy to drive, maneuverable, and can be taken far off the beaten path. They’re also cheaper to own, easier to maintain, and provide better fuel economy than other types of RVs. To learn more about the benefits of truck camper ownership, click here.
- Where can I go to learn more about truck campers? This site has loads of unbiased information about truck campers. This site also an outstanding truck camper forum where you can interact with other truck camper owners. Click on the “Forum” link near the top of the page to access it.
- Do you have a departure checklist specific to truck campers? Yes, we do. Click here to access the article which has a link to a PDF file that you can download and use.
For a complete and expanded Truck Camper Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) click here.
