Rolling Home

In the backyard

What's to like about TC's (truck or travel campers, take your pick)? It varies according to where you live. Here's my checklist on the TC side: 1. No wheels! That means there are no tires to buy, no bearings to pack (every 2 years), no brakes to service, no alignment service, no blow outs to worry about and a minor point, no stupid little chrome hubs that rust 9 months after you change them! 2. In California there is no license or registration required for a TC. Hauling a TC is like a load of sand. That means no separate insurance & no special fees. Are you adding up the bucks on items 1 & 2? 3. When the RV use is over, remove the TC and you have a full-use truck for hauling. 4. Parking with a TC takes little more caution than parking the truck without it. The rearview mirrors are the widest part of the rig and unless your TC hangs out the back a lot, the length is about the same. 5. Fuel economy is much improved, I'm seeing 15% more miles in every gallon! Good for the pocket book, good for global warming! 6. Back up there with no-wheels I assume you noted there's no engine, no transmission, no coolant, etc. Hey, they all cost money to maintain! 7. Camp nearly anywhere as there are few campsites short of backpacking that don't provide enough space for a TC and getting into the space will require little of the special backing skills required with a trailer or motor home. This also works for storing at home. Often owners drop the TC to a rolling platform and push into the garage. I don't have a garage, but that sounds great. In my case, the #1 issue is getting home on a one-lane difficult road and the TC fits the bill here!

On the downside, TC's cost more per cubic inch than most other RV's. On the new end, we found our Travel Trailer was only a little more expensive at 25 feet as the same brand's campers. Seemed hard to understand then, and still seems high today. My friend Steve bought a huge used 30-foot motorhome for a few bucks more than our 16-foot TC. His has a V-10 engine, more doors, A/C lots of beds and windows and looks like a castle by comparison. So if larger matters to you a TC is not going to do the job.