Ski RV's, who's sleeping in parking lots?

[bamboocoreONLY]

Every fucking rv is a compromise. As stated, none of the vans or campers are problem free. Choose one and be a dick about it.

All I know is my wife and I's main camping friends starting being real lame when they built up a promaster van vs their old tacoma with RTT. Now we have to be super picky what roads we take anywhere we go camp. Sure they have KO2's on it, but van's are just simply garbage if you want to take it anywhere actually cool to camp. I mean I'd be afraid to snap those little 1 inch thick axle's taking it on rough FS roads all summer.

We're picking up a new outpost camper for our truck come march. Went from a Four Wheel Camper to Topo Topper now to the Outpost. Super stoked.

[Dromond]

It went out a port where the propane water heater exhaust was previously. A van life friend suggested keeping the air intake inside. Better combustion and it's usually much warmer inside as it's backup for the wood stove while I'm up skiing.

If you go on a diesel heater forum you will see hoards of people saying that the combustion intake also needs to be outside. Apparently in some cases, exhaust can actually come out the intake. That might be if it’s not shut down properly or you lose power. It might be worth looking that up.

[Name Redacted]

All I know is my wife and I's main camping friends starting being real lame when they built up a promaster van vs their old tacoma with RTT. Now we have to be super picky what roads we take anywhere we go camp. Sure they have KO2's on it, but van's are just simply garbage if you want to take it anywhere actually cool to camp. I mean I'd be afraid to snap those little 1 inch thick axle's taking it on rough FS roads all summer.

We're picking up a new outpost camper for our truck come march. Went from a Four Wheel Camper to Topo Topper now to the Outpost. Super stoked.

Those Outposts are nice. Similar to our Scout but with less heat transfer because of the joints. Are the shells made by Total Composites? Look similar.

[frorider]

All I know is my wife and I's main camping friends starting being real lame when they built up a promaster van vs their old tacoma with RTT. Now we have to be super picky what roads we take anywhere we go camp. Sure they have KO2's on it, but van's are just simply garbage if you want to take it anywhere actually cool to camp. I mean I'd be afraid to snap those little 1 inch thick axle's taking it on rough FS roads all summer.

We're picking up a new outpost camper for our truck come march. Went from a Four Wheel Camper to Topo Topper now to the Outpost. Super stoked.

Every rig is a compromise. The Promaster is the affordable new/low miles option but everyone knows it has significant off pavement limitations. Why do you assume that’s true for all vans?

Your composite Outpost will be awesome I’m sure. It’ll have the same disadvantages & advantages compared to a van as other rigid slide-ins but it’s relatively light for a winter camper.

[Name Redacted]

Yeah, those Promasters have a flipped rear axle to lower curb height for deliveries, which is what the vans were intended to be used for. They are also plagued with electrical gremlins and other issues. Front wheel drive seems like a good thing, but I have heard it sucks on them from owners.

I wish they still made the Chevy Express AWD. I have a 2008 for work with almost 300k on it. Not worth turning it into a camper van because it is so used, but that thing is a tank in the snow. Every time something breaks on it, I just get it repaired easily, and reasonably by just about any mechanic. Parts are usually cheap and available. Of course now my stereo just stopped working...

Member when vehicles like this were made to be worked on? Like the Chevy Express is built to be a fleet vehicle, easy to work on, available parts, nothing too fancy. Now talk to a fleet mechanic who has Transits or Sprinters. They fucking hate them.

And vans aren't the only things like that. The new trucks all suck too. My friend's fancy new Silverado has been in the shop more than any of my cars combined. Latest thing was it was leaking gas. WTF, on a brand new truck?

[byates1]

I will say, in awd w good snows my ford T250 is a tank in the snow. Super happy upgrade from the promaster.

[byates1]

And tbf, changing all the fluids air plugs and reg maintenance is easy on the transit

[frorider]

The Promaster uses some of the cost saving design approaches of a super cheap economy car but scales it to a van. Hell before Covid screwed up everything you could get a new Promaster for $27k. A nice composite camper like the outpost is what, $38k with heater etc? 40k?

Truck not included .

[Falcon3]

Yeah, those Promasters have a flipped rear axle to lower curb height for deliveries, which is what the vans were intended to be used for. They are also plagued with electrical gremlins and other issues. Front wheel drive seems like a good thing, but I have heard it sucks on them from owners.

I wish they still made the Chevy Express AWD. I have a 2008 for work with almost 300k on it. Not worth turning it into a camper van because it is so used, but that thing is a tank in the snow. Every time something breaks on it, I just get it repaired easily, and reasonably by just about any mechanic. Parts are usually cheap and available. Of course now my stereo just stopped working...

Member when vehicles like this were made to be worked on? Like the Chevy Express is built to be a fleet vehicle, easy to work on, available parts, nothing too fancy. Now talk to a fleet mechanic who has Transits or Sprinters. They fucking hate them.

And vans aren't the only things like that. The new trucks all suck too. My friend's fancy new Silverado has been in the shop more than any of my cars combined. Latest thing was it was leaking gas. WTF, on a brand new truck?

Yeah tell my Express AWD its bad off road- it (and I) will laugh at you. I've gotten to some stupid campsites with that thing, dragging the frame and hitch across slick rock in Utah, bombing up and down steep sandy access tracks, etc. Will it out-crawl a real truck with 4LO and higher clearance/smaller wheelbase? No, but since most Jeep or Tacoma owners are afraid to scratch their pavement princesses, it'll get you further into the backcountry than most are willing to go. Also, it's got 240k miles on it and I get bored that nothing ever goes wrong on it. I'm considering buying a second car just to wrench on since I enjoy car work, and the van never needs anything done other than oil changes

[beaterdit]

No Express here, I think they're sweet. I loved my old E350 that I sold with the 300k on the clock for more than I bought it for. It wasn’t 4WD and I wanted to be able to stand up.

[beaterdit]

Should read “no Express hate.”

Forum won’t let me edit today.

[Stuntmonkey]

I've had both, sprinter and transit. Sprinter was a 2016 and had 130k on it when I got it. Sold it when it got to 250 and all I did was change the oil. No problems at all. Transit was a heap of shit with electrical gremlins and the cam phasers, which was exactly what happened on my raptor that I traded it in for. Multiple friends with sprinter issues as well, but I guess you can luck out.

In reality, you can't win. Everything is value engineered to death and consumer pay the price for the capitalist demand for blood from stone. That said, I'm now looking for a used transit or sprinter hahah.

[beaterdit]

The Enshitification of everything. The phrase is overused but "late stage capitalism" at its best.

Older Sprinters were a lot better or at least more reliable. Newer ones sound like a bit of a nightmare. I *think* Transits have gotten better but COVID definitely fucked things up at Ford. They've never invested much in the platform because cargo van. Seems like Mercedes started treating the Sprinter different but at the expense of reliability.

[Huskier]

which was exactly what happened on my raptor that I traded it in for

#Humblebrag

Someone at my place of employment just moved into one from a Lambo Urus. It looks...it looks like it should be in a toy commercial from 1994 that ends with "batteries not included"

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[rod9301]

I see all the comments about what heater to use.

I sleep in my 4 runner when it's really cold, like waking up at 4 am for Shasta and a -20 degrees sleeping bag is great.

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[Stuntmonkey]

[emoji638]][emoji640][emoji639]][emoji637][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji640]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]]][emoji638][emoji637][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji639]]]#Humblebrag

Someone at my place of employment just moved into one from a Lambo Urus. It looks...it looks like it should be in a toy commercial from [emoji637][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]]][emoji640] that ends with "batteries not included"

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No humblebrag! I’m cheap as fuck. Gen 1 from 2017, was just under $45k which I consider a reasonable price for a truck. Buying one new for $160k seems insane to me.

[ma79f8]

Just jinxed yourself with that humblebrag fella.

My apology - no humble intended



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[frorider]

Some y’all need to step up your vanlife game: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFQKI...c4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Weird. I get a motorcraft filter and 6 qts of 5/30 for ~27$

Wow that is stupid.

[byates1]

I think it's fairly intelligent. But I'm assuming some sarcasm on your end.

AutoZone manager randomly bro-d down w me and sold me 6 gal boxes for 30% off the commercial price.

[SchralphMacchio]

Been a while … like 4 weeks straight of high pressure on the west coast! My truck and trailer were happy to get back into their native environment.

[whipski]

whip test

[SchralphMacchio]

Any dentists here?

https://mhsrv.com/2025-dynamax-corp-...-c-tx-i4051714

[Huskier]

Anybody here have a Scout camper? I have a crazy idea involving an electric pickup, RV parks, and a hard wall lightish weight camper a la Scout or Kimbo...potential next step in vanlife evolution...

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[frorider]

As long as your RV parks are within a hundred miles of each other, that should work. EV range plummets from extra weight but also from aerodynamic detractors like a Yakima ski box. A scout is an aero brick wall.

Seriously, the upcoming Ramcharger type of truck is likely the future. Series electric. I’ve been writing about it in this thread since IME awareness is low. The torque and energy reclamation of electric motors, a reasonably but not stupidly large battery, and a gas engine to keep nominal range above 600 miles. Gas engines that only operate as generators can be really well optimized and efficient — Atkinson cycle,no high rpms or turbo needed etc.

https://www.caranddriver.com/ram/1500-ramcharger