Trout Truck?
- This topic has 55 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated Oct 28, 2008 at 10:14 pm by
.
-
Posts
-
Looking for input.
I retire in a few years and need to start planning with regard to my trout truck, camper, driftboat combination. This rig will be used to travel the western states during the summer and spend a few weeks in the Keys during winter.
Here’s what I have now:
Toyota Tundra and driftboat
I’m thinking of adding a Leer truck cap. I could still pull the boat and sleep in the truck bed, whether on the side of the highway or on the banks of the Madison. I could haul a folding chair, table, canopy, etc in the boat while leaving the truck bed relatively empty except for a mattress. I’m also thinking of adding a Truck Vault to store the fishing and photo gear:
I’m also looking hard at the Quicksilver Truck Camper:
….and also the new Airstream Basecamp:
http://www.airstream.com/products/2008-fleet/travel-trailers/basecamp/photo-gallery.htmlOf course…with the Airstream….I can’t pull the boat….but could invest in a good pontoon or canoe. I also can’t really find a lightweight cabover camper. I want to travel light and don’t mind being without some of the luxuries such as a built in stove, sink, fridge, etc. That’s why the Leer/Truckvault/driftboat combo is the frontrunner.
Are there any options I’m missing? I’d love to see photos of other setups with pros and cons. Thanks in advance.
I wouldnt get rid of that Toyota…those are the best things going.
Nice boat by the way…I really dont like you!
The truck vault is pretty solid. They make an all-weather version that can support the weight of an ATV.
I’ll probably add a roof rack to carry my mountain bike and maybe a small canoe or kayak. I use my mountain bike to do a shuttle with the driftboat. I typically chain it to a tree near the takeout and pedal back to the truck/trailer at the end of the drift.
I really want to take the boat in order to fish the gulpers in Hebgen as well as drifting the Madison and South Fork. I might even try to catch a tarpon out of it this Spring in Islamorada. :0
if you’re serious about it your going to want an Engel. Can’t seem to find a US site, heres the Australian one: http://www.engelaustralia.com.au/ There are plenty of US dealers though.
Don’t be fooled by cheap ones you might have used in the past, these things can make ice and only draw 2.5 amps (and that’s only while cycling). Get a decent battery and you can leave it running for days w/out starting the truck. Read up on them.
If you have some time on your hands (when you retire, that may be a possibility) you can do what one of my freinds did and build a truck vault.
Just the info I’m looking for! Thanks guys.
Carter…I’ve already started researching the small portable generators. The Engel might be the ticket for refridge needs. Their relatively lightweight as well….. 13 liter model is only 10 kilos.
Jeff…I thought about building my own and you are right….I’d save about $700!
well, yeah, relatively straight back your good if your careful… try doing a hard 90 with it at, oh say, a boat ramp or camp ground though, truck turns the trailer one way, trailer turns the boat the other. I’d rather sleep in the truck than play musical trailers everytime you get at the end of a long drive, although those airstreams are pimp.
Yep, to each there own. It was only a suggestion to what Drifter had asked, since he will be retired and have the 10-15 minutes to play musical chairs. 😉 🙂
Damn Carter, the last two post of yours I replied to, and before I could reply back, you had made changes to your post.
Rusty….I’ve seen folks doing what you’ve mentioned. I don’t see it much here in Georgia…but quite a bit in Montana, Utah and Idaho. I’m a minimalist at heart and really like to travel light. If the rig is too cumbersome, I’m afraid I won’t enjoy it as much. ….stress from towing a heavy load if you know what I mean….not to mention wear-and-tear on the drivetrain. I have tought about upgrading to a diesel pickup with heavy duty suspension….and then get a pop-up cabover camper (Four Wheel Camper comes to mind).
Thanks for your suggestion!
I googled around for a minute, kind of hard to figure out what search terms to use on that though. I found (and now can’t find again) the abstract to some article you’d have to pay for saying that it’s just flat out illegal some places, okay if you’ve got a CDL in others, and that there are a few that look at the ratios of how long each part of the “train” is.
From back in the day I think New York was listed as one as well as being the strictest enforcer, there were several others on the list too. This was in some outdoors magazine like Field and Stream or Outdoor Life that I picked up in a dentist’s waiting room, btw.
Still I bet you’d have less problems as far as getting pulled over with a small trailer and a drifter as opposed to a 30 ft 5th wheel and an 18 foot bass boat.
1. Agree with Carter…backing that thing up in many extremely tight boat launch areas is not something I would enjoy doing day in day out. Can be done but it would get old and I am sure would leave some cranky people in its wake.
2. Petrol is over $3.You know Drifter young Patrick has a good point there. With gas prices going the way they are you may want to consider a Subaru Outback. They are great cars and they do have the towing power. I work with several guides who use them everyday for getting back and fourth to the river with their boats. They all tell me how much they have saved in gas.
I think the only tricky thing for you would be the sleeping arrangement. You could fold the seats down and probably have enough room but then you wouldn’t be able to keep much of you stuff in the car…but a Yakima spacecase should take care of that!
Joel
Gas mileage is an issue for sure. My son has a 6-cylinder Tacoma that is really nice and might be an improvement with regard to mpg. I’m partial to the p/u camper top combo because I can pull into a parking lot, and in 5 minutes time….be comfortably napping in the truck bed on a soft mattress….no need to purchase a campsite at a campground, set up a tent, etc….and with a small generator….totally self sufficient.
I can see the advantages of the Subaru but I prefer the comfort of the Tundra (captains chairs) for a cross-country sojourn.
I have satelite radio but need to look at a nice GPS setup.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.