Truck Camper Living (Two Month Update) | Travel Lite 770R
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- I am without my wife this week as she recovers from surgery. However, I really wanted to share with our friends some of the things I like about truck camper living in our Travel Lite 770R as well as things that I don't. My wife does 99.9% of all the editing, so I am using my basic knowledge to put this video together. I apologize in advance, but she will be back soon.
Time stamps for video:
0:00 intro to video
0:23 tour of outside pros and cons
5:18 tour of inside pros and cons
11:10 tour of small bathroom area pros and cons
Please consider helping support our channel by using the following links to view items we mention on our videos. Some of our friends have asked us about the cutting board that slides over the range. Here is the link:
amzn.to/3r3dFZ4
We would love to get your feedback on what you would like to know about our living in this tiny space. Please comment below with any questions you have about this lifestyle or the truck camper.
Music: www.bensound.com
NOTE: We just released the 6 month update of life in the truck camper. Go to here to watch: czcams.com/video/NopwvITV02A/video.html
Fascinating look into small space living.
Thanks so much for your comment. :) We will try to share more on our tiny space living as we think of things that people would like to know.
I love this tour y’all. Thank you for pointing out things they could improve on. Great choice in life less is more.
Thanks for watching! We really love living in our tiny space. To us less really is more!
Great video, so real!! Get well 😊
Thank you! Will do!
Reallly helpful pointing out details like that. Thank you!
Thanks Amy! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We love to help.
Been thinking about this when we purchase a heavier truck. Thanks for the tour. You answered some questions. Hope the Mrs get well quickly. Be safe stay healthy.
She is suppose to be released from the hospital today. :) If you think of any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We are always looking for new video ideas. :) Thanks for watching!
Great job Dean!! We pray for a full recovery for Shalane.
Thanks so much! I am not even close to being the editor that Shalane ie but I appreciate it. :) Thanks for your prayers!
Love the truck camper! That is one thing I could never talk Magen into. I still can’t believe she is willing to camp in a van!! Praying for a speedy recovery my friend!~Paul
You and me both! Referring to both Magen and the recovery. ;) We have talked a lot about trying van life, but the truck camper we can take off if we stay a long time in one place. That will free up just driving the truck. With a van, you are always having to move your 'house' with no chance to remove your home. That is the only reason why we chose a truck camper. ;)
Great job Dad! You guys are truly the coolest parents.
Lol. By the way, you are truly one of the coolest son-in-laws! :)
That is a great camper! Even if it is tiny lol. Glad to hear Shalane is doing good.
Thanks 👍. We really are happy with it! She will be released from the hospital today. :)
Prayers to Shalane. I hope that her recovery is getting better. Recovering from any surgery is ruff. Love you both. I hope that you can get out and enjoy some beautiful camping time and enjoy your new camper
Thanks so much for your prayers. Today she is feeling a little bit better. Hopefully soon she will be back at full strength. :) We hope everyone will be able to get out and enjoy some camping soon. :)
You did great, Dean. Were praying for a speedy recovery, Shalane. Wow an hour to jack up the rig to get it into the truck is crazy! The window to see all the way through the rig is a pretty neat feature. Not great for privacy, but convenient for driving. Thanks for the tour and your honest review.
Thanks 👍! An hour is too long to get it into the truck. :/ It was my first time doing so. I sure how it gets faster the more I do it. I will streamline the process hopefully. I will always try to give a honest review. Hopefully, Shalane will be better soon to give her take on it. Thanks for your support of our channel! Enjoy Reno. :)
Thanks for sharing this video. Very helpful ,informative and useful information.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for watching and for your comment. :)
Very interesting. My hat is off to you both , as cute & cozy as your camper is , i personally need a sewing room in my camper as much as i need a toilet 🤣. You guys are so awesome . Hope Shalane is feeling better . Thanks for all the info in this video . Stay safe !
Shalane is feeling much better. Thanks! :)
Hi Dean, Great information for anyone interested in a truck camper. IDK about how small the bathroom is. I'm glad you like living in it. I hope Shalane gets better fast. Lucy
Thanks 👍! Yes, the bathroom is a tight fit. lol Shalane is suppose to be released from the hospital today. I will let her know that you were asking about her. Thanks again! :)
Thank You so much for sending the link for the mattress. We order one!
So happy when we get to help our friends! So many wonderful people have helped in our journeys. :)
Really appreciated this video! A couple of things that I agreed with as bummers were; gray water connection, filling fresh water, & lack of electrical outlets. But totally get that cost and function are heavy factors. I’ve always been fascinated with truck campers and how they work as we have a bumper pull which has its pros and cons. Thanks for sharing;cool setup!🙏🏼🙌🏼
Glad it was helpful! We do really enjoy it! It gets us to many places that we would have to skip if we were in our old bumper pull. Thanks for watching! :)
Hi from Norway. Very nice camper! I am a rookie in the camper world. My first weekend in the camper was this weekend.(24 mai) I hope you have many many fun travels with this nice rig. Take care !
Very cool! We love making new friends from Europe! Thanks for watching. :)
For sure Dean, remind me when I had a pick up camper 40 years ago and all the pluses and inconveniences associated with living in a tiny RV. Looks like you have adapted and learned a lot of tips along the way - happy trails
Yes, life is all about choices. We love living in our tiny space so much. Thanks so much for watching! Hope to meet you soon!
An easier way to fill up your water tank is to carry a garden hose with you if you're in a campground or somewhere where you can hook up a garden hose to water but the garden hose in there and just let it run slow until it starts to run over it's a whole lot easier and trying to lift that 6 gallon jug up there every time and I hope your wife gets well real soon
Great video. Wow y'all are the real deal. I could not do it. Very impressive. Thank you for sharing your home with us. Hope Shalane gets to feeling better. Sorry if I misspelled that.
I agree, Great Video for sure
Thanks so much! We also say that what works for one person (or couple) may not work for another. We are enjoying it though. :) Shalane is suppose to be getting out of the hospital today. :)
thank you Dean. Hope Shalane is back with us soon! Love your little camper, in spite of those few challenges. Maybe replace the bathroom door with a curtain?
The bathroom actually already has a shower curtain along the inside of the door. We like the privacy that a solid door provides, but the curtain is certainly adequate. Thanks for the idea. :)
I like the red. Good video. All the best to Shalane.
Thank you! I will let her know that you are thinking of her! :)
Hope your wife is feeling better soon. I have never seen the inside of a truck camper. Very interesting.
I hope so too. Glad to have been able to show you your first truck camper. It is amazing how much we can put into a tiny space. :) Thanks for watching!
The bathroom is such a great space for storage. We have never used our bathroom shower! Hahaha....
I actually prefer a bathhouse in an RV park but we boondock so much that I do use the shower a lot. :) Thanks for watching. :)
Thanks 😊
I think its awesome your traveling this way. I agree things could of been better designed. The electric connector should of been a twist lock not a screw ring. The sink waste water connector by the bed rail I was thinking use could use a brass elbow like they use on the RV water supply. Love the way you two set it up. You two are so awesome! Tell Shalane she is in our prayers for a quick recovery. Be safe friends 👍👍👍🇺🇸🥑❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thanks for your suggestion of the brass elbow. I like it a lot. If the little 6 inch piece of hose doesn't work like I think it should that will be my next option. By the way, we think you two are AWESOME! I will let Shalane know that you are thinking about her. Thanks! :)
I like the bright red and black. Really nice camper. Hope Shalene is doing better.
Shalane is feeling a little better everyday now. It is a slow recovery but at least she is getting better. Thanks for watching! :)
Very luxurious. I have only a camper shell.
We once spent a whole summer camping out of a camper shell. Yes, you are right, this is almost like glamping compared to that. lol ;) Thanks for watching.
Looks like you guys have adapted well to KC! Please give our best to Shalane, hope she has a speedy recovery. Debbie
Thanks for well wishes for Shalane. She is suppose to be released from the hospital today. :) Thanks for watching! :)
Good video -- Very informative !
Glad it was helpful! We are going to release our budget video about living full time in this truck camper on Tuesday. I hope you will be able to watch. :) Thanks for watching!
@@GrassRootsLiving Looking forward to it !
Dean, you need an electric pump for filling the water. Full time RVing it's self come with many sacrifices. It all depends on what the individual needs or wants. I think the smaller the better, economically speaking. This was a great review. Hope Shalene is doing well! Thanks for sharing.
Great point! I actually have purchased a small pump that can be ran by my drill. In something that small I really like for most of my devices to have at least 2 functions. :) Shalane is finally feeling better. :) Thanks Steve!
Thanks!
No problem! Thanks for watching! We will do another video soon on the truck camper. :)
hope your wife is ok dude!
She is much better now. :) Thanks so much for your concern. :) Let us know if you have any questions. We would love to help.
For that brand jack, you can buy the motorized heads and just attach them. Your camper is already wired for it (that's what each black plug on each corner is for).
Thanks for the suggestion. Another viewer had pointed out the same thing. I went with a cordless drill and special attachment. It made it so much easier and saved me over a thousand dollars. :) We made a video of it: czcams.com/video/5wTH9mr_3gY/video.html If money wasn't really a factor, I would have jumped on the electric jacks though.
great video that bed condensation is crazy ad the toiletry would definitely be an issue
Tell me about it. Thanks so much for watching and for your comment. :)
Dean! I'm back onLine after five months of boondocking (w/o WiFi) in the St George, Utah area. You are among the first videos I see again. Good to see you. Surgery? Really? Tell the lady to get over it, and quickly. The snug fresh-water inlet can be resolved IF there is enough room by using a 45 or 90 degree threaded elbow. Available at Wal Mart and everywhere else. I KNOW you have thought of this, so there must not be enough room. I'll see you again! (PS JCP has file for bankruptcy. No surprise, but Covid pushed 'em over the edge they were already on. I'm not sure what that wil mean for Reno operations yet).
Tim! It is great to hear from you again. 5 months without WiFi has got to be some kind of record in today's world. I agree that COVID pushed JCP over the edge. I doubt there will be a need for workampers anymore at JCP. I hope I am wrong but I would be surprised. Thanks for stopping by!
You could use an impact gun Mayne to lower Jack's...and siphon water into tank if you use a ladder and rest the juggs on the roof.
Thanks for the ideas! I always appreciate helpful feedback. Thanks for watching!
We bought a travel lite too, so I watch for your ideas. We have a clear flex hose for our drain, works well. Love the cutting board idea over stove top, did you make it or purchase it (the feet)? Good reminder about the mattress, ty
Great idea! The feet came with the purchase of the cutting board over the stove top. Surprisingly, it fit perfectly over the range top with the feet extended out to it furthest setting. Thanks for watching and for your idea. :) I will put a link for the cutting board in the description.
I couldn't live in something so small..but would camp out😉
It is not for everyone, that is for sure. :) It certainly is much better than sleeping in a tent. ;) We love it because it allows us to stop anywhere a normal truck would be able to stop. Pulling a camper, or getting a larger motorhome does limit where you can stop sometimes. Thanks for being such a loyal follower of our channel. :)
I think it's cute and cozy ..I don't mean anything bad about it just I myself couldn't lol..and yes way way better than a tent💕💕
that weight value is so 70s. I am not laughing.. I am hunting a camper for a 96 half ton, welded frame and hellwigs. I am in that old weight category. the "lite" suffix is still heavy for some of us. Informative video. the bonus is modern materials you have in the 2020. I am still looking at old aluminum and stick builds that were treated well by previous owners.
Good luck on your search. Hopefully, this video helped in some way to make the search easier. :) Thanks for watching!
You have to give up things the smaller you go. I can see that it would be nice when you want to get way back into somewhere compared to my 36' Class A. I know it is more weight but we use an old pump to fill from a jug which works really nice. Also, you could add a water indicator that just sticks on the outside of your tank. You know if you weren't so tall it would be easier :)... Love you guys. Glad to hear your wife is doing good. Do you have plans for the summer yet?
Thanks for the great ideas. The water indicator that just sticks to the outside the tank, does it have an alarm or something? If not, wouldn't I still have to open up the compartment to see the depth of the water? too funny about the too tall thing. ;) Plans are still unsure due to the slow reopening of America and my wife recovery. :/ Thanks again!
@@GrassRootsLiving There is electronics that allow you to see the level without opening things up. All bigger RV's have them. If you just search "water tank monitor" on amazon you will see a complete list of all kinds and prices. Take care.
You need a power cord with a 90 at the end that hooks to camper and easier to work with.
Thanks for the tip and for watching!
Where did you find the cutting board stovetop cover? Brand name and model? Thank you very much! Love ur video. I have 770 RSL and love it!
Here is the link to the cutting board: amzn.to/30zODVH I think you will find the cutting board to be very helpful. It goes on a little snug at first but loosens up over time. Thanks for watching. We just did a follow up 6-month update that you might want to check out. :)
@@GrassRootsLiving Oh perfect! Thank you so much, i am ordering it now. You guys are so cute and awesome, I hope to live out of my 2020 770RSL in the future with my special lady. Inspiring!! One more question, I removed my microwave too, but I need to find the right size mesh netting for the covering, did u find your online or make your own?
Put a trash bag over the plastic shelf. When your finished, turn the trash bag inside out, so the wet part is inside.
Great idea!!! My wife just mentioned doing the same thing a couple of days ago. It sure would make things easier. Thanks! 👏😀👍
Or put up a shower curtain to cover those things.
Get a portable 12v pump to take water from ground level up to the water port. How I did it (I have arthritis).
Thanks so much for the suggestion. I will have to check it out. :)
Thank you for the video and thumbs up did you take your tailgate off because it will not close with the camper on the truck ?? Thank you. :)
The tailgate was removed to save on weight. :)
@@GrassRootsLiving Thank you. :)
I hope all is well with Shalane. I tried to get my wife talked into a truck slide camper before we bought out RV. She would not go for it at all. Do you use your luggable Lou or is it just for emergencies? Thanks for sharing! 😀
Thanks I will let her know that you are thinking of her. We do use the Luggable Lou when we are boondocking. When we are staying at an RV Park while workamping, we generally will use the restrooms provided by the employer as much as we can. Thanks for watching! :)
Thanks for the video. Where did you get the material under the mattress? I have the same condensation issue in my travel lite. Thanks
Here is the link to their website: www.mattressinsider.com/mattress-condensation-prevention.html I am not an affiliate of the company. They quote it at $9.99 a linear foot. A queen size bed would need 10 linear feet so it would be about $99.99 with free shipping. Hope this helps. :)
Yes helps a ton thank you. I’m ordering tonight.
@@GrassRootsLiving how does this compare to the froli system?
Did you get an actual weight on the camper? My 2022 TravelLite 610 says 1459 lbs on the data plate, but actually weighs almost 1800 lbs. So I would be curious if your actual weight matches the data plate.
They make a 90 hose connection for that drain
Someone else mentioned the same thing. I now have a backup in case the 6 inch hose doesn't work like I think it will. Thanks for the idea and for watching! :)
Can you link the material you used under the bed? I have the same camper and have a similar issue
Sorry about getting back to you so late. Here is the link to their website: www.mattressinsider.com/mattress-condensation-prevention.html I am not an affiliate of the company. They quote it at $9.99 a linear foot. A queen size bed would need 10 linear feet so it would be about $99.99 with free shipping. Hope this helps. :)
What is the name for the mat's under the mattress to reduce condensation and where do I get some?
Here is the link to their website: www.mattressinsider.com/mattress-condensation-prevention.html I am not an affiliate of the company. They quote it at $9.99 a linear foot. A queen size bed would need 10 linear feet so it would be about $99.99 with free shipping. Hope this helps. :)
Get a little hand pump and a hose to transfer that water. Northern Tool has some.
Thanks for the idea. I already bought a little pump that is powered by my drill. As I get older, I will probably go that route. As it is, I just consider it good exercise. lol ;) Thanks again.
I just saw this - looks interesting: shoppemarleys.com/products/hand-electric-drill-drive-self-priming-water-transfer-pump?fbclid=IwAR3FUraNQnt_Eawr3E4G6xbQL_ZKVzrC8DscTTpK0vh2Bu3h34C3eUYSetE
Love the series on the 770R! I'm considering this for my Toyota Tundra longbed (8' bed). The price and weight is right around the sweet spot. Is your Ford's truckbed an 8 foot box? What do you think about the 770RSL layouts that includes a flushing toilet in the shower stall? Showering in that would be very cozy or have you seated. I plan on mostly dispersted camping but there might be times when an RV park stay might be needed for a short period of time. Have you heard of truck campers being turned away from RV parks? I've read that Thousand Trails do not allow truck campers in their parks. Keep up the good work!!
Thanks so much for your kind words. You have some great questions.
My Ford F-250 has a 8 ft bed. I saw that the 2021 770R has a flushing toilet. I don't really know if I like it or not. We use a lug-a-loo with pine pellets and it works great for us. I wonder if it would have enough room and if it would drastically increase the weight. We have never been turned away from an RV Park but we rarely ever stay in one. Less than 5% of the year do we pay for a place with hookups. I have heard that 1000 trails is not friendly to truck campers, but I have not looked into because that kind of 'camping' is not for us. One word of caution, my F-250 has a payload of 2,300 lbs. By the time, we put the camper (1400 lbs) two people (300 lbs) and (500 lbs of stuff in the cab and camper) I am just under our payload capacity. I once looked into buying a Tundra. I believe a Tundra has a payload capacity of about 1600 lbs. Although I don't know for sure, I would definitely look into it. You may need a bigger truck payload to haul it safely. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. :)
@@GrassRootsLiving Thanks for the reply! My Tundra's payload isn't the greatest and it does look like any truck camper attached would push it near the limits. I was already thinking of deleting the microwave, fridge (currently own a 12v fridge) and no AC. In the truck, removal of unneeded passenger seats to reduce weight. Back to the drawing board for me. An upgrade to an F-250 Superduty might ultimately be the path I take in the future. Shame because my Tundra is already paid off but a truck camper setup/4x4 van matches my travel style (offgrid in national forest or BLM land). The Tundra has also been such a reliable vehicle.
@@tansadventure I certainly understand. As I said, I looked into a Tundra before I bought the F-250. It looks like a great truck, just not what I need to haul around a truck camper up mountain passes. I do like your future travel plans. Perhaps one day we will run into you off grid in some national forest. :)
@@GrassRootsLiving how do you like your attachments to the truck?
Hi just to ask, is the freshwater tank 9 gals + 6 gals water heater? Thanks
Sorry we are slow getting around to comments sometimes. Yes, you are correct on both gallon amounts. :)
Who was recording this? By the way I love your channel so much
Shalane's sister is recording it. Thanks so much for your kind words. It is greatly appreciated! :)
Just to ask, A) the freshwater tank is 9 gals, the gray tank is 5 gals. How does this work out? Where does the rest of freshwater drains to? B) Does the shower water and kitchen water all go to the gray tank? Or the kitchen water drains outisde? Thanks
You are correct! The kitchen water drains outside into a 6 gallon jug that we bought and put there. The gray tank only drains the shower water. :) Let me know if you have any other questions.
@@GrassRootsLiving Thank you for the info...Enjoy the journeys...and create more videos
Can you give any comments as to the level of quality of the build of the Travel light truck campers?
We were quite happy with the quality of our Travel Lite truck camper. We would probably still be in it but after living 15 months full time in it, we felt like we needed a little more space as there were 2 of us. :)
I’m curious if this unit is considered 4 seasons.
No, I wouldn't consider it a 4 season, unless you lived or traveled in a warm climate for the winter like Florida or south Texas.
Great Information, I wish we had been able to see this before we did our rebuild on a small truck camper from the bones up as there is some great info that you talk that we could have changed. If you would like to see want I mean by rebuilding from the bones up please feel free to check out our channel and let us know what you think and any input you may have. Thanks so much for sharing your information about your truck camper 👍
Glad it was helpful! I did check out your rebuild and it was AMAZING!!! We live in ours full time and do a lot of boondocking so we love the 3 way refrigerator, the wet bath, and the fact that it all slides into the truck bed without any overhang. Thanks so much for your comment!
So, the sink doesn't drain into the gray water tank
No, it just drains to the side of the truck. Only the shower drains to the gray tank. Thanks for watching.
were do you buy one
We got our truck camper at a dealership in Omaha, NE. We toured our first truck camper in Reno, NV. The dealerships that carry this brand of truck camper are scattered around the country. Also, websites like rvt.com and rvtrader.com will have them as well. Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions. Thanks for watching!
Why do You need to remove the toilet to use the shower?
Yes, we found it easier to do it that way. It is a very, very small truck camper with a very small shower. There wouldn't have been a lot of space to move around in the shower, if we left the toilet in there. Thanks for the question and for watching. :)
2 simple fixes for you. A electric or battery operated pump so you don't have to lift the jug. And add a small shower curtain over your clothes, so you won't have to remove them. I have the same camper and that's what I do.
Thanks for the tips!
Use a drill for the Jacks works great
I bought an adapter that I can use with my little drill. I still can only do one jack at a time as oppose to the electric jacks that I had on my popup truck camper that could do all 4 at once. My drill is too small to actually raise the truck but it makes dropping the jacks sooooo much easier. Thanks for the idea and for watching. :)
@@GrassRootsLiving its a lot better than cranking it up/down by hand. I'd prefer to save the $1000 it cost or more and buy a decent drill to power up and down. I have a Milwaukee drill with 2 batteries lots of power.
What model number is your Milwaukee drill? I want to get one but I want it to be the right one.
@@GrassRootsLiving all check that in the morning right now I'm camping in my truck Cap camper
Been thinking of trading my 2020 4runner for a new tundra. Do the same thing.
We loved this truck camper because it is so light and it has a indoor shower. However, I don't know if a Tundra would work. If you take the dry weight of the camper and add to it the contents of your trip, there is a real chance that it would exceed the carrying capacity of a Tundra. I don't know for sure, but I would definitely want to check. They say to add 500 pounds of your own personal belongings to the dry weight of the camper. That would make it about 1900 lbs. The 2021 Tundra, for example, has a carry capacity of 1500 to 1730 pounds on flat ground with no wind. Climbing a mountain in it into a head wind would really stress the engine. Something to think about. Thanks for watching!
@@GrassRootsLiving I don't see why Toyota doesn't make a bigger truck to compete with Ford,GMC,and the dodge ram.
That air conditioner might bother me. How tall are you?
I am about 6 foot tall. The little container that we built to hold are shoes is directly under the A/C. If it was not there I would fit under the A/C with no problems. Thanks for watching!
I don't know if this would work. Put blue or pink styrofoam work under your bed.
Hi fellow truck camper :-) Yoly and I have owned 11 camping rigs, the last five of which have been truck campers. Three of them have been Travel Lite products with one of them being a 770R also. A word of caution .... our 770R was a 2016 model with a sticker weight indicating 1385 lbs. We later weighed it exactly as it came from the dealer and found it to be over 1800 lbs. Also I might add that your Hypervent Airflow moisture barrier is installed upside down. The fabric material goes on top, in contact with the mattress. The plastic mesh goes on the bottom. You might enjoy our video documenting all 5 truck campers that we've owned and modified ....... czcams.com/video/MGldyeQJ-Zc/video.html
Thanks so much for your help! I will have to check out the weight! I will go over now and check out your channel. :) Thanks again for stopping by!
Awesome video beautiful wanna be friends???
Of course!! Thanks for watching. I will go check on your channel now. :)
@@GrassRootsLiving thank-you very much for the tour. this answer a lot of my questions .
I like the 770R . with my 1/2 ton truck 1700lb payload , do you think my truck can handle it ???
is your truck a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton ?
are we still buddies, just lost 200 buds
Yes, we still are buds. Why did you lose 200 subs?
@@GrassRootsLiving yes, I have gotten back 25 so far
Seems like an awful large camper not to have frame-mounted tiedowns.
Actually, the dry weight on this truck camper is surprisingly low at just under 1400 lbs.. We have not had a single problem with it and have driven it thousands of miles. I do agree that if I would have gone with the smallest Lance truck camper, I would have had to go to frame-mounted tiedowns. Thanks for your comment. We love getting input from the community at large.
I thought he was going to say... Since I'm already here... I'm going to take care of business..... 💩💩💩
LOL, I should have said that! Thanks for watching!