The Vehicles that Bring the Fun!
If you happen to be hanging out late night with a couple of boat reps you’ll end up hearing a lot more about trucks than boats. Here’s what I’m using:

The Big Rig:
2002 Ford F350 7.3 Liter Diesel Lariat w/ banks computer chip and 4” exhaust. Dually, custom tow and air lift kit. Sirius Satellite radio is a must on any vehicle.

2002 Intermountain RV Eagle Cap Camper Light. This camper will fit short and long boxes and is relatively light at 2200 lbs. 

2004 Cargo Mate 22’ Enclosed Trailer. Lifted 8”, 9ft ceilings horizontal eTrack, custom placed roof racks and barn doors.

Truck Background:
2002 was the last year of the 7.3 liter engine. In ‘03, Ford went to the 6 liter engine and had problems. The key is to stay away from the years where Ford (or any manf.) decides to make changes. 04 was a decent year and 07s are pretty problem free. I have gone to K&N air filters which are reusable and can be cleaned at home. This can save big $ and waste. I use Rottella 15-40 oil and any oil filter I can come across (they don’t stay in long). For better of for worse, Walmart has the best deal on oil filters and theirs are actually built in the US. Average repair costs over the last 8 years are over $6000 per year. Ford’s have electrical problems but seem to have the highest mileage and smoothest ride in my opinion. Dodge’s have a smaller cab even on the biggest models and I rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy... Not really but I just feel cool saying that.

Camper Background:

From 2000-2004 I couch surfed, slept in the back of my truck and even slept on top of the truck suspended by hammock between roof rack bars. Finally, in 2004 I purchased a truck camper. I chose Intermountain RV because they were local and used aluminum framing instead of wood. At the time I had a truck with a short bed so I chose a camper than would fit both a 6’ and 8’ bed.

Campers are not built as tough as they need to be to survive the miles and nights that repping puts on them but after 4 years I can easily say that the camper was easily the best single purchase I have made to improve the quality of my life. And the most important feature...the bathroom and shower! The purr of two diesel rigs on either side of me at a truck stop put me right to sleep when I’m in this comfy set up.

Enclosed Trailer

I think it takes owning a few of these before you get the set up just right. I did get a few things right the first time though. Raising the clearance of the trailer really helps save the bottom of the trailer going into fueling stations and off road. I went with barn doors on the back because everyone I know that has the drop down ramp has broken them. In retrospect though, the ease of going up and down the ramp is a must.

The best thing about the enclosed trailer is the security and storage. I think that every retail boating shop should own one of these instead of using valuable retail space for storage. And paying for off site storage is more expensive than buying one of these trailers which can be financed for about $120/month. Plus, it is a shop on wheels. I’ve been working on configuring mine as a showroom. It starts out looking great at the beginning of a trip but by the end of a month long trip my dirty laundry and discarded beer bottles from various events muddy the appearance. At least I’m recycling both clothing and glass!

One more note...A lot of companies want logos all over my trailer. That idea does not appeal to me. The last thing I need is angry drivers calling my companies and opportunistic thieves getting bright ideas. I’m thinking about maybe having a logo that says, “Religious Book Mobile” or “Jim Bob’s Manure”. I figure that will keep the thieves away.

15 Place Open Trailer
I’ve had this for 8 years and when I bought it used this trailer had already been all over the East and the West. I still use it some but with all of the accessories I’m carrying around the box trailer is more ideal. Still, this trailer by Remackel Welding in MN still pulls great and can pack a load of boats. Not great for short boats or security. And that one boat that went for flight in the windy Bay Area was enough to get me to buy a box trailer.
 

Little Red

I love these little mid ‘90s Toyota pick up truck. I was lucky enough to pick this up from a friend who had bought it at an estate sale. I call it the ‘ol guy truck and I’m happy to follow the wisdom of my elders who know how great they are. These ‘90s Toyotas are said by mechanics to have the best combustion engines around for efficiency, ease of repair, and longevity. I have 72” bars so I can get 5 kayaks on top and a good selection of accessories in the back canopy.