If I wanted a 1-ton, DRW, 4x4 pickup with the biggest payload capacity (to carry a large, slide-in, truck camper)....what would you all recommend I look at first?

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
If I wanted a 1-ton, DRW, 4x4 pickup with the biggest payload capacity (to carry a large, slide-in, truck camper)....what would you all recommend I look at first?

The largest capacity would be a Ford F-450 with their diesel engine. Then you're looking at the various 350/3500s which are one ton trucks as you know. I recently ran the specs on the F-450 but decided it was not what I needed as it only comes with an 8' bed.

Have you been to RV.net ? Good forum. They have a truck camper section.

F450 would be way overkill. We had a king ranch f250 (not a dually), but I pulled multiple cars at once in an enclosed trailer with ease. A small camper should be fine. Why do you want a dually? They're a pain in the ass to drive and park, in my experience.

Dually may not be necessary. I had a '89 F350 dually stake bed, 4WD, Diesel. Very good truck. 3000 lb. load capacity. Didn't use it enough. Finally sold it. Ran a Tacoma for years. Now have a 1995 Dodge Ram with a Cummins, single rear wheels, not duals. Great truck. Also has the same 3000 lb. load capacity.

In my mind (experience) the dually puts two more tires on the road, sharing the load. This actually gives the truck LESS traction in any kind of slippery conditions. My Dodge has a weakness, 2WD, which is what I wanted as the differential ratio gives me great mileage. But with 2WD the rear can be light when empty (tires run 50 PSI pressure). It will slide when slippery roads are found. This I understand and appreciate. The dually can be as bad or worse, unless you have 4WD. Even with 4WD it can slide like a pig on ice.

Make sure you check the gvwr on the door frame. I have a 2000 F250 with 8800 gvwr. The truck weighs 7200 with a full tank of fuel and me in the cab. It doesn't allow a lot of weight legally.

You can get an F-350 for not much more than a 250.

you got the correct answer of F450. The comments about towing don't apply here, mostly F250/350/450 towing don't vary too much if your TAG towing. Hit the Ford RV guide and you can see what works for you. I'm sure Chevy and Dodge have similar books but I'm a ford guy.

Have been towing for many years. Previously in a 2011 Silverado Duramax 3500HD Dually. That thing was a towing machine as far as I'm concerned. Hauled a 15K enclosed 24' trailer all over the country. Recently got a 2017 Sierra 2500HD Duramax. Towing the same trailer, better power but slightly less stability. I think the Dually Long Bed really helps stability when towing. I would forget I had a trailer behind be when in the dually. In the 2500HD I get a little side to side pull on the rear end.

The bed payload on my dually was about 5200lbs. Must less on the SRW.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
(to carry a large, slide-in, truck camper)

First, would need to know, HOW large? Most of your 2500 series will carry a large camper, 3500, even better. You still may be adding springs, or air bags. I also agree with the above posted on the DRW being a little loose, empty.

Going to need some more info for this. How big a camper? What's it weigh? Are you towing also?

F450. WRONG ANSWER! In pickups anyway. The F350 has higher payload. Both have a 14,000 pound GVWR, but the F450 weighs more, so it has a lower payload.

If you go with a chassis cab, then the F450 has a higher payload. The F450 chassis cab has a much stronger frame than the F450 pickup. The F450 pickup uses the same frame as the F350.

Well, this is all related to my CONUS retirement ideas. As it's just me, I'm thinking maybe a large slide-in camper (with 2-3 slide outs) as opposed to a small Class A motorhome. Something like a Host Cascade, Everest or Mammoth....or a Lance 1172. Dry weight for these campers is around 4K# (though I'm told Host is pretty accurate with their weight, whereas Lance is "creative"). Figure (worst case scenario) 5K# loaded.

No towing.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
Have you been to RV.net ? Good forum. They have a truck camper section.

Yup, I'm there as well as the Escapees and Truck Camper forums.

4K dry weight puts you squarely in dually territory. The F450 pickup only comes as a crew cab, 4x4, diesel with a 5,320 pound payload rating (base truck). The equivalent F350 has a 5,820 payload rating and jumps to 6,540 pounds if you get a gas engine. Here is a link to the 2017 Super Duty specs: LINK.

The F450 gets you a 50ft turning radius vs. 57ft, larger brakes, 19.5" wheels with 110psi all steel load range G tires, and larger anti-sway bars.

I think at 5,000 pounds, the Ford F-350 is the only one properly rated. That said, you're running up towards the maximum which is hard on equipment. You would likely be better off with a cab/chassis with a bed conversion. F450 or Ram 4500 would be much better at handing that type of weight on a routine basis.

 
When I was at the ARE dealer to have a cap installed in my F-250, I chatted a bit with the shop guys. They said, that for an F-350, and for a Lance camper, they would need a dually and then install an air suspension on top of that to support the weight.
 

My big lottery dream is an Earthroamer based on an F450. My smaller lottery dream is an Outside Van or similar built on a 4wd Sprinter van.

The folks I see with big campers by and large have a dual wheel pickup. I have no experience with similar setups, but I would look at a 450/4500 chassis as a base. A lot depends on the cab too. If you get a single cab you get more payload.

I think your best bet is a truck and a 5th wheel. That way you can unhook it and use the truck for transportation to explore each area you're in. Unhooking the camper in the bed is a bit more work.

I have a truck camper and many of the comments here are flat out wrong....

First it is very important to realize that what ever the dealer/manufacturer tells you the weight is will be low. It is usually the base weight before you have any options installed. To that you should add the weight of all the fluids and personal stuff you will be adding. This could easily add 1000 pounds to the total..

Now having said that if you are contemplating a dual slide I would definitely go with the F-450. The suspension on these are much improved over the F-350 that I have. The 19.5 inch tires and wheels are definitely worth it.
If you want to maximize the carrying capacity go with a 4x2 gas rig. I like diesels and need the 4x4 so I can go where I want to go.

If possible try finding a dealer that does commercial or fleet sales and knows what their talking about. You might end up ordering one to your specs.
Good luck!

I would prefer diesel and 4x4 myself. The longevity and torque of the diesel seems to be worth the extra weight. Same with the 4x4.

That said, I'd be interested in hearing counter arguments. If I opted to do this kind of lifestyle for retirement, I would want to go to places less visited. As I read more, and examine how I currently live, I am pretty sure I'd shy away from RV parks and such....at least a lot of the time. But by the same token, I'm also NOT planning on exploring every rutted, washed out dirt road I come across.

That's my rationale for wanting a diesel and 4x4.