quote:

e 19.5 inch tires and wheels are definitely worth it.

As are the larger brakes and shorter turning radius.

quote:

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.

I have traction tires on our newest work truck along with the 4x4 and a winch on the front. I am the king of getting trucks stuck.

So far I haven't used the four wheel drive or the winch.

I agree with the others with that dry weight, you're going to need a dually (not only for the weight, but stability as well) and airbags. I believe the Dodge Ram 3500 duallys have a max payload for 5700 to 6350 depending on the configuration (crew cab/reg cab).


I've got a 2006 Dodge diesel 3500 SRW 4x4 and was looking into a Lance camper awhile back. Lance campers look really sweet and I'd love to have one, but dang those things are heavy! I've decided that if/when I get a camper it's going to be a 5th wheel due to the weight and the cost.


I wanna see pics posted when you get yours

It's gonna be awhile Fishin....I like to plan and research stuff to death. LOL I should be right at 20 years of service (overall) right now, but I am hoping to get 20 years ACTIVE service, which is 5 years off.

My thought (if I go this route for retirement) is to get the truck in about 2 years, then the camper at "Year 5", then sell the house just before I actually leave the service.

Obviously, there are a ton of variables, but I have to say, of my two major 'retirement plans'....I like this one best. Best combination of satisfying my wanderlust, keeping the scenery 'fresh', low cost (relatively), and still keeping me 'close' to my son.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
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.

Allen-
It sounds like we are on similar paths ( although we hope to retire in about 2 years). I live next door to you in Virginia and understand the need for 4wd.
I have a Hallmark Everest pop up truck camper which is considerably lighter than what you're considering and carry it on a '16 F-350 cc srw diesel. The engine and tranny will be fine for your use but like I said before I think the F-450 would carry the weight better.

You don't need a diesel to drive around with a 5,000 pound load in your bed. Think of it this way, would you need a diesel to tow a 5,000 pound trailer? Due to the added rolling resistance of the trailer tires, towing a 5,000 pound trailer is actually a greater load on a truck than 5,000 pounds in the bed. My F350 diesel tows my 13.5 foot tall, 38 foot long, 15,000 pound brick very well with 3.55 gears. I get 9 mpg at 70 mph when doing so. The F450 pickup has 4.30 gears and is rated to tow over twice what I'm towing. It's way overkill for a 5,000 pound camper in the bed.

Gas is better than diesel:

It costs about $8,000 less to begin with.
Gasoline is cheaper per gallon than diesel.
All the new emmissions equipment kills fuel efficiency of diesels. I get 14.5 around town and 17 on the highway at 70 mph.
The diesel takes 13 quarts of oil and a $15 filter.
The diesel needs 2 fuel filters for $50 ever 20,000 miles.
The diesel needs $15 of DEF, diesel exhuast fluid, every 5,000 miles or so.
Even though a diesel might last twice as long, say 300,000 miles vs 150,000 miles, some of the parts that are likely to need replacing before the motor gives up the ghost are expensive. The turbo charger, the DPF (diesel particulate filter), or fuel system if you ever get water in the fuel.

Diesel is better than gas:

No spark plugs.
Twice as much torque.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
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.

Okay, I downloaded that pdf today. So if I'm reading this right, a 4x4 supercab F350 with a gas engine can carry 6,780 pounds without exceeding its GVWR, correct?

I could not find the numbers for anything in the F-450 category other than the "styleside pickup" with 4x4, diesel, etc.

I'm kinda confused why the 'pickup box delete' trucks appear to carry less payload.

I'm going to have to disagree with trapper....

Towing a 5000 pound load is nothing like hauling 5000 pounds in the bed of your truck. I am speaking from having a CDL over 30 years and owning a construction company driving all sorts of vehicles.

One of the biggest benefits of a F-450 over a dual one ton is the front axle with a significantly improved turning radius. An F-350 has about a 57' turning radius in a crew cab configuration and the F-450 is about 50'...a huge difference.
There are several other advantages as well...

https://www.fleet.ford.com/tru..._Pickups_-_Specs.pdf

Also with carrying a heavy load your mileage will be almost double with a diesel compared to a gas truck...

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:

Okay, I downloaded that pdf today. So if I'm reading this right, a 4x4 supercab F350 with a gas engine can carry 6,780 pounds without exceeding its GVWR, correct?

Yes, that is correct.

I could not find the numbers for anything in the F-450 category other than the "styleside pickup" with 4x4, diesel, etc.

That's because the F-450 pickup only comes one way. Crew cab, long bed, 4x4, diesel.

I'm kinda confused why the 'pickup box delete' trucks appear to carry less payload.

The GVWR of the box delete F-350 is 1,000 pounds less than the F-350 pickup.

I have the 59' turning radius and it is not a big deal. I can't pull forward into parking spaces, I have to back in. Banging U-turns must be done from the right lane to right lane on four lane roads, or you wind up on the sidewalk. The only time I've really wished for a tighter turning radius is while backing my 5th wheel into tight spots.

I don't have the variety of experience smlsig does, just one truck and 6 trailers. I can say without a doubt my truck gets worse mileage towing my equipment trailer, about 3,000 pounds loaded, than it does with just 3,000 pounds in the bed. Diesels are a lot of fun. I just went through Kentucky and Tennessee on I-75 today at 23,200 pounds with 3.55 gearing. It dropped to 5th gear on many hills, but I had no trouble maintaining 70mph. With our previous smaller, 6,000 pound lighter, travel trailer on the same road, it rarely downshifted from 6th.

Here's another Ford pdf. Page 8 has slide in camper information. LINK

Here's another link you might find interesting: LINK


Those other forums are great place to get info from people who bave BTDT. If I didn't have a family, I certainly see the appeal of a truck camper. You'll be able to go places you just can't go with a trailer or regular motorhome. We spent the last fews days in the Daniel Boone National Forest, but we had to stay at a private campground. We're too big for a lot of state and national campgrounds. There's no way I'd have taken our 5th wheel down some of the roads we were on.

We still get to see some neat places though:


Cumberland Falls


Natural Arch

Nice pics, and thanks again for the links.

Looks like the DRW is going to be mandatory. I will have to weigh (no pun intended) how important a diesel/4x4/or room in the cab is. LOL

Bump for this long ago thread as I’m researching this myself now.

One minor word of caution related to F450 sized trucks concerns insurance. Some, not all, carriers rate the 450, 4500 series trucks as commercial vehicles. You MAY have to shop for an insurance company that understands you are RVing.

quote:

Originally posted by Riley:
Bump for this long ago thread as I’m researching this myself now.

Just for clarity, you are researching slide in truck campers?

Some things have changed as far as Fords go since this thread was created.

1. The F450 can be had in 2wd.
2. There's a new 7.3 liter gasoline engine option in the F350.

The highest payload capacity, 6,960lbs, will be a 2wd F350 with the 7.3 liter.

You will lose:
430 lbs of payload with a 4wd
800 lbs of payload with the 6.7 diesel
1,640 lbs of payload with the F450 pickup

I'd get the camper package.

I'll also apologize for my first response in this thread from 3 years ago. Upon rereading it, damn I sound like an asshole. It wasn't meant that way.

Just as an FYI, a diesel 4x4 regular cab dually, is not a pleasant vehicle, unloaded.

It was great once the box was on the back, but miserable for the first couple hundred miles we ran one around to shake out any bugs.

quote:

Originally posted by petr:
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.

F250 is a 3/4 ton pickup, which if I carried my gozenta's correctly, (doing jethro math), is what you have

I can only fill you in on the Chevy's payloads

3500 single wheel, long box 4x4

Diesel 3,843
Gas 4,074

3500 Dually long box 4x4

Diesel 4,930
Gas 5,761

Just ask if you want ratings on anything else in the Chevy/GMC line up

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
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.

Allen, first congrats on your upcoming retirement!
As far as which truck I think you’re on the right track with a duelly, either a F-350 or F-450. A single rear wheel F-250 or 350 won’t haul one of those triple slide truck campers. I have a F-350 srw, cc, lwb truck to haul my camper which is probably about 2000 pounds lighter than what you’re looking at.

I would suggest ordering exactly what you want on our truck and nothing more which would add weight and cost. Find a big commercial truck dealer and talk to their fleet manager or internet manager and they should be able to help you.

Good luck and be sure to post pictures of the beast!

Another thing I will add. Something you get with a diesel that you don't get with gas is an exhaust brake. This makes a big difference when towing heavy.

My 4500 weighs 13,500 empty, and I can max it out at just under 20,000 pounds fully loaded with 6,000ish pounds in the bed. Even though that is the advertised limits of the truck, I would not want to drive it like that with the service brakes alone.

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?

My younger brother does this with a single rear wheel F250 and his camper has at least 2 sizable slide outs, I believe it’s actually 3 but I’ve only been around it a couple of times. Camper is 38’.

You don’t need a dually for that. Buy one if you want but it’s definitely not necessary.

Twist, comparing a travel trailer/ fifth wheel to a slide in camper is like comparing apples and puppies...

And, just because your 3/4 ton truck CAN do it doesn't mean it is legal or that your insurance company won't cancel your policy after you run over someone.

Allen, diesel drw is the correct path to happiness. And, the wide track front axle on the 450/4500's is a thing of never ending joy...

Have fun, Mark

Allen's original post was three years ago and he's since bought a motor home.

Riley bumped the thread because he's "researching this myself now."