big whitey wrote: you WILL need the 3/4 ton for both power and suspension.don't ask me how i know.
OK, I'll bite. How do you know?
Go for it and let us know the results. Research carefully. A good resourse would be a ford owners forum. See what actual owners are saying vs Fords sales pitch.Heres a good forum Fordtruckenthusiasts.com I'll tell you this though, my friend who is a fleet salesman in a local Ford dealership told me that many ecoboost owners are disappointed with the milage. I would worry about the turbo repair bill if it goes, the siix will be straining.Fords new 6.2 8 cylinder is getting up to 16mpg highway empty. I get 14.5 with a heavy crewcab 4x4 F350.
I have a 2009 F150 payload is maxed out with the camper an older 155S I would get the F250 Mine runs fine with the torklift stable loads but it does tend to sway a bit more with the polar cub installed. I'd rather be safe than sorry especially if you plan on upgrading in the future
You GO Dragonfly! I will be watching this, I have been thinking about a truck camper for my 2005 HD F150 Scab Longbed. I have been pulling my 8200 lbs TT four years and HD F150's are great trucks. I also have a little more than 2400 payload cap.
The only ugly time I had pulling my TT was above 5000 ft in the Bighorn and Rocky Mtns on our Yellowstone trip.
The Ecoboost Twin Turbo's would have really helped that trip.
The HD F150 ride is stiffer than a standard F150, but lacks the teeth jarring shots of a F250.
MPG with my 5.4, 16 hwy (w/tail wind), 11-12 city.
2005 F150 XLT Supercab LB Heavy Payload 5.4, 4.10
2007 Jayco Jayflight 31BHDS
Back-up camera on the TT with infrared & microphone
Prodigy
ScanGauge II
Reese duel cam hitch, U-bolt style ($40 at a garage sale)
2 canoes, 3 kayaks, & camping dog (Tootsie)
Dragonfly, I know you have done research and are going on what you were told by Ford, but I am skeptical of the numbers, and I heartily suggest that when you get your new truck, before you put the camper on, you should take it, along with any passengers you will normally carry, and a full tank of gas, to a scale and get an actual weight to see what your capacity is, and also weigh it with your camper, loaded and wet.
There is a "big truck mafia" for a reason, and part of that reason is that the numbers that you see on these campers is often way off what the finished product is, things like AC units, generators, propane, batteries are often not part of that weight stamped on the plate on the door frame. Additionally, people tend to forget that the passengers, and the fluids that the truck needs to move, is not part of the GVW, and that people tend to way underestimate the weight of the gear that they carry, things like pots, pans, dishes, bedding, food, tools, add up faster than one realizes. For this reason, it will be essential that you know what your truck actually weighs when full of fuel and potential passengers, the weight on each axle, and separately, the overall loaded weight, and axle weights.
Now, those numbers that you have may be correct, but I would certainly verify them.
have you considered a good used diesel,I have a 2001 1 ton dodge with the cummins and I get 20 miles per gallon empty or loaded, this is due to the 4-11 gears,I think.
big whitey wrote: you WILL need the 3/4 ton for both power and suspension.don't ask me how i know.
OK, I'll bite. How do you know?
Go for it and let us know the results. Research carefully. A good resourse would be a ford owners forum. See what actual owners are saying vs Fords sales pitch.Heres a good forum Fordtruckenthusiasts.com I'll tell you this though, my friend who is a fleet salesman in a local Ford dealership told me that many ecoboost owners are disappointed with the milage. I would worry about the turbo repair bill if it goes, the siix will be straining.Fords new 6.2 8 cylinder is getting up to 16mpg highway empty. I get 14.5 with a heavy crewcab 4x4 F350.
i know because unfortunately i tried a lighter camper (pop up) on a 1500 chevy mashed it like a bug,TERRIBLE BRAKING/HANDLING,and no power(5.3 V8).nothing that $30,000 and a 3/4 ton(6.0 V8) wouldn't fix.still a sore subject at our household,one i'd like to forget as i lick my wounds.SIGH!!!!!!!
Regarding using a half ton truck with a slide in Truck Camper ... first, I apologize for the "big truck mafia" phrase (I am Italian by the way, my dad was born there). No offense meant.
In fact I am a former "big trucker" myself. We just sold a 23 foot motor home with a V10 on an E450 dually chassis which we used for 11 years. I just got tired of $200 in gas bills to visit the kids a few hundred miles away and, thousand dollar repair bills every time it needed something.
We sold the motor home and one of our two cars and are combining them into one vehicle, the half ton, with a slide in camper. 80% of the time it is a daily driver thus, the attempt to keep to half ton, ecoboost mileage. ( Yes I looked at 3/4 ton diesel but with the higher cost of diesel fuel, maintenance and the cost of the engine option itself, I just didn't see much, if any savings the way I would use it. )
I truly believe that the big truck owners are sincere and correct about most of what is posted. Their observations are VERY IMPORTANT to take into consideration before choosing to go the "Living Small" route.
But with gas prices rising and fixed income facing many of us, I am trying to explore alternatives. The new technology in half tons and the new lighter campers are very impressive. However, I whole heartedly agree, verify, verify, verify.
I located a truck like the one I ordered that was too far away to drive but, I had the dealer send me photos of the glove box and door jamb specs. I did the same with the campers.
I have purposely not purchased the camper yet and will not until I get the truck, take it to a scale and, do even more verifying. If I have to fall back to a pop up camper I will but, I have fifteen years of RVing experience and have light packing down to a science and I think I can pull off a hard side wet bath with a dry weight of 16-1700 lbs and 700 lbs of fluids and gear, with my 2400 lb payload, E ply tires, and package of bigger springs, larger radiator, transmission cooler, etc. I will probably need timbrens or airbags or something but I will cross that bridge later.
I will keep you all posted and once more stress, that I respect the different opinions, different needs and different styles of ALL RVers and Truck Campers. Diversity is how we learn.
I will post a separate thread shortly asking anyone who has a heavy duty half ton, has ordered one, or, is just thinking about it, to create a buddy list or something so we can keep in touch, compare notes and, share the results with the group.
Thanks all
* This post was
edited 03/08/12 08:50am by Dragonfly *
TURBODOG 1000 - Here is a partial list of 14-1700 lb dry weight, hard side, wet bath campers. Some have other models with the toilet and holding tanks but now shower which shaves off more weight.
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Adventurer 80 GS - SHORT BED OR LONG BED - 1466 lbs
Camp Lite 8.5 SHORT BED ONLY - 1600 lbs, 1850 lbs, “w/Options” All aluminum, no wood
Camp Lite 10 – LONG BED ONLY - Same as above but for long beds?
Lance 825, 8’6”, short bed, for half ton – SHORT BED ONLY - 1730 lbs
Northern Lite 8.5 - SHORT BED, WILL FIT LONG BED BUT BE SHORT OF CAB - 1750 lb
Northern Lite 9.6 – LONG BED - Same as above, cabover smaller, living space larger - 1725 lbs Dry weight
Adventurer 8.5 - 1780 (was 1650) lbs or LIBERTY - 1750 lbs
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