Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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The challenge with going with a 1 ton srw truck, if buying used, is the lack of availability compared to 3/4 tons.
The good news is (aside from 2014-up Ram 2500, don’t get one of them for a TC) 3/4 ton trucks are virtually identical in build and real world capacity as 1 ton srw trucks, save for greater rear spring capacity. And both generally require similar modifications to the suspension for most hard side TCs.
So if you’re in the used srw pickup market, you’ll have a much better selection of trucks including 3/4 tons. Like orders of magnitude better. And suspension upgrades are relatively cheap in the big picture and you’ll likely need them with either model.
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rv...ru?
Mothman, WV
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Thanks for the advice everyone, this has been very helpful. My estimated payload probably is a bit optimistic (and better to err on the side of estimating too much than not enough anyway), and I hadn't really considered the handling for wind/winding roads/swaying - looks like a full-ton truck and probably a dually as well is the way to go.
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deltabravo
Spokane, WA
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rv...ru? wrote: looks like a full-ton truck and probably a dually as well is the way to go.
Will the truck be primarily used to haul the camper? If so, then buy a dually.
Will you daily drive it? If not, then buy a dually.
I don't daily drive the dually in my signature. It hauls the camper and that's about it. It only has 75k miles on it right now.
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Grit dog wrote:The challenge with going with a 1 ton srw truck, if buying used, is the lack of availability compared to 3/4 tons.
The good news is (aside from 2014-up Ram 2500, don’t get one of them for a TC) 3/4 ton trucks are virtually identical in build and real world capacity as 1 ton srw trucks, save for greater rear spring capacity. And both generally require similar modifications to the suspension for most hard side TCs.
So if you’re in the used srw pickup market, you’ll have a much better selection of trucks including 3/4 tons. Like orders of magnitude better. And suspension upgrades are relatively cheap in the big picture and you’ll likely need them with either model.
I wish doing suspension upgrades was an easy legal way to increase your capacity but unfortunatly it isn't. only make it carry its capacity better....
* This post was
edited 02/20/23 09:40am by StirCrazy *
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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rv...ru? wrote:Thanks for the advice everyone, this has been very helpful. My estimated payload probably is a bit optimistic (and better to err on the side of estimating too much than not enough anyway), and I hadn't really considered the handling for wind/winding roads/swaying - looks like a full-ton truck and probably a dually as well is the way to go.
depending on the camper you find you may not need a dually, but even if it is one that a SRW 1 ton can handle it will be much more stable on a dually and if you decide to tow a boat or somthing later then you have the capacity alredy.
my niebour just traded in a 3 year old artic fox 865 strait across for a 2023 westland 90w. a significant step down in luxery and features but for him it was about the weight. he bought a new boat and it put him over his capacity as it was a lot bigger than his old boat, and this camper with a full tank of water and propane full was 1200 lbs lighter than his AF totaly empty (no water or propane) and frankly its deicent enough inside, lots of storage.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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StirCrazy wrote:Grit dog wrote:The challenge with going with a 1 ton srw truck, if buying used, is the lack of availability compared to 3/4 tons.
The good news is (aside from 2014-up Ram 2500, don’t get one of them for a TC) 3/4 ton trucks are virtually identical in build and real world capacity as 1 ton srw trucks, save for greater rear spring capacity. And both generally require similar modifications to the suspension for most hard side TCs.
So if you’re in the used srw pickup market, you’ll have a much better selection of trucks including 3/4 tons. Like orders of magnitude better. And suspension upgrades are relatively cheap in the big picture and you’ll likely need them with either model.
I wish doing suspension upgrades was an easy legal way to increase your capacity but unfortunatly it isn't. only make it carry its capacity better....
I’m not certain anyone said it “legally” changed the gvw.
Being in BC you have more additional oversight and enforcement to deal with than basically anywhere else in North America.
And I doubt that it is as bad as some make it out to be. I’ve made a couple trips thru BC, tip to tail grossly “overloaded” with a pudgy TC and no one batted an eye, including RCMP when we were chatting at a gas station in Northern BC. And at that time I had a 6-7klb (est) trailer hooked up as well.
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JIMNLIN
Oklahoma
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someone said wrote: a 3/4T truck has a max GVWR of 10,000LBS and the addition of even a 'medium' hardside camper can easily push the weight of the truck+camper+gear to 11-12K LBS fairly quickly and easily.
Newer 2500 GM trucks come with up to 11550 gvwr and more important bigger 6600 rawr for carrying in the bed payloads.
Ford F250 comes up to 10800 gvwr and 6340 rawr.
No need for a one ton drw for a small truck camper that size.
Now if you underestimated the camper weight and its over 3800-3900 lbs then I would go with the drw truck.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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^All the more proof that all the hand wringing over 3/4 ton truck gvws is and was bunk.
Now they’re 11klb + gvws that are the same trucks as last year or the year before.
Don’t worry they still make 10k gvw designated models for those of us who need HD trucks without the DOT issues.
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time2roll
Southern California
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Is there no gross weight for the TC? I would always plan to be at gross weight. Packing light is wishful thinking.
And what is the derated truck capacity for using a TC?
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Bedlam
PNW
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There is no GVWR for a truck camper, only for the truck carrying the camper. manufacturers typically list a dry weight with no options, batteries or propane and some will list option weights. Each camper typically has an built weight tag, but some are estimated while others are actual.
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