Best truck for Northern Lite 10-2

jaycocreek wrote:
. . . As for gas vs diesel with a truck camper,a gas does just fine with 4500# in the back..That diesel engine isn't for hauling a measly 4500# it was meant for heavy loads like big fifth wheels etc..JMHO

I get the point you're trying to make. However, in terms of raw engine load, a decent-sized hard-side camper is still a challenge, even for a big-block diesel. I say that based on mpg's---mpg's more or less define the load on the engine. Our Cummins gets 17-18 highway empty. It gets approx. 11 mpg pulling a 12,000 lb. 5th wheel. It gets approx. 12-13 hauling our camper (3,500-4,000 lbs. loaded). Based on these numbers I'd say our Cummins is still workin' a tad hard hauling the camper. IMO, it's not so much the weight of the camper that's the issue, it's the wind coefficient. A camper is very inefficient aerodynamically. All the flat surfaces on the lower rear (each side), behind the cab, plus the jacks, not to mention the big cabover, creates a *lot* of wind drag.