Big Diesel with Heavy Modern TC - But Where Can U Drive?

Where there's a will, there's a way!
What late model truck are you talking about, specifically?

We just have an older 04 Duramax 1 ton dually and our older, 90, camper isn't as heavy or long as lots of the newer ones at 9.5', no slides but we have a cargo tray on the back that is our steps and storage. We took it several places on forest service roads last summer, thru water crossings, up on the Grand Mesa by Grand Junction and on up to Meeker to some places and dry camped. Didn't have any problems but we are slower travelers and cautious when we go off the beaten path. Don't take any rock crawling type trails. Might call us chicken or faint of heart but we also know our limitations and what we can afford to fix. Our dually is 4x4 but hope we never REALLY need it to get somewhere on purpose, just in a dumb move pinch. Wouldn't want our family to read about us in the news, but we still manage to go lots of places, see lots of sights we've never seen, fish and such.

My dually is just RWD but I bet it will go into places that I don't want to go.
Than when it comes to steep grades it is all in gearing.
My manual F450 had low gear, that would pull a house on idle.
I am not big fan of gearing on automatic in my 2007 F350. The first 2 seconds it is like the engine is "thinking about it" but eventually it will pull

Our TC isn't particularly heavy, but we haven't found a forest road we couldn't handle fairly easily. The main issue is the width with our dually, but rocks and steep roads haven't been an issue. You can essentially go where ever you want. The truck is stock; no modifications. We get around 12 mpg at 70 mph, and probably 13 to 14 if we slow down. I don't pay that much attention to mileage. We just go out and gave a good time.

I've been forced to back off a couple of times due to more extreme forest roads. Once I tried Lincoln Creek road (east of Aspen CO) to try to camp at Grizzly reservoir. About a mile in it was steep and very rocky. A jeep yes (there were lots of the there) but not my F350 Fx4 with fully loaded Lance 1181.
I was actually towing my Jeep, so it was a tough turn around. Disconnect. Multi-point reverse direction, Reconnect Jeep. YUK.

In general, I've had more problems with overhead branches. Once in AZ, I had to chain saw my way past some low hanging branches. The Forest Service usually doesn't plan for 11'6" clearance.

Rick

You would be good for normal forest service roads, but the smaller roads are too narrow and the trees too low. Keep in mind that they maintain the big roads for logging trucks, etc. You will probably have to slow down for the washboards. The overhang is potentially a problem with very long TCs.

However, I was down at Mount St Helens this weekend, and I have to say the paved roads there are horrible and rougher at times than many gravel roads other places.

With my F450, I get 9-10 with 4.30 gears.

Pretty typical forest service roads where I frequent are below although these are the flat parts miles from a paved road.

I don't know if Insp1505 is around but he has taken an AF1150 into some pretty "tough" places. Here is one of his reports:

Merriam Lake, Idaho - Trip Report

Forest service roads are great. You can get way out there to some very nice places. It just might take longer to get there vs. a SRW 4x4, with a popup TC.

Four wheel low and guides for keeping the TC in place make going up steep roads or dealing with large ruts / washboards / washed out areas relatively easy. 4WD and clearance makes it easier to drive off the road and back, if you need to get by an oncoming vehicle.

The only issues I've had on FS roads with my TC / dually are trees across the road where they cut them out just a little wider than a SRW pickup ....
I carry a chain saw to deal with these and the occasional beetle killed tree(s) that comes down across the road after a storm, while we are out there.

Dually is only 16.4" wider than SRW, once you've gotten a few scratches on the fenders and the side of the TC you don't worry about it. Rubbing compound makes it look better afterwards.

For the occasional low branch (I'm 12' 6") I use a pole saw. If there are too many, I just back up, camp elsewhere and get out the mountain bike to explore further up the road. I carry a piece of 3" wide eternabond tape to patch the roof just in case I don't see or misjudge a branch.

I watch for the jacks to clear crossing washouts and big holes, as well as winding around large rocks. Others on this site just remove the jacks once they have the TC on the truck.

I carry a tire plug kit to deal with multiple flats, if they were to occur.

I carry a PLB for emergencies, since cell phone coverage in Montana is sketchy at best.

11-13 MPG depending on conditions and speed.

I have a GMC 1 ton 4 X 4, dully, duramax / allison crewcab... with the longest caper Lance has ever made... and a slide out. They are both 2003 models, I bought them new at the end of 2002

I have been in a lot worse places than this...... and I've never had the truck be the limit.... I'd stop long before the truck.

The twisting and bouncing is very hard on our campers

We did it in the home made camper I built in 1969 and our 1970 Chev 3/4 ton Longhorn Truck... we used it for close to 30 years.... it is still used as a hunting camper...