Hi all-We are looking to purchase TC and have been doing all the research we can. It appears truck + camper matching is an ongoing hot topic and it is obviously of great interest to us. Here’s as many particulars that I can think of and we would love any advice folks might want to pass on. -We want to be very conservative about payload capacity and have plenty of extra wiggle room. This is paramount. We would like a large margin plus good safe handling. -We are looking at used for both truck and TC. -would like 4x4 as we like desert and off road camping -looking for hard side-do not want slideouts-would ultimately like to boondock (can add upgrades in the future)-don’t care about dry bath, TVs-edit: crew cab for part time third passengerAs other posters have pointed out it is not generally practical to take prospective trucks or TCs to scales before purchasing used. We are considering 350 dually. Unsure if diesel or gas. In our price range we are looking at something about 10 years old with less than 200k miles. For TC there seem to be a lot of used Lances in our area, maybe 15 years old. Uses would be extended and short trips, remote or dispersed camping. Not really KOA type. We test drove a Bigfoot on top of a dually and it seemed rather top heavy.Do we have to worry about cog?We are unsure if we should just go ahead and get a dually then find the TC. With a dually are we good to go with nonslideouts?Again, any advice appreciated.

You have smart start with dually. Unfortunately TC choice is compromise. You want more dispersed camping- you need bigger camper with bigger holding tanks. I would not buy TC without a slide, but that is personal choice. Good luck shopping .

“don’t care about dry bath...” Don’t be so sure! About the tenth time you are wiping down the entire bathroom after a shower, you’ll care. If both of you shower at different times, you’ll wipe down twice a day.“would ultimately like to boondock...” Water...fresh and waste...is the limiting factor in boondocking. Bigger the tanks, the longer you can stay out. Propane tanks last a long time and solar is never ending.

If you want a margin of safety and handling, definitely look at a dually. A typical hardsided camper in the 8-9 foot range is likely to weight over 2000# dry and probably close to 2500# wet. You will want some addons such as solar, a couple of large batteries and a generator. With food for a couple of weeks, tools, lawn chairs, clothing, food, kitchen gear, etc you are likely to be in the range of 3500-4000#. That probably sounds like a high side estimate, but not so. My 9.5 ft Northstar Igloo is 4400# when ready. That is at or beyond what most 3500 SRW trucks can handle. BTW I strongly agree on a couple of your specs. A wet bath works well. After baths, I spend about 1 minute with a squeegee and the bath dries quickly. Slides are heavy and typically provide little useable space with another downside that most of the slide campers are not useable unless slide is extended.

With a dually such as a 350 0r 3500 the addition of Aftermarket Anti sway bars and Lower Torklift stable loads eliminates most of that top heavy feeling. I have a 2011 F350 CC 4x4 long bed Dually with the 6.7L diesel and a 2008 Lance 1055 non slide dry bath TC We have gone all over the US in it mostly dry camping. It works well for us. Truck and camper weigh in at 13000 fully loaded with 2 kayaks on the roof and two Mt bikes on the front rack.

It’s possible for even DRWs to sway. There are lots of potential problems like putting too much air in the air bags, worn shocks, no sway bars, low tire pressure, worn bed spacers, improper tie down tightening, etc. I say etc because I probably left something out.If you get a DRW long bed, you won’t find a TC made for a long bed that won’t work unless it’s an old TC on a new truck with a cab that is too tall or tailgate that is too narrow on a few trucks. The longest heaviest models with basements being the worst handling and the nonbasement shortest lightest being the best. Another complication is most of the largest TCs can have double or more of the fresh/grey/black tanks which just adds even more weight if they are full.I’d probably consider a gasoline engine unless you plan to tow if you are thinking 10 years or older. Many of the diesels are very expensive to fix.

How get truck and TC with ample weight capacity

29 Replies

Malone
Explorer
Apr 04, 2021
Thanks! Googling now!
Buzzcut1
Nomad II
Apr 04, 2021
If you get a 6.7L diesel of that vintage with 120K or more on the odometer plan on replacing the High Pressure fuel pump asap. The Bosh CP4 used diesel fuel to lubricate and cool itself. If was designed to use European Diesel which has a higher level of lubricity agent in it. The US ULSD causes excessive wear, When the pump fails it sends metal shavings to the injectors and trashes the engine. Thats a $16,000 repair. It happened to two of my friends. I spent $2400 to get mine replaced at 122,000 before it grenaded and took out my motor

Do a google search on the Bosch CP4 fuel pump.
Malone
Explorer
Apr 04, 2021
Thank you all for the great advice thus far!! We really appreciate it!

Tomorrow we are going to look at a couple F-450 drw 4x4 CC’s w 8’ beds. :)
A 2013 King Ranch and a 2012 XLT.
deltabravo
Nomad
Apr 03, 2021
Malone wrote:
Do we have to worry about cog?

Not really, as long as you have a long bed, and a camper meant for a long bed truck.
jimh406
Explorer III
Apr 03, 2021
It’s possible for even DRWs to sway. There are lots of potential problems like putting too much air in the air bags, worn shocks, no sway bars, low tire pressure, worn bed spacers, improper tie down tightening, etc. I say etc because I probably left something out.

If you get a DRW long bed, you won’t find a TC made for a long bed that won’t work unless it’s an old TC on a new truck with a cab that is too tall or tailgate that is too narrow on a few trucks. The longest heaviest models with basements being the worst handling and the nonbasement shortest lightest being the best. Another complication is most of the largest TCs can have double or more of the fresh/grey/black tanks which just adds even more weight if they are full.

I’d probably consider a gasoline engine unless you plan to tow if you are thinking 10 years or older. Many of the diesels are very expensive to fix.
Buzzcut1
Nomad II
Apr 03, 2021
With a dually such as a 350 0r 3500 the addition of Aftermarket Anti sway bars and Lower Torklift stable loads eliminates most of that top heavy feeling.

I have a 2011 F350 CC 4x4 long bed Dually with the 6.7L diesel and a 2008 Lance 1055 non slide dry bath TC We have gone all over the US in it mostly dry camping. It works well for us. Truck and camper weigh in at 13000 fully loaded with 2 kayaks on the roof and two Mt bikes on the front rack.
JimK-NY
Explorer II
Apr 03, 2021
If you want a margin of safety and handling, definitely look at a dually. A typical hardsided camper in the 8-9 foot range is likely to weight over 2000# dry and probably close to 2500# wet. You will want some addons such as solar, a couple of large batteries and a generator. With food for a couple of weeks, tools, lawn chairs, clothing, food, kitchen gear, etc you are likely to be in the range of 3500-4000#. That probably sounds like a high side estimate, but not so. My 9.5 ft Northstar Igloo is 4400# when ready. That is at or beyond what most 3500 SRW trucks can handle.

BTW I strongly agree on a couple of your specs. A wet bath works well. After baths, I spend about 1 minute with a squeegee and the bath dries quickly. Slides are heavy and typically provide little useable space with another downside that most of the slide campers are not useable unless slide is extended.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Apr 03, 2021
“don’t care about dry bath...” Don’t be so sure! About the tenth time you are wiping down the entire bathroom after a shower, you’ll care. If both of you shower at different times, you’ll wipe down twice a day.

“would ultimately like to boondock...” Water...fresh and waste...is the limiting factor in boondocking. Bigger the tanks, the longer you can stay out. Propane tanks last a long time and solar is never ending.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Apr 03, 2021
You have smart start with dually.
Unfortunately TC choice is compromise.
You want more dispersed camping- you need bigger camper with bigger holding tanks.
I would not buy TC without a slide, but that is personal choice.
Good luck shopping .

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How get truck and TC with ample weight capacity

29 Replies

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