New F350 owner seeks TC information
Hello everyone, I recently purchased a 2000 F350, crew cab, shortbed in order to acquire a TC so that I can avoid the hour commute to and from work. I am an ICU nurse, things have been very busy l...
Forum Discussion
Geo*Boy wrote:
Stay away from any TC with a slide out and yes, remove that lift kit.
No plausible basis for the first statement, but the second half is absolutely true.
OP, regarding camper size for your truck (or the same for virtually any shortbed 1 ton srw truck of the last 20 years), any sub 9' long "short bed capable" TC will fit from a structural and CoG point. Keep your search in that range, like the AF 811 or similar and nothing to worry about there. AF and virtually any TC with a slide will be on the heavy end of the spectrum and you need to decide if you're ok with that. Trucks in good shape with the right suspension mods will haul the heavy shortbed campers safely. (Note you will have plenty of naysayers, but many of us have been doing it for years with no issues, period.)
On to your truck, if it's in good mechanical condition, it's a good fit EXCEPT for the lift. Aside from the physical challenges of height over 12' with a big TC and loading/unloading, excessive stair height to get in, etc, it will not be stable.
"Removing" the lift kit and going back to OE height suspension is a good size project for someone who is prepared to do that work. It is also, I'm guessing, quite expensive if you have a shop do it. The one silver lining in that I can think of is you'd come out of the deal with brand new springs and shocks of your choice and could outfit it very well from a suspension standpoint for hauling the camper.
That said, unless there's something special about this truck (super low miles or your favorite truck of all time kind of thing), I think the smart move is to sell it and find a suitable truck that hasn't been lifted.
Then once you have the truck sorted out, tie downs and suspension are the 2 things you need to initially haul the camper. Torklift is the best, Happijacs will work.
Also, with the market like it is, if you know you'll be in a shortbed, whether this truck or a replacement, I wouldn't hesitate to continue camper shopping and be ready to buy if you find the right one at the right price. No sense limiting yourself there.
Unless you find one a long distance away, most people selling a TC have the truck to haul it and it's not a stretch to have them deliver and unload it.
Good luck in your search. And if using for a family, I would recommend a full wall slide out and the models with the biggest tanks, like AF. Idk tank size of other brands, but AF is one of if not the largest tanks in a short camper.
