I'm looking for a good size TC that will:- work with a full ton truck that is not a dually;- host 2 people for up to a week in good weather, 4 people for a 3 day weekend in winter conditions. We would also use this for 4 people for a week during the summer but there would be supplemental tents/canopies going on so we wouldn't all be in the TC all the time;- work as a 'guest suite' for a week at a time (guests would have regular access to the house, this would just be for sleeping and having some peace and quiet if needed);I don't have a TV yet and want to do this right.If a SRW won't work and I really need to get a DRW, let me know. In that case I may look at a travel trailer or 5th wheel instead, but I like the TC idea for the ability to take this snow camping in the winter for long skiing weekends.thank you

A dually provides more stability whether you have a 5er or TC. Buy your second truck first, get a dually. Just my opinion . I've had both.

thank you for the honesty.How does a dually do 'off-road'? Nothing too crazy but if I get a huge truck like this with a TC, I'd hope to be able to camp off the grid for a few days at a time, and that means dirt, gravel, maybe some snow, maybe some small streams and rocks. I'm not looking for an extreme adventure vehicle, but driving the camper out to the Death Valley Racetrack would be ideal.

We camp with a Lance 1181 on our F450 dually and take it off-road pretty often. We bought the TC to do Alaska and it was perfect for that. We take the TC MANY places that we wouldn't dreamof taking our 5th wheel.But I agree, in general, unless its a really small TC, dually is the way to go, stability wise.PS we wouldn't have taken any of our vehicles on the racetrack whne we were there. We heard it really chews up tires.

Yah, i went through all this a year ago... started with the idea of a 1500....Ended up with my rig.Works great, not sure it's good with 4 peeps, crowded?I've taken it on dirt roads, boonie sorta, not extreme and works find. Only real issue I've heard of, which hasn't happened yet, is rocks getting stuck inbetween the dual wheels. Other than the width, same as the camper would probably be, it's fine. I do have the 4-wd which goes without saying, you'll need, might come as standard.While the camper sits a little higher than most, the dually and 5500 frame keeps it more than steady in winds etc...Like I said, I started with (considering) the 1500 and got so fed up with the "Well, it'll probably be ok, but you might want to have....." due to weight/stability/sagging... that I just said screw it and went with the 5500 cab chassis and put a bed on it.So far?It's working great. Mileage sucks, 8.6 with trailer, 9.6 just camper and 10 to 11.5 just truck... without a load on it, it'll knock your teeth out on a rough road, but with a load works fine.Hope that helps, it's a tough one.. I think the general consensus is to find the camper you want and THEN find the truck to haul it...Fun..

Four people staying in a truck camper skiing is going to be quite the ordeal. Not enough room in my opinion. You have a lot of gear to store also. Four people with additional tents in warm weather is fine. I agree with the dual rear wheel as you apparently many times will be hauling 3 passengers and all there gear also. Thats probably more than a thousand pounds of payload capacity right there. We use to take our class C 27 footer skiing with 4 people and it worked out good. I would not want to do that in a TC. JMHO

which TC is best for me? | Good Sam Community

fpoole
Explorer
Sep 11, 2016
Yah, i went through all this a year ago... started with the idea of a 1500....

Ended up with my rig.
Works great, not sure it's good with 4 peeps, crowded?
I've taken it on dirt roads, boonie sorta, not extreme and works find. Only real issue I've heard of, which hasn't happened yet, is rocks getting stuck inbetween the dual wheels. Other than the width, same as the camper would probably be, it's fine. I do have the 4-wd which goes without saying, you'll need, might come as standard.

While the camper sits a little higher than most, the dually and 5500 frame keeps it more than steady in winds etc...

Like I said, I started with (considering) the 1500 and got so fed up with the "Well, it'll probably be ok, but you might want to have....." due to weight/stability/sagging... that I just said screw it and went with the 5500 cab chassis and put a bed on it.

So far?
It's working great. Mileage sucks, 8.6 with trailer, 9.6 just camper and 10 to 11.5 just truck... without a load on it, it'll knock your teeth out on a rough road, but with a load works fine.

Hope that helps, it's a tough one..
I think the general consensus is to find the camper you want and THEN find the truck to haul it...

Fun..
soos
Explorer II
Sep 11, 2016
We camp with a Lance 1181 on our F450 dually and take it off-road pretty often. We bought the TC to do Alaska and it was perfect for that. We take the TC MANY places that we wouldn't dreamof taking our 5th wheel.
But I agree, in general, unless its a really small TC, dually is the way to go, stability wise.
PS we wouldn't have taken any of our vehicles on the racetrack whne we were there. We heard it really chews up tires.
rvshrinker
Explorer III
Sep 11, 2016
thank you for the honesty.

How does a dually do 'off-road'? Nothing too crazy but if I get a huge truck like this with a TC, I'd hope to be able to camp off the grid for a few days at a time, and that means dirt, gravel, maybe some snow, maybe some small streams and rocks. I'm not looking for an extreme adventure vehicle, but driving the camper out to the Death Valley Racetrack would be ideal.
daily_double
Explorer
Sep 11, 2016
A dually provides more stability whether you have a 5er or TC. Buy your second truck first, get a dually. Just my opinion . I've had both.

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