3/4 ton truck suggestions for 4x4 truck camping

[Naturalsight]

I am looking for suggestions for purchase of new 3/4 ton truck for 4x4 truck camping. I will be doing a combination of around town driving both with and without the popup camper on and 1-4 week trips with a couple of light weight kayaks loaded on top of the popup camper.

[Steve_in_29]

Grit dog wrote:

exhaustipated wrote:

PRodacy wrote:
I'd go with a 3/4 ton instead of a 1 ton. The camper you're looking at isn't heavy enough to warrant the 1 ton, and you'll get more suspension flex with the 3/4, which is important off-road.

X2. You don't need a 1 ton to haul a pop-up camper as they're generally not as heavy and won't be a problem with a 3/4 ton and the price difference will be thousands less.

Or hundreds less if you're talking apples to apples.

x2

On a Ford the price difference is LESS then $1K between similarly equipped F250 and F350s.

Going with an F350 also precludes any need for air-bags or other suspension crutches commonly applied to F250s.

WELL equipped pop-up TCs such as Northstar and Outfitter are NOT as light as people would think.

[Steve_in_29]

RWDIII wrote:

Steve_in_29 wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:

I'd go with an F-350 instead of an F-250. Why? You get more GVWR with little or no increase in price. So think 1 ton truck.

Well....yes and no. A couple of points.

Some F350 SRW trucks have a 10000 GVWR just like a 10000 GVWR F250. We had one poster who came up with a 10k GVWR F350 SRW crew cab 4x4 6.7 diesel long wheelbase. The weight police convinced him he had to trade it in for the same truck with the 11200 GVWR sticker :R.

And if the F250 comes with the heavy service package its the same as the F350 SRW truck.

The newer gen 3/4 ton diesel trucks have up to 6500 RAWR and over 3000 lb rear axle payloads.
Gassers even more.

Those people were ill informed, as the 10k package on the F350 is simply a piece of paper with no actual changes being made to the vehicle's suspension. It is done to get around registration andor parking restrictions some localities have in place.

I have never heard of an F250 that was rated at the same GVWR as the F350.

Then go down to the nearest Ford dealer and look at the F350 work truck with 17 in tires that has a 10000 lb GVW

You are misinformed as well and I didn't say there were no F350s rated at 10K and I should have been clearer in that what I actually meant was I never heard of an F250 rated above 10K. That 10K GVWR F350 you mention is simply DERATED ON PAPER to meet licensing/registration/parking limits of some areas. It is NOT the same as the F250's suspension underneath.

Ford lists a rear axle rating of 6290lbs and MAX GVWR of 10K for an F250. The F350 SRW has a rear axle rating of 7190lbs and a GVWR of 10K-11.5K.

[Grit_dog]

exhaustipated wrote:

PRodacy wrote:
I'd go with a 3/4 ton instead of a 1 ton. The camper you're looking at isn't heavy enough to warrant the 1 ton, and you'll get more suspension flex with the 3/4, which is important off-road.

X2. You don't need a 1 ton to haul a pop-up camper as they're generally not as heavy and won't be a problem with a 3/4 ton and the price difference will be thousands less.

Or hundreds less if you're talking apples to apples.

[Grit_dog]

realter wrote:
You will probably want to consider either Chevy/GMC, or Ford, or Dodge. A trip to your local dealer helps in choosing what you find most comfortable. Good luck.

No shat Sherlock!

[exhaustipated]

PRodacy wrote:
I'd go with a 3/4 ton instead of a 1 ton. The camper you're looking at isn't heavy enough to warrant the 1 ton, and you'll get more suspension flex with the 3/4, which is important off-road.

X2. You don't need a 1 ton to haul a pop-up camper as they're generally not as heavy and won't be a problem with a 3/4 ton and the price difference will be thousands less.

[Bedlam]

I'm pretty sure the main spring pack is the same on GM and Ford 3/4t and 1t trucks except for the overload spring. Where it will be a big difference is in the Ram 2500 coils verses 3500 leafs.

[PRodacy]

I'd go with a 3/4 ton instead of a 1 ton. The camper you're looking at isn't heavy enough to warrant the 1 ton, and you'll get more suspension flex with the 3/4, which is important off-road.

[Old_Days]

If you are buying a TC and a 3/4 ton truck. I would go to the photos of all the TCs, and that will give you and idea what could work for you.

[Bedlam]

The F250 and F350 are virtually the same truck. If you are going strictly by the door weight sticker, go with the F350 with 18" wheels and camper package. If you are going by the components used, get either a F250 or F350 with 18" wheels and camper package that best matches what you want for the price.

Unless you plan to tow behind your truck camper, go with the lighter gasoline powered engine to increase your overall payload (if you are a door sticker guy). Rear axle loading capacity will change little between the two engines.

[TangoFox]

I liked the Ford bodystyling more than my Silverado 3500 Dually, but the price won me over. Someone's kid was selling it because it was his father's and he couldn't drive anymore.

Personally I don't buy new vehicles, as I'll let someone else take the hit, but that depends if you can find a good one.

Also, as has been said multiple times here - find the camper you want, and then the truck to match.

[RWDIII]

Steve_in_29 wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:

I'd go with an F-350 instead of an F-250. Why? You get more GVWR with little or no increase in price. So think 1 ton truck.

Well....yes and no. A couple of points.

Some F350 SRW trucks have a 10000 GVWR just like a 10000 GVWR F250. We had one poster who came up with a 10k GVWR F350 SRW crew cab 4x4 6.7 diesel long wheelbase. The weight police convinced him he had to trade it in for the same truck with the 11200 GVWR sticker :R.

And if the F250 comes with the heavy service package its the same as the F350 SRW truck.

The newer gen 3/4 ton diesel trucks have up to 6500 RAWR and over 3000 lb rear axle payloads.
Gassers even more.

Those people were ill informed, as the 10k package on the F350 is simply a piece of paper with no actual changes being made to the vehicle's suspension. It is done to get around registration andor parking restrictions some localities have in place.

I have never heard of an F250 that was rated at the same GVWR as the F350.

Then go down to the nearest Ford dealer and look at the F350 work truck with 17 in tires that has a 10000 lb GVW

[Steve_in_29]

JIMNLIN wrote:

I'd go with an F-350 instead of an F-250. Why? You get more GVWR with little or no increase in price. So think 1 ton truck.

Well....yes and no. A couple of points.

Some F350 SRW trucks have a 10000 GVWR just like a 10000 GVWR F250. We had one poster who came up with a 10k GVWR F350 SRW crew cab 4x4 6.7 diesel long wheelbase. The weight police convinced him he had to trade it in for the same truck with the 11200 GVWR sticker :R.

And if the F250 comes with the heavy service package its the same as the F350 SRW truck.

The newer gen 3/4 ton diesel trucks have up to 6500 RAWR and over 3000 lb rear axle payloads.
Gassers even more.

Those people were ill informed, as the 10k package on the F350 is simply a piece of paper with no actual changes being made to the vehicle's suspension. It is done to get around registration andor parking restrictions some localities have in place.

I have never heard of an F250 that was rated at the same GVWR as the F350.

[RWDIII]

Get the one you want,all the big three are good.
I got a F250 with HD springs,since in Ariz trucks over 10000 GVW must have commercial tags.

[JIMNLIN]

I'd go with an F-350 instead of an F-250. Why? You get more GVWR with little or no increase in price. So think 1 ton truck.

Well....yes and no. A couple of points.

Some F350 SRW trucks have a 10000 GVWR just like a 10000 GVWR F250. We had one poster who came up with a 10k GVWR F350 SRW crew cab 4x4 6.7 diesel long wheelbase. The weight police convinced him he had to trade it in for the same truck with the 11200 GVWR sticker :R.

And if the F250 comes with the heavy service package its the same as the F350 SRW truck.

The newer gen 3/4 ton diesel trucks have up to 6500 RAWR and over 3000 lb rear axle payloads.
Gassers even more.

[lonegunman]

I like that first answer, Ford, GM product or Dodge product. Since there are no other options, that should cover it.

I'd go with an F-350 instead of an F-250. Why? You get more GVWR with little or no increase in price. So think 1 ton truck.

If you are looking for a truck, make sure it has a camper/heavy duty package so that you can get the heaviest duty suspension offered.

Bed length is a factor, if you are looking at short bed campers, make sure you get the truck that fits your camper.

Diesel engines have tons more power but add tons more weight. Gas engine trucks do better if all of your non-camping driving is short trips and in town. If you get a diesel truck and never drive it long enough to heat up or let it cool down from longer runs, it shortens the life.

Add 1000lbs to whatever weight the dealer says for the camper and gear. The fully loaded weight, water, fuel, gear and kayaks is more than the weight listed on the sticker for the camper. The weight on the sticker could be anything, from what I have learned in the last year, it only vaguely estimated the actual weight of the thing they sold you.