A few TC questions about host trucks and factory add-ons

[AllenTC2]

Sorry for the generic nature of the subject. Had a couple of niggling questions about TCs in general....

1) Is there any one class (F350/3500, F450/4500, etc) of pickup that can carry a larger TC (for example, a Host Everest) and still be well within its payload capacity? Seems to me like every truck is a trade off....4x4, diesel engine and crew cab eat into the weight allowance, putting one right at the ragged edge of the weight limit.

2) I would like a TC to have a couple of solar panels. I notice most manufacturers offer panels as options, but would it be smarter/more economical to look elsewhere for panels? Maybe just have the wiring in place for the inverter, etc. and get lighter/higher performance/better panels elsewhere?

[AllenTC2]

Soin your pic, you have to attach a hose to that elbow there....and the "stock" hose is less than desirable. And the left slideout on a Mammoth is the dinette, IIRC.

With Ford products, would the V10 Triton be preferable to the V8?

I'm guessing the Douglass qualifies as a "utility body".

[Bedlam]

Yes, those are the sewer hoses to dump waste water. The black (poop) tank drain is located in the left slide out, while the gray (shower) tank drain is under the generator.



Utility bodies are heavier than flat bed decks or pickup boxes.

If you are not towing, a gasoline engine will do fine to keep you moving. Even if you pack light, the truck and camper will be 15K lbs and will approach 18K lbs if you have a utility body and the camper storage filled. Add an 8K lb trailer on back like mine, and you will want a diesel.

[AllenTC2]

I'm not even sure of what I'm looking at there. LOL To empty the poop tank I take it?

The Douglass and Sherptek bodies...I'm assuming those add LESS weight than a standard pick up bed?

I'm really curious as to the advantages of a diesel engine over a gas in a TC application. It makes sense to me if towing, but for a camper? As I'm thinking of full-timing, the longevity of the motor appeals to me, but I'm not sure if it's THAT important if I'm only driving a couple hundred miles a month.

[Bedlam]

I have this sewer hose kit that stores in sealed 5-gallon bucket:

http://www.camco.net/product/revolution-swivel-rv-sewer-hose-kit-10882/





Only a cheap sewer hose will fit the stock location. My Weekend Warrior hose storage was set up just like the Host, so I learned how to deal with this a long time ago.

[mike_kellie]

You actually touched upon a small annoyance with Host campers in regards to hose storage. The black tank is in the driver's slide and eye level (nerves like Hurt Locker) and the grey tank valve just below. It's a stretch for the typical hose to reach and if there are fittings of size on either end, forget about the using the factory tube.
I have a container with lid that has fittings, gloves, clamps, and a back-wash valve that's usually stored in the basement. Not anymore. There is also a narrow storage slot option for the tailgate located in front of the camper jacks that will fit our small fold-up table.
I don't even have it mounted and already I have it half loaded. Douglass builds a nice truck body with lots of options including custom.

[AllenTC2]

I was thinking if I went with something like the Douglass/SherpTek bodies, I could house additional batteries in there? I definitely want an electrical system similar to yours.

I was also thinking maybe a water pump and filter so I could replenish the water supply....though now that I think about it, that'd mean dumping the black/grey water somewhere, which means I could resupply water as well. LOL

[mike_kellie]

Yes, forward of the rear axle. There are a lot of things to consider in the mean time. My truck had the spare deleted and the large storage (passenger front) will house the steel rim and tire, jack, straps, larger tools etc.
You might look into 2 fuel tanks if you want more range. I think the smaller tank is still 25+/- gallons. More batteries? You could harness the batteries from the camper to more batteries stored in your utility bed.
This is when I started looking at trucks for about 3 months straight. I found one in Indiana that was ordered a color not considered popular by the ranchers of the area. I watched it for 3-4 months, made an offer half-way though and then a lower offer 2 months later while the newer trucks were showing up. Had it shipped and took delivery around Thanksgiving.

[AllenTC2]

And you want your CG somewhere between the back of the cab and the rear axle, correct?

Another thing I'm noticing is a decided lack of truck outfitters on the east coast. LMBO

[Bedlam]

CA - Mike explained it best. It's the distance between the back of the rear cab wall and the center of the rear axle. Chassis cabs commonly are available in 60" and 84" models, but there are two longer ones available in regular cab configurations (most long bed pickups are around 56").

CC - The crew cab is the one with four full sized doors. The extended cab is 1.5' shorter and called a Supercab by Ford. I think Ford is the last to keep the suicide rear doors which I liked for accessing rear cargo - The rest use narrower rear doors that hinge forward like a crew. The regular cab is almost 3' shorter than the crew.

[AllenTC2]

Again, pretty early in the game, but I had kind of settled on either Lance or Host (with Host taking the early lead based on a lot of what you all have said).

I don't plan on towing anything. I did want a hitch or something to put a bike carrier and a spare tire holder (after reading your post, Bedlam). I don't anticipate having a 'toad' and I don't have much in the way of 'toys' that need hauling.

So as for wheelbase, the 160+" might be more sensible then. As for cabs, I have heard the crew cabs are preferable just for the extra space (though personally, I prefer the extended cabs).

And I need a cheat sheet for the acronyms. LOL CA?

[Bedlam]

There's nothing wrong with getting the vehicle first, but the camper dimensions do vary between brands. If you look at an Arctic Fox, the floor starts above the wheel wells and has sub-wings about 6' wide while a Host starts the floor above the bed rails at 8' wide and the lower section is only 4' wide. If you start with a flat bed and only provision the underside boxes until you get the camper, you leave all options open (even a custom flatbed model Northstar). Start enclosing the sides, and you find you have limited your camper choice or you have make an expensive redo.

I would not go to a utility bed until the camper is purchased because of the variations between brands. There are upfitters that install pickup beds on the chassis cabs - You could go this route if you want your F550 to look more pickup than commercial. It would give you flexibility to use any camper other than a flatbed model, but you loose the storage potential of a flatbed or utility body.

192" wheelbase means you are looking at 84" CA model trucks that have an 11-12' deck. You will only be able to get 8-9' of the camper on the deck due to protrusions under the rear wings for stairs, drains and generator exhaust. You either need to plan on forward storage box or modification of the camper or deck to accommodate those protrusions. My 5500 is a 60" CA model with crew cab giving me a 173" wheelbase. This is slighly longer than typical DRW CC 3500, but it still turns sharper due to the wide front axle and deeper wheel wells.

My previous truck was a short bed extended cab. I really do not have the need for the crew cab but did need some room for a kennel, so a standard cab was out. Ram does not offer their extended cab in these trucks, so I had to go to the larger crew size. If I had chosen the F550, It would have been the Super Cab with a 60" CA frame.

Think about what you may tow behind your truck camper. Even chassis cab receivers get derated quickly with an extension, so you need to look at a custom placed receiver mount on extended frame rails or a way to incorporate a SuperHitch so you can use a double truss extension like the SuperTruss.

[mike_kellie]

AllenTC2 wrote:
(Douglass and SherpTek, for example) that seems pretty modular and I doubt dimensions of TCs and trucks will change drastically in a few years.

Allen, I have the short 60" back of cab to center of axle and Douglass is building a 9' body for me. I was able to get it started with the options I selected and they have it going into paint in about a week or so. I will bring down the camper to them on my GMC and have somebody drive my new truck down as well, leaving the Ram and Host with them to final fit, finish the wiring, extend the fuel filler etc.
The process has been about a year with a good portion looking for a truck. I ended up buying a new 2015 in October of last year with 7 miles on it. It's an SLT so it has some nice options. Had it shipped out and already had a quote for the build of the body. The build process is 3-4 months long.
I've been stopped a few times for conversation while driving it by other 5500 Ram owners and the high volume dealers (Smith and Dillon) can have flat or utility beds installed within days with the typical accessories. The last guy that stopped me flew to Spokane, shuttled to Kellogg and picked up his truck with a flat bed, 2 boxes, head board and gooseneck ball and drove it home. Entire process was a week.

[AllenTC2]

Oh no, I wouldn't think of calling. LOL I gather you're pretty busy.

Well, I suppose my first question is "Am I a little too far out time-wise to start this process?" I figure I'm at around 5 years before I pull the trigger. My thinking was I would get the host vehicle (which I have questions on) in a year or so. That way it would be paid off/nearly paid off when I retire and I can focus on the camper. Obviously models change, but after eyeballing some of the stuff I see on the chassis cab models (Douglass and SherpTek, for example) that seems pretty modular and I doubt dimensions of TCs and trucks will change drastically in a few years.

And first truck questions...what wheelbase length should I be looking at for a chassis cab F550? I'm thinking 192"?

[Bedlam]

If the questions will benefit others post them here or in the mammoth thread about the Host Mammoth which I linked. Otherwise, send me private message. I'm not good about calling via voice, I just have too much going on to be respectful of your time.