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Artic Fox 865 wet wt 4200 or Nothern lite 8-11

Travelin_Jim
Explorer
Explorer
Hi, New to the site...I want to buy a truck camper...Artic Fox 865 is nice...but heavy. Have some in town. Trying to figure out if a F350 diesel is big enough. Don't want a dually if I can help it. Really like the Northern Lite 8-11 EX Dry Bath with a wet wt of 3800 but closest dealer is 400 miles. Getting a good deal on the 865. I don't own a Ford yet so my options are open. Artic Fox dealer won't sell to anyone without a diesel. Ford dealer thinks a 350 is big enough but Really need some help. Thank you
26 REPLIES 26

3TV
Explorer
Explorer
Travelin Jim wrote:
My ideal rig is a Ford 350 extended cab (super cab) 4x4 gas engine. This 238" bumper to bumper rig fits in my 244" long garage. Anything else sits outside. I have always garaged my vehicles. We've tossed around building a new home to match our Toy needs. We want a 4 season camper or no camper at all. If we buy a new truck, we buy a 8'x 16' cargo trailer and a 50" side-by-side UTV which will be about a 5000lb pull. It's an all or nothing choice...complicated because the added trailer adds tongue weight and need an extended hitch which decreases manueverability in the mountains. I am on a steeeeppp learning curve. I have never owned anything bigger than my 91 Toyota extra cab 4x4 which I love and we two season car camp with it.


That was my ideal rig as well, except for the engine. I wanted the diesel engine because I will be towing as well as carrying a camper with my truck. Try finding a supercab F350 in any trim package but XL and any other color than fridgerater white, and you are out of luck. I searched inventory of several thousand Ford trucks, and couldn't find one. A supercab long bed would have fit in my garage, but with none available, and not wanting to wait for a custom ordered one, I had to "settle" for a crew cab short bed. It fits in the garage, which was my first priority. But I'll have to downsize my camper somewhat. I have been looking at a Lance 825 as my lead choice at this time. Wet weight is 2717 lbs, which would include all fluids and 500 lbs of camping gear. This would give me 835 lbs left over for trailer tongue weight and people in the truck cab.

My wife might have to ride on the trailer. 😉
2019 Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie SWB 4x4
2020 Lance 825
2021 Grand Design Momentum 350G

Travelin_Jim
Explorer
Explorer
My ideal rig is a Ford 350 extended cab (super cab) 4x4 gas engine. This 238" bumper to bumper rig fits in my 244" long garage. Anything else sits outside. I have always garaged my vehicles. We've tossed around building a new home to match our Toy needs. We want a 4 season camper or no camper at all. If we buy a new truck, we buy a 8'x 16' cargo trailer and a 50" side-by-side UTV which will be about a 5000lb pull. It's an all or nothing choice...complicated because the added trailer adds tongue weight and need an extended hitch which decreases manueverability in the mountains. I am on a steeeeppp learning curve. I have never owned anything bigger than my 91 Toyota extra cab 4x4 which I love and we two season car camp with it.

SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Explorer III
emcvay wrote:
My thoughts...


Lots of talk about weights and what a truck will do and what they are rated at. This is an actual cat scale ticket for our 2010 F350 SRW Power Stroke 6.4l 4x4 long box crew cab and ArcticFox 990 ready to go camping with my wife and I both in the truck.

I could have dropped the BBQ since we didn't use it (and I figured we weren't going to) and a tool box I brought along that I didn't need but wanted, but I didn't.

So, here's the skinny: this truck is rated at 11,500lbs, weighs in at ~7900lbs without the tailgate and the camper says it weighs 3600lbs wet (ya, no). Capacity is theoretically 3600lbs (11.5k minus the truck). But you have to take into consideration things like food, cloths, personal items, yourself, your wife etc etc etc

Therefore, if what the sticker tells you is what you want to go by than you must get a DRW and move on. Best for payload would be a gas powered standard cab, 2WD dually.

However, if you do any research you will learn that the rear end is not rated by the manufacturer the same as Ford (Visteon says 9750lbs vs Ford's 7000lbs) which might cause someone to ponder why that is? If you continue on this path you'll learn Ford rates based on the axle, springs, shocks, tires and wheels etc and as such they rate to the 'lowest common denominator'. Makes sense really; you build a truck and rate it that way to prevent being sued. Sure the axle can take a lot more weight but you don't want to be sued if someone doesn't understand your payload rating if you say "this much if, and that much if and that much more IF" etc.

If you choose to think that way, setting aside all legal arguments, than a set of tires, perhaps wheels, springs or suspension upgrades etc and the SRW will handle the camper fine.

Some will claim brakes are the weak point but I don't buy that at all since the truck is rated to TOW 12,500lbs (with trailer brake) and 3500lbs without (so it stands to reason the brakes are designed to stop at least 15,000lbs).

And no one has ever actually produced an actual legal case in which someone was sued for being in an accident with an overweight SRW.


I am not advocating doing anything illegal nor am I saying you can get away with doing what I am doing or that it is safe or anything else (legal disclaimer here: I am not giving advise that you can use in court, I am only telling you what I believe).

What I'm saying is that there are some who will NEVER agree that you can go over the sticker no matter WHAT you do (I once posed this thought: if I removed the box and replaced it with a dually box and put in a dually rear end, breaks, shocks, springs etc, thereby making my truck a dually wouldn't that work and was told "no, the sticker still says"....to which I concluded there was no point with some people.

In my case we have Rancho 9000's, Stable Loads upper and lower, Firestone air bags, Hellwig Bigwig sway bar and Toyo Open Country RT's rated at 4080lbs per tire. The truck handles the big camper very well and we've put about 3000 miles on it so far.


Our travels have taken us all over with this setup (some without the Rancho's and Hellwig if you read the forums much) -- ignore the numbers and nights as these aren't accurate, it's just how I put the map together to show where we've been 😄

Cheers and good luck with your decision but if I had to do it again I would probably have picked a dually myself. Even though I feel safe and fine as is and prefer an SRW for offroad use in the winter specially, I would still feel better with 4 tires on the back than two. But each to our own I say.


Looks to be squatting in the back end a bit.....
2015 Backpack SS1500
1997 Ford 7.3 OBS 4x4 CC LB

KD4UPL
Explorer
Explorer
I totally agree with emcvay.
A modern F350 SRW can handle either or those campers, possible with a few modifications. Will you be over the GVWR? Possibly.
I carried an 11' camper on my '07 Chevy 3500 SRW. The whole thing weighed in at 11,140 pounds. The truck's GVWR was 9,900. I drove this rig for thousands of miles thru multiple states. I added heavy duty shocks and air bags. I was not over the tire or axle ratings of the truck. This is perfectly legal despite what some will insist.
However, I strongly recommend getting a dually. When I started carrying this same camper on a dually the difference was immediately apparent. There was significantly less bounce, sway, and rocking. The dually was a much better driving experience. And, it was also over the GVWR; 13,100 on a truck rated for 11,400. Again, I was not over tire or axle ratings.
As for the dealer who will only sell to a diesel owner, he's a complete moron. Take two identical trucks, one gas and one diesel, and the diesel truck will have less payload. I would buy from the other dealer. Then, take your nice new gas F350 and camper by the diesel only dealer and tell him how happy you are that you bought from the other guy and how much you love your gas truck.

emcvay
Explorer
Explorer
My thoughts...


Lots of talk about weights and what a truck will do and what they are rated at. This is an actual cat scale ticket for our 2010 F350 SRW Power Stroke 6.4l 4x4 long box crew cab and ArcticFox 990 ready to go camping with my wife and I both in the truck.

I could have dropped the BBQ since we didn't use it (and I figured we weren't going to) and a tool box I brought along that I didn't need but wanted, but I didn't.

So, here's the skinny: this truck is rated at 11,500lbs, weighs in at ~7900lbs without the tailgate and the camper says it weighs 3600lbs wet (ya, no). Capacity is theoretically 3600lbs (11.5k minus the truck). But you have to take into consideration things like food, cloths, personal items, yourself, your wife etc etc etc

Therefore, if what the sticker tells you is what you want to go by than you must get a DRW and move on. Best for payload would be a gas powered standard cab, 2WD dually.

However, if you do any research you will learn that the rear end is not rated by the manufacturer the same as Ford (Visteon says 9750lbs vs Ford's 7000lbs) which might cause someone to ponder why that is? If you continue on this path you'll learn Ford rates based on the axle, springs, shocks, tires and wheels etc and as such they rate to the 'lowest common denominator'. Makes sense really; you build a truck and rate it that way to prevent being sued. Sure the axle can take a lot more weight but you don't want to be sued if someone doesn't understand your payload rating if you say "this much if, and that much if and that much more IF" etc.

If you choose to think that way, setting aside all legal arguments, than a set of tires, perhaps wheels, springs or suspension upgrades etc and the SRW will handle the camper fine.

Some will claim brakes are the weak point but I don't buy that at all since the truck is rated to TOW 12,500lbs (with trailer brake) and 3500lbs without (so it stands to reason the brakes are designed to stop at least 15,000lbs).

And no one has ever actually produced an actual legal case in which someone was sued for being in an accident with an overweight SRW.


I am not advocating doing anything illegal nor am I saying you can get away with doing what I am doing or that it is safe or anything else (legal disclaimer here: I am not giving advise that you can use in court, I am only telling you what I believe).

What I'm saying is that there are some who will NEVER agree that you can go over the sticker no matter WHAT you do (I once posed this thought: if I removed the box and replaced it with a dually box and put in a dually rear end, breaks, shocks, springs etc, thereby making my truck a dually wouldn't that work and was told "no, the sticker still says"....to which I concluded there was no point with some people.

In my case we have Rancho 9000's, Stable Loads upper and lower, Firestone air bags, Hellwig Bigwig sway bar and Toyo Open Country RT's rated at 4080lbs per tire. The truck handles the big camper very well and we've put about 3000 miles on it so far.


Our travels have taken us all over with this setup (some without the Rancho's and Hellwig if you read the forums much) -- ignore the numbers and nights as these aren't accurate, it's just how I put the map together to show where we've been 😄

Cheers and good luck with your decision but if I had to do it again I would probably have picked a dually myself. Even though I feel safe and fine as is and prefer an SRW for offroad use in the winter specially, I would still feel better with 4 tires on the back than two. But each to our own I say.
2019 F350 Lariat FX4 DRW PS6.7
2019 AF990

mkirsch
Nomad II
Nomad II
Now you move on to "cheating."

Payload to GVWR is 3552lbs, but payload to RAWR is around 4400lbs, with stock tires. You'll probably want airbags or some other suspension helper to take out any excessive squatting.

Still cutting it close with the 4200lb wet weight, because they always come out heavier.

Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.

jaycocreek
Explorer II
Explorer II
Artic Fox dealer won't sell to anyone without a diesel.


Umm,Why?
Lance 9.6
400 watts solar mounted/200 watts portable
500ah Lifep04

3TV
Explorer
Explorer
Travelin Jim wrote:
Hi, New to the site...I want to buy a truck camper...Artic Fox 865 is nice...but heavy. Have some in town. Trying to figure out if a F350 diesel is big enough. Don't want a dually if I can help it. Really like the Northern Lite 8-11 EX Dry Bath with a wet wt of 3800 but closest dealer is 400 miles. Getting a good deal on the 865. I don't own a Ford yet so my options are open. Artic Fox dealer won't sell to anyone without a diesel. Ford dealer thinks a 350 is big enough but Really need some help. Thank you


You have two campers you are deciding between, with wet weights of 3800 lbs, or 4200 lbs. The payload capacity of a 2019 F350 SRW crew cab diesel pickup, with 11,500 lb GVWR is 3552 lbs. Neither camper will work with that truck.
2019 Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie SWB 4x4
2020 Lance 825
2021 Grand Design Momentum 350G

jimh406
Explorer III
Explorer III
I’m afraid that this thread is going to go off the rails to a Gasoline vs Diesel or SRW vs DRW battle. Any way ...

I’m curious why your dealer only wants to sell to people with diesels, but will sell to someone with a SRW. If you are going for max capability, might as well go for a DRW, too. The diesel only affects the rated payload since the TC will be sitting primarily on the rear axle. I will say the diesel is nice if your are driving the mountains of Montana/Idaho. I’m not saying that gasoline engines can’t go up them, but they will definitely be working harder. I’ve pulled a 4000 lb boat trailer up some of these mountains with a gasoline engine. They are starved for air at the higher elevations and really start reving. I will say that if you don’t plan to tow a heavier trailer behind the TC and don’t mind going slower up the mountains, the gasoline engine will be fine. Gasoline is cheaper most of the time, but you’ll lose range with tanks of the same size.

I’ve carried my current TC in my signature with both SRW and DRW. My wife really prefers the F450 DRW, and it isn’t close. If you can get by with a DRW, get a DRW. My F450 is overkill, but we still like it. I drove my TC for 8 1/2 years with a SRW. We’ve had the DRW for 4 years. I had the SRW because I couldn’t park a DRW where I worked, and it was my daily driver. I did add 19.5s to my SRW to increase the tire capacity. By the time you do that, it would be easier to just buy the DRW. The DRW is going to get less MPG. To drive the SRW, I paid very close attention to what we brought along to keep the weight down. With the DRW, I’ve been under my GVWR carrying everything I wanted for a greater than 1 week trip. I setup both trucks almost the same except with the SRW having Rancho 9000s and the F450 with Bilstein shocks. My mods are in my signature.

Other than the obvious width and disadvantages empty, the DRW is a better choice. There are plenty of people who have both. It all depends on what you want to trade off.

'10 Ford F-450, 6.4, 4.30, 4x4, 14,500 GVWR, '06 Host Rainer 950 DS, Torklift Talon tiedowns, Glow Steps, and Fastguns. Bilstein 4600s, Firestone Bags, Toyo M655 Gs, Curt front hitch, Energy Suspension bump stops.

NRA Life Member, CCA Life Member

Manwithoutoptio
Explorer
Explorer
I think you and your dealer is somewhat confused. Diesel reduce payload , a lot. It is heavy as hell. If you wanted SRW your option is gas only since it barely meets the capacity requirement of a modern full suite hardside TC.

And diesel's extra 20% power is useless when moving something as light as 4k lb weight. You are not towing 20k lb 5th wheel or something. My Gas F350 DRW/AF865 setup can reach 55mph on interstate with 6th gear. Plenty of reserve power if I switch to lower gear. 5th gear can go to 80mph. and 4th and below just launch my truck forward, although at the cost of extreme mpg reduction.

Buzzcut1
Nomad II
Nomad II
A F350 diesel SRW is going to weigh between 7500 and 8500 pounds without the TC depending on cab and 2x4 or 4x4 configuration. unloaded the rear axle is going to be carrying about 3000 pounds add a TC and you will be at or above the tire capacity for most tires. I know because I own both an SRW and a dually F350 Crew cab diesel. With my TC the rear axle Cat Scaled at 7400 with my lance 1055 (4400 pounds wet) Suspension upgrades and 19.5 tires made it a good drive. My Dually makes it a great drive.
2011 F350 6.7L Diesel 4x4 CrewCab longbed Dually, 2019 Lance 1062, Torqlift Talons, Fast Guns, upper and lower Stable Loads, Super Hitch, 48" Super Truss, Airlift loadlifter 5000 extreme airbags

chrisk2112
Explorer
Explorer
Just my $0.02, but I’ve never regretted having a dually. The peace of mind is worth it, plus it’s more stable in a crosswind. Look up the payload for any SRW pickup - it’ll be 500-700 lbs less than that camper’s wet weight. If you’re in a crash, and the other guy’s lawyer learns that you were negligently overweight they’ll have a field day with you, whether you were at fault or not. Good luck in your decision!
Chris and Brenda
2006 Dodge Ram Mega Cab 1500, Hemi, 3.73
2004 KZ Sportsmen Sportster 26P
2005 Honda Gold Wing
American Legion Riders, Kansas Patriot Guard
PGR/IBA/AMA/HRCA

"Took a bead on the Northern plains, and just rolled that power on..." -Bob Seger