Best truck for Northern Lite 10-2

[TCjeff]

My wife and I just ordered a 2020 Northern Lite 10-2 LE and are now shopping for a truck. I hoping to get some advice on which would be the best truck for our camper.

We're planning a 1 year trip all around Canada and the US. When we get back I will go back to work part-time, easing into retirement and use the camper for trips down south in the winter.

I'm a real newbie to truck camping. As well I'm a city boy (Montreal Canada) and knew nothing about trucks until we decided buy a TC and I starting doing research on the web, including this forum. Based on what I've learnt so far I’m thinking 3500 or F-350, 4wd, air bags. I’m not biased between Ford, GM or Ram so am open to any.

As well, I’m uncertain regarding gas or diesel, and srw vs dually. We plan to boondock a fair bit and would like to be able to access off the road type campsites ... but nothing too crazy!

Thanks in advance for the help!

[srschang]

It's not just Ford. I went to the Ram website as I'm also considering another Ram. For 2019, just 3500s, the hauling capacity ranges from 3720# (Laramie Longhorn diesel crew cab SRW SB 4x4) to 7680# (Tradesman 6.4 Hemi regular cab DRW LB 4x2). With 358 variations and different hauling capacities. In the 3500 series alone!!

[jimh406]

As people have said here, it’s a marketing more than an actual number, but that’s all we have.

[ardvark]

You're right, it should be simple, however, it has often seemed to me like not much is transparent when it comes to truck campers, trucks, and how much they weigh or can carry. I don't think manufactuers will change anything about that unless they have to do so!

Steve

[otrfun]

Grit dog wrote:
^ . . . need to understand that options (curb weight) affect it (but not necessarily 100% with respect to how much goes on the rear axle) and understand that a F350 srw truck can be purchased in nearly every increment form 10,000 to 11,500 lb gvwr . . .

I'm aware of how trim-level and options affect curb/empty weight, GVWR, payload, etc. GVWR was 11,500. If it had been 10k, payload would have been 1,880 lbs.

Just find it interesting why a professed payload expanding, lightweight aluminum 2019 F350 CC SB SRW diesel truck with a 11,500 GVWR only has only 3380 lbs. of payload. BTW, the truck was only a mid-trim level (XLT or Lariat).

Our heavy, steel 2016 Ram 3500 SRW CC SB diesel has 3,960 lbs. of payload with no smoking mirrors or special options needed. Hard to believe Ford isn't straight-on competitive with their F350's in terms of payload---without the need to pick just the right options to increase payload.

Anyhow, simple question, but evidently Ford has chosen to complicate the answer.

[ardvark]

otrfun wrote:

ardvark wrote:

srschang wrote:
Yep, I'll have to check into it. At Truck Camper Warehouse Bill had a brand new Ford F350 Supercab SRW he just bought to deliver campers. While he was talking to other customers, I opened the door and looked at the sticker. Payload not to exceed 4380# or something close to that.

Scott

I had heard the payloads were upped considerably starting with the 2017 models. Quite a jump!!

We test drove a new 2019 F350 CC SB SRW diesel a few months ago. Surprised to see the payload (door jam sticker) was only 3380 lbs. What specific options do you need on the latest gen F350 to get that payload closer to 4,000 lbs? Our 2016 Ram 3500 CC SB SRW diesel has a payload of 3,960 lbs.

I think you need to go with a gasser to get that rating. The Ford spec sheet for 2020 is here:
https://www.ford.com/trucks/super-duty/models/f350-lariat/

That's my guess. I know, I know, but I am just the messenger. 🙂

Steve

[Grit_dog]

For the weight police, those srw trucks that you see with over 4000lb payload capacities (plenty of them that have 4300-400lb maybe a bit more), is kind of misleading when talking loads that pretty much only load the rear axle like a truck camper.
All HD srw trucks are 3000-3500lbs empty rear axle weight. "Payload" in the truck cab is roughly split between the f and r axles. Camper puts 100% or nearly 100% on the rear axle.
So, if you're counting calories on your truck and you have 500lbs in the cab, that's say 250 on the rear and 4000lbs of camper, that could be ALL on the rear. Now you're, best case 7250lbs on the rear axle and most of the tires and wheels have their own rating in the 3500/3600lb range!

Tricky? If you're worried about it, that's why so many recommend going straight to a dually. Even with the best intentions, it's easy to bust out of the "numbers" on a srw truck.

On the flipside, there's been and continues to be 10s of millions of trucks running around daily, for years "busted" out of the "numbers" without any ill effects.
Depends how far you push it.

[Grit_dog]

^ You either need some Kayteg magic, or need to understand that options (curb weight) affect it (but not necessarily 100% with respect to how much goes on the rear axle) and understand that a F350 srw truck can be purchased in nearly every increment form 10,000 to 11,500 lb gvwr.

Note, the new aluminum body, new frame 2017 and up Ford Superdutys didn't really lose much curb weight overall. Frame and body reportedly lost 350lbs and other components got heavier. Any increase in GVWR due to curb wieght reduction compared to the old super dutys is likely 200lbs or less.

[otrfun]

ardvark wrote:

srschang wrote:
Yep, I'll have to check into it. At Truck Camper Warehouse Bill had a brand new Ford F350 Supercab SRW he just bought to deliver campers. While he was talking to other customers, I opened the door and looked at the sticker. Payload not to exceed 4380# or something close to that.

Scott

I had heard the payloads were upped considerably starting with the 2017 models. Quite a jump!!

We test drove a new 2019 F350 CC SB SRW diesel a few months ago. Surprised to see the payload (door jam sticker) was only 3380 lbs. What specific options do you need on the latest gen F350 to get that payload closer to 4,000 lbs? Our 2016 Ram 3500 CC SB SRW diesel has a payload of 3,960 lbs.

[Kayteg1]

ardvark wrote:


I had heard the payloads were upped considerably starting with the 2017 models. Quite a jump!!

That on Fords, where aluminium bed and heat-treated frame shaved over 500 lb from truck weight, putting that into payload.

[ardvark]

srschang wrote:
Yep, I'll have to check into it. At Truck Camper Warehouse Bill had a brand new Ford F350 Supercab SRW he just bought to deliver campers. While he was talking to other customers, I opened the door and looked at the sticker. Payload not to exceed 4380# or something close to that.

Scott

I had heard the payloads were upped considerably starting with the 2017 models. Quite a jump!!

[srschang]

Yep, I'll have to check into it. At Truck Camper Warehouse Bill had a brand new Ford F350 Supercab SRW he just bought to deliver campers. While he was talking to other customers, I opened the door and looked at the sticker. Payload not to exceed 4380# or something close to that.

Scott

[ardvark]

Sticker info on 2012 F350 SRW LB Supercab (not crew cab) Gasser (not diesel)
6,000 front plow axle 7,000 pound rear 11,000 GVWR Payload not to exceed 3,829

Truck - me, wife, and a full tank of fuel Front 4,440# Rear 3,200#
Truck as above with Northstar Laredo wet Front 4,820# Rear 6,120#

Height ground to top of AC shroud 10'6" when loaded on truck

No matter what you are reading, I would encourage you to actually look at the sticker on any truck you are considering. Lots of folks get a shock when they go on the Internet and then see what they actually have on their sticker.

I don't think that STC is only 3,600#; given NorthStar is posting a weight of 3,176 dry, I bet you are over 4,000 wet, if you add the normal 800-1,000 pounds. Just my two cents. The NorthStar site shows a dry weight of 2090 dry with no options for our Laredo, but optioned and wet our camper, etc. ready to roll adds 3,300 to the truck. 🙂

Steve

[srschang]

I agree with ardvark on the choice of truck for his camper and his use. I'm within months of replacing my 2003 Travelite SB camper. We've owned it since new, and have taken it to Florida many times, all over Canada, and even to Alaska earlier this year (we live near Buffalo, NY). I've always owned Ram / Cummins, mostly because I retired from Cummins after 40 years, and feel a sense of loyalty.

All that said, we've decided that it's time to move to a bit larger dry bath camper. The truck I currently have is a 2015 SRW SB. We know we need to move back to a LB to get the dry bath and size we want, the big debate is SRW vs DRW. I've never owned a DRW truck, all four of my Rams were SRW, three SB and one LB. I absolutely want to stay away from DRW if at all possible, because my truck is used more for grocery and Home Depot getting and pulling a snowmobile trailer way up into Quebec than hauling the camper. Don't want to deal with the DRW day in day out just so I can haul a camper a few times each year.

I think where we're going to end up is with a Ram or Ford SRW LB gasser, and a Northstar 12 STC camper. We spent some time at Truck Camper Warehouse in NH talking to Bill. Looked at NL, Northstar, and Arctic Fox. We had looked at Lance a couple months ago when we were in Oregon. Per ardvark's comments above, the Northstar 12 STC is 3600# wet, I think the Ram or Ford LB SRW gassers are rated to haul 4300 or 4400#. Just me and my wife, no pets or relatives to travel with, and we've learned over the years that we don't need to take much "Stuff" I'm much more comfortable running close to or at the weight limit than driving a DRW through snow and trying to park.

Another issue that is very unique to my situation is the camper will be stored in a heated pole barn with a 12'door. That reeeeeally cuts down on the camper choices. Bill and I climbed all over the Northstar with a measuring tape, and we will be close to 11' 3" to the top of the A/C shroud.

So, as ardvark said, it's about your "best fit" based on your situation. Lot's to take into consideration, there's no "Right" answer for everyone.

[otrfun]

Swines, very well written, informative post! Thanks!

[swines]

You need to figure out the weight of the camper including water, propane, food, clothes, people, dogs, etc. The manufacturer should be able to provide the camper "wet weight" - and then you have to figure personal items, food, etc.

Size the truck to fit the load. With the camper you've described, I'd get a dually based on my experience with two different campers. I have had a Bigfoot 1500 and a single rear wheel truck (F350, crew cab) and it handled the weight with no problem.

After about 10 years I moved up to a Bigfoot 2500, 10.6 which is about the size of the camper you're getting. The SRW did not handle the weight comfortably. There was a lot of side-to-side rocking of the vehicle in certain conditions. I sold the truck and got a dually, F350 crew cab and the camper has been on three different F350 crew cab dually trucks.

I prefer diesels and all of my truck have been diesels. The reason is not the weight, but the wind resistance of the camper at highway speeds. Going into a strong headwind (20+ mph), I can see the fuel mileage drop 2-3 miles per gallon - that's how much of a load the wind can make on the entire rig.

I travel the western states and if you couple the headwind with going uphill it's actually quite a load on the vehicle. The diesel handles the load with no strain making the driving experience much better. No down shifting, no high motor revving, etc. The motor just hauls the load uphill with a headwind without laboring in any way. I like that.

As for manufacturers, you need to ask if the manufacturer has a "camper package." Some manufacturers do and it adds sway bars, different shocks, automatic power disconnects to the vehicle battery and a few other items. The vehicle is also certified by the manufacturer for camper usage.

One thing you may want to take into account is that the 7.3 liter Ford gas motor will only be available with a 4:30 rear end when it is introduced. Depending upon the 10-speed transmission's gearing, that may make for high revs at highway speeds. But, since no one has tested the truck with the 7.3, and the reviewers that currently have the trucks to drive only have them with the understanding that they will make no comments on the driving experience until January 2020 when the truck is officially released. So, no one knows the truck's performance with that motor, RPM at highway speed, etc.

As a contrast, I have a 3:55 rear end and a six speed transmission with my diesel and that puts the engine RPM at 1850 at 75 MPH which is about 200 RPM above where the torque plateau starts on that motor. Because it's making lots of torque it rarely downshifts going uphill.

I would also suggest getting air bags regardless of whether you have SRW or dually. They don't increase the load carrying capacity but they come in extremely handy to level the truck once the camper is loaded.

You can also use the air bags to level the truck front-to-back when parked and also side-to-side if you get a system with individually controlled air bags.

I also use the air bags to make loading and unloading the camper easier. As an example, I raise the camper to give me clearance above the truck bed with the air bags at 5 psi. I back the truck under the camper and then inflate the air bags to 75 psi - that puts the bed of the truck in light contact with the camper. I then only have to drop the camper down about 3-inches to get it seated on the truck bed.

I do the reverse when taking the camper off. I inflate the air bags to 75 psi, extend the jacks down to the ground with no weight on them, then raise the camper about 1-2 inches, drop the airbags to 5 psi which gives me about 3-inches of clearance, and drive out from under the camper.

Have fun with shopping for a new truck and enjoy the camper.