Help me choose a slide out Truck Camper!

[Blanco1]

I went to Barber RV in Ventura today to look at a few slide out truck Campers & have more or less fallen in love with the HOST Mammoth rig.

My concerns are that the slide out are all above the bed walls & I'm sure theres no other way to do slides?

& yet will not commit to $55K for a camper without looking at many others 1st.

For me it does not have to be new!

But what sort of warranties come with new?

I wqas thinking about calling host & maybe building one with my specs for our 100lb dog.

I don't need the love seat & that could be his area & I also don't really see a need for 2 TV's.
We currently have never had a TV & see camping as part of that disconnect from tv & the net.

Sure we might still check out e-mails & such but for the most part ignore modern tech while camping.

So tell me about Lance slide outs or Eagle Cap or arctic or etc & what about prices & storage?

I do love the amounts of storage under the floor with the mammoth but also think about the higher C.O.G this brings.

I HATE driving in strong winds & I assume this would just make it ll the more scary?

[811Q]

Take your time and do a lot of research. It took us 3 years to find the right fit. Don't overload your capacity and determine your needs with the specifications of your truck. Matching your TC to your truck is the most important objective you must do right. Good luck and happy camping!

[okan-star]

Okanagan was built in Canada ,out of buis in about 09 , website is still active
In 06 Eagle Cap Intermountin went out of buis and Epps the owner of Okan - West Coast Leisure bought them started building in La Grande OR. a few years later , about when new EC opened , they said they would re-start Okan up again , but never did
Moved to his brothers Adventure camper location some years later after Adventurer moved to this side of the Can. border
The guy who ran the La Grand plant for him - his name eludes me went to Chalet and started building TC`s for them
Camper weights is and always has been a shell game , best info is from people that have them . They leave off slides , all kinds of things , or just fib .
The Ford 450`s are built more for towing , 550`s handle campers better
I belive the 450`s have a Dana super 60 in them 250 350 2500 3500`s have the regular 60
Its capable of carrying the weight , except for the unit bearings Dodge put on them , the inner and outer bearings are almost back to back , not good for a heavy load , changing to locking hubs has the benefit of regular bearings further apart , Fords of earlier years had this design w/ locking hubs , the A arms and out can be retried onto 94-02 Dodges or Spintec makes a set up , you should at least change your unit bearing hubs before a real heavy camper
The leafs in the rear wont handle it , I put cab & chas leafs on my truck with the stock contact overloads , I used 6 leaf springs from a yard that are rated a little under 3k , they aren't made to collapse to the bottom overload , they are progressive , a harsher ride unloaded , but Ive had Supersprings , and air bags in my opinion their a better way to go they make 4k cab & chas leafs also here
Like he said you have a great truck , with some short comings , KDP , track bar , bad steering box - newer style makes them steer like a 03 and up, I put heaver coils on my front end
But putting a 5k and guaranteed more than that loaded 3 slide on it , probably comes down to how nervous you can handle being as you drive

[Blanco1]

burningman wrote:
All 3500 with Cummins came with the D80, even autos. It was only the 2500s that got the D70 if they had an auto.
The auto, junk in stock form, is actually the strongest transmission, IF you put all the now-available aftermarket upgrades in it.
The 5 speed has a correctible issue with the nut holding 5th gear coming off.
You should google that and read up about it, and I'll assume you know about the Killer Dowel Pin on the 12 valve. Google that and correct it asap if not.
Take care of those two things, then you've got the most reliable pickup ever built.
We're still learning what fails over time on the new ones. And there's a whole lot more things to fail on them!

The newer trucks have AAM axles that are even stouter. You won't be over what your Danas can handle but if you want, you can even put those in. The front bolts in, the rear just needs its spring mounts relocated a bit. Shock mounts are same. You'll also need new wheels, larger diameter. Then you have the bigger brakes too.

"Buy a $70,000 new truck" isn't the only answer, if you'd rather turn a few wrenches and not blow enough money on a pickup truck to go to Hawaii... ten times!

Engine & trans have both been rebuilt with both issues already addressed.

[burningman]

All 3500 with Cummins came with the D80, even autos. It was only the 2500s that got the D70 if they had an auto.
The auto, junk in stock form, is actually the strongest transmission, IF you put all the now-available aftermarket upgrades in it.
The 5 speed has a correctible issue with the nut holding 5th gear coming off.
You should google that and read up about it, and I'll assume you know about the Killer Dowel Pin on the 12 valve. Google that and correct it asap if not.
Take care of those two things, then you've got the most reliable pickup ever built.
We're still learning what fails over time on the new ones. And there's a whole lot more things to fail on them!

The newer trucks have AAM axles that are even stouter. You won't be over what your Danas can handle but if you want, you can even put those in. The front bolts in, the rear just needs its spring mounts relocated a bit. Shock mounts are same. You'll also need new wheels, larger diameter. Then you have the bigger brakes too.

"Buy a $70,000 new truck" isn't the only answer, if you'd rather turn a few wrenches and not blow enough money on a pickup truck to go to Hawaii... ten times!

[Blanco1]

burningman wrote:
In certain model years, the F450 had a Dana 60 front axle and a Dana 80 rear.
Guess what a '97 Dodge 3500 has? Same thing.
The new trucks are not physically larger. Any stability improvement is a function of the springs, shocks and sway bars. There is no other black magic in the current trucks.
If he puts big springs, good shocks, and a big bar on that Dodge, it will haul that camper. And being a 12-Valve Cummins with zero electronics, it will keep doing it longer than any other. There are very good reasons people hang onto those trucks.
If you want bigger brakes, you don't have to buy a $70,000 new truck. The later and larger discs will bolt into that truck, people do it all the time. But the truth is the original ones in good shape and an exhaust brake will do the job fine.

My '97 Dodge 3500 dually being a 5 speed came with the Dana 80 rear & D 60 front yes.

From what I understand the automatic trans came with the D 70 rear.

But I wanted a stick vs the Automatic being I've seen a few F350's pulling heavy trailers & they started spitting all the tranny fluid out leaving you stuck!

I even drove a motor home with a Ford drive train spitting the trans fluid out on a steep hill & started a fire I fortunately was able to put out with only a slight burn on my arm.

So I figured a manual trans was a better option & then I learned it was factory matched with a D 80.

I do have the largest rear sway bar I could buy as a direct bolt on.
Air bags & stable loads & shocks with helper coils over them.

& was considering the upper stable loads as well.

[Blanco1]

okan-star wrote:
When I linked it, it was still for sale , listed for 19700.00
That model was almost the same as the EC 1160 , but the dry un- optioned Wt was just under 4000 lbs , the 1160 is about 700 lbs more
Okanagan`s weights I found to be true , they had to ship them across the border and declare each campers weight
Okanagan was a solid well built camper

I'm told the Mammoth weighs 4,300 dry?

So seems very close?

Where is the Okangan built?

[burningman]

In certain model years, the F450 had a Dana 60 front axle and a Dana 80 rear.
Guess what a '97 Dodge 3500 has? Same thing.
The new trucks are not physically larger. Any stability improvement is a function of the springs, shocks and sway bars. There is no other black magic in the current trucks.
If he puts big springs, good shocks, and a big bar on that Dodge, it will haul that camper. And being a 12-Valve Cummins with zero electronics, it will keep doing it longer than any other. There are very good reasons people hang onto those trucks.
If you want bigger brakes, you don't have to buy a $70,000 new truck. The later and larger discs will bolt into that truck, people do it all the time. But the truth is the original ones in good shape and an exhaust brake will do the job fine.

[okan-star]

When I linked it, it was still for sale , listed for 19700.00
That model was almost the same as the EC 1160 , but the dry un- optioned Wt was just under 4000 lbs , the 1160 is about 700 lbs more
Okanagan`s weights I found to be true , they had to ship them across the border and declare each campers weight
Okanagan was a solid well built camper

[Blanco1]

okan-star wrote:
Heres the one that started the rear slide thing , built by the guy who builds EC now , heavy , but not nearly as the triple slide by Host -EC- Chalet , I`d love to have this camper , wood frame - which is not heavier than alum , I`d jump on this if I was looking

That one looks very nice!

I wonder what it sold for?

I'm liking more & more the side entry & a double slide would work as well.

[Blanco1]

Grit dog wrote:
^From what I just looked up, the old Lance 900 is somewhere around 3000lbs wet and loaded. If that is the case, you're looking at a whole different animal if you're talking triple slides, or even a large single slide unit. Anywhere from 4500lbs min to 6klbs on the big end.
I'm far from being the weight cops too, but I'd temper my expectations of a 20 year old pickup, even though it's a dually and try to stay on the lower end of that spectrum. Like sub 5klbs.
Plenty of roomy dry bath campers with a single slide that will fit your truck. I don't think the Mammoth or other double/triple slide campers are in your trucks wheelhouse.

IIRC the dry weight is about 25-2700, I'm not at home to go look right now, but I will.

[okan-star]

Heres the one that started the rear slide thing , built by the guy who builds EC now , heavy , but not nearly as the triple slide by Host -EC- Chalet , I`d love to have this camper , wood frame - which is not heavier than alum , I`d jump on this if I was looking

[Grit_dog]

For sure, the rear axle is up to the task. But they don't call it the mammoth because it's light.
Sounds like the OP is also a decent wrench, so that's good. My concern was centered around the average joe that shows up here and asks about wringing out the structural capacity of an old truck without being aware of everything involved.
Don't want one of them super duty frame Sh!thooked in the middle, camper dragging in back pictures!

[deltabravo]

FrankShore wrote:
Lance is a best bet!

How so?

[okan-star]

I`m pretty sure his Lance all loaded weighs more than 3000 lbs ' my smaller Lance 500 weighs around 4000 lbs and I pack light . for one person and my dog
But I have to agree his 3500 is short of carrying a triple slide of any make , at least my opinion , sure its done
I have a 99` Dodge dually , rear axle would handle it , with spring mods , look at the tire limits though , brakes might - drums - make sure you have brakes on what you tow to help
One major concern I would have is the front axle , how much more weight is going on it , the tires - stock size wont handle much more , look at the door tag , my truck front axle weighs in at over 4500 lbs , maybe the camper will only load the rear , that's a problem too
Since you say you like to do mods , consider getting rid of the unit bearings on the front axle and putting locking hubs like spintech on , you get the benefit of Timken type bearings that will handle a lot more weight
Also the steering on a 97 could help , DSS , upgraded steering box- newer type Delph......
I looked at the 3 slides too , liked the EC , but in my mind would have to have a bigger truck than a 3500