Mammoth owners ... how big is your truck?

[jimh406]

There seems to be a lot of random comments about how big of a truck people need for Mammoth. Seems like those who don’t have one are sure you need a 4500/5500 truck.

So, if you have one, what do you have it on and how’s the sizing: just right, too big, or wish you had a bigger one?

If you don’t have one, feel free to give your comments ... why not? 😉

[Devocamper]

2018 host mammoth on a 2018 ram 3500 drw GAS 6.4 crew cab 2x4 spring rear suspension . the truck gvwr is 14K as ordered and the payload is 7k on paper, added sumo springs because there are no sway bars for the 6.4 gas motor due to the exhaust system routing. this set up handles well however we don't tow anything and do not go off road more than the grass or dirt in a campground . Have never been told that the jacks had to be down to open slides by host or the dealer or anyone else. We have had trips that we never came off the truck and did not have the jacks down when we opened the slides and have had no problems in two seasons.
Mike

[Wikel]

Mine will be a F550 setup with the 68m payload upgrade package mainly due to the other things I'll be carrying "in addition" to the Mammoth camper. Service body bed alone is estimated approx 2k.

[Kayteg1]

tlowe43q wrote:
Our 2017 Mammoth weighs 5777 with EMPTY tanks. Available payload on 2016 GMC Denali 3500 HD Dually is only 4735 (payload plus occupants, etc.). GAWR Rear is 9375 ... loaded with empty tanks I am at 9680. I have upper and lower stableloads and firestone airbags which NEARLY level the load. A sway bar might help, though sway isn't the worst part; shocks will help, but I feel like I am shoveling money down a sink hole. The sag/launch over crappy expansion joints gets old (to all highway low bidders/purchasing agents/designers/constructors: Good enough ISN'T).

Had I purchased a 3500 Dually WITHOUT diesel, 4WD, crew cab, (and a radio), I MIGHT have the capacity for my TC.

I am considering 5500 C/C, while looking at more spring for the 3500, but I'd hate for something to break on the way to Alaska or even western US.

Research the suspension on C/C.
I had 2006 F350 C/C and visually it had stronger suspension than F450.
They also come with longer wheelbase, what helps with COG, but having different frame, they don't come with bed option. At least they didn't in the past.
Bad part - they make real teeth grinder when empty.

[Grit_dog]

5777lbs empty is a differnet story. I was going off of 5500lbs ready to camp.
If you’re talking 6500-7000lb ready to camp, that’s about the absolute max for a 1 ton dually IMO and yeah, even I would be thinking bigger truck or lighter camper if putting on a lot of miles.
How the weight is distributed makes a bit of a difference though. I generally assume all weight in rear axle, zero on the front.
If there’s actually 500-1000lbs transferred to the front then that eases things a bit. But now it’s like having a 9’ v plow in the front and a 3 ton camper in the back!

[Bedlam]

The 3500 DRW's have axles rated for 10-11K lbs, so you have a little reserve left on your setup as long as you do not plan to tow a tongue heavy trailer behind you. What would worry me most is traveling across British Columbia while weighing over your GVWR door sticker. I made three trips into BC with my F250 loaded over 12K lbs and did not have problems, but I also did not know they were strict about the door sticker. I would have had to drop the camper and rent a trailer to get it home or have someone with a larger capacity truck that was fitted for a camper go get it for me. I had the proper weight registration, suspension upgrades and 19.5" wheels to make my previous combination safe and legal at home, but that would not have mattered there...

[tlowe43q]

Our 2017 Mammoth weighs 5777 with EMPTY tanks. Available payload on 2016 GMC Denali 3500 HD Dually is only 4735 (payload plus occupants, etc.). GAWR Rear is 9375 ... loaded with empty tanks I am at 9680. I have upper and lower stableloads and firestone airbags which NEARLY level the load. A sway bar might help, though sway isn't the worst part; shocks will help, but I feel like I am shoveling money down a sink hole. The sag/launch over crappy expansion joints gets old (to all highway low bidders/purchasing agents/designers/constructors: Good enough ISN'T).

Had I purchased a 3500 Dually WITHOUT diesel, 4WD, crew cab, (and a radio), I MIGHT have the capacity for my TC.

I am considering 5500 C/C, while looking at more spring for the 3500, but I'd hate for something to break on the way to Alaska or even western US.

[Grit_dog]

Another non Mammoth owner, but I can't imagine a 5500lb camper feels much different on a well equipped newer dually than my AF feels on my 2500....and I'd drive it anywhere. Heck with the dually at least the tires would have a factor of safety! Lol

[bwlyon]

work2much wrote:
Truck in sig. My only complaint has been sway. Stock truck has no sway bar, nor option for one from factory.

Finally Helwig has produced a sway bar for the Rams with factory air bags. Driving around the block it seems better but looking forward to getting back on the road after the new year to give it a better test. I also added thicker bump stops on the overload springs which should help. Prior to that they didn't engage much even with the Mammoth on the truck.

Now if Bilstein or KYB would make a shock for this truck. Maybe I will reach out to Fox...

With the factory air suspension your overload springs will not be engaged while the truck is sitting still because the air suspension is keeping your truck at ride height. They will only engage when you hit bumps going down the road. With that said, I’m glad to hear that there is now a rear sway bar available for our Ram trucks with the factory air suspension.

[work2much]

Truck in sig. My only complaint has been sway. Stock truck has no sway bar, nor option for one from factory.

Finally Helwig has produced a sway bar for the Rams with factory air bags. Driving around the block it seems better but looking forward to getting back on the road after the new year to give it a better test. I also added thicker bump stops on the overload springs which should help. Prior to that they didn't engage much even with the Mammoth on the truck.

Now if Bilstein or KYB would make a shock for this truck. Maybe I will reach out to Fox...

[Kayteg1]

You need to compare MY of truck as well.
I don't have Mammoth, but my 12' basement TC scaled 6500lb when we have been moving to different state.
Buying new 2017 truck, I started topic here and everybody was suggesting heavy suspension modifications.
Turned out, new F350 duallies have heavier suspension than older models and aluminium bed increase load capacity.
The truck handled 6500lb just fine, although with no much margin as 1 time having 200-300lb of grey water in rear tank, I experienced heavier propulsioning.

[zb39]

Ram 5500, I had it on a Ram 3500, it was OK but i like the 5500 better.

[MikeJinCO]

We have a Mammoth on a GMC 3500 dually and it is ok, I have HD springs on the rear as our previous camper was even heavier and they went bad. No problems with the truck but mixed feelings about the camper as to storage, insulation and heat/cooling distribution, but the space and side door is wonderful. As to the jacks, when off the truck the camper needs bottom support or the door won't close properly.

[mike_kellie]

Had a loaded 2008 GMC 3500 and carries our Mammoth a few years with trips from Utah to Oregon every year. The camper scaled over 6,000 lbs on the longer trips and it felt ok with a bigwig sway bar and stablelifts. Because we wanted to tow, we went cab and chassis. I have seen perhaps 3-4 4500 or 5500 compared to many 3500s. I would also suspect most Mammoths delivered to dealers are on a 3500.

[Bedlam]

I have a Ram 5500 hauling a Host Mammoth and towing an 8000 LB enclosed trailer. Here are my weights to give you an idea:

The truck weighs about 11,000 lbs with a rear deck, six upper and lower storage boxes and a 42” double truss receiver extension holding my spare tire. With 600 lbs of batteries, storage boxes filled and occupants in the cab, we are around 12,000 lbs.

My Host dry weight is about 4800 lbs. Once filled and loaded on the truck, I am around 17,500 lbs before I hitch up the trailer. The tongue weight on my trailer is about 1000 lbs going to a weight distribution hitch, but I am still over 18,000 lbs on the truck.

[JD5150]

Faststreak wrote:
On our Cascade we never but the jacks down to open the slide. It never has been suggested by anyone including host that that was necessary. We often camp in west Texas and BlM land in airozona and New Mexico and never take the camper off the truck and have the slides out and no jacks down. I believe somebody is putting bad info out there.

So do I. Probably because they can't afford a Mammoth or too cheap to pay the $$$ for a Mammoth so they have something negative to say about it. Rare for a triple slide that is in production to have the 6'6 interior head room. Most have 6'4 which won't work for me because I'm 6'4. I need that extra 2 inches :B