Question for the guy's with duallies and big campers

[husky390]

This is purely subjective but eventually I want to upgrade from an F250 with a pop up camper to a hard sided camper. Something similar to an Arctic Fox 1150.

For you guy's with campers that size and duallies, how much body sway do you feel when driving down the road?

Do any of you haul that size camper with a gas engine?

Do any of you tow?

[gpascazio]

I haul an Eagle Cap 1160. Fully loaded it is about 5,000+ lbs. I added two additional leafs on my dually and have been very happy with the ride.
I have never found the need for more power the diesel is much more power than I need to haul this camper. I have passed slow vehicles on hills on interstates at 80 MPH and still had plenty of pedal left. However, as a rule we choose to travel at about 67 MPH. Why 67 that is 2150 RPMs above this RPMs gas mileage goes into freefall.
I am getting 10.8 MPG averaged over the past 3 years. That is a combination of traveling with and without the camper, in all kinds of driving conditions including heavy Chicago traffic.
Have towed a small u-haul, taking and returning the daughter from Colorado State.
It is a very stable ride with not much sway.
The only thing I worry about is having enough stopping power in an emergency stop. I always keep plenty of room between me and other vehicles just in case.

[work2fish]

twodownzero wrote:
If you get a Diesel engine you will be in cruise control at 80 mph in overdrive with the A/C on up the steepest grade and only when it gets really crazy will you have to downshift.

I agree with above posters that gasoline will get it done as well, but guaranteed if you are used to being loaded heavy with a 351 Windsor, you're going to be absolutely shocked how a modern Diesel attacks the mountains compared to that.

I drive a F-350 6.7 SRW, with the camper about 140 lbs over GVWR and pulling a ~3,000 boat for a total weight of 14,660. I just recently purchased the camper and so I have not taken it to the mountains as of yet, but I don't expect any problems. If you are from Colorado, you may know that stretch of I-25 south of Highway 56. Fully loaded as per above, I could easily do 80+ up that hill and routinely just leave it on 75 with the cruise control on.

[rickeoni]

I went from a 98 f150 7700 to a DRW F450. Have not got the bigazz camper yet still hauling an 8.5 footer, but the power of the diesel and the stability of duals is not an option. I also tow a 14 foot trailer full of everything, the only way that I know I am on a hill is that I am passing everyone.

[husky390]

twodownzero wrote:
If you get a Diesel engine you will be in cruise control at 80 mph in overdrive with the A/C on up the steepest grade and only when it gets really crazy will you have to downshift.

I agree with above posters that gasoline will get it done as well, but guaranteed if you are used to being loaded heavy with a 351 Windsor, you're going to be absolutely shocked how a modern Diesel attacks the mountains compared to that.

I hear you on diesel power. It's intoxicating. I had an 06 F250 w/ the 6.0 and that truck was awesome. I was lucky in the fact that I only had one problem with that engine the entire time I owned it. Diesel trucks would be on the table as an option if I could get one for a smoking deal. Otherwise it's going to be gas for me since I'd only use the truck for approximately 4 months out of the year and I'm already used to being the slow guy in the right hand lane. LOL.

[twodownzero]

If you get a Diesel engine you will be in cruise control at 80 mph in overdrive with the A/C on up the steepest grade and only when it gets really crazy will you have to downshift.

I agree with above posters that gasoline will get it done as well, but guaranteed if you are used to being loaded heavy with a 351 Windsor, you're going to be absolutely shocked how a modern Diesel attacks the mountains compared to that.

[husky390]

Thanks for the input guy's. That was more than what I was expecting and I'm glad to know I'm on the right track. What are your speeds when driving through the mountains? My F250 is a 90 with a 5.8l and with the camper (1,500 empty weight)and a trailer pulling two atv's the best I can manage on steep Colorado mountain grades is 35-45mph. The engine in this thing is beyond tired.

[Camp__Forrest__]

Our camper weighs about 4,000 lbs loaded. We tow a 3,500 lb boat but used to tow a 6,500 lb boat. I have a 454 engine. I have no complaints about the power of the 454. I go slower up steep hills and get 9 mpg at 65 mph, but it was $10,000 less than a comparable diesel when I bought it so I was willing to make those sacrifices. The only time I wish I had a diesel is when I get stuck behind a slow driver. I simply do not have the power to pass.

I have a dually with air bags. I have no sway and very little lean. I would also add that I have load range 'E' tires which made a big difference in sway. My previous truck had overload springs and I preferred those as they seemed stiffer and less prone to bouncing on bumpy roads at highway speeds.

P.S. I've never hauled a big camper on a single-rear wheeled truck so I can't compare. I had a dually already when I got my first camper. It's a big part of why I got a camper.

[brholt]

husky390 wrote:
This is purely subjective but eventually I want to upgrade from an F250 with a pop up camper to a hard sided camper. Something similar to an Arctic Fox 1150.

For you guy's with campers that size and duallies, how much body sway do you feel when driving down the road?

Do any of you haul that size camper with a gas engine?

Do any of you tow?

F350 CC DRW 6.2 with an AF 1150.
Very stable. Only suspension modification needed was stable loads to make it level. And yes I chose a gas engine. The truth is the gas engines are better for hauling, diesels are better for towing. With the gas engine I am 300 pounds under the GVWR, with a diesel I would be 600 pounds over. Given that my gas engine is rated to tow over 15,000 pounds it easily has enough power to handle a 5,000 pound camper.

[JumboJet]

KD4UPL wrote:
I've got a 4,000 pound 11' camper. I hauled it on a SRW 3500 for a couple years and switched to a dually. I only had to drive out of my garage, down the driveway, and onto the street to notice a huge reduction in sway and roll.

I read this and said to myself "When did I write this?".

I hauled heavy campers for 8 years with an SRW. Last August I bought a dually. Wife even knows the difference now. She thinks my dually is ugly but ..............

By the way - no sway - less roll. Only thing I added to truck for control was 1/2 set of StableLoads.

I traded a 2008 3500 SRW for a 2013 3500 DRW.

[colbyco]

I have an 08 dodge with a 5.7 hemi dually with an artic fox 990 and the ride is nice and sway I really don't notice and get 8 mpg going 70 mph. I have added air bags and rear sway bar.

[KD4UPL]

I've got a 4,000 pound 11' camper. I hauled it on a SRW 3500 for a couple years and switched to a dually. I only had to drive out of my garage, down the driveway, and onto the street to notice a huge reduction in sway and roll.
I tow a 4,500 pound boat behind the rig, total weight about 17,000 pounds. It drives really nice but you do notice the camper on there in the corners. It's not bad. My wife's driven it a couple times and said it wasn't bad, a lot better than she expected.