The only real SRW “One Ton” that isn’t really a 3/4 ton

[burningman]

Just for the heck of it, here is the only real one-ton single rear wheel pickup ever made that is NOT just a 3/4 ton with a different sticker on it.
The 1973 to 1979 Ford F-350 Super Camper Special. Not just the common “Camper Special” but the Super Camper Special.

These things had a 5355 pound payload. Way more than any new SRW pickup.
Notice the set-back rear axle. They had a special bed to fit. They were made to haul big campers, and that set-back rear axle also let the front end take more of the weight.
No camper center of gravity issues at all.
They came with 12.00 x 16.5 rear tires.
They came with frame tie down points, camper power connectors, trans coolers, and a spare tire under a big door on the passenger side of the bed.
No crawling under.

These were the best single rear wheel camper haulers ever, and the only single rear wheel one-ton pickup that wasn’t just an up-rated 3/4 ton.

[Grit_dog]

deserteagle56 wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

Well I noticed after looking at this picture, while maybe not as extreme the rear axle on our 2016 Ram DRE is about 8" further back than the one on our 2001 Ram 2500.

The longer the wheelbase the more stable the towing/hauling platform. No debate there.

Except it's not. It's an illusion.
3rd/4th/4.5th Gens are 42" axle to back of bed
Using that, to scale, from your drawing, 2nd Gen is "approx" 43-1/4"
Your newer truck has the axle about 1" closer to the back of an 8' bed than the old one.

[deserteagle56]

rhagfo wrote:

Well I noticed after looking at this picture, while maybe not as extreme the rear axle on our 2016 Ram DRE is about 8" further back than the one on our 2001 Ram 2500.

The longer the wheelbase the more stable the towing/hauling platform. No debate there.

[mkirsch]

wnjj wrote:

jaycocreek wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
Some of y’all need to get off the couch and find something constructive to do.
Why would you start comparing an antique to a new truck as if it is a viable or even remotely comparable option?

What I got out of BM post,was the payload of 5355# is actually more than a lot of newer DRW and the newer SRW are not even close....I personally wonder why payload went backwards instead of forward in newer trucks.

Mostly because the curb weight of the trucks has steadily claimed, along with the number of seats, creature comforts and safety features. The GVWR probably is quite similar to or lower than modern trucks.

GVWR is what determines a truck's classification, and serves as a "glass ceiling" that many trucks end up bouncing off of. As they get heavier their payload gets smaller and smaller to remain in that same classification.

7201-10000 is a Class 2B. When you hit 10001, you are in Class 3 which is a whole new level of licensing, taxation and DOT requirements if used commercially such as for a contractor.

[rhagfo]

burningman wrote:
Just for the heck of it, here is the only real one-ton single rear wheel pickup ever made that is NOT just a 3/4 ton with a different sticker on it.
The 1973 to 1979 Ford F-350 Super Camper Special. Not just the common “Camper Special” but the Super Camper Special.

These things had a 5355 pound payload. Way more than any new SRW pickup.
Notice the set-back rear axle. They had a special bed to fit. They were made to haul big campers, and that set-back rear axle also let the front end take more of the weight.
No camper center of gravity issues at all.
They came with 12.00 x 16.5 rear tires.
They came with frame tie down points, camper power connectors, trans coolers, and a spare tire under a big door on the passenger side of the bed.
No crawling under.

These were the best single rear wheel camper haulers ever, and the only single rear wheel one-ton pickup that wasn’t just an up-rated 3/4 ton.

Well, I noticed after looking at these pictures, while maybe not as extreme, the rear axle on our 2016 Ram DRW is about 8" further back than the one on our 2001 Ram 2500.

[valhalla360]

Actually, if we want to nitpick over terminology, isn't it the reverse?

Most SRW 3/4 ton trucks have a payload in excess of 2000lbs (1 ton), so vast majority of 3/4 ton trucks are really 1 ton trucks.

If anything this truck is a SRW "Duece and a Half" truck.

[valhalla360]

deserteagle56 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

In the past 10yrs, I've changed 1 flat. Ironically, it was the day after getting new tires. The bead was properly sealed. It's rare enough problem that I'm not going to get too fussy over it. If it bothers you a lot, you can get a front bumper mount to keep from dragging it out from under the truck.

?? You must live and drive on pavement only.

Most pickups around here carry at least two spares, as do I. Driving roads like this, a flat is only a matter of time.

Probably 98% of pickups are mostly used on pavement...A big pothole at 70mph is a lot tougher on a tire than tooling along a 20mph on rough roads.

Grew up on dirt roads and didn't get flats all the time and the trucks aren't set up for 2 spares under the frame anyway.

[specta]

jaycocreek wrote:
I just sold my '76 a few years ago...

I just bought a '76 a few months ago but it will never see a camper in the bed.

[deserteagle56]

valhalla360 wrote:

In the past 10yrs, I've changed 1 flat. Ironically, it was the day after getting new tires. The bead was properly sealed. It's rare enough problem that I'm not going to get too fussy over it. If it bothers you a lot, you can get a front bumper mount to keep from dragging it out from under the truck.

?? You must live and drive on pavement only.

Most pickups around here carry at least two spares, as do I. Driving roads like this, a flat is only a matter of time.

[wnjj]

jaycocreek wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
Some of y’all need to get off the couch and find something constructive to do.
Why would you start comparing an antique to a new truck as if it is a viable or even remotely comparable option?

What I got out of BM post,was the payload of 5355# is actually more than a lot of newer DRW and the newer SRW are not even close....I personally wonder why payload went backwards instead of forward in newer trucks.

Mostly because the curb weight of the trucks has steadily claimed, along with the number of seats, creature comforts and safety features. The GVWR probably is quite similar to or lower than modern trucks.

[jaycocreek]

Grit dog wrote:
Some of y’all need to get off the couch and find something constructive to do.
Why would you start comparing an antique to a new truck as if it is a viable or even remotely comparable option?

What I got out of BM post,was the payload of 5355# is actually more than a lot of newer DRW and the newer SRW are not even close....I personally wonder why payload went backwards instead of forward in newer trucks.

[jimh406]

From the first post ... "These were the best single rear wheel camper haulers ever,". So, is it a surprise that newer trucks came up?

[Grit_dog]

Some of y’all need to get off the couch and find something constructive to do.
Why would you start comparing an antique to a new truck as if it is a viable or even remotely comparable option?

[jaycocreek]

I just sold my '76 a few years ago..Not a camper special or super,but one of the best camper haulers I have had..Put a pair of Helwig springs on it and hauled everything including my 35ft Jayco fifth wheel and some 10ft truck campers.And with the 390 ford rebuilt from top to bottom including the tranny to handle heavy stuff..





Great trucks back then and I can only imagine how the super camper special was...

[StirCrazy]

deserteagle56 wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

but man were they ugly compared to the normal truck of that year, and they sucked on fuel like a pig at the slop trough. as much as I am a ford guy, I would just keep walking by that.

On a scale of 1 to 10, in my book the importance of "looks" would rate about 15.

Stick a Cummins under the hood and fuel mileage improves dramatically. So does the ability to climb a hill without shifting.

I think a cummins would be the last motor I would think about dropping into a old truck like that.. haha.. we had a 1976 "supercab" version of that truck with the 460 auto. was a good truck but it's a good thing fuel was real cheep back then... but to be honest they are probably my least favorate of all the generations for the looks, and like new trucks they always came out of the dealer weighing more than the brochure said they did, so you still had the same payload issues.
trailers did weight a lot less back then though. if I had to have one again I would probably do a LS swap on it.