Triple Slides

[Mooney]

Hey everyone, been out of the loop for a while and have a question; who is making triple slides?

I just got back from camping last week and someone on the beach asked if they could look inside the Host. He was planning to purchase a 550 with a utility bed and wanted to know about available 3 slide inventory. I explained Host, Chalet and Okanagan were the three who made them, but I hadn't been in the market for a while. I knew the Okanagan's have been gone for a while, but just went on line and see Chalet halted production.

There's a limited market (and limited trucks) that handle these beasts so choices have always been slim.

Wondering if anybody had updates?

[trailgranny50]

If one has the $$$$$$ the truck and the desire to haul a house on a truck power to em. All personal preference and desire. Not for anyone else but the purchaser/user to decide I think.

[mellow]

TCM just released a write up on the 1200, sweet looking camper if you have the $$$

http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/news/tcm-exclusive-2016-eagle-cap-1200-triple-slide

[Mooney]

Great info everyone!

Glad to see EC making campers again . . . didn't know they tapped the triple market.

[Bedlam]

Your cab chassis F350 is most likely a 60" CA model which is why you had fitment issues with a pickup bed. Look at some of the cab chassis to pickup conversions and you will see a filler panel between the bed and cab for this same reason.

Added a link for you check out: https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/topics/2007/sd_cddf_chassis_cab.html

[Kayteg1]

Frankly in all years I have DL I have never heard you can get CA measurements from the factory and that should be crucial factor in choosing truck under TC IMHO
Went to my F350 with tape measure and I see 64" with some possible error due to doing it alone.

[Bedlam]

CA = Cab to Axle
This is the measurement from the back of the cab wall to the center line of the rear axle.

Short bed pickups usually have less than 40"
Long bed pickups usually have a 56"
Cab chassis usually have 60" or 84" (can be longer for other uses)

* Corrected CA measurements per this link:

https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/topics/2015/2015_SD_F-Series_v1-1.pdf

[Kayteg1]

What you refer to as CA ?
For clarification, I removed utility bed from my truck and put regural bed, what happen to be Dodge bed.
With long wheel base, getting minimal clearance between fenders and rear wheels still left me about 6" space between cab and bed, what I used for cross bar for camper ties.
So I am pretty confident my beefed up F350 can handle single slide, but hoping to get rich soon (have house on the market) makes me dreaming about luxury 🙂

[Bedlam]

My Class 5 wheelbase with 60" CA is about one foot longer than a Class 3 with a 48" CA. The Class 4 is kind of a mess since there is a cab chassis and pickup model made by Ford. The Class 4 cab chassis version has similar dimensions to the Class 5 but the frame may be slightly thinner, while the Class 4 pickup is closer to the Class 3 in dimensions.

You can get the longer 84" CA model to add additional storage between cab and camper, but now you are adding at least another foot to your wheelbase and two feet to your overall length. I could see doing something like this if you are trying to eliminate/reduce the rear camper overhang by shifting it farther forward, but now you are sending more money on customizing the bed or camper so it clears all the outcroppings on the underside of the camper.

When you look at the current Class 3 DRW trucks, they easily weigh 3000-3500 lbs on the rear axle when empty. Once you add a 3-ton camper and some accessories, you have hit that 10k RAWR and we're not even discussing towing behind it or carrying a motorcycle on a rack...

Your 10' utility bed adds considerably to the rear overhang of your current truck. I would not be surprised if you are over 4000 lbs on the rear before you add the camper. If you have 48" CA on your truck with a 10' bed, that is a lot of rear overhang which does not help you. You're a little better with a 60" CA - I stayed with a 9' deck.

[Kayteg1]

mkirsch wrote:
Heck pretty much any dually made in the last 8 years comes from the factory with a 10,000lb+ RAWR. A camper that size is still within ratings!

My 2007 F350 was sold as chassis design to carry 10' utility bed.
Rear axle is rated at 9750lb.
17" Tires are rated 11,600 lb so I would be on the edge of comfort weight- wise, but even with my present single slide stability is becoming issue.
I am religious about dumping holding tanks before trip, but would I be forced to carry 40-50 gallons under camper rear bumper, I believe that could give me some headache.

[Kayteg1]

Sounds Bedlam like you did your homework 🙂
Did you compare the wheelbase as well?
I was hauling some heavy stuff with pickups in the past and per my observation even F450 were design as grocery getters with short wheelbase for small turning circle, but not taking load on the rear too well.
It took F550 to have rear axle at the rear of cargo loading area, not in the center.

[mkirsch]

Heck pretty much any dually made in the last 8 years comes from the factory with a 10,000lb+ RAWR. A camper that size is still within ratings!

[Bedlam]

Your figures are not far off from mine and the reason I upgraded to the Class 5 truck. The largest of these campers put a Class 3 over its RAWR when filled water and gear. Most of the Class 4 cab chassis trucks should handle these well, but I plan to tow heavy behind mine which required going up one more class.

Although I doubt you will have your fresh and waste tanks filled at the same time, these campers have more space and storage than the smaller models which will result in more personal items being carried.

[Kayteg1]

Is anyone actually driving with triple slide and can share the experience?
I see 4700lb dry weight and 140 gallons holding tanks.
I know you almost never drive with full holding tanks, but you have to calculate 1100 lb makes total of 5800 lb before you load beer and socks.
With center of gravity just inches before rear axle about 5600lb will go on the axle directly. Add groceries, propane and personal stuff and your rear axle weigh it reaching 10,000 lb.
Even 1 ton duallies will not be too comfortable with that, so do you have to go F450/4500 size truck?

[Bedlam]

There are number of larger double slides worth looking at too:

Adventurer, Arctic Fox, Eagle Cap, Host, Lance

Right now we like the Eagle Cap 1165 or Host Mammoth layouts best for our use but are keeping our eyes open on all the makes until we are ready to upgrade. Our next TC will be a side door model with dry bath and a couch - I bought a larger truck so size and weight are not an issue in our next selection.