Truck camper rig on a budget?

[rtz549]

While I know a ~$60,000, 2015 Dually, Diesel, one ton, crew cab would be great. And a brand new ~$30,000 Lance 850 would also be great. I have a hard time laying out that cash on depreciating assets. I know these items aren't 'investments'.

Maybe a Wolf Creek 850 can be had for under $20k? The camper is the easy part.

The truck though...

I agree a dually would be best in a lot of ways. A diesel would be preferable.

Price wise... SRW and gas...

Is the gas truck going to be a total dog with the weight and air resistance of the camper on it? 0-60 mph in a minute? 1 mpg on the highway and a smoked transmission?

The thought of having a back tire let go with the high center of gravity from the camper being on it just doesn't sit well with me..

Is a 3/4 ton truck really enough truck for the job?

[Simplygib]

You can save a bundle going used, so long as you buy quality. I spent a grand total of $8,200 on my truck and camper seven years ago and have been enjoying them since with minimal issues. Mostly routine maintenance. Truck is a '93 Dodge 250 12v Cummins SRW with manual trans, 131k miles when purchased. Camper is an '87 Six Pac that was also in good shape. They look like they were made for each other. That combo gets 18 mpg even pulling my car behind it (based on current trip of roughly 1000 miles @ 60 mph). Could have easily afforded to buy new but I have that same aversion to spending a fortune on a depreciating asset that you do, and top priority for my money was retirement. I've since retired, but still have the rig and hope to have it for many years to come.

[billsnp5]

You can buy a new Dodge Diesel dually Crew Cab for less than 40K or a gas for 35k out here in the west. Maybe not loaded but with cruse, power windows, ect. I'm sure you can in the rest of the country.

[Sparky87k5]

Like the OP, I have to operate within a budget, and $60k trucks aren't in it. Last March I decided to buy a TC and travel. I bought a very nice 05 Eagle Cap 850 for $9k and a 2000 Ford F350 4x4 CC DRW V10 gas truck for $10k (74k miles). Couldn't be happier.

[69_Avion]

free radical wrote:

Steelhog wrote:
So much of the gas/diesel question hinges on your usage pattern. Lots of miles, mountains, weight, majority with TC on-board favors diesel. Occasional use, truck stays parked except for once a year trip gas may be a better option. The issue with diesels is they are never cheap to fix. AND as they age stuff gets tired. A set of injectors are $1000 just in parts. A new trans =$3000++. New engine $12,000 or $5000 for a rebuild. Gasser parts are just cheaper. UNLESS...(back to my initial point). OK, I can buy a rig like my 2002 F250 4X4, CC diesel for 10K with 170,000 miles and have the trans drop out the bottom 10 miles down the road. Bingo $17K truck. The 4R100 Ford trans is decent but once overheated (the OEM gauge only indicates you just bought a trans)they are toast and a prime time to dump them so the new owner "discovers" the problem.

Wish I had dually for the TC but the other 340 days a year I don't need to be wearing out 2 more tires. You mention blowouts but you don't have duals on the front so you never really have full redundancy.

Read a lot of forums. Avoid the Ford 6.0 as a used truck. You can bullet proof them for $3-4,000 but then you are back to a newer truck or different maker.

(IMO) Dodge has the best engine with the Cummins. GM has the best Trans with Allison and Ford has the best chassis and interior. If I could build that combo I would be in heaven but then I'm spending $30K.

Excelent points,
however
,Chevy chassis is way better stronger then Ford see this

http://youtu.be/TKMQjm7i2Jw

The Chevy chassis is a "boxed" structure so it resists twisting more. The Ford is a "C" channel and twists much easier. The frame is designed to twist. It depends on what you are using it for. If you plan on running in through bar ditches constantly you may want the Chevy. Having said that, how many semi trucks use "boxed" frames. They are both good trucks, but the Chevy body leaves a lot to be desired. The ride of the Chevy is nice, but I really don't like the frame hanging down as low as it does in the center. I have a Ford currently and as things stand right now, if I replaced it I would buy a Chevy, but not for the frame or body, but the transmission and engine. If I want a heavier truck, I would still get the Ford in a F-550 because I get the small style cab with great load capacity.

[jimh406]

I prefer the used route, but that depends on how many miles you drive per year. You can buy discounted Ford extended warranty online. I think the standard rules apply, settle on a camper and then determine what truck is needed or wanted.

To be clear, every choice has a tradeoff.

[Bedlam]

Even if you have a 5000 lb camper with a tall profile, you don't need a diesel engine to drag it through the mountains. However if you later decide to tow a boat, car or larger enclosed trailer behind it, you will wish you had the diesel.

There are plenty of people carrying TC's on SRW trucks, but you have to be more aware of what you pack. If you plan to drive rough roads, snow or sand, the SRW will do better. If you want take everything with you and have better stability the DRW is a the way to go.

[free_radical]

Steelhog wrote:
So much of the gas/diesel question hinges on your usage pattern. Lots of miles, mountains, weight, majority with TC on-board favors diesel. Occasional use, truck stays parked except for once a year trip gas may be a better option. The issue with diesels is they are never cheap to fix. AND as they age stuff gets tired. A set of injectors are $1000 just in parts. A new trans =$3000++. New engine $12,000 or $5000 for a rebuild. Gasser parts are just cheaper. UNLESS...(back to my initial point). OK, I can buy a rig like my 2002 F250 4X4, CC diesel for 10K with 170,000 miles and have the trans drop out the bottom 10 miles down the road. Bingo $17K truck. The 4R100 Ford trans is decent but once overheated (the OEM gauge only indicates you just bought a trans)they are toast and a prime time to dump them so the new owner "discovers" the problem.

Wish I had dually for the TC but the other 340 days a year I don't need to be wearing out 2 more tires. You mention blowouts but you don't have duals on the front so you never really have full redundancy.

Read a lot of forums. Avoid the Ford 6.0 as a used truck. You can bullet proof them for $3-4,000 but then you are back to a newer truck or different maker.

(IMO) Dodge has the best engine with the Cummins. GM has the best Trans with Allison and Ford has the best chassis and interior. If I could build that combo I would be in heaven but then I'm spending $30K.

Excelent points,
however
,Chevy chassis is way better stronger then Ford see this

http://youtu.be/TKMQjm7i2Jw

[805gregg]

No 3/4 ton, why buy a heavy duty truck and then limit it with a short bed or only 3/4 ton capacity? Never made any since to me. Get a quality (Dodge 1 ton) diesel, any year is fine, because hey all have a Cummins). But after 2003 you could get a 3500 SWR, for the first time, mine has 120,000 and will last me the rest of my life (I'm 65), that's nice to know. Then get a nice used TC that will make you life on the road so much more comfortable, you can do it cheaply, I have a '93 480 9'6" Lance perfect condition for $6300

[69_Avion]

If weight is an issue and you want to stay with a SRW pickup then I would look for something like a Livin Lite. Put the money toward a light weight camper and then find an appropriate truck to match. The used market sometimes has great deals.

[mike_mck]

On a Budget?? $60K really?
I paid $7K for my 99 F550 dually with 7.3 turbo. $2100 for ford Reman trans. 3 year 100K warranty and $3700 for 1996 caribou with all the options.
$13K for the entire rig.

@ $40K to $60K seems money is no object.

As to the Gas vs Diesel it all depends on the weight of the TC and type of driving to be done.

[jefe_4x4]

Around these parts, I see older truck and camper combinations for sale a lot. The best of all worlds would be to find an old timer who is getting out of the TC business and selling the whole rig. There are lots of good that could come of this. One is the truck and camper are already zeroed in and warranted out. One down side is that it may have been sitting a while, which is hard on soft parts, suspension, and weather proofing. I would cast a wide net for this type of deal, maybe across state lines even. You will be able to drive the complete rig, not as imagined, but as is. A question you must ask yourself is: 'How many miles and how much time am I going to spend in the TC?" If the answer is, "not much" then a big gas guzzling older V8 or V10 would be fine.
Is it too much camper for the truck? What needs replacing? You want to take a bona fide 'expert' on campers with you when you go to look. Unless you are one, this is critical.
Whatever you wind up with, be sure it fits your needs.
happy hunting,
regards, as always, jefe
"we know what we know; we don't know what we don't know. However, we don't know, that we don't know what we don't know."
Double-talk penned in 1967, when I was a student at Long Beach State. It still applies.

[Butch50]

Well I guess I can answer some of the questions on the gasser. This past summer we left our place in Arkansas with our Northern Lite 10 2 CDSE loaded with also a front carrier with a tool box loaded with a 2000i Honda and 7.5 gallons of gas along with numerous other items pulling a 17' boat with a 90 HP Honda and a 5 HP Honda. We were driving a 2011 F350 KR CC LB 4X4 6.2V8 gas engine 4.30 axle with 19.5 tires. We were heading to Montana and dropping off the boat there and continuing on to Alaska. We went all over Alaska and Yukon and BC. By the time we came home a little over 2 months later and had covered 11,000 miles. We pulled passes in Montana and ones in BC, Alaska along the way. For the entire trip we averaged 10.88 MPG and this was hand calculated. There were a few times I could have used a little more power but we still made it , just not quite as fast as I wanted to but still never slowed traffic down.

So the weight of our NL dry is 3010# and when we are loaded we are right at 4000# or a little over. The truck handled it fine and never felt like it was dangerous or that I was pushing it.

I now have a 2013 Ram diesel dually but the main reason for this is I'm going to start pulling my enclosed trailer and at times our Jeep Grand Cherokee so wanted a little more juice for towing performance.

[Area13]

cewillis wrote:
I know for a fact that one can (sometimes - if they're lucky) buy an 'older', low mileage, diesel, SRW 2500hd, meticulously maintained and upgraded to better than 3500 SRW (same year) capacity, that can easily carry 3000 lbs, for half or less of $60000. I know because I have one that I bought new -- (and I'm damn sure not going to sell it).
Add a moderate size, high quality used camper for $15000, and you're at half your new price estimate.

This is me. I bought my 2002 7.3 100k miles, mint for $15k 3 years ago. It came with bags and an extra leaf. I added upper bump stops for $50, added some torklifts and upgraded tires.
I just bought a very clean 2007 camper last month for only $11k. I'm feeling pretty good about what I got on a budget.

[stickbowjoe]

Just reread original post.

I keep reading about $30-35k Lance 850s and $60-70k duallys.

I bought a well-equipped 2013 850 3 weeks ago for $23.6k.

I bought a well-equipped 2012 Ram Cummins dually 13 months ago for $40k.

Ignore list prices. They are not real. Figure 65-80% of list, max.

Joe

[okan-star]

The first thing the OP talked about was assets depreciating
Diesel trucks hold their value much better than gassers , most times you can get more than blue book for them , also a gas motor might go for 250k miles , a diesel probably will go for more than 500k
Diesel trucks cost more to begin with but are IMHO a better"investment"
Tc`s are a bad investment bought new , buy carefully and buy used . Let someone else take the big initial hit