dls0008
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Re: New Truck Camper Test Drive
anutami wrote: Many people post on this forum prior to purchasing a particular truck/TC combo for other owners opinions on handling issues etc. I wouldn't want a truck camper I was buying to be already loaded on peoples trucks and test driven down the road. So how does your f450 handle the WC? F-450 handles the camper great. But we had a F-250 when we bought the Wolf Creek, I never liked the way the F-250 handled the weight. We had a bunch of bolt suspension improvements: Rancho's, Stable loads, airbags. It felt like I had to fight the F-250, whether it was bumps in the road or body roll from the camper, there were moments of unstable ride that made it unenjoyable. We sometimes flat tow a Jeep Wrangler out into the mountains which made it worse. I had some heavy traffic, night time crossings on I-70 over the divide that were pretty bad. F-250 was a 4wd, Crew Cab Short Bed with a Diesel, so we didn't have much payload left over. Our F-450 handles all of it like a dream. We are making and planning long distance trips that we avoided with the F-250. I guess my experience is that taking a camper over a speed bump going 15 mph can tell you a lot about how your truck will handle the camper. You don't necessarily need to get on the highway and go over 60 mph.433Views0likes0CommentsRe: New Truck Camper Test Drive
jimh425 wrote: dls0008, I agree that there is nothing that is going to feel similar to a truck camper. AFAIK, a TC would be covered by the truck insurance. FWIW, I have test driven Class A RVs and bought one. I also bought a TT on condition that the towing was ok. Seems to be a lot of guesses on what dealers should do with all of the responsibility on the unknowing new owner. If you think about how people constantly complain that some dealers will sell newbies anything, I think that's almost a requirement that any purchase would be on condition of a reasonable/safe ride. That's assuming the potential owner properly prepares their truck. I know in my area, it is common for TCs to be moved to shows etc on the back of a truck, so it's like the TCs would be used after being loaded. YMMV along with opinions, I guess. :) I agree, I was interested to see if anyone had actually performed a test drive prior to purchase. Doesn't seem like it.432Views0likes0CommentsRe: New Truck Camper Test Drive
Thanks for the feedback all. I don't think other types of load effectively mimic how a truck camper will affect the ride. I understand the insurance aspect of it, but from the consumer side, it's interesting that they expect us to drop 30-60k on a camper that you never get to test on the road. The 5th wheel comment is really interesting, didn't know this was the case with trailers too. Thanks.375Views0likes0CommentsRe: New Truck Camper Test Drive
bighatnohorse wrote: I wouldn't even think of it. Who's insurance would cover it? No tie downs. Turn signals? For me, it would just be asking for trouble. But my better half would say "What could happen?" :? Thanks for the feedback, I already had tork lift tie downs from our previous camper. On the next camper, I don't think I will be buying anything I can't test drive.349Views0likes0CommentsNew Truck Camper Test Drive
When we bought our new wolf creek last year, the dealer allowed us to place the camper in our truck bed to see how much it would compress the suspension. But they were adamant that we could not drive with the camper until the purchase was complete. So, we didn’t really know how the truck would handle bumps or speed until we had paid for the camper. Is this typical of a new purchase or have you guys been able to take a test drive? Thanks.4.7KViews0likes30Comments
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