PLEASE !!!! pick my new truck for our build

[rruff]

Farmers and ranchers have been swapping flatbeds for years. Just move the " L bracket" mounts. Grind the old off and reweld where new ones are needed.

Those are cab chassis trucks I'm guessing, which have standard frame dimensions. Or maybe not?

On ExPo we assume that hard mounting a stiff bed to a C-channel frame will eventually kill the frame, so...

 

[Skinhyfish]

I don't know about Norweld... or how easy it would be to swap that to a new truck. The mounting points are different on every pickup model. Assuming you do not have the 8' bed, then all your mounting points are on the flexy and thin part of the frame. The new bed will certainly stiffen it, but there will be a stress concentration then at the forward mounts, where the frame is still weak.

I'm literally the only person I know of that did not hard-mount their after-market bed or camper on the Tundra, so maybe it's a non-issue... but hard mounting seems like a bad idea to me. The system I made is simple though and lets the frame articulate, and no adverse effects are apparent so far.

A newer pickup in the 1 ton range or less are all fully boxed frames and torsionally stiff, so you can hard mount beds and campers to them without concern. Note that this is not true of the cab-chassis frames which are still C-channel.

IMO a fore-aft bed with good headroom is important if you are traveling long term with a mate, and generally it's good to have a camper that's big enough and set up so you can stay out of each other's way. So a 1-ton with a custom bed for a 8' slide-in that keeps the platform low and has external storage, would be quite versatile I think. A 550-5500 would be even better for the higher capacity and the option of a longer frame and single cab+ garage+ 8' camper (though these will need an articulating bed), with one significant advantage being the tighter turning radius at this level.

I know... may be getting carried away... but when I see "we" and "fulltime" I think it's important to not underestimate the level of amenities necessary to keep everyone happy. You'd still be offroad capable enough to comfortably get miles from the crowds of RVs and van-lifers... but IME you'll never be able to avoid the noisy and obnoxious ATVs that are everywhere... so there are diminishing returns in making your house too offroad capable.

Norweld said new brackets all needed. Transfer to other pickup.

4 days a week full time ish

Tempted give the tundra ago. Aterra weighs less than a hawk flatbed FWC. Many have done that route

 

[rruff]

4 days a week full time ish

Some people feel "oppressed" even in large land yachts. Others think anything more than a backpack is pure luxury. It's good to know where you and your mate land on that spectrum. IMO there is little downside to a heavier duty rig and bigger/nicer camper other than expense... and it doesn't have to be that expensive.

Where will you be camping, and where will you spend the other 3 days? And I guess you will both be working?

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Those are cab chassis trucks I'm guessing, which have standard frame dimensions. Or maybe not?

On ExPo we assume that hard mounting a stiff bed to a C-channel frame will eventually kill the frame, so...

Nope, buy them off the lot. Pull into the shop and pull the new bed. Place the old. Store the factory bed. And put it back on when you sell it/replace a few years later with a new truck.

I have found that the vast majority of "expo"ers are way easier on their trucks (Except those who overload their ½ tons/ trucks not built for heavy work) then, Gov’t, loggers, agriculture, fire trucks, etc. HD’s are designed as such for a reason and tested to be very abused.

You should see the stuff we take our massive 4x4 international fire trucks through. Just my point being, most users find their own off-road limits, way before the trucks meet them.

 

[Skinhyfish]

Some people feel "oppressed" even in large land yachts. Others think anything more than a backpack is pure luxury. It's good to know where you and your mate land on that spectrum. IMO there is little downside to a heavier duty rig and bigger/nicer camper other than expense... and it doesn't have to be that expensive.

Where will you be camping, and where will you spend the other 3 days? And I guess you will both be working?

I work as firefighter 48hrs then 96hrs off

 

[TexasSixSeven]

If I had to choose a truck from that it would be a single cab, Ford F350 6.7 diesel. All the power you would ever want, the reliability is there, and the wheelbase is right with 37-40's, d60 front end, locking hubs, best transmission, dual alternators, etc etc. Zero question IMO.

24+ Super Duty’s no longer have locking hubs. Either buy used or install Warns.

 

[simple]

I have a camper on a half ton Silverado that is around the same base camper weight and the road manners are fine. I've also pulled a 2500lb ish trailer behind it and that was also fine.

I'm on stock suspension though without the added height to clear 35's.

I'm also definitely maxing out the suspension at times if I load extra gear.

Opinion is your right on the fence vehicle capability wise. You could do some things and make it work but depends what you are trying to do. I'd rather use a half ton off road than a 1ton.

 

[TexasSixSeven]

My biggest issue with the overall shorter trucks is the smaller fuel tanks. You can buy aftermarket fuel tanks for the popular cab sizes, but not all of the less popular configurations have aftermarket tanks available. Personally I’d be looking at a F350 Supercab long bed if I was just traveling with one other for a lot of time. The 8’ bed will provide much appreciated living space, and the super cab will give you reclining room in the cab, as well as interior storage. It’s a pain in the ass to have to stop the truck and climb in the camper anytime you need something, and with a regular cab almost everything will need to be stored in the camper. Plus regular cab trucks have tiny fuel tanks, and a gasser will have miserable fuel range. Diesel regular cab will still have the same tiny tank, but a bit better fuel range due yo better fuel efficiency.

 

[rruff]

It’s a pain in the ass to have to stop the truck and climb in the camper anytime you need something, and with a regular cab almost everything will need to be stored in the camper.

He mentioned a garage, which is better than an extended cab I think. Though I have a bicycle and tons of storage in the back seat it isn't ideal due to its shape, door size, and the door not opening all the way. Do the Fords have suicide doors? That would help some. Also there is a decent amount of space behind and between the seats in a single cab, to store things you might want while driving.

So been thinking and researching a bit... like the idea of a F450 single cab with a 169" wheelbase, super singles, 38x13.5" tires, suspension upgrades, pivoting mechanism, garage, under bed, and side storage, and low platform for a 8' slide in camper. Could design it for a flatbed camper too, if desired. The tires would limit you to a little over 8k lbs on the rear axle, but that shouldn't be a hard target to hit. Huge step up from a half ton anyway, while still being very capable offroad.

 

[simple]

I'm guilty of not reading your 1st post very carefully before responding. Doh!

You already have significant data with the Hallmark. How does the weight of that setup compare to the Aterra with flatbed?

I'd think the wind forces would be a little different but not much. In a heavy gusting crosswind, which happens occasionally, I just slow down a little.

 

[TexasSixSeven]

Made me look !

View attachment 826716

Yep. Fakes. The 23s you can still manually lock in.

 

[TexasSixSeven]

He mentioned a garage, which is better than an extended cab I think. Though I have a bicycle and tons of storage in the back seat it isn't ideal due to its shape, door size, and the door not opening all the way. Do the Fords have suicide doors? That would help some. Also there is a decent amount of space behind and between the seats in a single cab, to store things you might want while driving.

So been thinking and researching a bit... like the idea of a F450 single cab with a 169" wheelbase, super singles, 38x13.5" tires, suspension upgrades, pivoting mechanism, garage, under bed, and side storage, and low platform for a 8' slide in camper. Could design it for a flatbed camper too, if desired. The tires would limit you to a little over 8k lbs on the rear axle, but that shouldn't be a hard target to hit. Huge step up from a half ton anyway, while still being very capable offroad.

A garage you still have to get out and dig through the back to find anything you need. Regular cabs still either have non reclining seats or the recline is very minimal. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve kicked back in the front seat in some shade and taken a quick 30 min to hour long nap on long road trips. To me that’s important. Some don’t find it useful at all though. However the biggest aspect still remains that regular cab trucks have abysmally tiny fuel tanks. May not be an issue for an OP. Still something to consider though.

 

[rruff]

I can't recline my seats anyway, because there is a bike mounted in the way. Plus there is a very nice comfy bed a few steps away, all ready to go

The F450 build above has a 40 gal additional tank option for $625, giving 66.5 gal total. Guess it goes in the spare tire position, which won't hold a big tire anyway, so... You can always incorporate an extra tank into the bed storage or garage as well.

 

[TexasSixSeven]

I can't recline my seats anyway, because there is a bike mounted in the way. Plus there is a very nice comfy bed a few steps away, all ready to go

The F450 build above has a 40 gal additional tank option for $625, giving 66.5 gal total. Guess it goes in the spare tire position, which won't hold a big tire anyway, so... You can always incorporate an extra tank into the bed storage or garage as well.

That spare tire tank option would be handy. I can easily mount a spare elsewhere. However that’s not an option on the 250/350 SRW trucks. The 450 sure would be nice with that wide track front end, although I wouldn’t want the cab and chassis truck. I don’t want the detuned 6.7 diesel much less the detuned 7.3. Also prefer the boxed frame of the pickup version. It’s all a matter of compromise with what you value the most.