Advice selecting new HD truck (camper hauler)

[Ducstrom]

How many miles are you planning to put on this thing yearly?
Correct me if I am wrong; but, from your post it seems that money isn't really an issue and I get the feeling it will have many miles added.

If that's the case then I'd go with a 1 ton diesel dually, with a long bed. Whatever cab configuration, in whatever brand and trim level suits you.

 

[McCarthy]

Unless it's a 5000lb camper (at that point just buy a tow behind travel trailer...) Buy a SRW. If you don't want a diesel the 7.3 gas ford with the 10 speed is phenomenal.

 

[jaxyaks]

As an owner of a 2016 Ram 2500 with a truck camper, I would really recommend against the 2500 for slide-in truck camper applications. The coil springs on the rear suspension of the 2014+ Ram 2500's are mounted inboard of the frame and lead to a lot of sway and poor handling with high center of gravity loads. Leaf sprung suspensions (like in the 3500) are much better suited for hauling truck campers.

How many miles are you planning to put on this thing yearly?
Correct me if I am wrong; but, from your post it seems that money isn't really an issue and I get the feeling it will have many miles added.

If that's the case then I'd go with a 1 ton diesel dually, with a long bed. Whatever cab configuration, in whatever brand and trim level suits you.

Probably 20-25 K a year, I have already decided that if I go with a diesel I will set things up to be ready to trade it at or not long after warranty is up. so 5 years 100K...its not that money is not an issue, its just that with a diesel I know that some repairs are crazy and I would rather pay that money on the front end and not deal with a repair bill

 

[skyfree]

I had a Ford F350 DRW 6.2 gasser and the engine really wasn't up to the task of hauling an Arctic Fox 990. I got 10MPG loaded.

The 7.3 Ford gas engine looks powerful, but MPG reports are dreadful. Selling that F350 took a long time because everyone is looking for a diesel.

If I had it to do over again I would get a SRW diesel with a Northern Lite camper. Didn't like the DRW in snow.

BTW, gas engines have expensive problems too. Just had fuel injector failure on a 2017 Honda Pilot with 73K on it. I put 117K on a diesel VW Touareg with zero problems. I don't think generalizations about gas vs diesel are really applicable today, other than the fact that diesel is about an $8K premium over gas.

 

[phsycle]

BTW, gas engines have expensive problems too. Just had fuel injector failure on a 2017 Honda Pilot with 73K on it. I put 117K on a diesel VW Touareg with zero problems.

Usually, diesel injector replacement is 2 to 3x the cost of gas. Generally speaking, repair and maintenance is more on a diesel. And it’s even more so today with all the emission stuff they’ve got on there.

 

[jaxyaks]

You might be interested in reading some of my decision making when ordering my new RAM:

2021 RAM 3500 Tradesman regular cab 4x4 8' box - full time overland build

Your thread will most definitely help!....Thank You!

 

[Regcabguy]

Unless it's a 5000lb camper (at that point just buy a tow behind travel trailer...) Buy a SRW. If you don't want a diesel the 7.3 gas ford with the 10 speed is phenomenal.

I wouldn't want a srw even on a 4K camper. The high center of gravity weight is way different than hauling a bed of concrete blocks. In an emergency collision avoidance situation it's coming over. Same deal for high winds. I've driven south on I-15 from Vegas where the side winds had me white knuckled to the steering wheel with my poptop. SRW trucks with heavy campers were in the right lane going 45 mph with their flashers on. A dually with a big ass camper passed me like I was standing still. They're a hassle unladen but there's nothing like the two outboard tires for stability.

 

[deserteagle56]

I wouldn't want a srw even on a 4K camper. The high center of gravity weight is way different than hauling a bed of concrete blocks. In an emergency collision avoidance situation it's coming over. Same deal for high winds. I've driven south on I-15 from Vegas where the side winds had me white knuckled to the steering wheel with my poptop. SRW trucks with heavy campers were in the right lane going 45 mph with their flashers on. A dually with a big ass camper passed me like I was standing still. They're a hassle unladen but there's nothing like the two outboard tires for stability.

^ This.

Been using a cabover camper for many years now. Now on my third pickup under a camper. The first two were SRW...I'm a slow learner...and now the camper is on a DRW. Night and day difference in stability. Keep in mind the top of that camper, especially if you have an a/c unit on top, is close to 13' above the ground. So - do you plan to take it off highway? A dirt road just a little bit off-camber and you'll swear you are about to roll. Not to mention what happens if you get a flat, especially a blowout, on a rear tire, with a tall 4000 lbs in the back of the truck. I went dually about 10 years ago and couldn't be happier. The difference in stability is amazing. I'd be ok putting a pop-up camper on a SRW but not a tall hard-sided camper.

As far as gas versus diesel, that's a personal choice. Either one will do the job, especially with the new gas models. Personally I hate the sound (and even just the thought) of an engine thrashing along at 4000 rpm when it could be idling along at the same ground speed doing only 1800 rpm. That's the difference between pulling a load with a gas engine and a diesel. One of my rigs has the 6.8 V10 gas engine and driving it for a day in the mountains leaves me feeling tired just from listening to the engine and watching that tach soaring. I know that those high rpms won't hurt the engine enough for me to worry about it for the years I own the truck but still........

The photo below was taken ~ 50 miles from the nearest pavement. So yes, as long as you use your head you can take a dually off pavement. Another thing - the below setup (Dodge/Cummins), pulling the Jeep on a trailer, still nets me 13-14 mpg. If I tried that with the gas engine I'd be lucky to get 10 mpg. So look around. You may get lucky like I did and end up with a low mileage diesel. Any Cummins built before 2007 will not have all the pollution control crap on it and will last forever.

 

[Rwatson8]

I feel like you're really way too worried about the diesel thing. I've owned 4 powerstrokes and not one has been in the shop for major repairs. The allure of a diesel is it holds value over mileage so trading a diesel in at 100k is really pointless. Just get the 7.3 gas if you're that concerned

 

[chet6.7]

Figure out how much weight you will be carrying, including accessories, towing ect.
Ford makes a 450 pickup if your weight is going to be up there.

 

[cobro92]

Yes you could go the 450 route and then do super singles. It greatly adds to the cost but it’ll be much more driveable if your camper is really that heavy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jaxyaks]

I feel like you're really way too worried about the diesel thing. I've owned 4 powerstrokes and not one has been in the shop for major repairs. The allure of a diesel is it holds value over mileage so trading a diesel in at 100k is really pointless. Just get the 7.3 gas if you're that concerned

I am not overly worried I am just cautious, I have 3 friends that have had 10+ repairs on their modern diesels and all have said they would buy a diesel again, but trade it when the warranty is up. I have never owned a diesel truck, only diesel tractors. I have owned a 6.4 Hemi 2500 and am aware of the screaming RPM's when hauling, If the Diesel has measurable advantages over gas for my use, I will go that way, and trade it accordingly. I am split kind of in the middle, if all I was going to do was haul the camper, gas would be a no brainer for me....I do have a 20 Ft trailer that I can see towing with either the tacoma or SXS's and I can see the bigger advantage when I add towing into the mix.

 

[jaxyaks]

Figure out how much weight you will be carrying, including accessories, towing ect.
Ford makes a 450 pickup if your weight is going to be up there.

I'll more than likely be hauling a Northern lite 10.2 Dry weight approx 3300 so wet 4,000 or so. The heaviest I would tow behind is would be a 20ft trailer with a tacoma on it, so under 10K give or take.

 

[skrypj]

I had a Ford F350 DRW 6.2 gasser and the engine really wasn't up to the task of hauling an Arctic Fox 990. I got 10MPG loaded.

The 7.3 Ford gas engine looks powerful, but MPG reports are dreadful. Selling that F350 took a long time because everyone is looking for a diesel.

If I had it to do over again I would get a SRW diesel with a Northern Lite camper. Didn't like the DRW in snow.

BTW, gas engines have expensive problems too. Just had fuel injector failure on a 2017 Honda Pilot with 73K on it. I put 117K on a diesel VW Touareg with zero problems. I don't think generalizations about gas vs diesel are really applicable today, other than the fact that diesel is about an $8K premium over gas.

Your pilot was direct injected. That means things get more expensize a lot faster, especially for the repair itself since the injectors are usually hidden and require special tools to pull.

The new gas 7.3L is a good ole, iron block, pushrod, port injected V8. It does not even have displacement on demand. If there are injection issues(or any issues) they should be cheap and easy to fix.

 

[GeorgeHayduke]

I'll more than likely be hauling a Northern lite 10.2 Dry weight approx 3300 so wet 4,000 or so. The heaviest I would tow behind is would be a 20ft trailer with a tacoma on it, so under 10K give or take.

Are you hoping to pull the tacoma at the same time as hauling the camper? If so, then I would lean more toward DRW.

Sounds like heavy enough weights where the exhaust brake on the diesel would be helpful.