Most capable, dependable, affordable truck camper truck?

[CrazyDrei]

What, in your opinion, is the most capable, dependable, affordable, and readily available 4x4 truck to slide in a truck camper and hit the road for a full time adventure / overland trip?

There are many and all are in your budget. You are not likely to find an unmolested powerstroke in your price range, however they do exist and if you do, grab it. I would personally stay away from a diesel due to higher maintenance costs, higher cost of fuel and not much better fuel economy to offset the luxury of owning and running one.

As far as the campers go, if you find a four wheel camper for under $10k grab it, all you will really need is their arctic weather insulation package and mount an AC unit in the rear window and you will be set for 20-30 years.

The way to TC nirvana is finding out YOUR real needs. WANTS will soon become secondary.

If you are set on a F250 powerstroke, get it, drive it, it will break down, figure out how to fix it, learn something new about your truck and keep driving.
If you decide to go with a GM 6.0, get it, drive it, it will break down, figure out how to fix it, learn something new about your truck and keep driving.
If I was in your shoes, I would jump on the first Ford Raptor I can find in your price range, toss a camper in the back and head on out.

Being able to do the work yourself is one of the only ways that makes driving an old rig possible since you aren't paying through the nose on labor to get it fixed.

You have to have the tools, access to youtube and willingness to invest the time into figuring out what malfunctioned and how to fix it in civilization as well as on the trail by yourself no matter what make or model you end up driving.


It's not about the truck, the camper, the road or the destination, but rather the adventure in its entirety. Facing obstacles and roadblocks and overcoming them.

PS, live your dream do what you want, and share your adventures with us!

 

[panema]

Are you stuck on the powerstrock? For your price range you could get a 11-15 f250/f350 with a 6.2 gas motor. You'll get a more modern truck and probably higher payload. Also, consider the truck bed/camper length. We just went through this. The 8' campers are cheaper and more common used. 6.5' campers get taken by all us fools with half ton trucks. Plus 1.5' in a slide camper is like an extra room in a house.

I wouldn't say I'm stuck on the powerstroke - but I have heard from many folks (in their opinion) they think its one of the most reliable and long lasting ford has made. I figured it was a good example just to kick off the conversation but am open to anything. As I'm thinking about it, I guess I am operating with a little bias that a diesel engine is on the average going to last longer and go more miles than a gas engine (assuming its been properly taken care of) but I could be totally wrong in my bias here and would love input.

Only other consideration I would have for gas vs diesel would be heading south through Mexico and Central America. Seems like that one may be a separate topic - though - and from what little I've checked it seems the opinions of the cleaner and more commonly avail fuel vary there some as well.

 

[panema]

Regular cab, long bed, 6.0/6L80E Silverado. I know the Ford guys will say nay, but I believe that to be your cheapest AND most reliable option. I'd def go newer gas over older diesel.

Thanks for chiming in.

Are you thoughts on the regular cab primarily price / avail driven for that truck or do you think thats a better option specifically thinking about the camper? I do like the idea of the crew cab b/c I would pull out the rear seats and use that space for separate, enclosed storage and quick access to camera gear as thats what I do for a living.

Also I did a little poking around for Sliverado with that 6.0 engine and it looks like it was avail on the 1500, 2500, and 3500 from 2000-2006 as the 6.0 L Vortec 6000 V8 is this correct or match the version you were thinking? If so I'll dig around on that make / model a little more.

Cheers,

 

[Regcabguy]

I'd get the F-350 XL with the 6.2 or the new 7.3 when available. A standard bed will deliver the tightest turning radius and the new monobeam control arms yield a reduction of 5.5'.
A $10K down will yield decent payments and covered breakdowns if they happen for a time.
Abysmal fuel economy in town.

 

[panema]

I lean towards GM in general but they're all junk when they're broken. If I had to put forth an unbiased opinion on which fullsize would fit your needs I'd say 99+ F350. Diesel or gas is user preference. The axles are good. Plenty of room for big tires. Parts are everywhere but not as cheap as GM. Tons of aftermarket support etc...

What would I do? Find a rust free 2000+ GM 2500/3500 with the 6.0L. Do the transfer case pump rub fix. Solid axle swap if going bigger than 35in tires. Won't be as fast as the newest trucks but it won't have any issues.

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Interesting - thanks for your thoughts and sounds like + 1 for the Ford and also a bump for the GM. Thats helpful to hear.

Curious how come you'd go with the 6.0L engine over the powerstroke? Out of the box, I have read that the powerstroke has better reliability and doesn't require additional modifications for aspects of the engine that have shown to regularly fail over time. Wondering if making those upgrades (or fixes rather) to that engine make it better in your mind for any reason in particular.

Thanks!

 

[panema]

get this
https://www.expeditionportal.com/fo...tion-vehicle-starter-kit.206332/#post-2642748
deal with a tent for a while.

They US Army awarded those ''Most reliable vehicle ever.'' And they break everything they touch.

I saw that beast! I guess the flatbed would make for a nice level surface to pitch my tent until I complete the habitat 6 years from now... ; )

In all seriousness, gas mileage and parts avail would shy me away from something like that. But thanks!

 

[panema]

There are many and all are in your budget. You are not likely to find an unmolested powerstroke in your price range, however they do exist and if you do, grab it. I would personally stay away from a diesel due to higher maintenance costs, higher cost of fuel and not much better fuel economy to offset the luxury of owning and running one.

As far as the campers go, if you find a four wheel camper for under $10k grab it, all you will really need is their arctic weather insulation package and mount an AC unit in the rear window and you will be set for 20-30 years.

If you are set on a F250 powerstroke, get it, drive it, it will break down, figure out how to fix it, learn something new about your truck and keep driving.
If you decide to go with a GM 6.0, get it, drive it, it will break down, figure out how to fix it, learn something new about your truck and keep driving.
If I was in your shoes, I would jump on the first Ford Raptor I can find in your price range, toss a camper in the back and head on out.

You have to have the tools, access to youtube and willingness to invest the time into figuring out what malfunctioned and how to fix it in civilization as well as on the trail by yourself no matter what make or model you end up driving.


It's not about the truck, the camper, the road or the destination, but rather the adventure in its entirety. Facing obstacles and roadblocks and overcoming them.

PS, live your dream do what you want, and share your adventures with us!

Awesome - thanks for taking the time to write this reply and I agree with you that getting out there is more important than dilly dallying about this or that.

I am totally open to learning - over time - how to fix the truck when it breaks down and agree that it will happen at some point no matter what. At a certain point if you're doing the work yourself I can see your point that it will matter less this or that.

Your thoughts on the raptor are interesting. Where I was initially focused on the f-250 the more research I do the more I feel pushing up to an f-350 is the right move simply for payload capacity. I think this is another (hotly debated) topic with trucks and campers but something inside of me leans really heavily to making sure I have more payload capacity for long term durability and wear and tear. I'm a better safe than sorry kind of guy and a couple years and thousands of miles will push a truck / camper combo more than weekend camping. The raptor seems like it is a more scarce, higher priced vehicle with less payload. If you have more strong feelings why you think thats a good choice I'm all ears.

Thanks!

 

[panema]

I'd get the F-350 XL with the 6.2 or the new 7.3 when available. A standard bed will deliver the tightest turning radius and the new monobeam control arms yield a reduction of 5.5'.
A $10K down will yield decent payments and covered breakdowns if they happen for a time.
Abysmal fuel economy in town.

Thanks for your input. Not really looking for a down payment on a new truck. I prefer to own outright and not to keen on debt. Less or no monthly payments means less monthly constraints for a long term overland trip - which is why I'm trying to focus the conversation around older trucks in that particular price range. If you have thoughts on this would love to hear them!

 

[RPhil]

2005-2010 Super Duty with the V10. 2005+ gets your coil sprung front end with larger brakes and better turning radius than the 1999-2004. V10 is reliable, yet thirsty. Find the least rusty and lowest mileage, well-taken-care-of example and enjoy.

Use all of the money you saved not buying a diesel to get a better camper and to pay for your fuel and adventures. I wouldn't consider a 6.4 diesel from 2008-2010, period. I would only consider a 6.0 from 2005-2007 if it was proven to be bulletproofed by a competent shop (and even then I would still be wary) or I was doing the work myself.

 

[XJLI]

What would I do? Find a rust free 2000+ GM 2500/3500 with the 6.0L. Do the transfer case pump rub fix. Solid axle swap if going bigger than 35in tires. Won't be as fast as the newest trucks but it won't have any issues.

mhm mhm

Thanks for chiming in.

Are you thoughts on the regular cab primarily price / avail driven for that truck or do you think thats a better option specifically thinking about the camper? I do like the idea of the crew cab b/c I would pull out the rear seats and use that space for separate, enclosed storage and quick access to camera gear as thats what I do for a living.

Also I did a little poking around for Sliverado with that 6.0 engine and it looks like it was avail on the 1500, 2500, and 3500 from 2000-2006 as the 6.0 L Vortec 6000 V8 is this correct or match the version you were thinking? If so I'll dig around on that make / model a little more.

Cheers,

You want the long bed to get a bigger camper, and if it's just you in the truck the smallest cab will keep overall length down which will help you everywhere. I'd lean towards just the extended cab if you want quick storage access, the size difference between the crew and extended cabs will be very noticeable on the trail. You want a 07-14 2500 or 3500. Don't even look at half tons. My mistake on the trans, its the 6L90 in the HD trucks. The full swing out extended cab doors in that gen Chevy are great, I'd argue it would be easier to get gear in/out than a crew cab. Like others have said, it won't be the fastest but it will get you there without any issues and any mom and pop Cletus and Harry shop can work on and gets parts for a gas Chevy if you need.

 

[CrazyDrei]

Where I was initially focused on the f-250 the more research I do the more I feel pushing up to an f-350 is the right move simply for payload capacity.

When you are talking about durability difference between F250 and F350, you can also argue that Stewart Stevenson M1078 is even more durable with even more payload capacity. What are you really comparing the durability to? Is it your past experience? Is it some one else's experience, not a story but actual experience.

What kind of research are you doing to accurately reflect the durability for a vehicle? If you are looking at message boards, then you are reading a fiction novel written purely for entertainment. If you are actually looking at the manufacturer's specification and un-biased companies that give you actual numerical values on the strength, and durability of the part based on actual tests in a controlled environment then you are on the right track.

Are you comparing an F250 built in 1970 to a F250 built in 2010?

The raptor seems like it is a more scarce, higher priced vehicle with less payload. If you have more strong feelings why you think thats a good choice I'm all ears.

You can find a Raptor for under $20,000 online. Supercharged 5.4 Raptors are more difficult to come by and I would avoid them but any 6.2L Raptor will be solid. Why are you worried about the payload capacity? How much are you realistically expecting to carry in the back of the truck and do you think your driving will change when you have a 1-2k camper in your bed? Ford SVT division builds vehicles to a higher quality level than any run of the mill truck. I am a GM guy, have 3 in my driveway, however I have owned two Fords both of which were SVTs and I will be buying the first Raptor I see under $10k. It's a unique truck that will end up costing you much less in the long run and will be more enjoyable to drive.

I built a 2000 Suburban 1500 with 37" tires to be my reliable FAR FAR FAR off the beaten path off-road adventure machine for my family. There is no aftermarket support for them because they are not fun or sexy like many other money pit trucks. I wanted to find out why, no one gave me an actual answer. 5 years and 180,000 miles later I still put 100-300 off-road miles on my truck every week, it's still my daily driver and it still has not yet left me stranded on the trail.

Moral of this is that it's fun and entertaining to pick other people's highly biased brains, however it is your truck, your adventure, you have to write your story. Many will discourage you from a powerstroke, but if you have set your mind on one go for it, get it, and adventure away with it. It's way more fun to be broken down in a truck you love than to look at the truck you don't like sitting in your driveway.

 

[BajaSurfRig]

@panema I recently went through the same decision process as you and ended up with a 96 F350 7.3 CCLB 4x4 for 13k with good maintenance records with 212k miles.

I really like my set up but make sure you are comfortable turning a wrench + using a multi meter and have the time for it.

This week I have had two no starts.... One my starting solenoid is giving up the ghost and I had to jump it with a screw driver (and plan on replacing it this weekend) and I had a CPS go out last night on my way home from the beach. Both easy fixes but nonetheless I wasn't happy about crawling around under my truck on highway 1 with a headlamp last night.

Just food for thought...

I have a 1983 Grandby that I gutted and have been rebuilding and am excited to take the combo down south of the border for a couple of weeks at the beginning of July.

When all is said and done my setup landed well within your budget and I am happy with it, although some days a newer 6.2 gas F350 calls my name.

 

[vargsmetal]

Interesting - thanks for your thoughts and sounds like + 1 for the Ford and also a bump for the GM. Thats helpful to hear.

Curious how come you'd go with the 6.0L engine over the powerstroke? Out of the box, I have read that the powerstroke has better reliability and doesn't require additional modifications for aspects of the engine that have shown to regularly fail over time. Wondering if making those upgrades (or fixes rather) to that engine make it better in your mind for any reason in particular.

Thanks!

Sorry, I was referring to the gas 6.0L in the GM platform. I would never recommend the 6.0L powerstroke. While the fixes are commonplace now, I see no reason to go with a 6.0 when good 7.3L are out there.

As for the GM 6.0L, I dont think there is a bad year range to consider which is why I just said 00+. 99-00 6.0L had iron heads but besides the extra weight there is no drawback there. The newer 6L90 trucks will get a little more fuel economy and feel faster off the line with the shorter gears. The 4L80e is a great transmission but that long first gear makes the trucks feel slow.

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[Buliwyf]

If you're open to the Ford v10, that opens up a ton of tough trucks during Ford's Dark Age of diesels. 05+ has a Dana 60 high pinion front axle. Put a locker in that and those trucks are beasts off road.

 

[nickw]

If you can find a used FWC camper, they are light and open up 1/2 ton options.

If 3/4T+ I'd get a std cab, long bed F250/350 with 6.2 gas or V10....gets the newest and/or lowest mileage one you can find.