Ram vs. Chev vs Ford (3/4 ton)

[wirenut]

Chevy offers their double cab which is shorter than a full crew cab. You still get 4 real doors but the back ones and the back seat are smaller. This might make for a slightly shorter and slightly lighter truck than a crew cab if you don't need to put adults in the back seat.
I drove a Chevy 6.0 and a Ram 6.4 back to back. The 6.4 feels more powerful and seemed to have better acceleration.
I don't think any camper manufacturers build to any one brand of truck's specs so I don't think Ford has any advantage there as the OP suggested.
And just in case it hasn't been said enough, skip the 2500. My 11' camper has a sticker that says it weighs 3,165 pounds. Loaded and ready to camp it weighs 4,000. This put my '07 3500 reg. cab no-options 4wd Chevy diesel over GVWR by more than 1,200 pounds with 2 adults and a dog in the cab.

 

[IdaSHO]

No, I dont think anyone in the industry is making any campers specifically to fit particular brands for any reason.
Being so cookie cutter, it would be a rough way to MFG them from a business standpoint.

Much more cost effective to build campers that are universal between brands.



Also, Wirenut have you ever weighed your camper dry to see if the tag is anywhere close to accurate?

Just curious.

 

[Freebird]

I have/drive a Ram 3500, so this is not a bias for another brand.
Might be something to consider:

http://equinoxly.com/5-car-brands-to-buy-and-5-you-should-avoid/9/

 

[kmlacroix]

Ummm new 3500s have 7000 lb payload capacities. How is this overloading them?

Up to, depending on configuration.

 

[Lance990]

I have a 1998 Lance Legend 990 that weighs 3,235 lbs as equipped (from the sticker on the camper). With water and gear, it weighs exactly 3,800 lbs. I started out hauling it with a SRW 1992 F250 HD 7.5L with a GVWR OF 8,800 lbs. The truck loaded with the camper did not handle very well. What worried me most was I was several hundred pounds over weight on the rear tires. I sold that truck and bought a 1997 F350 RWD DRW 7.5L and it handles the camper just fine. Both trucks were Supercabs. Plus, the duallys really helped eliminate the roll and sway. Best thing I ever did! The 1-ton is so much more equipped to handle my camper. The GVWR of the F350 is 10,000 lbs and the window sticker payload is 4,587 lbs. But the truck weighs 6,200 lbs with full fuel tanks, front and rear receiver hitches and a goose neck hitch in the bed of the truck. Of course I am right at the GVWR with the camper loaded but my truck and camper are well-matched. Do yourself a favor and get the 1-ton with DRW. You won't regret it!

 

[adam88]

People can say whatever they want but in the end Ford rules all when it comes to payload

*Tosses gasoline onto a dimly lit fire*

 

[zb39]

My new 2016 3500 DRW Ram Limited came in last week. Crew cab cummins. I will be running it across the scales soon. I expect it to be around 8500 with my wife and I in it and full fuel. With a 14k GVW that leaves 5500 payload. I run a heavy slide in and we also tow a 5th wheel, just not at the same time. Front axle gawr is 6k back is 9750lbs. The 6 tires are good for over 18k. So my weak link so to speak is the 14kGVW. I can live with that. I don't think I will be over the 14 anyways. I have had 3/4 tons etc. No way will I ever have anything but a DRW 1 ton these days.

 

[wirenut]

IdaSHO, I did weigh my camper dry when I first bought it. That was over 7 years ago but I think it was around 3,400. So, not too far off the sticker I guess.

 

[grogie]

My new 2016 3500 DRW Ram Limited came in last week. Crew cab cummins. I will be running it across the scales soon. I expect it to be around 8500 with my wife and I in it and full fuel. With a 14k GVW that leaves 5500 payload. I run a heavy slide in and we also tow a 5th wheel, just not at the same time. Front axle gawr is 6k back is 9750lbs. The 6 tires are good for over 18k. So my weak link so to speak is the 14kGVW. I can live with that. I don't think I will be over the 14 anyways. I have had 3/4 tons etc. No way will I ever have anything but a DRW 1 ton these days.

That's the bomb! Looks like you'll have some fun.

Please post picks when it's loaded up.

 

[zb39]

That's the bomb! Looks like you'll have some fun.

Please post picks when it's loaded up.

I got the super hitch and the tie downs on.

 

[zb39]

Here is the B & W 5th wheel hitch installed. Love this hitch.

 

[IdaSHO]

Id loose it and go for a goose conversion.

Get your bed space back and be able to hitch and unhitch on something other than flat ground :ylsmoke:

 

[thethePete]

^ Looks to me like the 5th-wheel platform is pinned in, so it should come out and just leave those pucks there. I know the factory 5th-wheel package from Ford uses something similar. So you only lose your bedspace when you have it in, and you'd likely only have it in when you're pulling the 5th-wheel. I don't know that I've ever seen a gooseneck camper trailer. (though I wouldn't be surprised if they exist)

B&W makes some nice stuff.

Those superhitches are wild. A customer of mine actually managed to bend one though... That truck is a bit of a disaster waiting to happen though, with how overloaded it is.

 

[IdaSHO]

yeah, but who wants to remove that heavy greasy thing every time?

People do 5th wheel to gooseneck conversions on campers all the time.

My father did one to his 36' 5th wheel year ago after fighting with the 5th wheel for too long.
I know he will never go back. The bed is much more usable and as I said, hitching and unhitching is super easy compared to a a 5th wheel setup.

He lives off grid for months at a time up on our property during the spring and summer. No pavement.

The gooseneck allows him the freedom of unhitching and hitching whenever, wherever, nearly regardless of terrain.


His also includes a turn-over ball setup so the ball isn't even in the way when the trailer is not hooked up.

Gooseneck conversion for 5th wheel:

 

[Lance990]

My truck has a B & W turnover ball goose neck hitch in it. It came on the truck when I bought it from the previous owner who had a car hauler with a goose neck. If I ever decided to buy a fifth wheel camper (not likely), I would convert the fifth wheel as shown above. I've often considered removing the goose neck hitch since I never use it to free up some weight but the effort to do so would outweigh the savings at this point. Unfortunately, the turnover ball (when flipped upside down) hits my rear sway bar when my truck camper is loaded into the bed of the truck so I keep the trailer ball in the back of my cab just in case I ever need it. It might not be a problem now since I installed the upper Stable Loads from TL but I haven't been willing to risk it. I discovered the problem when heading out on a 4,500 mile cross country expedition in 2013 and had to pull into a rest area and raise the camper up and remove the ball. Not fun.