Truck selection/modifications for offroad popup truck/camper?

[rrliljedahl]

I presently own a JK Rubicon tricked out as a camper. We use it in southern Utah for camping, fishing, or looking for rock art. We are approaching retirement and are now interested in a truck/camper for use when the weather is not as pleasant. I do realize that I will not be able to take this truck/camper combo everywhere we have been with the jeep but would like to be able to do some offroading.

I have found a 10 foot popup overcab Alaskan camper that I am interested in purchasing but need help with the vehicle selection and build. I estimate the wet weight of the camper and everything else to be at 3000 pounds.

I presently own a 2004 GMC 1500 Sierra Denali with Quadrasteer which is not up to the task.

My wife and I have camped some in a borrowed 2000 Dodge 2500 Diesel which was stock with a hard shell truck camper.
She would like a vehicle that is quieter both on and off road.
I am interested in a vehicle that can handle the washboards and rocks better.

I am considering
1 ton truck with 4 doors
diesel
4x4
single rear wheel
a 10 foot aluminum flat bed on a 8 foot truck bed but for the option of extra storage (BBQ, firewood, chain saw, etc).
onboard air

I would welcome your opinions on the selection of the:
truck (relatively quieter diesel)
rims and wheels (airing down and not breaking a bead)
suspension upgrades (washboard and when offroad)
limited slip rear differential versus locking differential

I have considered a 2007 Dodge 3500 diesel but am not wed to Ford, Chevy, or Dodge.

Thank you in advance

Ron

 

[pods8]

Ping Carlyle. He's on his second rig with an aluminum flatbed and Alaskan camper, I'm sure he'd have some great input for you. The first truck was a 1T Ford. His new one is a Dodge 5500.

That weight/length rig is beyond my batting cage. I'm building a relatively light camper 7-6" long on a short bed Dodge 2500 gasser that I put a 7-6" aluminum flatbed on. I'll get worse mileage with the gas but lighter front end, more familiar maintenance (for me) and a lot less capital investment. Still made sense to me, however for a larger/heavier camper it wouldn't.

 

[Kaisen]

You're going to get suggestions for all three brands: Ford, GM, Ram and you'll see all three brands represented in off road campers (ER, GXV, Tiger, etc)
Any of the three will be good trucks.
GM = IFS, both Ram and Ford are solid axle
Any of the new diesels are pretty quiet. In my opinion, the GM Duramax is the quietest and the Ram Cummins is the loudest.
You'll have to decide which cab and dashboard you prefer. The current Ram is available in extended cab length but with four forward-opening doors. The Ford and GM in that length are backward-opening. Could make a difference to some.
Lockers are better than limited slip. Aftermarket can help with any truck you pick.
Buy what you like. The arguments that one truck is better than another truck aren't fact, just opinion and heresay.

 

[rrliljedahl]

Kaisen

Thanks for the reply.

I was planning on a used vehicle so as not to void a factory warranty.

Is the used 2007 truck market considered a "new quiet diesel"?

Ron

 

[crawler#976]

Is the used 2007 truck market considered a "new quiet diesel"?

Ron

They get better year by year on sound insulation, and you can always add more - products like boom mat and others are available at vehicle audio shops.

As far as vehicles go, and especially in the length you are considering, the dropped frame on the GMC/Chevy would be a hindrance to me. With a 167 inch wheel base and a dropped frame that limit it to 9.5" of clearance, the break over angle would be dismal at best. I'm very confident off highway with the '09 Power Wagon at 140", but it also is lifted from the factory.

Secondly, are you dead set against a dually? The stability on road and off are much better, especially at the weight you'll be at. One of the guys here at work made that mistake on a similar rig a few years ago when he retired (no flat bed, but he had a long bed Dodge 1T Quadcab single up with a 10' Alaskan on it), and he sold the truck after returning from his first trip to AK.

Mark

 

[surlydiesel]

I'm far from an expert on this but I would say you need at least a one ton dually but I would lean toward the next step up. I am more familiar with Fords so I'm going to say an F450/550 size truck. Dodge makes a great platform in this size as well, I think it's a 5500. Now for the reasoning. A one ton SRW truck with a 10 foot camper is asking a lot of the frame, brakes, tires ect... When you move up to the next step in truck, you get a stronger frame, bigger brakes, lower gearing and "commercial grade" tires. You also run into problems getting insurance easily sometimes, Tires cost more, Dually's are not as good off road but more stable with a big load. Super Singles are aways an option as you will see all over on here.

A good example is the "Holy Grail Truck" thread. That truck was purchased to handle the weight of a slide in and he is still going to be just about at the legal weight with his setup. I'm glad he did that so I'll never come face to face with him in a blind corner and he will be dangerously overweight with the "wrong" truck for the job. All that being said, just figure out what size camper you think you will be comfortable with, check the wet weight if you can and buy a truck accordingly. Your load is not just your camper but the people in the truck, other loaded items in the truck and anything extra that goes in the camper. I always like to be over prepared and comfortable.

Cheers,
jorge

 

[redthies]

A good example is the "Holy Grail Truck" thread. That truck was purchased to handle the weight of a slide in and he is still going to be just about at the legal weight with his setup. I'm glad he did that so I'll never come face to face with him in a blind corner and he will be dangerously overweight with the "wrong" truck for the job.

Cheers,
jorge

Somebody looking for me?:sombrero:

rr: What Jorge says is totally true. If you are looking at a 10' Alaskan (great camper by the way), you will want a dually. In your preferred truck ('07 Dodge 3500 srw?), you WILL get a quiet, refined and above all reliable package. What you WON'T get, is enough GVW to carry all your stuff legally, or safely. The srw 3500 has a max GVW of 9900 lbs. The curb weight of the truck will be in the mid to upper 7000s. I would bet you will be at least 1000 lbs over your legal weight, if not more when you are loaded to go.

I spent around 4 months looking at all the different options for srw trucks and a 3500 lb payload. I came to the conclusion that a dually was the best way to go. I also have a 2011 JKUR, and plan to flat tow it for offroad exploring on the trips where I expect to do a lot of that. The truck and camper will become base camp. I think you should consider a similar option. Stick with the early '07 to get the 5.9 Cummins, but add the extra two wheels!

 

[fisher205]

I had my 10' Alaskan on my 94 Dodge 2500 with only air bags for additional support. It's been off road a lot over the years and I did the Alaskan trip with it also http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/34534-Alaska-2009 . The only thing I would have added is a Hellwig sway bar. I now have the Alaskan on a Ford F350 single wheel and it seems to be working well, but I haven't offroaded it yet. We took it down to Prescott and back over Christmas and it was great down the road. I would recommend going to a 1 ton chassis. A 3/4 ton will handle the camper but, I feel the 1 ton adds the additional safety factor. The 550 is way over kill. I don't feel you need dualies with the Alaskan eithereven though its not a light camper it is not as top heavy as a traditional camper. The dualies would help your comfort factor most in high wind areas on the highway.

 

[Carlyle]

Somebody looking for me?:sombrero:

rr: What Jorge says is totally true. If you are looking at a 10' Alaskan (great camper by the way), you will want a dually. In your preferred truck ('07 Dodge 3500 srw?), you WILL get a quiet, refined and above all reliable package. What you WON'T get, is enough GVW to carry all your stuff legally, or safely. The srw 3500 has a max GVW of 9900 lbs. The curb weight of the truck will be in the mid to upper 7000s. I would bet you will be at least 1000 lbs over your legal weight, if not more when you are loaded to go.

I spent around 4 months looking at all the different options for srw trucks and a 3500 lb payload. I came to the conclusion that a dually was the best way to go. I also have a 2011 JKUR, and plan to flat tow it for offroad exploring on the trips where I expect to do a lot of that. The truck and camper will become base camp. I think you should consider a similar option. Stick with the early '07 to get the 5.9 Cummins, but add the extra two wheels!

That I pretty much the reason I went with a 5500, payload and the ability to carry it safely and legally.

 

[Buliwyf]

I am considering
1 ton truck with 4 doors
diesel Just be sure you truly need it.
4x4
single rear wheel Ok, but a DRW is far superior. If you go lightweight with your extra stuff, it's doable. But you said "room for grill" etc. etc. If you're a pack rat you'll need the diesel. I've hauled empty 11 footers comfortably when they were mostly empty. Paper plates, no water, etc. etc.


a 10 foot aluminum flat bed on a 8 foot truck bed but for the option of extra storage (BBQ, firewood, chain saw, etc). I despise flatbeds and slide in campers. I prefer the standard slide in camper with an 8' bed, or a purpose built permanent fram mounted camper, no flatbed. Both have the camper lower. Campers get tall quickly in tree country.
onboard air
plenty of room for oba on the frame under the truck
I would welcome your opinions on the selection of the:
truck (relatively quieter diesel)
rims and wheels (airing down and not breaking a bead)
Stock 8.5" wheels are best. Skinney wheels air down best. But with weight on your back, you'll have to be conservative about tire size and width.
suspension upgrades (washboard and when offroad)
Bah, no camper can handle either of those anyways. Got to slow down or your camper windows will fall out. (long story!)
limited slip rear differential versus locking differential Dump the diff fluid in a Ford LS. Shim the diff super tight. Cram every single shim in you can. Use no friction modifier. Then practice driving in the rain LOLz. I prefer the Detroit locker. But if you get a factory E locker, Do it.

I have considered a 2007 Dodge 3500 diesel but am not wed to Ford, Chevy, or Dodge.

Ron

I'm a hardcore Ford Superduty guy. But make no mistake, I hope Dodge can keep it together for a while. Everything GM bugs me, except their excellent engines.
-
The camping terrain I go to perfectly mimmicks oil patch and pipeline construction terrain and dirt. The new East Ohio pipe being put in seems to have 90% Fords working on it BTW with a few Dodges, which is similar to my experience. Advantage Ford for me. Solid axles are a must have in that terrain, and the extra weight of the Superduties give them an advantage with a camper on their backs.
-
I'm going to recommend a Ford 2008-2013 F350 4x4 CC LB. Remove the overload spring. Put on airlifts Premium airspring kit that goes over the spring pack. (drill the frame). Custom Bilstein 5100 shocks from Carli. Carli Leveling springs. Icon or Carli adjustable trackbar. Rear Detroit locker or ARB. 295/70 r17 Cooper STT or 285/70 r17 Cooper St Maxx. 4.30+ gear. If you go Dodge, I strongly recommend a long arm kit. The Fords are already long arm stock, though.
-
A 5.4, 6.8, 6.2L gas engine is likely plenty of engine for your needs with the right gears. I recommend taking a long look at your real engine needs. How many miles of camping do you realisticly expect to do each year? If you really need the diesel, then you also should take a hard look at a DRW truck as well. Diesel and DRW go together IMO. Except when we're talking huge 36"+ tires and tons of towing and highway. Then even in a SRW, I prefer the diesel. My needs are too short distance, light towing for a diesel.
-
BTW, box stock F350 really doesn't need any of the suspension mods I listed if you have the plow or camper package. Stiffer front springs and bar. But the Carli stuff is still a nice upgrade later on. But DONT FEAR THE GEAR with Fords. 4.30+

 

[Buliwyf]

I had my 10' Alaskan on my 94 Dodge 2500 with only air bags for additional support. It's been off road a lot over the years and I did the Alaskan trip with it also http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/34534-Alaska-2009 . The only thing I would have added is a Hellwig sway bar. I now have the Alaskan on a Ford F350 single wheel and it seems to be working well, but I haven't offroaded it yet. We took it down to Prescott and back over Christmas and it was great down the road. I would recommend going to a 1 ton chassis. A 3/4 ton will handle the camper but, I feel the 1 ton adds the additional safety factor. The 550 is way over kill. I don't feel you need dualies with the Alaskan eithereven though its not a light camper it is not as top heavy as a traditional camper. The dualies would help your comfort factor most in high wind areas on the highway.

It really comes down to whether or not you're extremely careful about what you take with you and how you drive. I take almost nothing camping. Some people bring their house. The DRW trucks I had could carry a slidin camper around a mountain pass like a sports car.
-
An F250 is toast. Same truck as the 350, but it's GVWR is 1000 less at least. Not really a slide in friendly truck unless you don't mind being over GVWR or a 9 footer. Excellent choice for trailers though.

 

[wild1]

truck selections for alaskan camper

I have put over 86,000 miles on my F-350 superduty eight foot alaskan camper combo. It has a steel utility bed on it that weights significantly more then a aluminum flatbed. I carry everything that we need for trips that last two to three months and it ranges from the low ten thousand to just under eleven thousand pound range depending on if I have my dual sport on the rear hitch or not. I have not had any mechanical issues in the seven years that I have owned it and am still on the original set of brake pads. I do have airbags on the rear and upgraded shocks and a leveling spring on the front pack.While it has a GVWR of 9900 that is based on the fact that the rear tires limit the rear axle rating. If you run any of a number of tires available in the 16-18 inch range you can upgrade the realistic rear capacity by 800 to 1500 pounds. I think that if you are going to put up with some of the limitations that an popup camper bring that you are better off staying with a smaller lighter F-350 srw style truck that is much easier to get off the beaten path in then most of the bigger trucks. I would also recommend that you consider an extended cab rather then a full crewcab, it doesn't seem like much but the shorter wheelbase has worked a lot better for me on the kind of roads that a popup start to make sense on. One last bit of heresy, I would get a v-10 over the diesels. They have plenty of power in the weight range that you are looking at and mine has been much less expensive to run then my 7.3 was.

 

[C5dad]

Stick with the Fords. There is a reason that we use them at the hard rock mines out west. Price is a factor, though durability is King!

GM: Love the Dura-max, hate the plethora of plastic. I have seen too many drive shafts failed. Tumps me that an Alison with a Duramax and they skimp on the dumbest place ever!
Dodge: there is nothing about these trucks to not dislike, except price and parts prices. Best HP and an excellent drive-train (biggest bang for the buck). Like said before, concerns about long term company longevity. Disclaimer: I learned to drive in a '78 Dodge 150 with ZERO frills.
Ford: I currently own a 7.3. Lots of parts, easy to work on. Lots of uh, er, less intelligent folks crashing them frequently. Hold up to a lot of abuse. We retired a 350 flatbed that our cowboys (Ranch hands) beat the snot out of since the early 90's. Granted, it runs, but them are really hard miles!
Hummer (Yeah, we had one) lasted approximately 2 days before an axle was toast.
Toyota - We had one since 98 and sold at auction for $4500. Paint was crap, 135K miles, yet has (still) a strong engine.

Hope this helps!

 

[Darwin]

Dodge: there is nothing about these trucks to not dislike, except price and parts prices. Best HP and an excellent drive-train (biggest bang for the buck). Like said before, concerns about long term company longevity.

I don't think I would be too concerned about the long term longevity of the Cummins. Rethies "holy grail" 12 valve cummins would be a great platform, the only drawback is that the older Cummins is louder than the newer commonrail, but it's a diesel.