Another camper/truck matching question

[caddis]

Hi All,

I'm looking to upgrade my family from our VW camper to a 4x4 truck / camper combination and have (nearly) settled on a Bigfoot or Northern Lite. Right now the most likely camper scenario is a 1500 series Bigfoot sized to fit a short bed truck (Model 15C95FS). Since we don't have a truck yet we have the luxury of shopping for just the right thing...that said, shopping for both simultaneously is a bit overwhelming too.

So, if we go with the 1500 Bigfoot we are looking at an advertised dry weight around 2200lbs and an actual (according to the dealer who looked it up for me on the invoice / manifest) weight of just shy of 2500lbs. That will put us north of 3K lbs once wet and loaded. I've been focusing my attention on SRW 1-ton diesel trucks (still undecided on the Ram vs Silverado) which have a payload capacity of 3700-3900 as they sit on the lot, so I think I'd be OK there. My concern is whether not getting the dually would be a mistake. It must not be too big of an issue since a crew cab (which we need) dually short box option doesn't seem to exist...if we wanted a dually we would likely need to pick a long-bed camper. The truck will be a third family vehicle, so it won't see DD use, but I do value maneuverability and am hoping not to take as big a hit to mpg by keeping the truck and camper a little smaller.

While I'm at it, and at the risk of igniting a truck war, any suggestions on Dodge vs Chevy in the 3500 size would be appreciated too!

 

[LoRoad]

Out of curiosity, what is your budget? What do you think you will have to spend to spend on the truck/camper-combo finished and ready to drive away enjoying the great out of doors?

 

[JHa6av8r]

I have a 2013 Silverado 3500 HD SRW crew cab with diesel. The payload is 4,200 lbs. The truck is rate by the manufacturer for a 3,165 lb camper provided the CG falls over the rear tires. Chevy/GM place a placard in the glovebox with a camper weight certification.

Personally I think getting a dually adds an extra element of safety in case of a blow out and I think you'll find it more stable with a regular hard-side camper in the back.

As far as truck wars, I have 4x4 with stock Z71 suspension and just had my truck/camper in the desert in soft sand, dry river washes, and down some pretty descent jeep trails, and it's a go anywhere beast with almost 800 lb-ft torque at 1,600 rpm.

 

[caddis]

Out of curiosity, what is your budget? What do you think you will have to spend to spend on the truck/camper-combo finished and ready to drive away enjoying the great out of doors?

I'm guessing it is going to be about $75K when all is said and done :Wow1: ...a bit more if we jump up to a dually and a bigger camper. It's a big chunk of change, but used options seem hard to find and they come in one of two flavors - quite cheap, but quite used...or still in good condition, but not that much cheaper than new. I'm confident that the deals we are chasing won't hurt us too much a few years down the road even if we do decide to switch it up.

We've struggled for some time with which route to go -- light(er) truck - a 3/4 ton with a Hallmark or a FWC, or a bigger truck - 1 ton - with a full hard-side camper. In the end, it comes down to buying the rig for the lifestyle we live as opposed to my macho dream of doing lots of off roading. Truth be told we will likely still spend much of our time in FS campgrounds reachable by reasonable dirt roads with the occasional boondocking in slightly harder to reach areas when possible. We hope to do some longer road trips than have been comfortable in the VW and will be pulling a drift boat much of the time. We also want to be able to use the camper for ski trips, both local and regional, where we might camp in subfreezing temps for a few days at a time. All these things together led us to the hard side decision. Now it's just a matter of finalizing exactly what camper and exactly what truck.

 

[caddis]

Personally I think getting a dually adds an extra element of safety in case of a blow out and I think you'll find it more stable with a regular hard-side camper in the back.

I've heard this from a lot of folks...the wrinkle is that unless I am mistaken, no one makes a dually with a short box and full crew cab. That means if we stick with a short box built camper that we're resigned to the SRW option.

 

[JHa6av8r]

We ended up dropping about $85k when it was all said and done. We've done everything you've listed with our pop-up even camping in the snow with the temps in the low 20's and put on about 9,000 miles in trips this past year. As you can see I chose a 1 ton even if with a pop-up and would do it again. The crew cab reduces your payload 500 to 600 pounds. For the same price my payload was increased 1,300 lbs over a 3/4 ton. My camper loaded comes in just under 2,000 lbs and I don't worry about loading the truck. A long time truck camper friend said to not waste my time with anything less than a 1 ton and after a year with it I'm convinced they were right.

If you can think about most of the ways you plan to use it, it will help with the selection. I poured over as much weight and load information as I could find for both the truck and the camper before making a decision.

Whatever you choose have fun with it.

 

[cwsqbm]

I've heard this from a lot of folks...the wrinkle is that unless I am mistaken, no one makes a dually with a short box and full crew cab. That means if we stick with a short box built camper that we're resigned to the SRW option.

There were some dually short box crew cab Fords made, pre-2009.

 

[oc357]

I've heard this from a lot of folks...the wrinkle is that unless I am mistaken, no one makes a dually with a short box and full crew cab. That means if we stick with a short box built camper that we're resigned to the SRW option.

The Ram Mega Cab's come as a Dually with the 6.5 bed

 

[wirenut]

I'll second the Mega Cab dually if you want a short box and dual wheels. Personally, I would want a long bed for a truck camper. It gives you a lot more options in camper selection. Just like getting a dually will increase your options as well.
However, for the camper you seem to be looking at I think a SRW 3500 would be fine.
I carried my 11' hard side camper on a '07 Chevy SRW 3500 for a couple of years before changing to a dually. I only had to leave my garage and drive down the lane to realize that the set up was much more stable with less sway and bounce. If you ever think you'd want a bigger camper get a dually truck.
If you set on a short box camper I've always liked a side entry and the Lance 830 might be worth considering. However, it looks like you want the fiberglass clamshell design.
As for Chevy vs. Dodge, I've always had Chevys, 4 HD trucks form '01 thru present. I've always had excellent service from them with virtually no mechanical problems. I also owned a '96 Dodge 1500 that was a very good truck. The automatic transmission was terrible but otherwise I liked it. In your shoes I think I'd go Dodge to get the Mega Cab dually shortbed.

 

[caddis]

I have a 2013 Silverado 3500 HD SRW crew cab with diesel. The payload is 4,200 lbs. The truck is rate by the manufacturer for a 3,165 lb camper provided the CG falls over the rear tires. Chevy/GM place a placard in the glovebox with a camper weight certification.

Hmmm, so does that mean 3165 for the camper dry or wet and loaded? If you go with a (I think) fairly standard calculation of 1000lbs for wet weight + gear + people, a truck capable of 4200lbs should be able to carry a 3200lb camper, right? Or is there something else I'm missing about GM's calculation. It seems like a pound is a pound (as long as the COG is acceptable).

 

[caddis]

A quick update...and a possible change in approach for us. We spent a a couple of days last week looking at a bunch of campers - three different models from Bigfoot (the 1500 that I was originally hot on + two different 2500 versions), two from Northern Lite and a bunch of different Arctic Fox and Lance options. We've decided on one of the fiberglass clamshell brands and are now leaning towards a 10.2 CD SE from Northern Lite. This is a camper that is 3000lbs dry and is making us think harder about the dually issue.

With that camper (and just in general) we have changed our attitude about trucks too and are now thinking more about a long bed. The good news is that opens up a lot of dually options - the bad news is I'd like to use the truck as a daily driver and while I think I can handle the long bed, adding a dually too might just make that unworkable.

To gather some additional info, I made a quick stop at my local Ram dealer today and took a look at a long bed, crew cab, SRW truck with a payload of ~4500lbs as it sits on the lot. I'm estimating that we'd be around 4100lbs wet and loaded, so that seems well within the GVW for this truck. I welcome any feedback on this new combo!

 

[Capt Eddie]

Think of it this way/ The mirrors on the truck you drive now are as wide as a dually. It is really not that much difference. I always hear people want more truck. Never wish they had a smaller truck.

 

[Photomike]

Well the good thing is that you have neither the truck or the camper so you are open to getting the right one.

Myself I would say getting a DRW is overkill and for a daily driver I would not really enjoy that. BUT when you have the extra elements of safety of the DRW you will be happy you have it when you decide to load the camper to the roof with supplies or add a trailer to the mix (I have done both and having the extra carrying capacity would have been nice - a few less grey hairs from those trips).

I have heard of people upgrading to 19" rims that is suppose to give more safety but if you are buying new why not get the DRW instead.

As for the daily driver if you have the space get a cheap car and use that. I LOVE having the camper loaded and ready to go and not having to drop it and reload it all the time.

 

[incognito]

SRw are 80 inches wide , DRw are around 96 inch wide and NL 10.2 truck camper is listed 98 inch wide on brochure. so the truck camper is widest on the list.
for the 10.2 i would go dually with older duramax or cummins, a dually also can handle a trailer or atow a boat or put a service box on it. the problems is not the truck is the rear weight on 2 or 4 tires. 4 is a lot better
but this is about the older trucks which had the 17 inch rims and max of load E tires rated 3200 lbs. what rims and tires does the new SRW ram has?
NL and Bigfoot are very good .
incognito

 

[BillTex]

I think you will really enjoy the TC…all the comforts of home that you can take with you in the back of a truck! We are always finding new ways to enjoy ours; cross country trips, a day at the beach, hiking, skiing, anything from a day trip to month long adventures.
Like you, we camp in SP, NF cg’s, BLM land, etc…not far off the road…just away from the crowds!

A couple of comments;

• I am running heavier than you on SRW and have done 10’s of thousands of miles with this setup. Get good E rated tires you’ll be fine.
• As you have the luxury of buying now, get the one ton. Period.
• DRW vs SRW? I go roundandround with this when I think of what our next truck will be. I fully understand the advantage of the DRW when it comes to hauling a TC down the highways, but that is only part of the picture. Not sure I want the size, added cost of maintenance, lack of mobility of the DRW. Maybe my indecisiveness gives me the answer. In all likelihood we will stick with a SRW as ours is serving us well.
• If you like the AF you should also look at Eagle Cap; Fiberglass front and rear caps, true 4 season capability, big tanks. With 3 of us plus dog…having a slide makes a huge difference. (We moved from a non-slide to a single slide last year). Something to keep in mind; the clam shells have just as many holes in the roof as other TC’s…so you still need to watch for leaks. Having said that, when we were looking last year, the Wife liked the NL’s also. There is something tempting about the clam shell designs…but we were ready for more room.

We do have similar situations and camping styles…let me know if I can be of any help.

Bill