Back at the dealership, we get the "it is just for legal protection" speech. When we looked at the weight capacity of this truck, we found also the Lance camper we intended to put on the truck overloads it, even at the camper's dry weight.
Is a dual rear tire F350 or equivalent the only way to go? Are all/most 3/4 ton trucks overloaded and potentially top heavy with a 2500+ pound camper attached?
There is something special about camping in an RV.
.
I think you'll find that most of the newer 3500/F350 single rear wheel trucks have the capacity to haul some of the hard side campers that don't have slides. We'll need to know what Lance camper you are looking at to be sure.
My older Lance 1030 has a sticker that claims the weight is 2600lbs. However when I weighed it at the local farm store it was closer to 3600lbs. I'm am overweight for my truck and we are looking at upgrading trucks soon.
2005 Dodge 3500
2001 Lance 1030
2006 Cougar 29RL
2000 F250, 7.3 PSD, 6 speed manual, CC, SB
2013 Northstar TC800
Is it time for your medication or mine?
2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31
I will say though, if campers keep getting heavier we will have to get DOT numbers
![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/wink.gif "wink")
2002 F-350 7.3 Lariat 4x4 DRW ZF6
2008 Lance 1191 - 220w of solar - Bring on the sun!
I highly suggest the dually for stability and load. If you haven't bought the Lance yet, consider Northern-Lite - they're probably at least 1000 lbs lighter and extremely well-built.
I also tow a RAV4 with this setup and barely notice the camper or car.
Bill
2004 Bigfoot 29G (Love the garage!)
2017 Northern-Lite 10'2" SE on F-350 (CC, Dually, 4WD, Boss)
The F250 weight rating is ~2540 and the Lance is ~2700 dry (according to published specs).
Check the Ford payload tables (goggle for them) and u can see the differences.
I have a 3100 lb Citation. Love it. It weighs 3100 lbs on the sticker. If u read the fine print it weighs more than that because of the options which are excluded.
The best test is to go to a weigh scale. They tell no lies.
Ford does not warranty non 'camper' option trucks when they are carrying a rig. The dealership salesman is wrong. It is in his interest to promote Ford.
However Ford would need to know about your transgression.
:-}
DarkSkySeeker wrote:
The camper is a 1997 Lance 980. Yes, it is old, but fits my budget. Along that line, I do not have the money to step up to the 350/3500 class.
The F250 weight rating is ~2540 and the Lance is ~2700 dry (according to published specs).
The camper is a 1997 Lance 980. Yes, it is old, but fits my budget. Along that line, I do not have the money to step up to the 350/3500 class.
The F250 weight rating is ~2540 and the Lance is ~2700 dry (according to published specs).
If you are looking at new 250....350s are not that much more and payload goes up to ~3200 (SRW)
Having owned a 2000 Lance 1170 for four months (I bought the truck and camper together), I got rid of because I found extensive dry rot. Initially I tried fixing it to the tune of $3000k but even after that I found more dry rot in other areas so I gave up and sold it. Not a hit against Lance by the way, just repeating my experience.
I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with a wood framed camper if they are maintained well and sealed properly but they are not very forgiving if abused. In my case I knew I was driving thousands of miles each year and I was concerned about the frame flexing and opening cracks in the seals so I went with the fiberglass Bigfoot 2500 which was significantly lighter and better suited to my needs.
Unless you already own the camper I would take a look on Craigslist to see if you can find a package truck and camper deal. They come up periodically and a lot of times the previous owner has invested significant money into the truck already to get it ready to carry the camper.
Finally, though a Single Rear Wheel truck is capable, if you go used I would HIGHLY suggest making a Dually a priority. The load carrying aspect is a factor but I feel more importantly the stability factor is a huge factor to consider. Campers are top heavy and having that extra width is reassuring.
1999 F350 Dually with 7.3 Diesel
2000 Bigfoot 10.6 Camper
adamis wrote:
Kind of curious, are you looking at a brand new truck? The cost of a new F250 optioned out nicely is pushing about $55k+ and I'm guessing a recently used F250 might be in the $35k range from a dealer? Also, it is a bit unclear but do you already own the camper or is it a deal you are looking to make?
Kind of curious, are you looking at a brand new truck? The cost of a new F250 optioned out nicely is pushing about $55k+ and I'm guessing a recently used F250 might be in the $35k range from a dealer? Also, it is a bit unclear but do you already own the camper or is it a deal you are looking to make?
Yes, the deal was for a new F250. Sticker was ~$38k, less about $8k in incentives. I know the fleet manager, so I am not sure if this was his friends and family price or just a month-end deal.
My landlord owns the camper. It is in storage. I've looked at used Lances and he was willing to take $5k for it, and I insisted I could continue to use the dry storage garage.
Camper pac,sno plow pac and regular pac. All have 10000 lb Gvw
Only camper pac is rated for campers
My snow plow pac had the same note in the glove box.It is 3200 payload with 4wd
I got it because camper pac with 6.2 is hard to find
OLD 2006 F150 4wd 7200gvw,Lt275-65-18,Scan Guage,Garmin,flowmaster,load levelers,Firestone work rites Bronco 800
NEW 2015 F250 Scab 4wd 10000 gvw, 6.2 Scan guage,Garmin,work rites,3200 lb load,1800lb Palomino Backpack SS1200
My 2001.5 Dodge 2-series 4x4 Cummins has a GVWR of 8800 pounds. I too have a load rating of around 2500 pounds of cargo.I have seen the ebb and flow of ratings based on a number of factors. The most important factor is/are the tires. Next is the absolute rating of the axles. Mine is 6000 pounds (or more according to Dana) front; and 11,000 pounds rear. The lawyers have their say too and bid Chrysler Corp. to downgrade the axles for safety reasons. Best not to be on the overloaded front when confronting litigation. So, Corp. rates the front axle at 5200 pounds and 7500 pounds rear with no other considerations. What considerations? My '01 RAM came with the Camper Package which added upper secondaries (aka: upper overloads) which come into play when the camper is loaded on. There is no consideration of the added payload these afford the GVWR of the truck. These are the self same secondaries that appear on the RAM 3500 duallie of the era, an era before SRW one-ton trucks, so I have in essence a 2001 SRW one ton. How can I say that? I checked all the parts differences between the frame, suspension, brakes, axles and bearings, and found only the hub extensions fore and aft, and two more, larger backspaced wheels are the difference. The rear axle on a DRW truck is wider than a SRW truck to take in to account the 7.5" backspacing of the duals facing inward. If you have the Sterling rear axle and assuming a Dana front axle you really have a lot to work with. Just beware there were two different versions of the Sterling, one having a higher GAWR. I have worked with mine and added 2 more upper secondary leaves, Stable Loads, and one more helper spring down in the pack giving me an 8-leaf rear spring pack in a sort of 3-stage system that gives a slightly worse than stock empty ride and a solid ride as the weight is added. I'm comfortable with what I've come up with in my build.
So, you can and will make up your own mind as to whether your truck is build-worthy, by adding suspension help, higher load rated tires, and maybe even higher load rated wheels. I just went through the wheel upgrade by dumping my cast aluminum wheels (with a 3600 load rating) to Stockton Wheel Steelies which have a stupid high load rating on the rear axle under the portion of the truck that takes 90% of the added weight of the camper.
It depends too on what year truck you have; whether it's gas or diesel, 4WD. The 99-02 Ford diesels are very sought after and considered by many to be the pinnacle of the International Harvester V-8 oil burners. If you have a gas engine, you will be forever afoul of gas stations to keep the tank full. Give us the info and you will get a bunch of semi-knowlegeablel replies from those own the same truck you do.
jefe
'01.5 Dodge 2500 4x4, CTD, Qcab, SB, NV5600, 241HD, 4.10's, Dana 70/TruTrac; Dana 80/ TruTrac, Spintec hub conversion, H.D. susp, 315/75R16's on 7.5" and 10" wide steel wheels, Vulcan big line, Warn M15K winch '98 Lance Lite 165s, 8' 6" X-cab, 200w Solar
Unless you absolutely have to have a new truck, if your budget is around ~$40k I still think a used combo is a much better way to go. I took a look at my local Craigslist and found these two deals as an example of what can be found:
2005 Truck + Camper Combo
2000 Truck + Camper Combo
RWDIII wrote:
Not all F250s are created equal
Not all F250s are created equal
^^^This. Do you want a truck to carry your camper, or do you want a luxury car with a pickup bed? My 2016 F250 is nicely equipped but has a true (payload sticker) payload of 3295.
Lee and Anne
2016 F250 2WD CC SB XLT 6.2 3.73 locker, 3,295 Payload
2014 Salem Hemisphere 282RK 7.8k lbs loaded, Equal-i-zer WDH
 (Custom).JPG)
Quote:
Is a dual rear tire F350 or equivalent the only way to go? Are all/most 3/4 ton trucks overloaded and potentially top heavy with a 2500+ pound camper attached?
Is a dual rear tire F350 or equivalent the only way to go? Are all/most 3/4 ton trucks overloaded and potentially top heavy with a 2500+ pound camper attached?
Your dealer is correct. Its a fed "recommendation" anyway and has no legal ramifications if the owner chooses not to follow the recommendation or the rather silly Camper load rating number which is low even in a F350 DRW. I doubt if many are under the TC payload number with any truck.
Our 250/2500 trucks have 6000 to 6500 RAWR for carrying weight.
Ford gives their F250 a 6100 RAWR which includes the axle/wheel/tires and rear springs. If the F250 has the heavy service package its the same suspension as a F350 SRW truck.
Most are good for around 2800-3200 lb payload before exceeding one of those ratings.
Actual numbers depends on the trucks actual axle weights. A regular cab 2wd long bed will give a bit more payload than a crew cab long bed 4x4.
Ask around for your brand truck campers wet weight numbers as I'm sure these guys have one just like it
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers
'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides
2011 F350 6.7L Diesel 4x4 CrewCab longbed Dually, 2019 Lance 1062, Torqlift Talons, Fast Guns, upper and lower Stable Loads, Super Hitch, 48" Super Truss, Airlift loadlifter 5000 extreme airbags
Any Ford truck without the camper package will come with that warning sheet. Probably have a sticker on the door jamb too. It's not just for legalities. You break something due to the extra weight and they find out you had a slide-in camper on it, they can void your warranty if they think the camper contributed to the problem. That would include, just for starters, rear axle, frame, tranny, maybe engine, and other big-$$$ items.
2017 Ford F-150 Crew Cab 4x4 3.5 EcoBoost
2014 Cruiser RV Fun Finder 215WKS
2015 Harley Road Glide Special in Amber Whiskey
2019 Mustang Bullitt
Yamaha Grizzly 660 (his)
Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O.(hers)
DarkSkySeeker wrote:
There I was test driving a 2016 Ford F250 Super Duty with 8 foot bed. My girlfriend looks in the glove box and finds a single sheet of paper, the heading of which says, "Not recommended for slide in campers".
Back at the dealership, we get the "it is just for legal protection" speech. When we looked at the weight capacity of this truck, we found also the Lance camper we intended to put on the truck overloads it, even at the camper's dry weight.
Is a dual rear tire F350 or equivalent the only way to go? Are all/most 3/4 ton trucks overloaded and potentially top heavy with a 2500+ pound camper attached?
There I was test driving a 2016 Ford F250 Super Duty with 8 foot bed. My girlfriend looks in the glove box and finds a single sheet of paper, the heading of which says, "Not recommended for slide in campers".
Back at the dealership, we get the "it is just for legal protection" speech. When we looked at the weight capacity of this truck, we found also the Lance camper we intended to put on the truck overloads it, even at the camper's dry weight.
Is a dual rear tire F350 or equivalent the only way to go? Are all/most 3/4 ton trucks overloaded and potentially top heavy with a 2500+ pound camper attached?
If that Ford truck doesn't have the camper package on don't buy, your warranty will be void by Ford if they find out your hauling a camper around. Get one with the camper package installed you get better suspension system with the camper package to help with the addition camper weight.
When we were looking for a new truck in 2007 I when to a friend of mine that was a fleet manager for Fritts Ford and told him what we were looking for. His responds was he'll find one with the camper package on because Ford would void the truck warranty on it without the camp package on the truck. They have to legally tell you that you can kiss your new truck warranty goodbye without having the camper package thus the "disclaimer."
2007 F-250 4x4 /6.0 PSD/ext cab/ 2020 Bunduvry
Lance 815/ 85 watts solar panel (sold)
2020 Bunduvry by BundutecUSA
Travelingman2 Photo Website
Truck Camper Trip Reports 3.0
travelingman21000 YouTube Videos
Alex and Julie's Travels Blog
OH48Lt wrote:
A new F250 with a sticker of $38K? Haven't seen one of those in years.
A new F250 with a sticker of $38K? Haven't seen one of those in years.
See this link: http://www.hanselford.com/new/Ford/2016-Ford-F-250SD-Santa-Rosa-CA-1d65b3470a0e0ae86dafef0e5cc10974.htm?searchDepth=2:8
* This post was edited 10/27/16 08:25am by burningman *
2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD SE
99 Ram 4x4 Dually Cummins
A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
4.10 gears, Gear Vendors overdrive, exhaust brake
Built auto, triple disc, billet shafts.
Kelderman Air Ride, Helwig sway bar.
I just bought a 16 F 250 6.7 with a window sticker of 58K. End of year sale was 47K. I wasn't going to spend another 1K on an extra leaf spring and F 350 fender medallions!!! Same truck, same drive train, same 10.5 Sterling rear axle rated at over 9000#.
My new 2005 Dodge CTD dually with a 5200# payload had the same TC not recommended paper in the glove box. I used it to start a campfire while carrying an S&S with slide out (heavy) for many years!!
'17 Class C 22' Conquest on Ford E 450 with V 10. 4000 Onan, Quad 6 volt AGMs, 515 watts solar.
'12 Northstar Liberty on a '16 Super Duty 6.2. Twin 6 volt AGMs with 300 watts solar.
I bought the Lance 915 and added an across the bed 30 gallon aux diesel tank and ended up fully loaded about 500 lbs lower than the 11,500 GVWR.
I put nearly 75,000 miles touring the US, Canada and Alaska with nary an incident. Go figure.
ryoung
2018 Ram 3500 SRW Diesel
2019 Wolf Creek 840
What are the specs of the truck and what is he asking for it? Do you have any photos of both truck and camper you can post?
DarkSkySeeker wrote:
Now, believe it or not, the Lance owner is offering to sell me his whole rig. The truck? An F350 dually.
Now, believe it or not, the Lance owner is offering to sell me his whole rig. The truck? An F350 dually.
What year truck and how much? Could be a great deal, but do your homework if it's a diesel.
If it's a gasser, disregard. Condition and miles....no "bad" years of them after the V10 plug spitters.
Regarding the new 250 you were looking at. You'll have every opinion in the book on its suitability, legality, moral implications, you name it here....lol
My real world experince with a '13 and '15 model was the springs were a bit soft compared to the other 2 brands of leaf spring 2500s and the pre 2011 Fords. They ride great, good truck, 3 leafs in the rear left them a little soft.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold
2000 F250 Superduty 7.3 SB SRW, E rated Michelins, Torklifts, fastguns,2004 Northstar Laredo, , Ducati Hypermotard 1100, KTM 250XC