104 replies to this topic

[Wandering Sagebrush]

For an extra $900-$1000, why not go for a 1 ton. Extra capacity if you need it, and per the rumor mill, they have a higher resale value.

I think all of the modern trucks are very good, so pick one where you have confidence in the dealer or mechanic who will maintain it. We went diesel because of large truck camper and boat, and pulling a good sized travel trailer.

[Hausa]

1:  No need for a 1 ton for a FWC. My Chevy HD2500 with stock suspension handles my 2,000 lb loaded Hawk great and at the scales I am 700 pounds under max payload. You mentioned the possibility of heavier campers though so I would definitely go 1 ton. 

 

2:  Gas or diesel....a can of worms opening. I live at altitude and cross the 12,000' passes here with ease in my gasser, plenty of power and my mileage ain't bad. Plus I saved 9 grand on the purchase price. With a bigger camper and dragging a trailer with toys I would go diesel but as others have mentioned the new ones scare me.

 

3:  Brand....bigger can opening. I love my Chevy 

 

Kudos for considering payload when choosing a truck!

 

Thanks for the reply and nice photo!

 

The line of thinking you mentioned in regards to gas makes sense. I don't plan on towing much beyond a drift boat for now, just carrying around the camper and family. I'm living at around 6000 feet with passes all around so I've been thinking the fuel efficiency and performance of a diesel might be more noticeable, but I haven't compared the two to know for sure. I'll keep an open mind. 

[Bombsight]

If you buy a diesel with DEF, don't let it idle any more than you have to. They don't burn off the particulates like they should at low rpm's. Doing so will have you in the shop sooner.,

[Advmoto18]

Not much difference between the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty.  

 

The F250 has 2" blocks over the rear axle while the F350 has 4".  If you do a lot of off-chamber off-road, some axle warping can be expected on the F-350 due to the 4" blocks.

 

F-350 has stiffer springs up front, which is an option on the F-250.

 

I bought the F-350 with increased payload.  I never wanted to come up short on payload capability again.

[smlobx]

Advmoto and I share the same opinions when it comes to trucks (we both have F-350's!)

A couple of points that have not been mentioned yet. As a background, I own a construction company so diesels don't scare me...yes they do require a little more maintenance but I am anal about maintenance on all our vehicles so it's not an issue for me.
Yes they do cost more up front BUT you do get a sizeable chunk of that back when you sell it. I'm sure you've seen the prices on used diesels...
I had the dreaded Ford 6.0 diesel and I had it bullet proofed and it was a fantastic truck. I sold it with 150k on it for about 50% of what I paid for it after 10 years...not a bad return. Then I bought the exact same truck in the 2016 version.

The biggest advantages of a diesel for me is two fold; one is the mileage. I get about 15 mpg on average with my Hallmark on driving conservatively. The second is the range. Depending on the weight of the truck and what kind of road I'm driving on I can get up to 600 miles on a tank of fuel. Of course, off-road or with a camper that will decrease but it is a signinficant advantage over gas. Imho.

As far as brands, let me first say that all three of the major manufacturers have stepped up their game in the last 5 years or so. But here is my take...
Chevy has an independent front suspension. It has some advantages but isn't as strong as a straight axle.
Dodge 3/4 has a coil rear suspension and the capacity is severely limited. People who have them have had to make serious additions to be able to carry Campers.
The major difference between a 3/4 and 1 ton ford is the addition of an overload spring on the rear axle. The drivetrain and brakes are the same. The price difference is only a couple of hundred dollars so imho it's worth it.

I hope this helps...

[dharte]

Some 3/4 ton trucks like my 2005 F250 have a "slide-in camper certification". These (at least Fords) come from the factory with beefier front springs and a rear anti-sway bar. For my use, this is probably better than having a one ton truck. Driving up in the mountains a lot, I would not want a gasser-the torque and boost of the diesel provides so much power to climb hills with ease.

[Bombsight]

I have to admit ... a year later, I am STILL blown away at how effortless my Duramax carried my Hawk across the continental divide at 14,000'. Not once did I feel it downshift. The acceleration was smooth as silk even in the steepest areas.

Average MPG was around 14. For a lifted truck with 2000+ #'s in the back of it, that realization of performance was awesome.

Having the exhaust brake was awesome too. Those things work really well.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

Edited by Bombsight, 09 July 2017 - 10:54 PM.

[Hausa]

Thanks everyone for weighing in. Seems like a 1 ton diesel is the direction I'm headed without any particular brand loyalty. 

 

Great photo of the duramax at 14k, bombsight.  

 

If anyone else has any opinions please keep it coming! Very helpful input so far, thanks again. 

[Wango]

After driving import trucks, half tons, 3/4 tons- all gassers, wanted to make a changes.

Had camper/truck combo (profile Pic) for many years and many, many miles. Went to a one ton, works better, more room etc.

Was going to order a new 3/4 ton, ext cab, long bed gas in 2015. Cost would have been 41,900. Found a 2016, 1 ton, crew, long bed diesel on a lot for 43,500. Same color, upgrades etc.

Maintenance is a bit more, not in a crazy way though.

Not speaking poorly of gas motors, but if you use a truck this size for what it is for, diesels work better imho.

My choice for brand was made by cab height, where it's made(I'm from KY) and track record. Have owned/driven all three quite a bit.

Def/exhaust stuff can be a pain, but sometimes all that stuff falls off on the floor of a shop. You can let the new motors breathe and not roll coal like an idiot.

w

[Advmoto18]

Some 3/4 ton trucks like my 2005 F250 have a "slide-in camper certification". These (at least Fords) come from the factory with beefier front springs and a rear anti-sway bar. For my use, this is probably better than having a one ton truck. Driving up in the mountains a lot, I would not want a gasser-the torque and boost of the diesel provides so much power to climb hills with ease.

Because of the things Eddie mentioned (and all excellent and valid points)...

If you plan on using your truck for a camper, generally (well most always) better to step up to the 1 ton v 3/4 ton truck.  Because of the 1 ton suspension enhancements from the factory, all for a few hundred dollars more on the sticker, you save thousands of dollars in components/installation you might have to add at a later date to a 3/4 ton.

 

That's not to say you might not want to add some things to a 1 ton.  I added Air Lift air bags.  Not because the truck needed them per se, but, because I wanted a completely level ride.  The stock suspension was more then capable of carrying my "wet" FWC Hawk.  I wasn't anywhere close to max payload (around 60% with the Hawk in the bed).  I also immediately upgraded to the Rancho 9000XL shocks in the rear.  Didn't need to;  just wanted a level ride/look to the truck.  

 

Same for the Bilstein front leveling kit.  With the 4" blocks over the rear axle on the F-350, I didn't like the way the front sat lower.  The kit leveled the truck.

 

I did HAVE to add a Helwig Big Wig rear sway bar.  My F-350 did not have the FX4 package, so it did not come with a rear sway bar.  A rear sway bar is a must with a camper in the bed IMO.

 

Those are the only upgrades I've performed on my 2016 F-350.

 

At some point, I will disconnect the ESOF vacuum system, remove the factory hubs and install the new Warn Premium Super Duty manual locking hubs.  I much prefer manual locking hubs.   I've been using Warn manual locking hubs since the early 70s.

 

I've owned both the 7.3 and now 6.7 Ford diesel motors.  The 7.3 was probably the best non-Cummins motor ever built IMO.  I sold my 2003 7.3 F-250 with a dinged up left rear quarter panel for 65% of what I paid for it new!  Look at 7.3 Super Duty prices;  the asking price will stun you.  And sellers get the asking price, if not more due to buyers bidding up the price.  I will only own diesel engines in my trucks.  Even with its cost of ownership and disadvantages, performance is far superior to the gaser and I need the performance (torque).

 

On my recently complete 3 month trip out west, if I ran a tank of pure diesel, I had ~20 MPG at highway traveling speed (55-65).  If Biodiesel, mileage dropped to 12-16 depending on percentage.  I only filled up once with B-20, and barely got 12MPG.  Also, above 65MPH, fuel economy drops off noticeably.

Edited by Advmoto18, 10 July 2017 - 11:35 AM.