81 replies to this topic

[Colorado Mark]

Strange.  Any idea why they moved them back there?

 

 

Yes, in my newer Grandby the battery is next to the door.  This is a bad location, IMO.  This is a prime area for a storage cabinet.  The battery should have been put under the bench seats in the dinette (front dinette).   The area under the seats is much more difficult to get to, and would have been perfect for the battery, which is rarely accessed.  Also, the wire runs might have been a bit shorter with the battery under the dinette seat. 

 

 

 

My first guess would be battery venting.  Much harder to vent the batterie(s) under the dinette.  Batteries in back are probably vented to outside which would be very easy to do.

[Zirdu]

Yes, the battery compartment in my newer Grandby (in the back), is sealed from the interior, but vented to the outside with two little vents.  In my front dinette, you access the front turnbuckles under the dinette seats.  So it would be easy, I think, to vent a sealed battery compartment to the outside if it were under the seats.  But not everyone has the front dinette, and possibly they don't want to have different wiring for front dinette, side dinette, etc models.  

[Beach]

Someone on this site once said, "He hadn't heard of anyone going from a 3/4 ton back/down to a 1/2". For good reason, the mileage penalty(which for me was about 1-1.5" is hugely offset by the capability of the 3/4 ton vehicle, not to mention way better braking and overall handling. If you want to go to a 3/4 but funds are tight, shop the used market but be persistent. It took me 6 mos of searching everyday. Tough to find a 3/4 that hasn't been worked to death or the owner has turned that odometer over once or twice.

Edited by Beach, 12 January 2019 - 03:21 PM.

[ntsqd]

I ran a saved search on searchtempest.com for CL ads everyday for a couple months before finding our truck.

[Andy Douglass]

We both had 1/2 tons and planned on eventually getting a 3/4. Bought our loaded Hawk and did a short trip and a long trip on the 2008 Ram. I had added a rear sway bar and air bags with an on board compressor. Installing the suspension upgrades was a nightmare of stuff that was supposed to fit the stock, unmodified truck, not fitting. The truck handled the camper ok, and we took it on some pretty rough forest roads in SE Idaho. But one thing people never talk about when upgrading a 1/2 ton is the brakes. We almost completely lost brakes coming down a moderately steep, short grade. And these were brand new pads and rotors, allegedly heavy duty for hauling trailers. Now, my wife probably could have been a little slower on the descent, but it was a sign for us to speed up the plan to get a 3/4 ton.

 

So I traded in my 05 Sierra for an 18 Ram 3/4 ton Cummins. I could not be happier. Yes the ride is rougher than a 1/2 ton. Yes the diesel is loud and rattley. But the truck doesn't even notice the camper. When we put the camper on, I have a hard time even seeing the truck sag at all. It completely takes a ton of worries out of the equation for me, and in turn my wife doesn't have to put up with Mr. Frowny on our trips.

 

I know people make 1/2 tons work. For us, the peace of mind is the deciding factor.

[Bill D]

When we put the camper on, I have a hard time even seeing the truck sag at all.

 

Yet, oddly enough I have seen posts of people adding airbags to 3/4 tons.

 

I'm considering a 3/4 ton for my next truck, but I don't want to add airbags.

I'm a bit confused on how much is too much suspension, and how much is not enough.

[craig333]

Never added air bags to my truck. I'd do it if I thought it needed it but it doesn't. I'm with Andy. Better too much truck than not enough. 

 

Everything is a compromise. I drove the Jeep yesterday just for the heck of it. Washed the dog at incredible pets. Trader Joe's is next door. Having the Jeep I shopped there because its smaller than most compact cars. I won't even think about trying to park the truck there. Otoh trying to sleep in the Jeep? Not gonna happen

[Vic Harder]

Yet, oddly enough I have seen posts of people adding airbags to 3/4 tons.

 

I'm considering a 3/4 ton for my next truck, but I don't want to add airbags.

I'm a bit confused on how much is too much suspension, and how much is not enough.

I'm running a 3/4 ton and didn't need airbags.  Drives really nice!

[bsharp007]

I took a serious look at the Ford F250's to haul my Hawk and they are HUGE vehicles, just too big for driving in a city or fitting in a standard parking spot.   If you use your truck as a daily driver like most of us do, the bigger trucks pretty much suck.  Sure if you're living in a rural environment it works OK.  But the modern diesels are high maintanance vehicles and you have to deal with the costly DEF fluid.  Totally not worth it IMO.  I have had a fully loaded Hawk on a 2012 Ford F150 with airbags in the back and E rated tires and I have had zero problems, the truck is well within its payload rating.  The brakes are more than adequate with the Hawk on. 

And now the newer Ford F150's have more payload, more power and more MPG than my truck.

You do not need a diesel either for safety or MPG.

I did take a serious look at the new Rams and I really liked them, might be the most luxurious vehicle I have ever been inside, unfortunately the height of the bed to the top of the cab didn't work with my current Hawk.

So I went with a new Ford F150 with a payload of more than 3000lbs, plenty to haul any FWC.

Edited by bsharp007, 24 January 2019 - 05:12 PM.

[klahanie]

Bill D, one thing airbags would give those folks is the ability to raise the rear height of their vehicle, either full time or adjusted to different loads.

 

How much spring "suspension" is going to depend, in part, on how much load, how it's being carried at what height you want it to be carried. Light or heavy packer, short or long box truck, camper overhang, counter weight on front axle, towing pin weight, lift for clearance or appearance etc ... Lot's of variables for different setups for different folks.

 

And then there is the types of road you want to drive on. Bombing down a FSR you'll want enough spring rate to not bottom out but not so much you burst a kidney driving a pothole field. Highway cruising you'll want smooth ride but without wallowing in corners. Sometimes the "how much" will be "too much" and sometimes it won't. Like said above, it's a compromise.

 

Good news is, there's a lot of engineering in modern trucks and they do a pretty good job all round. Even empty a 3/4 ton is designed to give an acceptable ride and I'd say typically they do (others may disagree). And the factory payloads are not bad for carrying a pop up camper and some gear.

 

I'd suggest you determine what your current camping load is before replacing the vehicle. Even scaling the truck on a trip and deducting a curb wt found online would be a useful estimate. Then buying a truck that is rated such that your intended load comfortably within its own payload rating is prob your best bet for being in the suspension sweet spot.

 

One thing about factory leaf springs, the pack can often be reworked to better suit the application and owner. You should be able to find a truck and trailer spring shop in any major population centre that does this type of work. So if you get a 3/4 ton and find the ride too stiff you can have a leaf spring taken out, for eg, while still having whatever benefits the "bigger" pick up might provide you.

 

 

One last thing, my truck springs are so stiff I can barely push down the rear bumper with my own weight - maybe a 1/4" for a split second. But the rear drops a good 2" when the camper goes on. And when that camper is on the truck feels it: the diesel motor, the brakes, the suspension. All are effected in a manner noticeable to the driver. And when we're loaded for bear, that truck works !

 

So if this sounds different from other reports, keep that in mind when you read my comments. YMMV.