32 replies to this topic

[Vic Harder]

Interesting that changing the steering box had that effect.

[Vic Harder]

Humor me a bit longer guys.... pun intended.  With a full crew cab + 8' bed, what kinds of roads are accessible and which roads/regions are "not advisable" in such a rig?  I'm thinking of:

 

Alaska Highway, all the way to Tuktoyaktuk, and side roads like Tungsten and Keno Hill

Big Bend NP and SP backcountry camping roads

Mexico - including places like Bahai do los Angeles or driving across to the Western side on any number of side roads

Idaho/Montana - Magruder Corridor, including places like Red River Hot springs, Parachute/Eagle Ridge Trailheads, Horse Creek Pass, Argenta

Utah -  Upper Muley Twist 4x4 road, Shafer Trail, White Rim trail, Bears Ears, Lock Hart Rd, Wolverine Rd, Henry Mnts roads

 

So, not rock crawling, mostly gravel driving.

[Wango]

Vic,

Mine is a f350 cc with a 9 foot flatbed. 7x9 camper from atc. Departure angle is limited somewhat by rear hitch/spare tire.

Have been to almost every place on your list, not texas.

Truck has never failed me, there was a road in Beef Basin i didn't go down, a jeep did and wished he didn't.

Will it go everywhere a jeep will or small truck no, will it go about 95% of these places if the other vehicle has a slide in camper? You bet it has. It's a little wide, a little long, but if the trail looks to crazy, i'll take my rzr. Most of all the trails a truck camper of any size goes down, i can. Definitely some suspension work has been done, and it has paid off. 

Big trucks most certainly have there place, and we can be pretty darn comfortable in some pretty out-there places.

w

[Foy]

Humor me a bit longer guys.... pun intended.  With a full crew cab + 8' bed, what kinds of roads are accessible and which roads/regions are "not advisable" in such a rig?  I'm thinking of:

 

Alaska Highway, all the way to Tuktoyaktuk, and side roads like Tungsten and Keno Hill

Big Bend NP and SP backcountry camping roads

Mexico - including places like Bahai do los Angeles or driving across to the Western side on any number of side roads

Idaho/Montana - Magruder Corridor, including places like Red River Hot springs, Parachute/Eagle Ridge Trailheads, Horse Creek Pass, Argenta

Utah -  Upper Muley Twist 4x4 road, Shafer Trail, White Rim trail, Bears Ears, Lock Hart Rd, Wolverine Rd, Henry Mnts roads

 

So, not rock crawling, mostly gravel driving.

 

 

Vic-

 

Couple of generalities, then a few specifics:

 

Generalities--I suspect the differences in wheelbase and nose-to-tail, including approach and departure angles, between a full 4-door (Crew Cab in Ford nomenclature--CC) and an extended cab (Super Cab (?) in Ford nomenclature--SC) is quite modest.  Any increase in wheelbase affects breakover angle negatively.  The body of the truck is essentially the same width as a half-ton F-150 and the 3/4 tons and 1-tons tend to be a little taller.  When you're talking about roads and trails on public lands in the Lower 48, and from the specifics of most if not all of what you mentioned, I expect you're talking about Forest Service, BLM, USF&WS, and other Federal and State Gummint roads / trails on  Federal and State public lands, separate and apart from purely State and County public roads.  The aforementioned Federal and State public lands roads / trails are, in my experience, practically all designed for use by the vehicles used by the Gummint agencies themselves, and to the greatest extent, those vehicles are full-sized American longbed pickups, some 1/2 tons, many 3/4 tons, most regular cab, and practically all 4WD.  I can recall only three instances in literally thousands of miles of off-highway travel in the Northern Rockies when a numbered USFS or BLM or USF&WS road "left me hanging" and was not a good graded gravel road. All three instances were BLM or USF&WS roads, and in all 3 cases, the roads were simply narrower or steeper or less well graded---or all of the above.  

 

Specifics--When I looked into running the Magruder several years back, I telephoned USFS Ranger District offices in both MT and ID and was assured there were no inherent issues with my longbed CC SRW F350. Turned out I didn't run it that year, and haven't since, but I'd have no hesitation about taking on the whole route or just the ID end by Red River HS.  Ditto some of the spurs off of the Magruder.  Most are routinely run by registered outfitters, at least in ID, and they maintain horse camps well off of the Magruder along spur routes.  Their use requires full-size pickups and gooseneck stock trailers, so sports like us in our pickups are a cinch.  For Horse Creek Pass, I have a friend in Challis, ID who has taken his Class C motorhome up to the pass and on down to Horse Creek HS from Shoup, ID along the Salmon River.  It's about a 4,500' climb if I recall correctly. He returned by descending the MT side past Painted Rocks and he doesn't recommend large vehicles like his on the Shoup side, but the point is the pass and the HS are entirely accessible by full-size truck.  And when you're talking about Argenta, man oh man are you evermore in my stomping grounds--I've had my truck all over the East Pioneers and much of the Beaverheads on the other side of the Big Hole from the Pioneers.  Done my share of spotted 17-point turns on narrow trail swhtchbacks, but only ever stopped by snowbanks near or above timberline or washouts down lower, never by inherent road deficiencies.

 

From what you describe, I expect you'll find no limitations imposed by running a full-size 3/4 ton or 1-ton, whether configured as regular cab, SC, or CC. You seem  to think like I do--these trucks ain't rock-crawlers no matter what your modifications are, so no use in thinking about highly technical routes right out of the box.

 

Foy

[Vic Harder]

that was really helpful guys, thanks!

Wango, is your Flatbed on a truck that was originally an 8' bed truck?

[Wango]

Vic,

Yes, truck has an 8 foot bed originally. Company in Eugene, OR fabbed the protech bed for me, adding the extra foot to it's length and the tool box in the back. 

It is a bit long, especially with some type of hitch mounted accessories. Still has not been a real issue offroad, due to me accepting the trucks limitations, which i don't find significant anyway. I wanted the extra length because of the camper i drew up and the ATC boys put together. 

Departure angle hasn't been a problem, mostly because i expect that it could be.

[zuber]

Wango showed me his truck/flatbed/camper before I started mine.  I went the same route with the Protech aluminum flatbed and toolboxes. Hard to believe, but the 8 1/2 ft flatbed was lighter than the stock 8 ft bed. I would not hesitate to put a 1/2 to 1 ft longer flatbed on a truck to run these light campers.  The height of the bed doesn't come close to limiting the departure angle.  The overhang beyond the frame is not an issue unless you are hauling some 1000 lb load that is focused back there.

 

I really like the Cummins engines, these are the cockroaches of the engine world.  I hear you about having to take a Dodge with it, I've had every generation. But, that has all changed starting with the 2014 2500 RAM.  The 68xxx transmission is now bullet proof, the engine has always been bullet proof, the steering is tight, the full coil suspension is plush and the cab interior is winning awards.  I've had a DEF system for a while and it hasn't been an issue, it's nice to have an extremely clean exhaust.  The DEF tank on the RAMs is huge, I only fill it about once a year.  It's use is related to load, so running empty or with just a camper will have very little use.

 

I only take my truck on hard packed two track roads that were graveled at one time.  The only issue is attempting a u-turn.  In my area all the roads were designed for log trucks, so that's not much of an issue.  I'm more concerned about running in soft sand, that engine is heavy.  Adding a front locker and huge tires would probably make that work also.

[Vic Harder]

It seems that the only really negative in addition to losing some departure angle would be shifting your center of gravity to the rear by a bit. This will have little effect on level roads and slight grades but I would think about the gravel and dirt roads you enjoy traveling on. If any had steep climbs this minor negativity would be multiplied greatly during a slow steep climb especially if traction was limited.

that's kind of what I thought.  OK, I am going to wait for the right access cab 8' bed truck to come along!

[ntsqd]

No tricycle motor "expansion" plans, or past that?

 

A friend who bought a SuperCab PSD when they first came out is now experiencing growing pains. As-in the kids are growing and it's a pain stuffing them in the back seat. They used to fit fine. I told him not enough saltpeter in their diet. For some odd reason their mom didn't laugh at that. 

[Vic Harder]

No tricycle motor "expansion" plans, or past that?

 

A friend who bought a SuperCab PSD when they first came out is now experiencing growing pains. As-in the kids are growing and it's a pain stuffing them in the back seat. They used to fit fine. I told him not enough saltpeter in their diet. For some odd reason their mom didn't laugh at that. 

none of those kind of expansion plans... my kids may have other plans, but they have their own vehicles!  Good question though!