22 replies to this topic

[John D]

I am looking for specific help on hardware details in ordering a 2011 truck. It would be much more helpful to me if we limit this particular discussion to 4x4 HALF TON VS A 4x4 THREE QUARTER TON in a fairly specific application, as follows, please;

1. It must be 4x4
2. It must have an 8 foot bed.
3. It must be maneuverable enough for the White Rim Trail.
4. It must fit a Keystone that is 60 inches wide at the rear.
5. The rig is to be driven long distance from east to west and return on many trips, including Alaska.

In my search, I have driven two trucks so far, a 2008 Chevy 1500 4x4 long bed, standard cab. This is a very nice truck for the highway and would probably do just fine on the White Rim Trail. However, the tailgate opening is too narrow for my camper. So, no Chevy this time.

I drove a 2007 Dodge 2500 diesel 4x4 with a standard cab and 8 foot bed. To tell the truth, this seems like too much truck for hauling a camper that weighs only 1500 pounds loaded. Many of the readers here drive short bed trucks. There is no useful comparison between short bed and long bed trucks when it comes to load carrying because the center of gravity of the loaded short bed is quite different from a loaded long bed.

The half ton 4x4 Chevy 1500 long bed standard cab was much nicer on the highway than the Dodge 2500 4x4 long bed standard cab. However, the Dodge was empty when I drove it. It was not a fair comparison. Does anyone have a long bed three quarter ton truck of any brand loaded with a FWC or an ATC? Does your truck have a straight front axle and how does it ride on the interstate?

I believe there may be a problem with the Dodge 2500 with the straight front axle. Off roaders may like the straight axle for durability, but I am afraid it will be miserable for long distance driving on the highway. Is there any merit to this concern?

An important discussion for me will focus on straight axle vs independent front axle. Can a straight axle drive as well on the road as an independent axle?

Because the Dodge fits my camper so well, I have presently been going back and forth between the 2011 Dodge 1500 4x4 with the 4.7 overhead cam flex fuel engine and the 2011 Dodge 2500 4x4 with a diesel and 6 speed manual. There is a big price difference between the two but that is not my primary consideration because I plan to keep this truck a long time. My last truck had 450,000 mile on it when I sold it. (The Ford does not fit so well. No Ford this time. But maybe a Tundra 8 foot bed???)

a. Does the 2011 Dodge 1500 4x4 have an independent front axle?
b. At present, there is no diesel available for the 2011 Dodge 1500. I like the 4.7 V8. I am aware of the enthusiasm around the Hemi and published fuel economy figures nearly identical for both the 4.7 and the 5.7. However, I believe the fuel economy figures for the 4.7 are based on e-85 fuel. The 4.7 is a flex fuel engine and should achieve better fuel economy when running 89 or 92 octane gasoline. Thus, published fuel economy figures may compare apples and oranges, but I cannot find authoritative answers to my questions or assumptions.
c. I very much prefer a manual transmission, which is a strong point for the Dodge 2500 diesel with 6 speed manual.
d. At present, I am limiting the scope of my comparisons to standard cab trucks because I know from driving my last long bed truck with an extended cab that it is more difficult to maneuver these long trucks and I might have real problems off road. I have decided to buy a standard cab, remove the rear window of the truck and the large front window of the Keystone. Then I plan to install a full boot, which almost makes the camper itself an extension of the truck cab. This use to be a common practice but has become rare with all the extended cab trucks on the market. If someone has actually owned a full boot truck camper setup like this, it would be helpful to have your input.

Many thanks in advance for your help, John D

[CJ8Rockcrawler]

I am looking for specific help on hardware details in ordering a 2011 truck. It would be much more helpful to me if we limit this particular discussion to 4x4 HALF TON VS A 4x4 THREE QUARTER TON in a fairly specific application, as follows, please;

1. It must be 4x4
2. It must have an 8 foot bed.
3. It must be maneuverable enough for the White Rim Trail.
4. It must fit a Keystone that is 60 inches wide at the rear.
5. The rig is to be driven long distance from east to west and return on many trips, including Alaska.

In my search, I have driven two trucks so far, a 2008 Chevy 1500 4x4 long bed, standard cab. This is a very nice truck for the highway and would probably do just fine on the White Rim Trail. However, the tailgate opening is too narrow for my camper. So, no Chevy this time.

I drove a 2007 Dodge 2500 diesel 4x4 with a standard cab and 8 foot bed. To tell the truth, this seems like too much truck for hauling a camper that weighs only 1500 pounds loaded. Many of the readers here drive short bed trucks. There is no useful comparison between short bed and long bed trucks when it comes to load carrying because the center of gravity of the loaded short bed is quite different from a loaded long bed.

The half ton 4x4 Chevy 1500 long bed standard cab was much nicer on the highway than the Dodge 2500 4x4 long bed standard cab. However, the Dodge was empty when I drove it. It was not a fair comparison. Does anyone have a long bed three quarter ton truck of any brand loaded with a FWC or an ATC? Does your truck have a straight front axle and how does it ride on the interstate?

I believe there may be a problem with the Dodge 2500 with the straight front axle. Off roaders may like the straight axle for durability, but I am afraid it will be miserable for long distance driving on the highway. Is there any merit to this concern?

An important discussion for me will focus on straight axle vs independent front axle. Can a straight axle drive as well on the road as an independent axle?

Because the Dodge fits my camper so well, I have presently been going back and forth between the 2011 Dodge 1500 4x4 with the 4.7 overhead cam flex fuel engine and the 2011 Dodge 2500 4x4 with a diesel and 6 speed manual. There is a big price difference between the two but that is not my primary consideration because I plan to keep this truck a long time. My last truck had 450,000 mile on it when I sold it. (The Ford does not fit so well. No Ford this time. But maybe a Tundra 8 foot bed???)

a. Does the 2011 Dodge 1500 4x4 have an independent front axle?
b. At present, there is no diesel available for the 2011 Dodge 1500. I like the 4.7 V8. I am aware of the enthusiasm around the Hemi and published fuel economy figures nearly identical for both the 4.7 and the 5.7. However, I believe the fuel economy figures for the 4.7 are based on e-85 fuel. The 4.7 is a flex fuel engine and should achieve better fuel economy when running 89 or 92 octane gasoline. Thus, published fuel economy figures may compare apples and oranges, but I cannot find authoritative answers to my questions or assumptions.
c. I very much prefer a manual transmission, which is a strong point for the Dodge 2500 diesel with 6 speed manual.
d. At present, I am limiting the scope of my comparisons to standard cab trucks because I know from driving my last long bed truck with an extended cab that it is more difficult to maneuver these long trucks and I might have real problems off road. I have decided to buy a standard cab, remove the rear window of the truck and the large front window of the Keystone. Then I plan to install a full boot, which almost makes the camper itself an extension of the truck cab. This use to be a common practice but has become rare with all the extended cab trucks on the market. If someone has actually owned a full boot truck camper setup like this, it would be helpful to have your input.

Many thanks in advance for your help, John D

I'll try to make sure I cover all your points.

Yes, the new Dodge 1/2 ton trucks are independent front suspension AND use a coil sprung rear axle suspension. They do have a VERY nice ride, but I do not have any personal experience nor any anecdotal evidence regarding how they would handle a camper. I suspect that they are geared more towards good unloaded ride quality and perhaps would not be the best choice for a vehicle that is going to be loaded with a camper most of its life.

I think the 2500 trucks ride very well on road, especially when they are loaded. I do not think this will be an issue when loaded with your camper and think that it will actually handle better than a 1/2 ton would with the load of the camper. As the solid axle trucks age, you can develop some wander and tracking issues, but these can be addressed with aftermarket parts and I suspect you would have the same issues with the 1/2 ton trucks as well.

The new Diesel trucks are very nice... quiet... smoother shifting etc. but do have significantly poorer fuel economy than the 5.9 liter trucks. If fuel economy is a concern, you may want to entertain the idea of finding a good used Dodge w/ the 5.9 liter Cummins. Another option that you may wish to consider is getting the gas engine in the 2500 truck. It gets almost the same mileage as the new Diesel does and would be a significant savings for you. It would, of course, give you all the other benefits of the 3/4 ton platform. For that matter, considering the single rear wheel 3500 might be a good option as well. It is only about a $700 upgrade if I remember correctly and has some suspension upgrades for better weight carrying capacity over the 3/4 tons.

On the 4.7 liter vs. the 5.7 liter hemi, I believe the posted numbers are accurate for fuel economy. The hemi has cylinder deactivation which will help its highway mileage significantly.

I can't help you on the full boot discussion. I have sliding windows in both the camper and the truck and the small boot between them. The full boot would be a nice option for a permanent setup.

Good luck! Hope the above information is helpful to you.

[simimike]

CJ8Rockcrawler is spot on. I have a Dodge 2500 4X4 extended cab long bed. The straight front axle is a smooth ride. I would not hesitate to buy any truck with one. As far as 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton, if I was going to buy a new truck I would get a 3500. In the Dodge Ram the only difference between the 2500 and the 3500 is the rear spring pack. I have never heard any one say" I bought too much truck for this camper." So I personally recommend a 3500. Especially if you are thinking about the Keystone.

Mike

[HERR42]

a keystone, the best setup would be the 3500.

a have a f250 with a hawk. anything bigger than the hawk and i would want a bigger truck.

especially if your going to be galavanting all over the place! oh yes, and planning to "keep it a long time".

two schools exist: by small and use aftermarket to beef it up, and, those who get a capable factory vehicle. i fall into the latter group.
i dont think i could eek along without mistreating the rig now and then, i value the inherent strength.

the independant axle rides a little better. whether the front end is leaf or coil will have an impact on turn radius.

on fords, another diff between the 250 & 350 besides the springs is the rear end ring size.

[DirtyDog]

If you are buying a new truck with the intention of putting a camper on it - IMO it's a mistake to get anything less than a 3/4 ton. Now if you already have something smaller thats fine - it will certainly work. But if you are getting a new truck, might as well get the best tool for the job.

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Bump-steer oscillation ("Death Wobble") is a known problem with pretty near every solid front axle vehicle. The cure is to make sure all the suspension components are in good working order, all torque settings are correct and the front tires have sufficient air pressure. In the case of my truck, a worn out steering dampener made for a scary ride and prematurely wore out my front tires. Not believing a steering dampener could be bad after only 60,000 miles, I dragged my feet on its replacement. Finally, I went to a suspension specialist, who relieved me of my ignorance.

Now that it is in good order, I enjoy my truck's ride. The camper is always on, fully stocked for future adventures.

[Barko1]

I'm on the side of erring on the larger size. Of course if gas goes to $5..... I paid $7 a gallon in the Australian outback a couple months ago. I felt my Grandby was overloading my longbed F150 w/airbags. Changed to an F250, solid axle, now 140,000 miles and I was surprised how good it is on the highway. If I were doing it again I'd even look at the F350.

[Stan@FourWheel]

I've been working around trucks & campers almost everyday for the last 6 or 7 years.

The last 3 trucks I have owned were Ford F-150's.

I have carried just about everything possible with them.

The 1/2 ton trucks can do it with some upgrades, but they are by far NOT the best truck for the job.

By the time you add a set of D or E rated truck tires and do the rear suspension upgrades to a 1/2 ton truck, it will probably ride just a rough as a 3/4 ton truck.

The weak point on my last three Ford F-150's seemed to be the brakes. They just didn't have alot of stopping power when the truck was loaded down with a camper.

I don't know all of the small in's & out's, but I do know the basics.

If I was personally going to mount a Keystone on a truck I would highly reccommend a 3/4 ton truck as well.

I'm waiting patiently for the right deal on a used 3/4 ton too.

Love my Ford F-150, but always wishing I had just that little extra.

Our diesel work trucks are nice, but they sure do feel HEAVY compared to the gas engine trucks I have owned.

Maybe its just me ?



.





.

[camelracer]

Go with the 1/2 ton. We could use some more suspension mod / airbag threads.

[chnlisle]

Go with the 1/2 ton. We could use some more suspension mod / airbag threads.

And toilet threads.... Yeah more toilet threads too.