Hawk or Grandby

[snorris]

Have not bought truck yet. Going to be either Ram 2500/3500 4x4 crew cab 6 1/2 or 8' bed. Ford would be F250/350 4x4 same set up. Both in gas (no interest in diesel) . Would love a Tundra and Hawk but the payload is just not there no matter how I figure it. Appreciate any thoughts. Truck will be daily driver.

 

[Tuff Guy 62]

Why not a Chevy 2500?

Payload is 800lbs more the the Dodge 2500

 

[Ace!]

'Twere me, a 2016 F350 SuperCab, XL, 6.2L gas, 4x4, plow package, manual everything. Perfect truck if ever there were one.

 

[longhorn1]

Have '13 F-250, crew cab, 8' bed and Grandby. Good smooth ride. Believe Ford had the best payload. In any event camper rides level with no enhancements to rear suspension. Good luck with your search and camper selection. Jd

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[northshorehenry]

I think it's been said before, the biggest truck you can afford and the smallest camper you are willing to live in. Pretty much what I went with and I can't even feel the load on the back with I am heading up a hill.

 

[Bombsight]

3500 GMC Denali with a fully loaded Hawk is in my plan come June '16

 

[Durango1]

3500 GMC Denali with a fully loaded Hawk is in my plan come June '16

Nice combo.

You guys may be tired of me pushing the flatbed hawk but it has a lot of advantages.

My only caveat is if you are going to be taking your camper on and off a lot I would go with a slide-in Hawk. I can't even imagine pulling mine off. It is a real bear on my truck (as in a "permanent" installation!) but maybe someone one has figgered out an easy-on-off system...
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[BrianG]

You won't have any regrets if you get a one ton in Ford, Chevy or Dodge. With these trucks you won't be payload limited ever and you will probably never have a payload/ trailering limit! If money isn't an issue why would you limit your future possibilities. I bought a new Dodge 2500 in 2015 and I'm scratching my head, why didn't I get a one ton!! Fully loaded with my Hawk I'm over GVWR. I just had 2500 on my brain, should have looked at all the parameters more closely. Having said that my truck feels fine with the factory suspension and has an incredible zoom factor with the Cummins diesel.

One example of looking closely at the spec's, I have the MegaCab, it erases close to 300-400 lbs from you payload, however I really like the 4x5' platform in the back.

When I bought my 2500 you could get a LIFETIME bumper to bumper warranty for $3000.00 in the gas models. I got a diesel and that warranty policy didn't apply.

Lots to think about, just don't build in limitations from the get-go, if you don't have to!

 

[rotti]

Hawk or Grandby?

Well I've had both, a Grandby on a regular cab 3/4 ton and a Hawk on my current crew cab. For us (two humans and a hound), a crew cab and a Hawk is by far the best combo.

Why? Storage. All the stuff that I had to step over and move around on the floor of the camper is now in the cab. Also, now the dog can ride in climate controlled comfort.

Truck? I completely agree with your choice of a HD version. Fully loaded I have 600 pounds of unused payload capacity. Being 500 to a 1,000 pounds over the 1/2 ton factory rating doesn't appeal to me. If I were to buy again I also would go with a 1 ton....I don't need it at all but perhaps a bigger trailer with more toys in the future?

Brand? I have always had great luck with GM trucks and would get another in a heartbeat. These days though they are all pretty good. Drive all three and pick your favorite.

 

[Ace!]

If you get a Ford, the trucks are the same, save for a rear block. The ride, optioned the same, will be the same.

 

[Trailbob]

We have the Chevy 2500 crew cab, 4X4 gas with the Hawk. We previously had an extended cab 2500 (diesel) with the Hawk. There have been times I wished I had a long bed truck, but more times I have been happy with the short bed when I have to maneuver the truck or a trailer (boat or travel) into a tight spot. The crew cab has made a big difference in how much storage room we have, and has made the Hawk more enjoyable. Most of our trips with the Hawk are relatively short, and we are outside most of the time, so the size is fine for two of us. If we did longer trips the Grandby might be better.

By the time I am ready to replace our current truck/camper combo, I'm sure I will have changed my mind several times as to which is best. Hard to get it just right...

 

[Durango1]

I would have been much more interested in the Grandby if FWC had used the extra length for more cabinets/ counter top/ open space. But instead they just give you a bigger dinette which for just two of us isn't important. So we stayed with the Hawk model.

X2 on the protected storage of a crew cab. My Ram has the 60/40 split seat so I took out the 60% seat for even more storage. We kept the small rear seat (usually folded up) for the few times our daughter joins us.

 

[BWSracing]

I was originally looking at a hawk for my 3/4 ton ram. I found a granby and couldn't imagine going with smaller space with those adults and three dogs.


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[smlobx]

I'm putting another brand on our F-350 cc lwb but would reccomend the larger truck for your rig.
Putting a Grandby on a short bed truck just leaves too much weight aft of the rear axle for my taste.
The Grandby was on our short list but the North/South arrangement of the Hallmark gave it the nod for my wife...

 

[snorris]

Everybody, Thanks for all the good info. If I take the plunge it will be Hawk and 3/4 or 1 ton 4x4.

 

[LookyLou]

I have a Grandby in a 6.5' bed Chevy 3500 HD. You'll appreciate the extra space, IMO.

 

[Ronanmd1]

I went with the Hawk on a 13 Ram 2500 CTD. I was originally planning on getting a 3500, but the ride without the bed loaded was harsh to say the least. Since I take my camper off for the winter, the 2500 seemed like the better plan...no complaints so far. Truck hardly notices the weight in the back and the size of the camper is plenty for my wife, me and the hound.