Need your knowledge: Which truck to buy?

[gstallings]

Ok so this is my first ever post to a forum. So please be patient with me if I'm doing this all wrong. From what I have learned on WTW is that there is an limitless amount of information from everyone so I am here to learn and if possible add to the knowledge.
I am currently shopping for a truck so I could have ATC build a shell camper for it. Now my problem is what truck to buy. I have narrowed it down to three possible configurations with pros and cons for all but looking for people who have either been in my situation or actually have the trucks im looking at with a camper to chime in and give me their opinion.

Truck options:
1st gen Tundra. pros - cheaper(more money for adons, smaller feel for use as a everyday driver, durability!! Cons - older, more miles, MPGs, lower payload

2012 F150 5.0 SC or new(price range of 23k) - pros - better MPG, newer(not sure on durability), same payload as tundra, fancier interiors(maybe a con in the long run). Cons - A lot more money that doesn't offset the MPG, durability, again money it will cost ~10k more than the tundra.

2001-2003 f250 7.3l diesel. pros - durability if found with low miles, higher payload, bigger(but for off road might be a con), Price would be in the middle of the other two ~18k. cons - heavier for the offroad, big daily driver, MPGs, rough ride compared to the other two.

I will add that I want to be able to get far off the road not rock crawl but far off road. Sorry for the long post but just need to explain my hold up. Thanks for any advice. Ill be posting my build when it starts. Also, Im throwing around the idea of a flatbed camper instead of a slide in.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

My 2¢ worth. Decide how big of a shell you want, then pick a truck that is capable of safely carrying it. The trucks you listed could carry anything from a Bobcat up to a Cougar depending on which truck you buy. For off-road, smaller is typically better because of maneuverability. I have a Ford Ranger with a Bobcat that will let me get into tighter places.

Pick the options you want on the camper you want, look at estimated weight, then decide about the truck.

ATC is a great company to work with. I am very happy with my camper. They are easy to work with, do customization, and have fantastic customer service.

 

[gstallings]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll be going with a flatbed shell on a 2006. Just need a couch and storage in the camper. No plumbing or fridge. I was just worried about the sway and abuse to the truck. But from what I'm reading I should not have a problem.

 

[kmcintyre]

Ok, you'll probably get a lot of opinons so here's mine .

I have a great truck and it's a diesel. I would get a diesel no matter what. You can't be the torque. The downside? Diesel typically costs more but you get better mileage and you probably won't know the camper is on the truck.

Now... the difficult part. I love my 3.0 diesel. Great mileage and power. Downside? With the camper on, gear, people, dogs, ice, water, propane, etc., etc. that's a lot of a 1/2 ton truck. The truck does fine but pay attention to GVWR. I'm sure I'm over but I have LT tires, load range E, airbags/shocks, etc. so the truck does just fine. Ideally if I could get a 3/4 ton truck w/ a smaller diesel I would.

If you are going to travel much (out of the US; mainly Mexico and further south - Mexico is changing soon), a newer diesel with ULSD can be an issue so the older 7.3 would be a great option as those things don't have all the diesel requirements (DEF, EGR, etc.) and will run forever. You could look for a nice 5.9 Dodge Cummins too. Another great platform.

Good luck!

 

[Andy Douglass]

We don't own a camper yet (that changes in mid-August), but having gone through several periods of intense, obsessive shopping and research over the last few years, I've found that the GVWR is the most important factor for us. We have two trucks, both purchased new from the dealer (2005 Sierra and 2008 Ram). Both of our trucks are 4x4 1/2 tons with a lot of features. They both have relatively low miles.

We are installing the camper on the Dodge, which has higher miles but is newer. I'm not that worried about the truck not handling the weight of the camper since I am in the middle of (a very painful) install of air springs and rear sway bar. My biggest concern is liability if there is some sort of accident. This is my nightmare: Someone pulls out in front of us and causes us to rear end them, and there is significant damage or even worse, injury. It's easy to say it would be unlikely from armchair HQ, but if a smart enough attorney gets involved, GVWR could easily be used in a civil suit, even if it had nothing to do with the accident in reality.

So I am kicking myself for not spending the extra money, which would not have been a huge price increase, to get 3/4 ton trucks back when we bought these. The 2005 Sierra has less than 100k miles on it, but it is getting old. So that truck will eventually turn into a new 3/4 and I won't have to worry any more. But I would recommend anyone who is getting a full size truck and has even a tiny interest in possibly getting a camper of any sort to hold out for a 3/4 ton. Other issues like diesel vs gas are less important to me, but that's not to say they aren't important too.

 

[gstallings]

Thanks for the input. I guess I'll have to really figure out what kind of camper I want to get. The flatbed looks amazing but not sure if I want to go through putting a flatbed on

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Thanks for the input. I guess I'll have to really figure out what kind of camper I want to get. The flatbed looks amazing but not sure if I want to go through putting a flatbed on

I believe ATC did at least one direct frame mount on a Ford Ranger that was purchased in Mexico. The flatbed or a utility bed makes better sense to me.

 

[Durango1]

I totally recommend the flatbed model. MUCH more livable and with MUCH more storage space! (Mine is the 'small one'!)

 

[Wango]

Ditto on the flatbed. Having had both types of bed/camper setups and still using the truck as a truck its hard to beat a flatbed.
Bigger trucks can sometimes limit travel due to size, some trails get a bit tight, but not as often as I had feared originally.

 

[Beach]

I originally had my Hawk on a first gen Tundra access cab 4.0 motor. It now lives on a 2012 F250 4x4. While a modified 1/2 can get the job done, in my opinion a 3/4 ton is a better platform. Handling(especially in crosswinds)and braking are much improved and I'm well within the GVWR. I gave up about 1 mpg going to the 3/4 ton, mileage varies from 11-13mpg depending on speed and road conditions.I gladly give up 1 mpg for the improvements

 

[jrwdlw]

Thanks for the input. I guess I'll have to really figure out what kind of camper I want to get. The flatbed looks amazing but not sure if I want to go through putting a flatbed on

Do it, you'll love it. I don't have a camper yet, but I did build and install a flatbed. The "build" was a lot of work, the "install" not so bad. I've added under body tool boxes, which are great. Now I'm looking at building a flip-top camper.

 

[XJINTX]

Just saying... I pulled over at a rest stop viewing area in Wyoming.... pretty far from anywhere. At the stop was a Nissan Titan with a full size Alaska Camper I believe. BOTH shock mounts in the rear had broke and were hanging. I had no solution for him nor did he. He headed out before me and said he'd drive slow until next town. I puttered around another 15 min and headed out. Never saw him again so hope he was OK. I think a Flatbed or full size shell is a bit over the edge for a half ton but just my opinion.

 

[Durango1]

Thanks for the input. I guess I'll have to really figure out what kind of camper I want to get. The flatbed looks amazing but not sure if I want to go through putting a flatbed on

Where are you located? I have an amazing fabrication company in Farmington, NM that did it all for me... painlessly.

 

[Ronin]

I had a 2003 Tundra and 2005 Hawk for several years. The only suspension mod was overload springs and never felt the need to do anything else. The only negative I had were with the brakes. Whether the Hawk was on or off I always felt the brakes were very marginal. I only carry a minimal amount of gear- only one box of firewood and step stool allowed on the floor- so I don't tend to be overloaded. The '03 was mechanically excellent otherwise. Never in the shop except for a couple of recall items, timing belt and tune at 100K and regular oil changes. That being said I wouldn't recommend a gen 1 Tundra unless there's a way to upgrade the brakes. I currently have a '14 Tundra and so far have been very happy with it. It's a lot heavier and not nearly as nimble as the '03 but I'm not in fear of rear ending someone anymore! I generally get 13-14 mpg with the Hawk on it and 16-17 unloaded. The only suspension mod are air bags that I only pump up to 25lbs. I've looked into an aluminum flatbed but as far as I know, no one makes one for it. A few manufacturers can custom make one but I'd have to leave my truck with them for a week or so.

I don't claim that my rig is the best but I'm very happy with it. In a perfect world I'd love to have a 3/4 ton but that would leave Tundra's out. I've owned a 1ton Chevy, 3/4ton Ford, several 1/2 ton Chevy's and have come to the conclusion that I prefer the dependabilty of Tundra's. Good luck on your quest!!

 

[dharte]

When I was last truck shopping back in 2005, I was having a hard time deciding between a new F150 or F250. At the time, I had a Jayco tent trailer. I'm so glad the salesman steered me to the bigger and much stronger truck-the price difference was minimal compared to the extra capability. He told me "get more truck than you think you'll need", and I think that is good advice (provided you can afford it). Even with the 3/4 ton, I am right at my GVWL with my well-optioned Hawk, wife,dogs and gear. The truck does great and I added air bags for extra support and a smoother ride. I average 14mpg with the camper. With that said, my next (dream) rig will be an F350 with a flatbed/Grandby.

 

[jrwdlw]

Just saying... I pulled over at a rest stop viewing area in Wyoming.... pretty far from anywhere. At the stop was a Nissan Titan with a full size Alaska Camper I believe. BOTH shock mounts in the rear had broke and were hanging. I had no solution for him nor did he. He headed out before me and said he'd drive slow until next town. I puttered around another 15 min and headed out. Never saw him again so hope he was OK. I think a Flatbed or full size shell is a bit over the edge for a half ton but just my opinion.

XJINTX,

I didn't mean to imply that he should do the flatbed on a 1/2 ton. IMO, that would be a poor choice. I have a 2017 F350 CCLB that has a 4400 lb payload capacity.

 

[wagoneer]

I do believe the Merxican Ford Rangers had a Diesel option, and Canadian builds. Not allowed into US markets.