I'm looking to buy a new truck with the intention of making some big road trips with a camper. I want a longbed, which of course makes the camper heavier, and if I tow my boat my rear axle weight would be around 4500-5000 lbs. Right now I'm torn between a dually and a SRW. I really don't want to have the big dually for everyday driving but it sure would be nice for the trips. Does anyone have any input or advice on driving with a heavy camper in a SRW? Any good additions to the suspension that would help? Any input is appreciated.
Calculate the rear axle weight. You already have your answer. A dually is really no big deal as a daily driver unless the only parking available is in a garage with 6' clearance.
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2002 F350 Lariat CC 4x4 Auto 4.10 DRW, DP-Tuner F5 live tuned stock, quiet, 40dd, 40, 60, 80 tow, 80e and 120r, B&W GN, BrakeSmart, 'pooned tank, tank and pre-pump mods, 2µ Dahl 100 filter, regulated return, BTS dual HPOP, AC singles with EDM 34 lpm nozzles, AIS, H2e, Spearco 6.0 IC, Hypermax 3.5" dp--> MBRP 4" 304SS exhaust, BTS tranny, 203º T-stat, Chevron ELC, coolant filter, Oilguard bypass with Schaeffer 9000, WranglerNW 200 amp alternator & Optima group 31 batteries, Nippon-Denso starter, SPA gauges, SteveRacer mods, Hella 80/100W 9007s, Hella Micro DE foglights, 1000FF driving lights, 220W backup lights, Stancor contactor, Michelin XPS Traction tires, X-Springs, Bilstein shox, custom bumpers but otherwise stock. Nov 30 '99 build engine with 16 K miles, Fluidampr, Comp Cam 910 springs, Melling LPOP and ARP headstuds. Alien-Patrol Customer Service Sucks!
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Does anyone have any input or advice on driving with a heavy camper in a SRW?
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"Normal" self-contained truck campers weigh 4,000 pounds wet and loaded. "Heavy" campers weigh 5,000 pounds or more. Only itty bitty campers weigh much less.
So you need a payload of at least 4,000 pounds.
F-350 SRW CrewCab 4x4 PSD longbed is going to weigh at least 8,000 pounds with driver, one passenger, and normal stuff in the truck, not including the camper. So you need a GVWR of at least 12,000 pounds. But the F-350 SRW PSD has a GVWR of only 11,500. So you'll be overloaded with a "normal" camper, and severely overloaded with a "heavy" camper. And you haven't even tied onto the boat trailer yet.
Move up to the Dooley and the GVWR increases to 13,000 pounds, but the truck weighs about 500 pounds more for a net increase of 1,000 pounds payload. That's a payload of around 4,500 pounds, which should handle a normal camper plus a 5,000 pound boat with trailer.
If you meant "heavy" when you said heavy, or if you plan to haul more than one passenger, or if your boat with trailer grosses more than about 5,000 pounds, or if you don't want to worry about being overloaded when on the road with your wet and loaded camper, then you need the F-450 pickup. Heavy campers are one reason Ford now makes the F-450 pickup. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/warmsmile.gif[/img]
F-450 pickup loaded to the gills with options and wet and loaded for the road will weigh aboput 9,000 pounds. GVWR is 14,500, for a net payload of around 5,500 pounds. With a heavy camper and a boat tied onto the back end, that's probably what you need.
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My Sierra Blanca is a '99.5 PSD CrewCab hot-rod Towing Machine! BTS tranny; TurboRamAir intake and 4" stainless turbo-back exhaust; DP-Tuner tunes flashed into an Edge Evolution tuner; ISSPRO EV gauges and TTM; AIC; SP-Diesel exhaust brake and torque converter controller. I special-ordered it new and plan to drive it until it quits.
If you're going to have camper and a trailer; definitely a dually
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1996 F250 4x4 ext. cab, long bed 5 spd. 3.55ls, Tymar Intake, Tymar 4" downpipe and 4" exhaust. AIC, B&W turnoverball, EBPV brake, tranny temp gauge, boost gauge, and egt gauge. 235k miles and thousands of $$$$ in maintenance and repairs.
Purchased an Arctic Fox 811 and put it on my short box F350. Made me nervous. Camper weighs over 4,000 lbs. loaded. Purchased 07 F350 dually this past winter. I now don't really even notice the camper at all. With my 2 place 4 wheeler trailer, the thing pulls like a dream and I am far more comfortable. Buy a dually, you won't regret it.
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2007 F350 Lariat CC, Black, Short Bed Dually. Pictures Coming Soon.
2004 F350 XLT 6.0 PSD Crew Cab Build Date 12/12/2003 Dark Toreador Red, Moon Roof, Camper Package, FX4 Traded in Decmber 2006
2003 F350 XLT 6.0 PSD Crew Cab 4X4 Build Date 1/21/2003 Metallic Gray, Camper Package, FX4 Package. - REPLACED BY FORD
I wouldn,t even put my camper on an SRW again, especially after some of the hair raising high wind experiances I have had in the past. If you are towing, you will probably be on an extended hitch also, depending on the length of your slide-in. The DRW is much more stable and safe with a heavy slide-in in my opinion. My DRW is my daily driver and I have no problem with it. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img]
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2004 F-350 Lariat, Supercab 4X4 FX4, DRW
Dark Toreador Red/Silver, 6.0L, Torqueshift Auto, ESOF, 4.10 LS, Camper Package, Dual Alternators. Build Date 6-8-04, Eng 5-28-04, Lance 9.5 Ft Camper.
Unless its a pop up camper I would consider a DRW a must have. (and I dislike DRW due to way it handles on ice/mud/small parking lots)
The taller you are the more stable a (base) you NEED to be comfortable.
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