Best Full Sized Truck?

[bovine]

My wife and I are in our mid 50s- young enough to still get after it, but old enough to know that our days of pretending like we're in our mid 20s are limited. We've owned many truck campers and RVs, but our favorite one was a Six Pac on a Chevy truck, which we foolishly sold years ago. We'd like to get another 4-season rig for long-range trips, ski touring, area skiing, mountain biking, river surfing, hiking....

We just hatched a plan to throw down on another rig. Looking at a full sized (3/4 or ton) truck with a good hard-side camper:Bigfoot, Lance 835 or 815, something along those lines.

We don't have a ton of $$$, but could spend around 30-40K for truck and camper.

The thing is, we've mostly owned Toyota trucks over the years. Currently, we both have 1st gen-Tundras and foresee them easily reaching 300k on the clock-they're just not going to cut it for a hard-side camper- even a light one would be pushing 1,400 lbs loaded...

So... we're looking for the rig. We've researched a lot of trucks, but more beta never hurts.


Who out there is running a domestic truck: F250, Dodge 2500, Chevy 2500... looking to get a diesel, probably a manual, crew cab- Mid 2000s...


Thoughts...? What to look for, what to avoid?

[El Chupacabra]

Asking for the "best" is going to produce fans of literally every truck available...

For that budget, and with the intent of mounting a camper, I'd suggest going with a gas engine. Lower cost to buy, lower cost to maintain and repair, lighter weight means more payload for your camper.

[snowaddict91]

I'd consider a gasser as well, for a few reasons. Anything other than a 5.9 cummins or 7.3 diesel is gonna have complicated (expensive) emissions systems and their issues. A 7.3 or 5.9 is the gold standard, but prices are just stupid right now for a worn out truck, and they are all pushing 20+ years old, which means if you don't aspire to be a shade tree diesel mechanic, you may need deep pockets. Things just wear out. Lastly (for now), diesels can be a PITA in real cold winter temps, and it gets cold in our neck of the woods. 7.3s in particular can be finicky bastards.

With all that said, there is something about a cool old diesel truck and I sure miss having one sometimes.

[teleee]

I'd consider a gasser as well, for a few reasons. Anything other than a 5.9 cummins or 7.3 diesel is gonna have complicated (expensive) emissions systems and their issues. A 7.3 or 5.9 is the gold standard, but prices are just stupid right now for a worn out truck, and they are all pushing 20+ years old, which means if you don't aspire to be a shade tree diesel mechanic, you may need deep pockets. Things just wear out. Lastly (for now), diesels can be a PITA in real cold winter temps, and it gets cold in our neck of the woods. 7.3s in particular can be finicky bastards.

With all that said, there is something about a cool old diesel truck and I sure miss having one sometimes.

Yep a dodge or ford gasser would make the most sense for your needs. I don’t have a lot of love for the General Motors trucks in those eras for heavy duty use. That being said if you could find a low mileage cummins that would be the unicorn. Good luck and i will keep my eye out for ya.


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[bovine]

I'd be open to a gasser. I have heard horror stories of diesels sucking the savings accounts of their owners dry...

I could stomach a gasser w/a relatively lightweight hard-side camper if I could get somewhere in the low teens for mpgs...

F250 or Dodge-- Opinions for their mid-2000s 3/4 ton truck? If looking at a gasser, I'd just go w/an automatic. I'd heard that on diesels the torque of the motor can tear apart autos, hence the interest in a manual... But if it's a gas truck, maybe less maintenance in the long run for an auto...

[El Chupacabra]

I don't have any particular brand loyalty, but broadly speaking, for a 2000s pickup with gas engine and automatic transmission, I'd probably look for a GM. Pros: engine and trans reliability. Cons: weak front end.

Ford of that era- pros: solid axles, bodies seem to hold up better than the other brands. Cons: some of the 5.4 V8s had spark plug issues, and IIRC also the V10s.

Dodge of that era- pros: usually less expensive than the others because Dodge, solid axles. Cons: automatics known for having issues, electrical issues generally.

At the age of any of these, general condition and price probably drives the choice today. Also, if you have any preference on cab configuration, that might make your choice too (eg suicide doors vs regular front hinged doors in the extended cabs).

[skibrd]

I’ve been daily driving a 2015 F350 gas the past 2 years and it hasn’t been terrible. I haven’t put a camper in the bed, but with two sleds on a deck it got 14 mpg on the highway. Don’t expect to get better then 11/12 mpg around town. I did drive cross country twice this year in in and if I kept my speed below 70 mph, I got 15.5 mpg. Over 70 I was getting 14mpg. And that’s with out a camper, just so you have realistic numbers.




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[TeleBeaver]

Look for a ford with the 6.2 gasser. Very reliable compared to the older 6.8 v10s and 5.4 v8s, and a lot cheaper than any diesel. The 6 speed auto paired with the 6.2 gasser is also super solid compared to the older E4OD behind the v10s. Any ford superduty newer than 08 will have a coil sprung front end which has a much better ride and tighter turn radius than the older leaf sprung designs. If it were my money I'd be looking for a 2011-2016 F-350 gasser. The 350 will have more payload than the 250 usually, which is the critical number for slide in campers. Those trucks were in a different class for reliability compared to a lot of the other ford junk.

[BFD]

I am rolling this. Still building out the camper. Truck gets 22MPG without the camper. Tow 1200lbs. can put 2000lbs in bed. New truck and new camper should come out to $62,000 complete. You are probably going to be losing at least 4mpg with the camper on any truck. I personally do not want to be driving something getting single digit miles.

[bovine]

Look for a ford with the 6.2 gasser. Very reliable compared to the older 6.8 v10s and 5.4 v8s, and a lot cheaper than any diesel. The 6 speed auto paired with the 6.2 gasser is also super solid compared to the older E4OD behind the v10s. Any ford superduty newer than 08 will have a coil sprung front end which has a much better ride and tighter turn radius than the older leaf sprung designs. If it were my money I'd be looking for a 2011-2016 F-350 gasser. The 350 will have more payload than the 250 usually, which is the critical number for slide in campers. Those trucks were in a different class for reliability compared to a lot of the other ford junk.

Thanks, looks like this is the one will be looking for. I could pair it with something like a Lance 815 and have a pretty good rig.


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[MakersTeleMark]

The v10 and the 7.3 will yield 12 mpg with weight. Up to you to choose your downsides. Pretty good trucks though.

[El Chupacabra]

Look for a ford with the 6.2 gasser. Very reliable compared to the older 6.8 v10s and 5.4 v8s, and a lot cheaper than any diesel. The 6 speed auto paired with the 6.2 gasser is also super solid compared to the older E4OD behind the v10s. Any ford superduty newer than 08 will have a coil sprung front end which has a much better ride and tighter turn radius than the older leaf sprung designs. If it were my money I'd be looking for a 2011-2016 F-350 gasser. The 350 will have more payload than the 250 usually, which is the critical number for slide in campers. Those trucks were in a different class for reliability compared to a lot of the other ford junk.

I searched for several years for a lowish mileage 2011-16 F350 gas truck... and then covid hit, and prices went higher. Within the OP's budget for truck and camper, it's going to be a tough shop.

[Jason4]

I’ve had a Ram 2500 with a diesel for 8 years now and would also suggest looking at a gasser. I don’t put a lot of miles on my truck and I do love the way it pulls but I don’t care for the smoky starts when it’s below freezing or the smell of diesel exhaust. I’ve put a lot of money into maintenance parts for the front end and a new clutch. I wanted an engine that was proven and was ok with a tractor engine and I also wanted a manual which is easier to find in a Ram than the other two. The similar vintage Fords that I drove had vague steering that I didn’t care for and the GMs were auto only and more expensive. If I were buying again today I might make the same choice in drivetrain (except that used car prices are crazier than new car prices right now) but I’d take a good look at the gassers before spending money.

I’d prefer a 3500 over a 2500 for my use and probably would for a camper too. In my truck specifically the two are very similar in terms of drivetrain and ride quality but the 3500 has a lot more payload capacity. I’m close to the published limit with 2 sleds and a deck in the back of my truck.

[Pinned]

Prices on everything right now are stupid, so it's going to be a tough search regardless - but I'm curious why a truck + camper rather than an RV if you already have pickup trucks?

If buying a used truck, I'd also go the Ford route. Within that budget I think the Fords will be the most dependable.

[SoVT Joey]

I can’t fathom buying a used truck right now. The good ones are really few and far between that are left on the market. Any of these full size trucks with over 100k on a gas motor are a ticking time bomb of problems. A lot of the fords from the 2010 era are good mechanically but they rot out pretty bad. They are probably the most sound truck from that time. The 6.2 is the gas motor to have. Don’t, absolutely DO NOT, get talked into a diesel from that era. The 6.0 from ford is garbage and I don’t care who says they bulletproofed shit. The 6.4 diesel was ok but had a lot of electronic issues with DEF and emissions. Expensive.

the ultimate would be to find a 7.3 diesel or the 5.9 Cummins. I wouldn’t hesitate to run those in the cold as long as you were decently mechanically savvy and care about maintenance, but finding any of those are going to chew up $20k bottom end and you’ll still have to do work on them.

the GM trucks from that era aren’t terrible, and they have that 6.0 gas motor and I think there was a 8.1 gas. Getting a diesel from then will be fairly impossible, as those were all power houses and a ton of them are now extremely high mileage.

I just wouldn’t drive a gas dodge.

id buy a boat right now before I bought a used truck.

[skibrd]

id buy a boat right now before I bought a used truck.

If you think truck prices got stupid during the pandemic, check out floating cottage (aka boat) prices! I’ve been looking for a sailboat for a while and it’s bad. Everything new is sold out for 18-24 months, you can put a deposit down, but good luck getting a delivery date. Prices of used boats jumped 30-150% depending on the boat. Anything in OPs price range, or what a decent used truck and camper would cost, is either going to be too tiny to be sane enough to actually sail anywhere, or so beat to shit it’s going to be a huge (and expensive) project to get it sea worthy, I’d you can get parts. The boat market got fucked worse then the used truck/car market.

Pre-pandemic I was looking at a cheap J/105 to race and day sail. They were around $30-40k, appropriate for a 90s 105. The cheapest ones now are $65k and they are just as beat.

Maybe cabin cruising power boats are different? Wake boats, ski boats, and fishing boats had the same thing happen as did for sail boats. Dreams gone


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[Cruiser]

Sold my 03 7.3 excursion last year for 20k. Based on what I've seen, they haven't gotten cheaper since then. That engine was great though and would pull whatever wherever.

[toast2266]

Look for a ford with the 6.2 gasser. Very reliable compared to the older 6.8 v10s and 5.4 v8s, and a lot cheaper than any diesel. The 6 speed auto paired with the 6.2 gasser is also super solid compared to the older E4OD behind the v10s. Any ford superduty newer than 08 will have a coil sprung front end which has a much better ride and tighter turn radius than the older leaf sprung designs. If it were my money I'd be looking for a 2011-2016 F-350 gasser. The 350 will have more payload than the 250 usually, which is the critical number for slide in campers. Those trucks were in a different class for reliability compared to a lot of the other ford junk.

X2 on this.

Don't get a 3/4 ton. If the primary purpose of the truck is to carry a slide in camper, you'll never regret having a 1 ton.

If it were me, I'd be looking for a 1 ton V10 Ford from that 2010-2016 era, and I'd be looking for something with a non traditional bed setup (flatbed, etc), since you're more likely to find an ok deal on those. If you can find a flatbed, put the camper on that and build storage boxes around it.

[frorider]

Hey Bovine, the 150 page Truck thread that goes over everything written above is hidden in the padded room: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...ighlight=Truck

[PeachesNCream]

I haven't read through the whole thread, but I'd 2nd getting a gasser. Cheaper to buy and cheaper to repair/maintain. Take a look at the triton engine from ford, I think they were in fords from around 2000-2010. My parents lived in a fifth wheel for 6 years and pulled it all over the country with a 2009 f350 and are very happy with it. They also seem pretty affordable compared to everything else on the market. Only complaint is bad gas mileage (9 mpg pulling a 11,000 lb trailer), I think they get about 13mpg unloaded, but in my mind that's not a big deal, I'd rather spend my money on gas than have it be sitting in a repair shop.

I drive a GMC so this isn't coming from a "ford guy"

Also beware of the early 2000s 6.0 powerstokes. You can find them dirt cheap but that's because they all lemons

[snowaddict91]

Thanks, looks like this is the one will be looking for. I could pair it with something like a Lance 815 and have a pretty good rig.


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This is a good plan, the 6.2 Fords are good trucks. I almost went this direction before buying my current F150.

[Hood26]

Have you looked at a smaller pop up camper since you already have a Toyota? Four Wheel camper or the like?

I like my Dodge Cummins trucks. A quick search on Craig’s yielding several second gens (94-03) for $15k-$20k and 3rd Gens (03-09) in the $20ishK

Auto or Manual? Doesn’t really matter a clutch is just as likely to take a shit as torqconverter and will cost just as much to replace.

[toast2266]

Have you looked at a smaller pop up camper since you already have a Toyota? Four Wheel camper or the like?

I like my Dodge Cummins trucks. A quick search on Craig’s yielding several second gens (94-03) for $15k-$20k and 3rd Gens (03-09) in the $20ishK

Auto or Manual? Doesn’t really matter a clutch is just as likely to take a shit as torqconverter and will cost just as much to replace.

I don't know about the older Dodges, but on the newer ones, the diesels are detuned if you get a manual transmission. You lose a fairly significant amount of horsepower and torque. You can spend a bunch of money and retune the engine to regain that power, but you've probably gotta really want a manual if you're going that route.

[TahoeJ]

Just throwing this out there... for the cost of the truck and camper, have you considered the pimped out van thing? (disclaimer: I have a truck with a camper so what do I know?)

[Hood26]

I don't know about the older Dodges, but on the newer ones, the diesels are detuned if you get a manual transmission. You lose a fairly significant amount of horsepower and torque. You can spend a bunch of money and retune the engine to regain that power, but you've probably gotta really want a manual if you're going that route.

You are correct on the de-tuning. I believe they started doing that on the late 3rd gens or early 4th. It is a move to save the clutch. So if a guy does tune them back up, a performance clutch (South Bend or the like) is almost mandatory.

When I had my 2016 built (dealer order) I originally thought I wanted a manual, but then decided that autos are really better all the way around on the newer rigs.