Ultimate Truck for the Ultimate Truck Camper Set Up! F550 vs F450 vs F350 Payload Discussion
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- čas přidán 17. 07. 2021
- We finally have our F-550 ready to go with our truck camper and boat. Also a ramble session on how we got to this point. Below are links to everything that we had to use to make everything work. I encourage everyone to do their own research and make sure all your equipment is within it's capable ratings.
Distribution Hitch:
www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distr...
Hitch Extension:
www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Adapte...
Air Compressor:
www.etrailer.com/Tire-Inflato...
Turn Buckles:
www.etrailer.com/Accessories-...
Straight Tongue WDH Adapater:
www.etrailer.com/Accessories-...
7-way Trailer Plug Extension:
www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-V...
Stake Pocket D-Ring:
www.etrailer.com/Tie-Down-Anc...
7 Way Trailer Plug Splitter:
www.amazon.com/RV-Pigtails-20...
Fuel Tank:
www.jmesales.com/51-gallon-do...
Top Side Bed Cabinets:
leonardaccessories.com/produc...
![💰$250k Overlanding Beast // THIS is AMAZING // Full Rig Tour [ RAM 5500 / Flatbed / Cirrus 920 ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/JOtjvE5OS4U/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for confirming what I had concluded about the various truck levels 350, 450, 550.
thanks for the interesting info, especially about the various trucks and all the various weights
Thank you for this. I spoke with a truck dealer and he argued with me that the numbers are not adding up. He said go to a bigger truck. I did not work with that dealer.
Thank you for confirming!
We need more videos like this to make sure we get the right truck for the right camper.
Holy Shoe! Love this setup.
Awesome boat set-up!
Thanks for all these details. Very helpful! 😀
Thank you for a honest evaluation.
I'm getting ready to order a RAM 5500 with a CM Truck Bed for a Host Mammoth. Can't wait.
Nice choice, it is an awesome setup!
Sick setups
Dont forget to make a video 👌
What length truck bed are you going with
I’ve got a Ram 5500 ordered myself, been 4 months now, I’ve got my eagle cap 1165 sitting here waiting for the truck… uggggg
Thank you for all the information, it has help me choose the F550. God bless.
thanks for all the great tips :)
Great set up.
Nice honest video!!!!
Thank you so much, your experiences save me a lot TIME & MONEY.
I appreciate it
God bless you
Absolutely beautiful
Good lord! That is a big camper👍👍
Bad ass truck ! Now you're super torquein down the road lol
I have ordered two f550's with all options available and converted both of them to pickup trucks with the bed, bumper, bumper hitch, and 5th Wheel plate, and Two fuel tanks. I drive a black one and my wife drives a white one. They are Beautiful beasts! And have scaled at 51,000 lbs with my big trailer and drove back and forth across country with it without any weight issues. I also had the exact Limited black f450 including other f450s that all squats like hell with a trailer on them. I love the 550s it's the best trucks I ever owned. Good video, 👍
How did the bed line up on the 550? Did you have a gap at all behind the cab?
Wow! I'm speechless.
Stable Campers makes some nice boxes you can add to that flatbed. Nice rig!
Agreed, they have a very nice set of cabinets but i cant haul a fifth wheel with those cabinets because they are to tall
You made me chuckle. A murder of crows. And their killing ya. lol.
Great video
RS
Canada
Cool I just finished my trip with my F350 Platinum and Cirrus 820 drives and handles like the campers not even there. Well I've had my fun it's now for sale on RV Trader 2019 Cirrus and 2014 F350. I'm 70 and to old to continue.
Payload capacity is exceptionally important on trucks. I'm in the same boat. All the campers I'm looking at have a wet weight of around 4,500lbs. Add cargo, passengers, and a flat tow... well... an F450 just doesn't cut it.
Needless to say, I'm shopping for an F550.
Great video! I wish more people were aware of their weights and the associated limitations.
I have a 2018 Ram 5500 CTD/Aisin 84" cab/axle carrying a 2021 AF1140, when I ordered the truck in 2017 I was surprised that a Ram 3500 CTD/Aisin pickup was over $6,000 more than a similarly equipped 5500 C/C. Factory and dealer incentives vary but it's something to be aware of.
Yeah there was not much different in our 350 king ranch and the 550 setup
Great video. Refreshing to hear someone who hasn't stuck their head in the sand about the F450.....The large Host campers are 550/5500 territory....I have an AF990 on a Ram 3500 dually Aisin and I am at max gvwr. I downsized from a Lance 1181 to get within spec on the payload.
Honestly I don't have any doubt the 450 is capable of the load but its nice to be within spec this way
Learned the hookup process isn’t as bad would think. Nice rig lot of advantages vs TT
Glad I stumbled onto your vid as the path you went down is the path I thought I wanted to be on. We've got a '20 F350 DRW Powerstroke for our 43' 5th wheel which does a wonderful job. Thought it would be nice to have a camper / boat option for different style of camping, but still using the same truck. As you showed, the F350 (especially the Powerstroke) isn't a camper truck - unless it is a very basic camper...
Well, everybody has a different idea of what "basic" is, but I have a King Ranch DRW 6.7 with a Bigfoot 10.6 and I'm usually 800 pounds under my GVWR loaded up.
Beautiful setup and fantastic vid, even though I'm not loading as big a rig (4000 wet NL 9-6) I'm searching for the perfect truck for full time camper living. Can you suggest any camper deck manufacturers to look at? Cheers
Thank you for a great video explaining these issues. I too am thinking about the idea of a large truck camper towing whatever, gives me more toys at the site with a bit less living. With the weights, I have been looking at the Mammoth, they say that it is 3955 dry and 4655 as equipped. Now, for me, I would always take the weights with a full tank of gas and full water tanks in the RV and 500 lbs of people You may weight less, but you wear clothes and shoes and have stuff). BEFORE figuring out what we are carrying. So, That is about 110 gallons ~ 800 lbs of water, 300 of gas and 500 of people. If we start with the 4500 number that puts you at 6100 without putting a pair of underpants in the camper. So, I would be sure about these weights and whether they include the water etc.
However, the idea of going with a camper on the truck that (a) you do not need a license sticker for (b) you can easily take it off to go into town (c) you can then tow your boat wherever is very cool indeed.
Question, with the long camper is the hitch extended? If so does that change your effective tongue weights?
Travel safe, Henri.
I would say you are going to be way over what you are thinking you are going to be, atleast we were. Are you referring to the extension tongue weights or the truck hitch tongue weights? The extension is 6000/600 and 7500/750 with a hitch distribution system. As for the truck hitch its rated for 18000 lbs so i'd imagine its just fine with the extension, even with the added torque
If you look at the Ford Towing book, they say that the weights that you can carry do NOT include a 150lb person in all of the seats in the cab. So, if the number was say 6200, it is actually 6950 (+ 5x750). Now, I get that you are carrying a lot of toys and that your F-550 is probably the only way to go, but many of us who may want to use such a camper could well do it with the F-350. My boat is a canoe, I hike and bicycle so, while gear does weigh it is not that much, if the camper is say 5000lb wet, then I would still have 1800 (ish) less say 500 lbs for the two of us (don't tell my wife) leaves about 1300 lb for a lot of gear and food. Dunno, it seems to work for me, now just got to find the money.... Thanks for a nice video.
a new F350 1 ton crew cab 4x4 dually weighs around 7k and had nearly 7k lbs payload. these are the factory specs, is the 450 less capable? seems odd
Great videos on this truck camper. Looks so incredible!
Have u taken it in much cold weather? Eventually we’re hoping to trade up our Super C for one so we can take it to Alaska if fuel prices ever come down. Also do u know any good dealers on East Coast. Figure there’s not many of these out there. We’re in Colorado but heading up to Maine & then somewhat south just not sure where yet. Thanks for thoughts.
Great video, and tons of information. If you did not have the auxiliary fuel tank, how much further can your camper move forward on the 9' 4" CM flatbed? I guess one of the other alternatives, without an auxiliary fuel tank, could you slide your spare tire(s) in between the headache rack and camper?
The fuel tank is 9" deep, I think the camper could probably come forward 6" of that is the tank wasn't there. Without the tank i think you could get the tire in between the truck and camper. However it would be a pain to get to it if you needed it. I have since mounted the spare tire on the hitch extension and that seems to be working out well
Interesting. I had to beef up my F-350 to get it to do what my F-450 does easily. I wish Ford would make a F-550 pickup.
What i have found out from talking to two different state dmv is if it is being used to haul or tow a rv the weight rules do not apply you just need to have enough weight on the tag and the max Length does not apply. the rv lobby has had all the rules removed for rv use.
It looks like your camper hangs over the side of your bed a little. Can you put your camper stake tie downs upside down were they would go? That way you don't have to cut anything. Unless it doesn't unscrew about another 4or5 inch to reach the loop. Plus it looks like it might be a better vertical tie down if that matters
Awesome set up, very informative, curious, what did you figure out for the spare truck tire?
It is shown in one of the videos following this. I mounted it to the hitch extension.
Can you do a video of boat ramp launching and retrieving? Thanks for the video.
Are you looking for something in particular? CZcams is full of those videos.
Install some Firestone air bags on your rear axle, you'll be glade you did.
I went with some timberen's. I only get an inch of squat and the truck rides pretty good
Interesting I had a similar set up on my 2016 f450 with a double slide okanagan camper and I would pull a boat or car trailer. I knew it was heavy because I had to do four air bag set up to hold the weight. But never had a probably other than that. I mean you could just get heavy duty leafs for the amount of weight but then it rides like a box car without the camper.
Regardless of what you do the GVWR of the vehicle is not "changing". Not saying it doesn't help with weight but you would still be over capacity technically. Its all a numbers game and how far you want to go with it
Great video, thanks for sharing. Dealing with this decision right now. On paper, the HP is much less on CC compared to the truck. How is it in real time? Unfortunately there’s no inventory around for me to test drive before ordering. Thanks
You couldn't tell the difference if you drove the two side by side. Go chassis in my opinion
I have a 2020 platinum 450 with payload of 4850 . What would you recommend mfg and size that would work. I don’t mind being a few pounds over but don’t want to be 800-1000 over . Probably wouldn’t do a largest model of any of the mfg’s but maybe a size under . Bought my 450 to pull a New Horizons Majestic so put weight is low to mid 4000’s . Also put Firestone 7500 just to level a little.
Great set up, now that’s it been some time since you posted this video, I was curious what kind of fuel mileage do you get with the 550
9-10, with or without the boat doesn’t seem to really matter much
Good video. Would like to go cab-chassis (lariat) for a future truck camper with aluminum 4 box skirt just like you have. One thing you should check on. I saw a CZcams video with a guy with a 3 slide Host camper. He had his pups with him on one of his camping trips. One of his dogs was descending the stair case of the camper and caught its nail in the stupid holes they have on the Host camper steps. Needless to say, the poor dog was hurting for quite awhile he said. I only say this to warn you (I think you mentioned you had pups in tow with you) so your pups don't get their nails stuck in the Host camper's piss poor step design. Probably a thin indoor/outdoor carpet tread glued to each of the fold up steps should do the trick. Also, the turnbuckle/truck skirt latching point is pretty hardy I take it? The skirt looks to be well made. I thought the bottom of the turnbuckle was supposed to latch onto an extension from the truck's chassis?
It is a good choice to go with. We really like it. Yes, you are referring to my walk around of the truck camper. We not how have the steps covered and the dogs use a ramp in and out of the camper
Thanks for the video. I really wanted to see someone using a f550. Using a f350 now and it’s over loader and I haven’t even scaled it. How much better does the f550 handle the bumps in the road and the top heavy weight. Thanks!
Significantly in my opinion. When you hit a bump you just have the initial bounce and it ends quickly where as with the 350 the after effects of the bounce seemed very prolonged...if that makes any sense
Nov ‘21 - CM now quoting 62 weeks for the AL SK bed. Did you do anything to the bed to slow oxidation? Nice set up!
yep, sounds about right! no i have not done anything to it
Awesome setup sir! How is your mpgs? Thinking a super c on a f550 chassis for us.
9-10 when loaded up
We are going to be using the same HOST Camper on the same CM Bed. Was wondering where to store the spare tire and what you might be using for future "squat patrol" on the truck? The space between the headache rack and the front part of the camper won't work for the spare tire, because of the bed cabinets. Any ideas?
So what I ended up doing is mounting it on top of the hitch extension which worked out pretty well. I was having the same problem trying to figure out where to put it and then when I finally had everything hooked up and together it just clicked. I have some timbrens and other leaf spring rubber stops for the squat. I've noticed the truck doesn't actually squat as much as it looks. The 550 sits more level than other trucks, it rides almost level without any weight on it unlike other trucks that have that 1.5"-2" lower front end on in
What brand and model side boxes are you going to purchase.?
*@Miller* Wonderful rig! So glad you finally found a dually that can handle a Host camper. I know the F550 is huge, but its flatbed still looks only 6ft to me, not 9ft, thought it would hold up more of the Everest's back end. But it sure does look robust enough for the job. Did you have to get a commercial license to buy the F550?
The bed is 9'4" and roughly 8'3" of the bed holds the camper which is the exact same on the previous truck we had that just had a regular "8'" bed on it. no CDL required to buy the vehicle. CDL is only required if you are driving it for hire. Some states have a non commercial CDL that could be required to operate it
but ours is not one of them
@@millersmonstrosity3419 Cool. In my case, it's just me traveling solo with nothing to tow. I hoped a F350 crewcab dually w/ over 7k payload would be enough for me, my minimized stuff & a Host Yukon or Eagle Cap, but if a F550 reduces top heaviness I'd rather be safer...right?
@@celestepalm6949 Yeah its never a bad idea to have more. I think you'd be hard pressed to get a crew cab 350 with 7000 lb of payload but it may be possible. Watch them eagle caps, they seem to be really heavy
@@millersmonstrosity3419 I thought new Ram F350 Tradesman had 7k+ payload, I'm assuming its diesel. Yes, I agree to steer clear of Eagle Cap. If I'm sensible I'd go 4 a Lance 975 or an Arctic Fox 1140 @ biggest. But gee, those Host Everests & Yukons _are_ awful purty...
@@celestepalm6949 Just make sure you're going by what the sticker on the door says. If you are looking up payload #s on the manufacturer website thats generally taking the lightest version of that truck they make, i.e. lowest trim, no options, 2 wheel drive, lightest motor. I'm unfamiliar with RAM so i cant be much help there. Good luck!
Excellent video sir! I am in the process of building a truck to haul your exact setup! My only question is about the commercial fees and insurance on the F550. Is it crazy expensive? Can you get away from it by registering the truck as an RV?Thank you for such a detailed video.
Wondering this same thing! Did you ever figure it out ?
What are the fuel economy numbers on the f550 empty and loaded . And how is the power I've read that the 550 is detune from the 450 but I have not found numbers to tell me how much
With the truck camper and the boat I did around 9.5 on a 12 hour round trip. Unloaded I just did a 3 hour trip through rolling Kentucky hills this past weekend ranging from 70-74 mph and I got 17 mpg which is far better than I ever got with the 450. I have yet to notice a difference when towing or regular driving between the detune 550 and non detuned 450
Question for you…. Since you went with the F550 (which is a chassis cab and you had to buy a bed anyway) were there any thoughts on the F450 chassis cab? I think its payload is higher than the F450 pickup with almost the same options as your F550, but for a slightly lower price……and with these trucks getting ridiculously expensive, any savings is awesome. I’d think its payload would be between the F450 pickup and the F550 CC. Just a thought as I found your video very informative; I’m in almost the same situation you were in and am trying to decide which to go with. Thanks in advance.
So the 450 cab and chassis goes up to a 16,500 gvwr. I went with the 550 because I wasn't going to get another truck and come up short on payload again which I think I may have done with the 450 at 16,500.
What's the insurance like for a 550 or 5500. I tried to do a quote online and it's not an option.
What is the wheelbase on your F550? Thks
Good vid man. I agree.
Honestly the max “slide in camper” rating for the f350s are around 4,700. It’s far less than the max payload rating.
F550 is the way to go.
It really is if you just want to skip to not worrying about weight and know you are good to go. Not to mention all the storage with the cabinets is awesome compared to a regular pickup bed
My question to you is, can you go into further detail on your auxiliary diesel tank? Is the camper bump-stops making any contact with the tank? Is the tank a custom tank or just a regular tank? What about the brand.
The link for the tank is below. I leave the bumper stops about half an inch off the tank so no they are not making contact. leonardaccessories.com/product/toolboxes-fuel-tanks-refueling-tanks-square-and-rectangle-by-ati?sku=ATI-TTR51&gclid=CjwKCAiAgbiQBhAHEiwAuQ6Bkj6vwHzEyK9hpih4PcSrL6WuFkPgo9RIKfUd-fq2gVUtWUSS_yAOAxoC5XwQAvD_BwE
I don't know if it's your camera lens or the level of the ground, but it appears that there's a fair amount of squat on the rear wheels . Host makes the nicest campers that I have seen, and with the most tasteful and spacious interiors and the Mammoth is the one I have my eye on . . My dream truck would be to buy an older, pre-emissions diesel (Cummins 5.7L, built to handle a heavy p/u camper, like yours, with a built Allison trans. and put it in an older Chevy or Ford truck . The reason I wouldn't buy a new diesel truck today is because all all the horrible EPA mandated emissions equipment that's on them . Diesel engines were known for great mileage and durability , well, that's not the case these days thanks to ERG, DPF, DEF, etc, etc. Also, to repair those emission components when they fail out of warranty, get ready for sticker shock, not cheap at all. When I'm hundred miles from the nearest service, I don't want a faulty DEF sensor to put my truck in limp mode and force me to drive @5mph until I can get it fixed . I will gladly sacrifice the latest modern creature comforts of a new truck for a more dependable rig with better fuel mileage and more power .
It still squats it more than i thought it would. I have some fixes to install to handle that. The emission regulations are a big time bummer but something we have to deal with unfortunately
If you don’t want to deal with a defined f550 you can get a f450 chassis cab . Order it with the 16000 lb gvw rating and you get 2000 extra pounds of payload and you don’t have to deal with defined f550.
Thanks for sharing this video. We are going through the exact same discussion in our family right now. Ironically with a Ford chassis cab, host Everest, and Hewescraft. The boat we are ordering is a 19ft searunner. I was really leaning into the F450 chassis cab, but now you have got me thinking. My dealer has quoted me only $1k more to move from a lariat 450 to 550. The 450 I spec'd at 16500 gross should work just fine, but perhaps I should just step up. Did you consider the F450 CC? How does that F550 ride unloaded? BTW, I'm pretty used to the stiff ride of my 2000 F350. Thanks again for sharing!
I would just step up. The 550 rides pretty similar to our 350. I'd imagine its not going to ride any different for a 450 CC. Pay the extra $1000 and get the 550. THats my two cents. Don't be sitting here ordering a new truck because you are over weight when you could have just avoided the situation now.
@@millersmonstrosity3419 good advice! We are heading to the dealer on Friday to ink this deal!
Truck is ordered! F550 Lariat loaded with the goodies! 6-7 months wait... What are you gonna do though?
@@bradridgeway5686 Nice! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we enjoy ours. I also hope the truck does show in 6-7 months!
@@bradridgeway5686 Did you get the truck yet?
Where’s the Center of gravity with the truck camper and your extra fuel tank? Total weight of truck and camper loaded? Fuel mileage?
Do you have to get yearly safety checks on the truck since it's a commercial truck based on GVWR. Maybe it's just a local thing where I live.
Not that I am aware of
I guess it is always a challenge when you want to travel with a lot of gear. To me, having a F350 with say a 6500 pay load weight would give a nicer ride to those in the cab AND inside the camper all your stuff gets roughed up pretty well in a F550 with those commercial suspensions.
Honestly, the 550 rides better with the camper than the 350. And even without it its hardly a noticeable difference to us vs the 350
Sorry if you mention this in the video but does it ride better then the f350 when loaded? Thanks
Yes it does, much better ride with the 550
Oh yes, I forgot. Now with what you have said with the weights, this is idea is probably a non-starter, but I would like to have side walls under the camper that are like a service truck. There you would have all these cool metal compartments for tools and whatever. Probably makes everything too heavy. Where is the carbon fibre version?!!
Yes, thats essentially what we are doing but we are waiting on the cabinets to be built. Pretty common with truck campers to have those
Check out SherpTek for a highly integrated flatbed/camper setup.
Its all very pretty but I don't think it's for me. This is very tall and top heavy and could more easily tip over in a variety of circumstances. The camper floor is so high making exiting hazardous. I'm confident tripping and tumbling on those steps will happen.
All that aluminum is beautiful now, but unless you will spend all your time in Arizona, it's going to corrode, pit and tarnish faster than you thought. You mentioned going to Lake Erie so I assume you live in the north with winters and the accompanying salt.
I'm curious as to the cost of the truck, the camper and the truck bed and how else the same or less money might have been spent.
Reading my mind.
Great video, do you notice much of a difference in power between the F450 and the F550's detuned engine?
Only difference I notice is the better fuel mileage on the 550. We pulled 19000 lbs with the 550 and it sure seeemed to pull it the same as the 450
@@millersmonstrosity3419 What kind of mileage do it get with the Host and without the Host? Thanks. also, if you did it over what would you do different? Thanks again
@@MaximusMerideus 14-15 unloaded and 9-10 loaded. If i did it all over again I'd probably just throw the host on the 450 and deal with being over weight
@@millersmonstrosity3419 Thank you for that info, you don't know how much the knowledge you share helps people like me, I would have to make those costly mistakes myself to get this vary spot. Thanks again and I hope you and your family have a safe and prosperous 2022 and beyond.
@@millersmonstrosity3419 I'm currently trying to decide between the 450 and 550, why would you have stayed with the 450?
How long is the truck with the truck camper?
I do not have that measurement but the next time i load it up i can get it for you
Sure looks like you have a lot of room above the cab before you get to the camper.
Yeah there is a significant amount more because the flat bed is higher than a standard truck bed
Right, on the pickup you would see about ten inches from the bed ribs to the top of the wheelwell cover, so your floor could be that much lower; where the flatbed is built over the top of the wheels. But, the flatbed setup this way with the storage compartments does take advantage the space you lose on a slide-in pickup on either side of the wheel. Good compromise.
On the F350 gas you need to do the 4:30 gears and then you can tow 20,000
The towing capacity and gearing does not change the GVWR of the vehicle and that was the problem
@@millersmonstrosity3419
Very true
I'm looking at getting a Artic Fox because there like 600 lbs. than Host
Maybe I missed it but was your 350 a dually?
Yes
Total cost?
F550/5500 is the way to go, but the F450 is underrated by Ford to keep it a class 3.
Actually, you’re total axle weight limit is what can be on the axles. My F450 front axle rating is 6,000 lbs and rear is 9,900. 15,900 total. Ford chose to keep the F450 in the same class 3 category as the F350 for reasons such as insurance and non de rated engine and factory bed. The F450 is a much more capable platform than on paper, larger brakes, wide track front end, commercial G rated tires, larger half shafts in the axle.
yeah, it is definitely under rated when you look at the individual axle capabilities
Also, with the F450 what you have to realize is the larger brakes, the heavier commercial tires, larger half shafts in the axles, the heavy wide track front end those components are technically unsprung weight. The F450 is way under underrated in payload. When you come right down to it all it is is a numbers game.
What brand of truck bed is that, how long is it,also who built you bins for you?
It is a CM bed. It is just over 9 foot long. The under cabinets are part of the bed and the top cabinets came from leonard truck accessories
Is your truck 6o inch cab to axles And there is not a weight distribution problem on the rear axel without having the camper all the way foreword to the headache rack
I’m just getting started with my build bought my camper yesterday and ordering my truck this eeek, I really appreciate your input
@@almabranch2401 Yeah I it is a 60 inch, I have not had any distribution issues, the truck is a monster
Our Ram cummings 450 out power and handle better than out F550.
We havent really noticed much difference between our two
Just buy another truck to pull the boat and whatever else you got , I'm thinking about the f 750 but I'm a trucker , I need big to go with my nick name (big rig)
Have you had any problems with the height? And I am sure you already know but if you tow a trailer rated for over 8k pounds you will be over the 26k pounds limit and need a cdl type license.
I am 13' tall and havent ran into problems yet. I am not commercial though so the 26k does not apply. Same as people driving around in Class A's with 80000lb gvwr's arent required to have one. Atleast thats my understanding. Some states do non commercial CDL's i know, mine is not one of them.
To each his own of course and I’m glad you’re happy with it but I see a LOT of wasted space. 🤷♂️
Ahhh someone who has a “money is no object” type attitude.
Must be like being on a different planet than the one I live on..
Nice rig
Actually the point was to make people aware of their numbers so they could buy the right truck the first time around
After watching the entire video, and reading every comment thus far, I almost fell out of my chair when you commented below in a reply that if you were to do it all over again, you would just go with the F-450 being over weight on spec, and deal with it. :/
It sure would have saved me a lot of head ache. Don't get me wrong, if I was start fresh without already having a truck the F-550 would be what I get. After going through everything I also believe the F-450 is under rated on the non commercial side for purposes of insurance, registration, etc.
@@millersmonstrosity3419 No doubt. I have a 2019 diesel F-450 that I'm just doing a remote control air spring package and will use a Lance 1172 on it. Done.
@@northerniltree just keep in mind that the airbags only level the truck they do not increase the payload capability.
@@skoffco Yep.
And it’s only $300,000. For the rig.
For the money you have invested in your rig, you coulda had a Real RV... 'Nuff said!!!... Thanks for posting...
Well I have to have a dually truck and boat regardless so that's not going into a 'real RV'. And then I'm not going to be able to detach my camp for my drive vehicle while having the boat with me
@@millersmonstrosity3419 I was trying to be polite about what I was saying... But you'll find THAT out if you ever go to sell that rig... 'Nuff said!!!... It's your money, enjoy...
@@dwightbernheimer331 truck campers, hold their resale value quite well, and in the market we are in now, so do the large trucks! Nuff said, Nuff said😂😂😂
I have that F350 with the 6.7 King Ranch with every option, but my Bigfoot "only" weighs 2900, and fully loaded I'm about 13,200. It was the right choice for us anyways.
Sounds like it, I really like our 350 king ranch. It unfortunately just didn't have what we needed
I was set on the ram 5500...but for longevity the dodge crystler part of the truck would fall apart. The cummins motor would be the only thing that holds up. Im now looking into the f550. I'll demo both trucks before I buy. From my experience as emergence road tech and shop tech, ford's have alway held up better than the dodge cab and chassis. Plus the revised 6.7 power stroke is improve all across the board. Chime in with your 2 cent.
I am extremely biased and a Ford guy. I have never been a fan of chrysler quality. I do think that the F550 with the detuned 6.7 should be a pretty reliable choice. I think there is something be said for when you set up at a campground and take a look around and out of the 250-2500 trucks and above it seems 70% of them are Fords, 28% dodges and then those few Chevy/GMC's that are thrown in there. Also, i think you are going to have a really hard time finding trucks to demo, almost everything at this point is retail ordered meaning you have to order one to even see one. However if you can find them to test, more power to you
You cannot count the weight of wheels lol you need to count everything above suspension
GVWR is the total weight of the vehicle. If you go to the scales and weigh your vehicle the scales will pick up the weight sitting on the area of the 6 tires touching the scales which is ultimately every single component of the vehicle. If i swapped the 19.5" wheels and heavier tires on the 450 with the 17" wheels and lighter tire on the 350 the 450 would indeed weigh less. So.....
Go lighter people and save some coin. Plenty of space in my Arctic Fox 811 towing my boat with SRW Silverado 3500
We looked at all of them and 811 wasn't quite what we were looking for.
As a truck camper owner myself, You just bought a way to big of a camper. Defeats the purpose of a small package still able to fit in a regular parking spot and some off-road capabilities. Just get a pull behind RV for the bigger living space. I have a 2008 f350 SRW V10 gas short bed with the artic fox 811. 11k GVW. Pull a big trailer if you want with the toys.
This set up works better with the boat and still drives like a truck with nothing behind it so it works just fine
Everyone's situation is different and is unique to them. What works for you doesn't necessarily work for the next guy. People will buy whatever meets their own requirements. I believe that Mr. Miller has properly outfitted his rig for his needs and is satisfied so far with his setup. At the end of the day, that is all that matters.
Nice rig... but now tell us the answer to the question that everyone wants to know... How much MONEY do you have tied up in all this?
I’m guessing $300,000+ easily
not 300k, maybe 180k without boat of course