iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

F350 Dually or single?

Started by OlJarhead, August 03, 2016, 01:10:57 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

terrifictimbersllc

Quote from: OlJarhead on August 11, 2016, 03:33:10 PM
I've been doing a lot of reading lately and it seems that those who do a lot of off-road driving with campers (including some truck camping magazine sites) recommend the SRW over the DRW and a lighter/smaller camper.

I'm wondering if this isn't the best option:  F350 extended cab, long box, 4x4 SRW with 7 to 7.5' wide camper no longer than 8 1/2 feet long and weighing in around 2500-2700lbs wet.  This would put the camper fully loaded around 3500lbs, keep it narrow for those narrow roads (trails) I most often find myself and light enough for an SRW.  Probably want air bags and maybe better shocks with a very good set of wheels and tires under it.

My driveway to the cabin is as narrow as 9 feet and 3 miles long of pretty rough road and I find myself constantly towing the mill into places like this.  I'll drive 1o0 miles down the interstate then turn off onto some 2 lane road for a while and then off onto a dirt track or narrow road to get to the mill site.  I also use the truck to drive up that 3 mile driveway in the winter all the time (once or twice a week or more) with chains on.
Better check the payload numbers before you buy, 3500 sounds like a lot but maybe the extended cab will allow it. I have an F350 crew cab long bed SRW and it won't hold 3500#.  BTW your plan sounds exciting and I may copy it for my next truck if you don't mind. But by then I may be towing a boat behind the truck/camper and not a sawmill.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

ladylake

 No matter what  stay away from a Ford 6.0, you'll find them cheap as they have lots of problems.  Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

OlJarhead

Quote from: ladylake on August 11, 2016, 05:57:39 PM
No matter what  stay away from a Ford 6.0, you'll find them cheap as they have lots of problems.  Steve

http://www.littlepowershop.com/common-6-0-powerstroke-problems-issues-and-fixes/

From this article I'm thinking they might be the answer ;)  Actually I'm thinking of an '08 6.4 instead......no emissions testing where I am either ;)  (note:  I'm not advocating breaking any laws)
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Kbeitz

I put a lot of miles on 1/2 ton trucks with slide in campers...



 



 
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

21incher

I have a F350 4x4 SRW supercab long bed with a 11,000 GVW that will easily carry 4000 lbs. and being over 10k lbs it does not meet the strict pollution standards of cars.  :)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

OlJarhead

Kbeitz I was reading today that a few half ton's are really heavy 3/4 tons ;)  Or at least they are rated over 2000#'s

Mine is rated at 1600lbs (so a real 3/4 ton truck) but not too many campers fall under that fully loaded and I wouldn't want to anyway.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Kbeitz

You will find out that a well built nice light camper is real hard to find.
Well it was for me in northeastern part of USA . The last picture is the one I use now . It was a pop up but when I bought it but the top was damaged. I made a new 12ga steel top for it.  So it's not a pop up anymore . Good luck hunting for one.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

OlJarhead

With an F350 I can go heavier ;)
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Kbeitz

Quote from: OlJarhead on August 11, 2016, 10:14:35 PM
With an F350 I can go heavier ;)

I would see no problem with a F350 and allmost any slide in camper unless
you was looking at something like this... Allmost 5000lbs

http://www.amlrv.com/eagle-cap-truck-campers/eagle-cap-truck-camper-models-floor-plans/eagle-cap-truck-camper-model-1165/
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

OlJarhead

FYI I settled on a SRW F350 in the end.  Just figured off-roading in the winter it was best to go with SRW from everything I read and everyone I spoke with who did any driving off-road and specially in the winter.

Pretty happy with the truck and it's a 2010 (posted in my mill thread) with 32k miles on it.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

tacks Y

Good move. I do not like the wide DRW myself. I run a Chevy DRW but mine is not the wide one. There is a difference.

Brandon1986

A bit late sounds like you have it figured out.. no the less, spec the camper then the truck. I have an 01 super duty 350.. I was SERIOUSLY contemplating an f550.. I from time to time pull an 18,000 850E Case dozer on a receiver style pintle hitch (with the company F550) and was thinking it would be nice to just grab that combo on my way to the job sometimes instead of going to the shop and grabbing the 550 then back tracking for the dozer... I decided to go with the srw crew cab 350 because MOST of my driving isn't with all that weight behind... I have pulled around 10k with it now.. it's fine with that load and if I need to go heavier I can just go get a 550.. I would be totally comfortable with a 2500# camper in the back of that thing.. without putting air in the bags..

As far as the mill goes.. I have never pulled one truth be told, but I have pulled a lot of different trailers weighing up to 80,000# and I just don't see there being hardly any tongue weight.. under 500# for a big mill.. I could be wrong.. with that balanced of a load, the drw becomes quickly irrelevant..

I would be much more inclined to buy a heavier rated tire on a srw if I needed than buy a dually..  Case in point my old man bought a brand new clone of my truck in 13' it came with 17" rims and tires rated for....... 2800# a piece I think, well if you upgrade to the 20" wheel you can get a tire rated for 3500# (my memory might be off on numbers but the concept is sound).. Last month we were in Anchorage looking to buy a new dump truck for the business and while we were in there got a call from the Caterpillar shop saying our undercarriage for our D6 had come in.. we decided to just TRY to put the 7000# rails sprocket rollers ect ect in the back of his 1 ton since it's what we had at the time.. Figured heck if even we can only take half it saves us from the hour trip in with the f550 later we can take a lighter more nimble 350.. well we kept stacking it on and about the time the tires started showing weight it was all loaded up..

All that to say is unless you have a full time use for those duals.. I'd avoid buying tires and fenders as 70% of the ones I see locally have met with a stationary object at one time or another and spring for the srw.... as you already have
Brandon

OlJarhead

The payload on this one says 4400#'s and I plan on buying a 8 foot camper which I figure will make it easier to get around in the woods towing the mill but still give me plenty of room and comfort after a long day of milling
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

barbender

Dually fenders do tend to run into things.
Too many irons in the fire

Magicman

Carefully research the camper weight.  Adding water and holding tanks, they can get HEAVY very quickly.   :-\

Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Idiocrates

Our fire department has several brush trucks all built on F350 chassis with two speed dual wheel rear axles....and they are all mountain goats.....especially when the 350 gallon water tank is full.  We've taken these trucks through places that in retrospect we definitely shouldn't have .....but haven't been left stranded yet.  Biggest problem we run into is getting rocks stuck between the duals.  The only truck I've ever seen that even comes close to out climbing these trucks is the old deuce and a half military truck....but this isn't really an apple's to Apple's comparison.
James

Gearbox

If you have to go through gates get tight when you have a 10 ft gate and are turning off a road . Like barbender said fenders run into things . I haul 5000 # of red oak on my single wheel F250 diesel . That's about it on the tire rating (3600#) each . Also watch for after market wheels they may not be rated for heavy loads .
A bunch of chainsaws a BT6870 processer , TC 5 International track skidder and not near enough time

barbender

Idiocrates, I want to hear more about this one ton 2 speed rear end- any more info? I've never heard of one being available, and I think it would be the cat's meow ;) Gearbox, I like the challenge of seeing what all places I can get my dually into (where it doesn't belong) :D
Too many irons in the fire

DDW_OR

Quote from: OlJarhead on August 11, 2016, 07:46:33 PM
Quote from: ladylake on August 11, 2016, 05:57:39 PM
No matter what  stay away from a Ford 6.0, you'll find them cheap as they have lots of problems.  Steve

http://www.littlepowershop.com/common-6-0-powerstroke-problems-issues-and-fixes/

From this article I'm thinking they might be the answer ;)  Actually I'm thinking of an '08 6.4 instead......no emissions testing where I am either ;)  (note:  I'm not advocating breaking any laws)

also look at the newest Diesel that does NOT use DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid)
"let the machines do the work"

plantman

I have a landscaping business and pull a trailer that is over 10k lbs. I had a F350 but upgraded to a F550 because it has a higher gear ratio in the rear. Both were diesels. For my needs I required the diesel engine but for pulling around a 4000 lb trailer you don't need diesel and might consider gas. I've heard of people that have gas engines in their F350's and they get 8 or 9 mpg. The diesel only gets a few mpg more. The problem is all the pollution controls on these engines rob them of mileage. I've heard the Chevy 6 liter gas is a very good engine if you don't require the torque of a diesel.
Although I like the creature comforts of a new truck I'm becoming more fond of my old truck that doesn't have all the complexities of these new trucks. And in my state vehicles older than '96 don't require inspections .

OlJarhead

2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

MartyParsons

Hello,
  We have had a 08 6.4 F350 SRW for about 200,000 miles. I have maintained it through the complete time. Towing I get about 12 mpg and empty running about 70 I get around 15 mpg. I do have the engine emission stuff all removed. It was getting around 8 mpg when original. I really like this truck. But I have done lots to keep it running. Everything I have done to this truck is related to the engine. Transmission and drive train has been solid. Brakes are a given, rotors and pads are part of maintenance.
I purchased the truck with 40,000 miles for $ 24,000 and it had a R title. It was stolen from what I could find out. It has some body work done at some time. I had the leather seat repaired last year. If I would not have been able to do the repairs my self it would have been gone a long time ago. I have never had the valve covers off or oil pan. Everything has been related to exhaust and cooling system. The week we went about 700 miles and I think the head gasket is getting ready to give me issues.
I have not removed the cab for any repairs but most dealers remove the cabs for any repairs needed to the engine or exhaust.

We purchased a 2016 6.7 SWR Club Cab 8' bed diesel last year but I refuse to run it till this one quits. It is getting around 10 mpg loaded and 13 mpg empty. It does use the DEF fluid which has not been a big deal.

Hope this helps.

Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

breederman

Marty, The mpg on that 6.7 should get better if it gets broken in . I run a 2012 for work with a cap that sticks up over top of the cab acting like a sail and running at or near the max gvwr for the truck and get 15 mpg winter and 16.2 summer . over 200000 miles now.
Together we got this !

OlJarhead

Quote from: plantman on March 10, 2017, 08:46:04 PM
I have a landscaping business and pull a trailer that is over 10k lbs. I had a F350 but upgraded to a F550 because it has a higher gear ratio in the rear. Both were diesels. For my needs I required the diesel engine but for pulling around a 4000 lb trailer you don't need diesel and might consider gas. I've heard of people that have gas engines in their F350's and they get 8 or 9 mpg. The diesel only gets a few mpg more. The problem is all the pollution controls on these engines rob them of mileage. I've heard the Chevy 6 liter gas is a very good engine if you don't require the torque of a diesel.
Although I like the creature comforts of a new truck I'm becoming more fond of my old truck that doesn't have all the complexities of these new trucks. And in my state vehicles older than '96 don't require inspections .
Many reasons I went diesel over gas but for the most part it was because I will either tow my tractor (6500lbs plus a trailer) or get a camper and then tow the mill...and I towed about 9000 miles last year.  I wasn't real happy with the 10mpg I got towing with my 1/2 ton and anyone I know with a gasser 3/4 ton gets worse.

My buddy with a Dodge 2500 Hemi got 7mpg towing a mini-ex....my neighbor with his diesel F250 got 11mpg.

Seemed to me the diesel made sense ;)
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

OlJarhead

Quote from: MartyParsons on March 11, 2017, 07:24:40 AM
Hello,
  We have had a 08 6.4 F350 SRW for about 200,000 miles. I have maintained it through the complete time. Towing I get about 12 mpg and empty running about 70 I get around 15 mpg.

Thanks Marty,

Definitely seems to be something that fluctuates.  I saw 16.1 mpg on a 70mile trip with the first 30 into the wind (where I got about 13) and the last with some decent downhill sections to make up for the wind section....but on the return I was getting 14+ after the hills (going up I got 12) and was heading with the wind.  Out of curiosity I reset the MPG on the freeway and at 70 averaged 22 for a 10 mile stretch (mostly flat).

I think this truck would do 20+ on the highway on relatively flat land but suspect it would be better with a complete EGR delete etc ;)  Not that I'm saying do that (to my NSA handlers) because that would be illegal ;)
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Thank You Sponsors!