OK people, grab a cold beer, this is gonna be a long one....

I am looking to buy a cabover camper and a truck-f250 (maybe 350). I am looking to buy the biggest and LIGHTEST camper I can find so it will probably be a pop up. As long as it has a bathroom I am fine with whatever camper it is (a girls gotta stay fresh ya know!). I also have a Jeep and a dual sport motorcycle that I will be towing. Right now I have a Frontier truck that obviously can not do all that I want. I am flat towing the Jeep and putting the bike in the truck bed. Obviously, if I get a camper, I will have to trailer the Jeep and the bike. I have been researching the 250s and 350s to see the payload and GVWR to see which is better for me. I am pretty sure I understand what these numbers mean, but someone can tell me for sure:

GVWR= total weight of the truck period. Fuel, people, cargo everything
Payload= how much you can haul in the bed
Right??

So (here comes the long part)

• If it says, for example, on the 2007 f250: 8800lbs GVWR 5500lbs curb weight then the payload is the difference which is 3200lbs. that means then that the camper loaded, passengers, fuel and all must not go over 3200lbs right?? ok fine. I think I understand that part.
• What about the towing? Does that factor into the GVWR or the payload numbers? It says Gross trailer weight braked 5000lbs. What does that mean? I know that a 250 can tow more than 5000lbs! The Frontier I have now can tow 6500??
• If I get the suspension airbags in the back, does that help with the payload numbers or just make it a smoother ride?
• Of course there is the gas vs diesel aspect as well. I am leaning toward diesel because of the more power, but I read that they are more expensive to maintain. Why is this? What is more expensive?

Alright...I think that is it for now!!
Thanks to everyone for all of your help!! Any extra input or Pics of your camper setup would help as well!!

 

Youve got the payload part right, an f-250 should be all you need for a cabover camper. The 5000lb gross trailer weight braked is the towing capacity off the bumper. If you have a class 3 or 4 reciever hitch than the f250 should tow in the neighborhood of 10,000lbs. If you step it up to a gooseneck or 5th wheel that increases by a couple thousand pounds.

The airbag suspension can allow you to tow more if you buy set thats rated for a higher weight, although these do cost a pretty penny.

A diesel is more expensive to maintain for multiple reasons.
1.with the 5.4 or 6.8 gas motor they hold 7quarts of oil, the 6.0 diesel holds 15.
2. Diesels are made with heavier duty parts from the factory. The airfilter for the 6.0 diesel runs about 65 dollars at your local walmart, probably more at a repair shop.
3.Diesel fuel is more expensive but a diesel will get much better mileage with a haevy load than a gas will.
4.Brakes are sometimes a little larger on diesels due to their increased towing capacity.
5.Because diesels are made with stronger parts, when they break they are more expensive to replace.
6.Diesel motors generally outlast the gasoline motors by a long shot.

All in all if your going to be towing and carrying a load often you will appreciate the diesel in the long run.

 

Thanks Dieseljunkie. I think I do like the diesel over gas.

 

i own a 7.3l ford 250. its diesel and i love it. now what dieseljunkie said is true, things are a lil bit more expensinve when it comes to diesels. however when it comes to breaks, you would rather have the larger breaks, becaue they will last longer, and under a heavy load, would stand up better.

if you go with a diesel, i suggest looking at older models, 99 to 02 with the 7.3 because the newer 6.0 have a lot of problems with them, and ive heard bad stories with them breaking down, turbos getting burnt up etc. and if you went with newest 6.4 thats gonna cost you alot more. but hey if you win the lottery i would then suggest waiting till the spring when ford comes out with there new in house diesel. its susposed to be comparable to the bullet proff 7.3.

i tow a 16ft, tandem axle trailer loaded up with a case 1840, and my truck pulls it like nothing.

hope this was somehow helpfull

 

I highly recommend following 7.3's advice. I own an 06 with a 6.0 and its in the shop now with a 2k bill for 3 new injectors. This is the second time its been in the shop, the first was under warranty but not any more. If you do purchase a 6.0 look for low-mileage and/or consider an extended warranty.

 

thanks. I am trying save up some money so it wont be for another couple years, unless i just find a perfect deal sooner. good to know about the newer engines. I have been looking in craigslist and a lot of the trucks are have pretty high miles on them. is that ok? i guess the diesels are meant to go longer right?

 

you got it right... diesels are meant to last longer and work harder. 100k miles on a diesel is not anything to be scared of.

 

yea high milage is not a big concern, but im sayin that a truck with around 200-50k is a steal. and a diesel engine is just gettin broken in around a 100k

i was very lucky(nock on wood) to find my truck with 67k on it for 14k even. its a 2000 250 with the 7.3 in, and i have a family friend who has a 99 version, and i believe he bought his new, and hes got over 400k racked up on it, and it still runs like the day he bought.

so diesel in generall can handle high milage and really thats what they are meant for, and thats why semis can still sell for 30 to 40 with a million miles on em.

if your lookin to get a good truck, and want a ford, use cars.com and use their used auto search, thats how i found my truck, because they usually have the best deals shown from both dealers and individuals.