Thoughts on full-size truck for expo rig

[scottrist]

I am jumping back and forth with different ideas for the platform I will be using on my trip next summer-winter.

I wanted something capable offroad, reliable, and capable of living out of for 2 weeks at a time. And within my new budget of $8,000.

All of you have given me some great ideas.

I have been thinking more and more about a fullsize diesel 4x4 witha camper. They are a dime a dozen in Nor Cal, and I think they meet all my requirments. I am sure they won't be as capoable off road, but that is OK.

So what does everyone think? What truck would you recommendin my budget? Anybody here using a full size?

Thanks

[roscoFJ73]

Originally Posted by scottrist

I have been thinking more and more about a fullsize diesel 4x4 witha camper. They are a dime a dozen in Nor Cal, and I think they meet all my requirments. I am sure they won't be as capoable off road, but that is OK.

Thanks

Its all about getting there. An expo rig doesnt have to be a rock crawler/dune buggy.

You really dont want to take a fully loaded rig with all your supplies,fridges and tools through areas where its possible to sink or tip over.

Its all about storage space and having the right gear without being weighed down with crap you dont need.

You want tyres/suspension that is capable of the trails you intend doing but anything more is a waste.

Edit Oh its a great idea by the way

[jperecko]

Fullsize stuff should not break unless you really beat on it. Sensible driving is important. Also consider an extended or crew cab even if you will not see more than 2 people. It comes in handy to have stuff accessible from or near the driver's seat and it is also as secure as your cab... while your camper may not be. Regarding the back...

If you are talking a slide-in camper... I really do not like those just because of the extra air resistance and weight. I am really not one for all those luxuries. If you are talking about a camper shell.. they can be cool as long as you don't need to store or haul anything big or tall in the load.

[1LegLance]

if you are not as concerned about looks then you can't beat some of the dodge trucks with the cummins diesel...
I agree with others that the rig is less important with an overlanding trip becuase you are all about the journey...a fullsize truck with a simple shell that has sleep inside platform with storage under is a great way to go..
even better if it is a 4door that has the fridge and some other gear stored more mid-frame for wgt distrbtn.
When overlanding I can't say enough about having a good awning, either cheap like campinglab.com or higher quality like fiama with side walls from adventuretrailers.com...it will help with the sun/rain/wind
keep us posted on your progress

[roscoFJ73]

Originally Posted by 1LegLance

When overlanding I can't say enough about having a good awning, either cheap like campinglab.com or higher quality like fiama with side walls from adventuretrailers.com...it will help with the sun/rain/wind
keep us posted on your progress

I couldnt agree more about the awning. Im going to fit one of those Maggiolene type F/G campers up top and have the awning coming off the side of the truck about head height plus 6 inches

When you have found the best view in the world,there is nothing like setting up the chairs and table under the awning and watching the scenery

[scottrist]

I fully understand its about the journey, but I also want the journey to be a comfortable one. I was I really do want an extended cab to access things and maybe recline a bit.

Any other ideas about the cabover camper? I know they are a brick, but my GF and I will be living out of this for a few months.

Any pics of fullsize setups?

[bob91yj]

A slide in pop up camper is the best compromise IMO. They can be comfortable for two, any more and it'll be a crowd.

Here's a pic (not very good) of our GMC Sierra. It's got a soft shell that we use as a sleeping area, set up the screen room just over the end of the truck. We've used this arrangement for weeklong boondocking base camps several times while Jeeping in the Sierra's.

[jperecko]

If you can wait a few years I can get you pics of my rig when it is finished. What can I say... working college kid kinda schedule. But as I think I mentioned in your other post... working on an '84 F250 with a 6.9 IH diesel. Right now I am just rebuilding everything and getting it reliable but the eventual plan is twin turbo'd and intercooled.

I am actually not going with any kind of dedicated camper as I need the rig to be capable of hauling a lot of junk like my bikes around. It is basically going to have something like an overbuilt contractor's rack which is going to be tied into an exo-cage and HD F/R bumpers. It is an extended cab (2 door) which means that there will be some significant space on the roof, where there will be a roof rack. The sides of the rack will also be detachable bridging/sand ladders. A lot of the cage will be removable for servicing. A (maybe heated) potable water tank will replace the spare tire location. I will likely replace at least one of the tanks with a Bronco? ~37 gallon fuel tank to get some extra range.

This part I am not too sure about... but would like to use canvas or something to cover the rack when I am not taking an oversized load. That way I would have a moderately weatherproof back... almost like a campershell but easily removable.

Anyways... it is all just a pipe dream now but it is all very within my means if I just get the time. This rig would be able to take me for at least a month into nowhere... limiting factor really being freshwater... or fuel if I get a purifier.

[enine]

I'm starting with a full size myself, with a family of 4 a smaller truck would require a quad cab which limits the bed to really short. So a extended cab full size was the best for my situation. I've found that they get pretty much the same fuel economy of a smaller truck anyway.
I have seen some really tall aluminum caps. I can't find a good picture but look at the pic near the bottom of this page http://www.actioncrash.com/ see how its about twice as tall as the cab? I've seen them with a triangle section over the cab too. Those look to me to be the best if your going to build an expo rig and want to have room in the back. I setteled with a cab high fiberglass though

[Colorado Ron]

You can get a dead reliable cummins in that price range. Find a slide in pop up 4wheel camper used for under $1000 and your in business.

[scottrist]

Ok so everyone is saying cummings...Most of them are just single cab trucks though. How about Fords? What diesel motors should I look for? And what years?

[Colorado Ron]

Fords fine too. Stick with mid 90s with 7.3 Powerstroke. Id try to get a manual tranny on anything that old too.

[100dollarman]

I was thinking this might be a good start if you can use a std cab-

4wd, diesel, auto, pintle, tow clevises, 14 bolt with a detroit locker, D60 with lsd, 24 volt, HD springs for camper/gear (5/4s ton), 4.56 gears.

What do you guys think? You can buy a pretty nice one for well under $4000 and spend the rest of the budget on other stuff.

[jperecko]

Cummins are likely the best but I ran into a similar problem with being able to find the right combo with an extended cab so I ended up with my Ford.

They introduced the 6.9L IH diesel in '83 and it was used 'till I believe '86. They then bored out the same engines and made the 7.3 after that. Then they put in the power strokes which, while were still 7.3L... were entirely different engines.

The 7.3L engines are succeptable to cavitation. If you do not know what it is, learn up on it before you go shopping. The 6.9's had some more metal in there and therefore it is virtually unheard of those having that problem. None of the 6.9's came with a turbo from the factory which made them a little slow but there are turbo kits out there and there are still a few manufactures out there who make new kits for the old engines. Some of non-PS 7.3's came with turbos but some did not.

All these engines prior to the power stroke are Indirectly injected (IDI) which makes them a little less picky with the spray pattern, meaning that they can typically handle bio fuel as long as it is not gelled whereas direct injection will need the fuel to be heated to a closer viscosity.

Tranny-wise... the manuals are mostly bombproof but if you want an auto look for a C6. There are also E4ODs out there but they are very pricey to work on, though they can be built strong.

I know ford because it is what I have... not saying it is the only option.
Regarding those military trucks... they would be a very good starting point with the exception of the regular cab and 24v electrics. If you can work with those, I would strongly recommend looking into those.

Sorry for the long junk.

[BAGDADEXPRESS]

Originally Posted by 100dollarman

I was thinking this might be a good start if you can use a std cab-

4wd, diesel, auto, pintle, tow clevises, 14 bolt with a detroit locker, D60 with lsd, 24 volt, HD springs for camper/gear (5/4s ton), 4.56 gears.

What do you guys think? You can buy a pretty nice one for well under $4000 and spend the rest of the budget on other stuff.

These pickups use the turbo 400 3 speed which is real strong.

With 4.56 diffs you can put on 33" tires w/o losing your pulling power, 35" tire would need 4.88's to keep 6.2 diesel in it's sweet zone.

The diesel can be fitted w/dual alternator's using factory parts so setting up an additional circuit "isolated 12 volt" is not a bad idea nor a night mare to get done.

Banks makes nice turbo system for this diesel.

This is great cost effective platform for a good expo rig IMHO!

[ramv]

I like the Chevy 5/4 ton. Saw one today that looked mint. Sweet trucks!

If you are ok with gas you might consider a 2nd gen Dodge, they are very cheap. The 3/4 tons are tough, and have a lot of aftermarket support. (Steering, suspension, drivetrain)



The 3/4 tons had 60 front and either a 60, 70 or 80. If you picked up a nice 5.9L NV4500 version it would be very stout. Powerful enough if you aren't towing a trailer.

I don't know much about the V10 though.

Mine is a rock crawler, and I run pretty much stock '01 axles (upgraded with lockers and 5.13s), stock trans, and NV241J (out of Rubicon) that bolted right in. Suspension is all over the counterstuff, steering and track bar is Thuren (he sells kits for 2nd and 3 rd gen). Basically if you don't count the cage and the body mods, you could build my truck ina a couple of days, for not too bad of coin, and if you started with a 3/4 ton, just stick the camper in and wheel.

[Monkeybutt]

I've got an '08 F150 Super Crew with the 6.5" bed and a camper shell. First, in stock form, it is not much of an offroader. Modern trucks just have too much shit hanging down. But, it is very, very comfortable and the bed/ camper makes good sleeping quarters. In fact, I passed on the shorter bed because I could not stretch out in it.

Realistically, I do not see this truck doing any serious off roading. However, I think that the addition of some coil overs up front (netting ~2" of lift), stepping up the tires to 285's, and an ARB in the rear would make it more than adequate while still maintaining driveability on long trips.

I really like the Chevy and Dodge diesels, but could not jusitfy that much truck for hauling kids and groceries most of the time...but I did try like hell.

[Dirt Boy]

I'm in B.C.S now, and I have been traveling with my wife and dog for the past three weeks in an '01 7.3L F250 crew cab with a cab high fiberglass top. The six and a half foot bed is plenty long enough to sleep in and with a platform there is more than enough room to store everything we needed for camping on the beaches underneath. Although the Pemex stations are becoming more regular down here, the added range of the diesel has been nice.

I lived out of a standard cab short bed toyota pickup for 4 years and it was doable, even with 2 folks, so you can make anything work. After the toyota, I upgraded to a converted 15 passenger van, now that was living!

The full size is a good in between option. More driving and sleeping comfort and storage than a smaller truck (with equal or better mileage) and I can easily go between expedition set up and general pickup use. The van was far more comfortable to live out of, but the lack of 4x4 was an issue.

A 4x4 diesel van would be check and see if you can find a used sportsmobile somewhere.

And I agree 100%, an awning is key.

I head back the the USA in a couple days, I'll post some pics of our rig and set up when I get back. Maybe a trip report is in order.

[tymbom]

I've got a 1986 CUCV that I'm planning to build soon... They have twin alternators and batteries stock... I'm planning to modify the hoops for the canvas top on the back and get a new piece of canvas. I'll just fold down my troop seats and put a platform on top of them. Then I will have lots of storage underneath, and comfortable sleeping. I won't be driving far or in cold weather but it'll do. PS I got it off the Goverment Liquidation auction for less than 2 grand. It runs perfect and doesn't need anything but modifying

[reeser]

i was camping last summer using my 06 crew cab cummins w/ no intentions of wheeling. well one thing led to another and i had my 1 ton on some VERY rocky terrain in search of ghost towns in montana, needless to say i was incredibly impressed w/ how well it did. i'm now looking to make it more capable for expedition type wheeling. the 2nd gen cummins are basically the same chassis and the front coils really help these big trucks maneuver adaquately. its not anywhere close to a 'real' wheeler, but its all about compromise

[WILLD420]

I have an 02 Dodge 3/4 ton Quad Cab, with the Cummins motor. It's lifted and had 35's on it until last year. I went everywhere I really wanted to get that truck with only a rear powerlock diff.

For wheeling, I prefer the auto to the stick, but they do need a little help to survive pulling big loads. I would totally support the idea of a Diesel truck. I have an older 87 F250 that I put a locker in the front and a factory limited slip in the rear. I put an 11' camper on it and went anywhere I thought I could fit the camper without tipping over. Never had an issue, and still got 10-11 mpg loaded with all our gear cruising at 70 mph. It also had 35's with 4.11 gears and never had an issue off road at all.

Just remember that there are limitations and deep sand, skinny tires and lots of weight don't play well together. Otherwise, if there is a decent road, you can go about anywhere you want to with 35" tires, at least one limited slip, or locker and a winch to help when you find the limits.

[jefe]

Scott,
Yep, a full size works fine with tweaking. Here's my current EXTC (EXpedition Truck Camper). I just wrote a long piece with pics in the picture thread you might peruse.
Here we are just east of the Grand Tetons:

A nice campsite, no?

In the narrows in Titus Cyn, Death Valley:

The flowers were blooming when we were grinding upgrade from Badwater, Death Valley:

What are those fenders on the rear of the truck? Jeep TJ extra wides for covering the 33x14.50-16 super singles on 12" rims.
regards, as always, jefe

[wheelerfreak]

I use my FS truck for our long trips. It makes it so much more comfortable to travel and sleep in in an emergency. Like was said, you're not likely rock crawling on extreme trails. I just have a campershell on the bed for dry storage or sleeping in a pinch, usually we pitch a tent. We hit some remote areas in that setup and woulnd't go any other route. I've thought of a slide in camper, but the size and weight would limit us some. We just rough it in our tent with cots.

[Farmer2]

Truck camping in a full size with a cap is great, particularly in wet or really cold weather.