I am new to this. I haven't been in a truck camper since my dad had one back in the 1970's. I am seriously thinking about getting a decent truck/camper rig that will sleep 5 without max loading an F 350. I was just looking at specs on a Lance 850 and there were 2 entries for COG. Front COG 34. Rear COG 62. I am assuming those are dimensions in inches, but I don't understand the difference between rear or front and where these dimensions are taken from or exactly WHAT is being measured? The numbers I quoted are from the Lance website.
Can someone give me a little education? Thanks....
Ken

 

The COG measurement is taken from the front of the bed towards the rear. In an ideal world you want that measurement to be just forward of your rear axle’s centerline although with a dimension of 62” that would put you behind the rear axle...

 

Lance traditionally has given their COG from the tailgate forward so 62" from the tailgate or 34" from the front bed wall which would be pretty standard. The number is telling you where the center of gravity of the camper is, imagine where the weight is centered. You want it just ahead of your rear axle. I just tried to call Lance to verify that, but I think I was hitting it at lunch as no one was answering. You can call them to verify as their number is on their website.

I will tell you however, you are going to have a heck of a time staying within your truck weight ratings if that is important to you unless you are running a dually. Lance is showing 2,835 pounds wet on their website without options, but you will need to figure an additional 800-1,000 for stuff and you will have five persons along. I bet you will be close to or over 4,000 pounds just guessing.

On my 2012 F350 SRW LB I am right at rear axle capacity and within 60 pounds of GVWR (11,000 pounds) with a Northstar Laredo which is a somewhat smaller and lighter camper when we are ready to roll. I considered the 850 and like it, but knew I would be over my numbers so I passed on it.

As always my two cents

Steve

 

Steve,
Thanks for the info. I'm starting to see thru the haze. While I have yet to get a truck, I am hoping to get a CC dually. I've been surfing used car websites looking for a used 2020 with the new 7.3 gasser. They are few and far between but letting someone else take that first big hit of depreciation is what I'm looking for. I mentioned in a previous post that I have a 24' Rockwood TT. I pull it with a 2014 Expedition. I just don't care for the combination, or the fact that I can't pull my boat with it. I almost pulled the trigger on Ram 3500 dually with the 5.9 Cummins, camper was included. If the miles had been lower (180000) I probably taken it. Awh! I'm getting off-topic....
Thanks again,
Ken

 

I had a 4000 lb fully loaded Lance on my 2008 F350 single wheel and drove tens of thousands of miles, without incident.

Many people do.

The dually will be much more stable, but it limits you to where you can go.

If you want to go off road or on the beach, which is one of the best features of a truck camper, the dually is not a good fit.

 

Ken,

I think you are ahead of the curve on the 7.3s, although I think they will become much more available with time. One thing I discovered in searching for new 7.3s myself is it really varies by dealerships. Some seem to be sticking with 6.2s, but some dealerships have almost no 6.2s, but a fair number of 7.3s. The only problem is it looks to me like if it is a dually, you are going to find a 6.7. I also searched for used fairly new 6.2s and there are some of those out there in both SRW and Dually with low miles. I found those on Autotrader. The problem I am having is my 6.2 is already completely set up for both our fifth wheel and our truck camper and only has 70K on it so I have no need for a new truck.

I would note the 6.2 is a good engine and with proven reliability and you can find those on occasion with 4.30 rear ends, which I think would do fine for you purpose unless your boat is very large.

 

There are two new-for-2020 special F350 7.3 longbed SRW configurations that perhaps should not be overlooked; see below.

HTH,
Jim / crewzer

 

Steve, you hit the nail on the head with the dually/6.7L comment. I'd guess 90+% of all Ford duallies are 6.7 power stroke diesels. Maybe I just have a case "something new" envy. There is no doubt that Ford's 6.2L gasser is a good, dependable engine. There must be a million of them out there. Honestly, I guess the jury is still out on character of the 7.3L. Prudence would dictate to wait a year or so till they get some miles and hours under their belt. They may just start spitting pistons after 75,000 miles??? (but I still want one ). I'm just gonna keep on surfin' and shoppin' for the time being. I will probably keep asking stupid questions here, hoping you guys will keep me out of trouble.
Thanks a million.....
Ken

 

DRW's can go offroad just as easy as an SRW you just have to allow for the extra width. I would say my DRW is better at the beach.

 

Jim, I didn't see your post when I replied to Steve. I don't know how I missed it?? I appreciate you helping me out. Ideally, what I would like to get is a late model/new? low mile, F350 dually, crew cab, 4wd, long bed(8'). I don't want a diesel. A few creature comforts inside. And maybe the pickup truck fairy will just leave the keys under my pillow one night?
I just want to have confidence that I'm not pushing any boundaries and jeopardizing the safety of the kids I'll be hauling around. Nothing fancy.
As far as payload goes, I wouldn't feel comfortable with single rear wheels. The extra margin of safety with duals is like an insurance policy. I really appreciate the input you folks provide. It is comforting to have this site as a resource. Thank you, all.
Ken

 

Beach' .
At the risk of sounding stupid, why the long extension of the rod rack/bumper up front?
Ken

 

That's cool. Never saw one on the beach before. I always thought the tires would rub together if aired down.

Pretty sure I was at a beach in the Carolinas somewhere that had a sign saying dually's were not allowed. Don't really remember stuff from back then too well.

 

Ken,

No problem. My intent was to just let you know that there are significant new possibilities for MY2020. My hope is that a more complete understanding of what’s available will help you find the best solution for your needs.

Safe travels!
Jim / crewzer

 

I currently drive an F350 with the 6.2 gas engine although it is SRW. I know the dually in the 6.2 is probably not easy to find now that the 7.3's are out there. Unless you just want the 7.3, I would not overlook the 6.2 as it is a long term proven engine and very capable.

 

it is actually easier to find duallies with 6.2s, although they are scarce for sure. There are even a few around with 4.30 rear ends.