Hey guys, I currently have a 01 F150 Supercrew and have a dilema. I love the truck, but the wife wants to start camping again. This means taking 2 quads on a sled deck and a trailer or a slide in camper and a trailer with 2 quads (thinking the first)

My question is, will this setup work for my Supercrew. I figure the 2 quads, gear and a sled deck will put about 2000 pounds in the box of the truck. I don't know if I can even hook up a trailer after that if I add 500 pounds of tounge weight to the equation.

What are your thoughts, I am fine with putting air bags in my current truck, just wondering if I should not bother and just upgrade to a 3/4 ton now.

Thanks,

Russell

 

2000 lbs shouldn't be a problem for that-air bags will help the suspension. Check and see-on a lot of trucks the rear axle rating is controlled by what the stock tires are rated for (weight tire can hold times 2 equals rear axle rating) If that is the case on yours, if you upgrade on tires you should be fine. Also keep in mind if you are towing, one of the key upgrades from 1/2 ton to 3/4 or 1 ton is the brakes, especially when towing very heavy trailers.

 

First of all, im wondering how you are going to fit 2 quads, plus gear into the back of a SCrew? Unless thats what the "slide deck" will let you do?
You could get a slide in camper then put the quads and stuff on a medium sized trailer, you would need to get helper springs or air bags either route you go.

 

Yet a third opinion!
A SCREW is not meant for the standard hard slide in. Maybe a soft one but not a hard one. A hard wind will upset you.
The Screw will be way overloaded at 2000 plus pasengers and anything else on those 4 wheels. Check your lisc. gross weight rateing.
There would be nothing left for tonque weight because your overloaded.
Keep in mind you have a max gross weigh on the vehichle as well as a max gross combined weight with the truck and trailer.
Air bags are not going to accomplish much no matter what you do with the combination and you have not yet even specified a trailer weight.
A check will show your rating for GCW of about 11,000 +/- as max depending on what tires, axle ratio and motor you have.
Since the ATVs are prime to the camping, consider a fold out tent camper for the SCREW bed and a trailer for the ATV. That should do it all unless momma won't settle for that.
Otherwise it's a bigger truck.
More to it than meets the eye to be legal and safe.
I tow a race car/ trailer at about 6200, 4 people and some gear in the box and get dam close 12,000 lbs. gross combined with a little more tha 600 on the hitch depending on how the trailer weight is disributed.
This is pushing things to the limits.
If you choose not to look at it in this light, good luck.

 

I have 1350 pds. of tool boxes, lumber rack and tools on mine all the time. Sometimes I have another 5-600 pounds on top. I have the stock 3 spring set-up, with just a set of those chessy little half springs on each side on the back of each spring. It does real well, sits good with the 1350, sags a bit at 2 grand. No motor or tranny issues, can't always use OD though loaded that much, too much hunting, drives me crazy. It's spent it's whole life like this, at 141,000 miles, never broke anything. I did hook up a car dolly once to go get our daugters car at college, it didn't like that very much. Motor was OK, but man was I down in back!

Spotty

 

maybe i missed this part but why not a toyhauler travel trailer?

the price is close to most slide in campers, allows the quads to be mounted inside the trailer.

http://www.a1warriortrailers.com/

this is one of the companies that make them

 

Bobby, a sled deck sits flush with the top of the box and is wide enough for 2 quads, or sleds. I was thinking of building on just long enough for the quads so it doesn't stick out. See pic.

Bluegrass, your thinking along the same line I am. Wife doesn't want a tent though. She wants something hard shell. I know I can always add air bags and "make" the truck haul the stuff, but I don't want to be killing my truck either. That is why I was thinking I should upgrade.

Rebel, I already have access to a trailer and Camper (my dads). I figure I can build a sled deck for under $500. That will be the only real expence that I have other than upgrading trucks (which I was thinking about before, only now I upgrade to a 3/4 ton instead of a 1/2 ton)

 

Couleeman, I have never seen one of those sled decks but thats pretty slick! How do you load/unload? I guess a ramp is hideing in the truck bed. As long as you can still clear the front of the camper in a tight turn, and you have trailer brakes I don't see why you would have a problem with this setup.

 

That looks like a nice deck. Never saw anything like that around here.
I would still be concened about the high roll center created by that amount of weight being so high.
Pulling a hard trailer yet with it would not be my cup of tea.
Your factory rated load capacity is only around 1585 lbs.
I can't get 2000 on that deck, passengers and a loaded trailer to fit below any load limits for the a SCREW, in my way of looking at it.
Go to the top of this page and look up specs on year 2001 Screw load capacities to get a compairison.
The truck weighs 4914 + the max payload of 1585 = a gross veh weight of 6500.
A trailer max weight of 6300 loaded.
Add the veh gross to the trailer gross = about 12,800 lbs.
If you carry a sled load of 2000 plus veh wt of 4914 that = 6914 without any passenger load added.
6914 + trailer of 6300 = gross combined weight of 13,214 lbs.
I think further investigation will show the factory GCWR will be not much more than 11,000 lbs to be safe.
Some other considerations I have first hand experience with is the trans won't stand up to this very long if you have any 'grunt' pulling on a regular basis.
The trans needs a big Aux cooler, cooling may need to be upgraded, first class tires, a rear anti roll bar to help with roll from being top heavey and some luck over the long term.
Remember, your truck is based on an Expedition platform and not a full truck application.
I can't discribe the situation in any other terms but the facts and figures.
This is not the time to go with what someone else got away with or guessing because even under full permitted conditions, the life of parts gets shorter and you will pay for it at some point..
Other things that could arise sometime is your state legal limits under the law and overloaded unsafe operation in event of accident, by the law and your insurance co.
One thing I keep thinking about is running down the road and getting into a swaying condition with a top heavey load on the box. Normally you would manuelly apply trailer brakes to help bring it under control but who knows what the outcome might be.
Good luck.

 

Bluegrass 7, I believe you are right on this one. I had the numbers in my head confused. For some reason I was thinking of the 9500lb tow capacity of the 2004 and up s-crew's.

Couleeman, Before you look at swaping trucks do some math. I understand you have access to your dads camper but look at a few numbers first. Figure the cost of a 3/4 ton to buy, sales tax, the price of Diesel is THROUGH THE ROOF, not to mention higher up keep costs, and still being top heavy with the sled deck, VS. the cost of a nice clean used toy hauler. It really boiles down to how much you like your s-crew or if you are just set on a 3/4 ton. That and your budget.

 

Couleeman, I was sittin here scratchin my head when you said Supercrew. If thats yor truck in the pic, you mean you have a supercab. That will make a difference with your payload. That is a pretty cool idea of the sled deck
Rich

 

i agree with the toy hauler. this dont have to be fancy. keep the wheelers in the back, after you unload, there is the bedroom with a fold down bed or couch. thats better than the tent idea, and your not putting the weight in the bed or raising the center of gravity. that is the best idea. i would look for a buy on that... maybe rent one for a week and test it out. bet it would work great.

 

hey sorry for bring this thread back up but i have a questin on this sled deck stuff. i have the exact truck as above but a 7700. witch is the same as the 97 through 99 f250 i shouldnt have a problem with a deck and two quads or will i. just look for yall opinion.

 

I think Id opt for an F-250. Sure, the F-150 could probably do it, but its going to be very hard on the truck and proably shorten it's lifespan.
The F-250 is just better built for harsh service like that. Its a stronger truck with a beefier driveline and bigger brakes.

 

the brakes are the important part...the guys that over-load a half ton with a ton or more are just a hazard to anybody else on the road