Need Advice - What Truck For Palomino SS1251

[Baysailor]

Plan is to buy a new Palomino SS1251 with a dry weight of 1795 pounds before any options are added. I would prefer to drive a Ford F150 with 3.5L Ecoboost V6. If I understood the very experienced RV sales guy correctly (works at a large RV dealership in Iowa) he told me he's sold many of these units to F150 owners. He said there have been no problems with the combination of the SS1251 with the F150 as long as the rear suspension on the F150 is upgraded with Firestone airbags. I hope I'm not mis-quoting the guy but I think that's what he said or at least that's what I wrote down.

I can't find an F150 with a payload capacity higher than about 2000 pounds. The SS1251 weighs in at 1795 dry. Will the F150 work?

Pro's and con's of such a setup would be greatly appreciated along with any other advice.

Thanks!

[HangDiver]

Unless you can find an F150 with the Heavy Duty Payload Package (rare) I'm guessing that you're going to have a hard time making this work. Add options, water, cargo, people, etc and you'll easily bust through a non-HDPP equiped payload capacity and rear axle weight rating for an F150.

My .02

[MT Biker]

Just realized this is a truck/bed camper, you are in 3/4 ton territory with that kind of weight IMO.

[Flybob]

Airbags do nothing to improve payload capacity. I would go with 3/4ton at a min. Some may even be marginal depending on how they are equipped

[Kimber45]

Originally Posted by MT Biker

Just realized this is a truck/bed camper, you are in 3/4 ton territory with that kind of weight IMO.

I was confused as well wondering why he would be worried about towing a camper that didn't even weight 2000 lbs.

[My17Ram]

They don’t change the door sticker capacity but they will definitely “improve the payload capacity management”. Meaning the truck will handle much better at full payload capacity with air bags to supplement the stock suspension.
Just to clarify.

[tomkatb]

Really, no 1/2 ton pickup will be even close to enough payload.

You need about #3000+of payload for that truck camper.

Diesel 3/4 tons would be overloaded. Maybe a gas one. Maybe.

Car or truck Salesmen know next to nothing about trailer towing issues. .

[bikendan]

Even the 1/2 ton with the highest payload capacity available, the new 3.5 EcoBoost F150 with the Heavy Duty Payload Package, won't have enough payload for that TC, loaded for camping.
Plus it won't have the stouter suspension that a 3/4 or 1 ton will have.

[Baysailor]

OK, looks like an F250 is my starting point. Thanks for the clarifications. Appreciate the help.

[jtaylor1920]

My general recommendation for people looking at a 3/4 ton is to consider just getting the 1 ton. You’ll get more payload capacity up front giving you room to grow in the future.

[tomkatb]

Keep in mind the listed payload does not include any passengers. No fuel. No cargo. No hitch. No maps, phones anything since the truck came off the assembly line. Assume that is a load of #700 or more.

Trucks that are older sometimes did not include the spare tire, bed and tailgate! Those were considered options in the past.

You likely need a payload of more than #3000. Stuff you load in the camper adds up quickly. Batteries, water and propane was not included in factory numbers.

Diesel 3/4 ton trucks are not ok. Must be gas. Barely ok.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by tomkatb

Keep in mind the listed payload does not include any passengers. No fuel. No cargo. No hitch.

The OP is asking about a slide-in truck camper, not a trailer.
And a full tank of fuel IS accounted for in the payload capacity number.

[tomkatb]

Thanks for your info on payload.

During my research of the definition of items included in payload no manufacturer was forthcoming in listing that definition anywhere. No SAE standard etc. They just made it up. There is no accepted standard.

In the past they did not include optional items like truck beds, tailgates, bumpers and spare tires.

I can assure you that fuel was not included on my 2016 Ram. I took mine when new to a Cat scale. If fuel was included, the DW and I weigh #800. Which we do not.

The only way to know for sure is a scale.

I was trying to be thorough. Most trucks have a receiver and a #20 hitch that goes in it. The point is everything counts.

I think Ford has a Slide in rating section in their towing manual. I thought Ram was the easiest to understand. They list payloads of hundreds of combinations. Ford and Chevrolet were not easy to understand.

I did not understand payload when I bought my set up. I do now.