Will this limit my TC selection?

[ctilsie242]

I live in an area where a pickup truck longer than 18 feet is not allowed. So, this pretty much requires me to look for an extended cab, shortbed one ton. I'm also looking at a gasser engine model, just because the vehicle will be idled for long periods of time, and I don't want to kill a DPF or deal with wet stacking issues. Especially if I get a second alternator or a MEPS system (which is an alternator plus inverter for 5000+ watts of 120VAC.)

Will having a short bed, 6.5' bed pickup hamstring finding a decent TC?

[SidecarFlip]

JimBollman wrote:
To bad no domestic truck makers make something like this anymore. It has a 9 foot bed, 3/4 ton and if I remember right is only 16 feet long.

Cabin Over.........:C

[JimBollman]

To bad no domestic truck makers make something like this anymore. It has a 9 foot bed, 3/4 ton and if I remember right is only 16 feet long.

[ctilsie242]

Well, found out some good news... that rule was removed from the HOA books a while back. Which means a 19-20 foot long F-350 would be acceptable.

I may just buy the second truck later on. That way, I have a daily driver that can park in garages, and a "real" truck for the TC, with a decent 8 foot bed to give the widest ranges of choices.

[ticki2]

The only domestic pickup under 18' is a standard cab, standard ( short ) bed , and that would mean a shortbed camper with no overhang .

[Fisher_Bill]

18'? Really? Seems awfully restrictive for USA let alone TX, is it a retirement or a 55 year or better park?

I think the car I learned to drive with was a 1971 ford country sedan wagon, not positive but that might have been longer than 18'

Yes it is (to answer my own question); 219.2"

My truck is 230" or 19.16' so it just seems like a lot of fuss over 14" IMHO.

Can you tell that I dislike HOA's?

[Irdew]

Lance 850 17'-7" long bed made for you.
Arctic Fox has several models under 18 for Long beds

[languiduck]

You can find a decent TC for a shortbed. What you will sacrifice obviously is room. SO you either are crowded inside, or you give up some amenity. For example my previous TC had a wetbath. I'm not a big man and I'm not a small man but I sure couldn't move once I was in there. It was worthless and I hated it. My current TC is even shorter but I have more room inside; albeit there is no potty or shower and a bit less storage. Neither of these bother me because I don't pack heavy and I don't miss the small bath. My next camper will be for a long bed and it will have a separate shower and potty.
So like you I chose a camper to fit the truck I already had and owned. That isn't going to get you what you really want though. Eventually you will get to the point where you pick the camper you want and buy a truck suitable to haul it. Hope that helps.

[jimh406]

SidecarFlip wrote:
Any emission compliant diesel won't 'wet stack'. That went bye bye many years ago.

Call it what you want, but there was a guy in the Tow Vehicles section that is posted just the other day to find out how to force a Regen on a 2017 Ford 6.7 Diesel. The point being is the DPF technology doesn't quite cover all driving types even with DEF.

[SidecarFlip]

ctilsie242 wrote:
I live in an area where a pickup truck longer than 18 feet is not allowed. So, this pretty much requires me to look for an extended cab, shortbed one ton. I'm also looking at a gasser engine model, just because the vehicle will be idled for long periods of time, and I don't want to kill a DPF or deal with wet stacking issues. Especially if I get a second alternator or a MEPS system (which is an alternator plus inverter for 5000+ watts of 120VAC.)

Will having a short bed, 6.5' bed pickup hamstring finding a decent TC?

Any emission compliant diesel won't 'wet stack'. That went bye bye many years ago.

Even my 1997 OBS don't wet stack'. That condition arises when the heat of combustion isn't great enough to keep the coolant and block warm. A good thermostat and a winterfront eliminates that entirely on my old school '97.

Newer Tier 4 and better diesels will never puke fuel. They run way too hot.

Never lived in anyplace that had a limitation on pickup truck length. Guess I'm illegal there. My truck, bumper to bumper is just under 19 feet, long bed, crew cab 4x4. You could buy a new one with a standard cab and long bed and be under your max length easily.

Myself, for hauling any TC woth a darn, I would want a minimum 3/4 ton.

Of course you could get a F150 or equivalent and get say a 4 Wheel Camper Grandby or an Alaskan or even a Palomino SS550 and haul it just fine but a Hard Side of substance, no way. a 150 series truck don't have the underpinnings to haul a hard side.... unless it's stripped.

[GeoBoy]

Looking at the Ford truck specs, the shortest F350 they make is a regular cab long bed at 231+ inches.

[Grit_dog]

I don't think there's an EC/SB truck made in recent years under 18' tip to tail.
Just looked up Ford and Chebbys and they're 230-238".
Pull the bumpers off you might get in under 18'.
If it's that important better get a tape measure! Or tell the HOA to s uck it.

To your original question, there are many models that are full size even with slide outs that fit in a short bed pickup. (Sorry now that's a standard bed.....)

[kohldad]

Will limit your selection but you will still find a nice selection of campers.

My question is if the HOA enforces the 18' rule. Reason I ask is because my HOA by the book can enforce a 1/2 ton policy (written in 1980) but they are realistic and only enforce the non-commercial aspect of the rule. So we have folks with a 1-ton DRW in the neighborhood. And this isn't that lax of an HOA.

[hedge]

I'm guessing you must mean 18' with the camper off as the truck bed won't have an affect on overall length once the camper is loaded, just more of it would be under the camper with a 8' bed. I don't think You'd be able to find a combination that would be under 18 with the camper on, maybe a single cab I guess.

[narcodog]

So you can get a 2500HD short bed which will haul a nice camper. Or you could get a Ford F350 short bed with a V10.