S&S 2003 Ponderosa 8.5 SC

[GAR2]

Hello All, the last time I posted I was asking questions about a new to me 2002 F350 7.3L crew cab 8’ dually 4wd and my options in looking for a truck camper, and what I needed to still pull my 18’ fish & ski. I received a very nice welcoming and appreciated the quick education on truck campers.

I have the opportunity to look at a 2003 S&S Ponderosa 8.5 SC a few hours from home with an asking price of $7995. I’m assuming it is negotiable. I haven’t been able to dig up much information on it (specs) but it looks like dry weight is around 2300 lbs. From what I can see in pictures it is in very good shape. Most of the time I will be by myself, and maybe my wife occasionally. I also will use it in the winter for hunting season.

Any information about this brand/model, thoughts, advice on what to look at specifically and price range would be appreciated. Thank you— Glenn

[mountainkowboy]

burningman wrote:
Drive it over a scale all ready to go and compare to what that scale says when you drive over it without the camper.
I’ll make any bet you wanna name that it’s more than that.

That's how I found out ours was 3,475...425lbs more than the sticker. The S&S is surprisingly heavy, but very well built. We've camped in ours down into the low 20's with just a small space heater needed to keep it toasty.

[burningman]

Drive it over a scale all ready to go and compare to what that scale says when you drive over it without the camper.
I’ll make any bet you wanna name that it’s more than that.

[S_and_S_Peaches]

I have a 2004 8.5 S&S Ponderosa. I carry it on a 2000 F-350 7.3 Diesel Dually with factory springs only. The tag on the camper is stamped 2890 with water, propane and batteries.The F-350 dually handles the camper with no problems. I've had this camper approx 6 years.

[Marcela]

I have similar truck except 2wd. I'm able to carry around 4000# and have upgraded springs and sway bar. The rear on those trucks are pretty light compared to the newer ones. I've found overhang at the rear to be a limiting factor more then weight if you are pulling something.

[mountainkowboy]

My 1990 S&S 11SC says it's dry at 3,050, it scales at 3,475...dry and 4,500 ready to camp.

[SidecarFlip]

...and 2300 pounds light is a pie-in-the-sky weight for an S&S. They were always heavy. I'd say minimum 3K unladen.

[burningman]

Dry weight is pretty much an imaginary number, campers always weigh lots more. But not to worry, your truck won’t have any problem with it.
S&S was a good brand, they’re generally nice campers. The front corner windows are a leak hazard though.
I’m an admitted Bigfoot and Northern Lite biased person, but that’s because I’ve owned a lot of older campers. Leaks and hidden rot are a huge issue with older campers and the older they get the bigger the advantage of the two-piece fiberglass clamshell construction of the BF and NL. You might look at that... but even older ones aren’t super cheap. For good reason.

That S&S is probably a great rig. With most used campers it’s all about the condition of it.
Open every cabinet and hatch and look hard for evidence of leaks or moisture.
I’d do a full exterior re-seal on it ASAP, regardless of how it looks. Old campers start leaking.

[Old_Days]

If you are having trouble finding a good used TC in the Midwest, check out craigslist in Colorado you will find just about every brand for sale.

[d3500ram]

Some 15+ years ago when I first started looking at truck campers I looked at one of the smaller S&S models and I think it could have been the same type as mentioned. Don't hold me to this, but I seem to recall that model camper has a single combined black and gray water holding tank. While not the end of the world for a camper, it was a feature that I did not want. I wanted separate B&G tanks.

It might be something to look for just so you know exactly how the drains side of the plumbing is fashioned.