burningman
Seattle, WA USA
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Just for the heck of it, here is the only real one-ton single rear wheel pickup ever made that is NOT just a 3/4 ton with a different sticker on it.
The 1973 to 1979 Ford F-350 Super Camper Special. Not just the common “Camper Special” but the Super Camper Special.
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/wEBPDvYl.jpg)
These things had a 5355 pound payload. Way more than any new SRW pickup.
Notice the set-back rear axle. They had a special bed to fit. They were made to haul big campers, and that set-back rear axle also let the front end take more of the weight.
No camper center of gravity issues at all.
They came with 12.00 x 16.5 rear tires.
They came with frame tie down points, camper power connectors, trans coolers, and a spare tire under a big door on the passenger side of the bed.
No crawling under.
These were the best single rear wheel camper haulers ever, and the only single rear wheel one-ton pickup that wasn’t just an up-rated 3/4 ton.
2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD SE
99 Ram 4x4 Dually Cummins
A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
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Built auto, triple disc, billet shafts.
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gbopp
The Keystone State
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Joined: 08/03/2008
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![[emoticon]](https://forums.goodsamclub.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/cool.gif "cool")
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joerg68
St. Ingbert, Germany
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Joined: 02/27/2009
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Very nice automobile. But I doubt many modern campers will fit between those far aft wheel wells. The ones I had all were designed for the more common, forward position of the axle and got considerably wider in the back.
2014 Ford F350 XLT 6.2 SCLB + 2017 Northstar Arrow
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Geo*Boy
Unknown
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Don’t let Specta see this!![[emoticon]](https://forums.goodsamclub.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin")
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rhagfo
Portland, OR
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Joined: 07/06/2012
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I remember those, and it was another VHS vs Beta challenge. The other manufacturers should have come out with the same design for choice. Instead they started pushing short beds!
Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#
"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Joined: 07/16/2003
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burningman wrote:Just for the heck of it, here is the only real one-ton single rear wheel pickup ever made that is NOT just a 3/4 ton with a different sticker on it.
The 1973 to 1979 Ford F-350 Super Camper Special. Not just the common “Camper Special” but the Super Camper Special.
These things had a 5355 pound payload. Way more than any new SRW pickup.
Notice the set-back rear axle. They had a special bed to fit. They were made to haul big campers, and that set-back rear axle also let the front end take more of the weight.
No camper center of gravity issues at all.
They came with 12.00 x 16.5 rear tires.
They came with frame tie down points, camper power connectors, trans coolers, and a spare tire under a big door on the passenger side of the bed.
No crawling under.
These were the best single rear wheel camper haulers ever, and the only single rear wheel one-ton pickup that wasn’t just an up-rated 3/4 ton.
but man were they ugly compared to the normal truck of that year, and they sucked on fuel like a pig at the slop trough. as much as I am a ford guy, I would just keep walking by that.
2014 F350 6.7 Platinum
2016 Cougar 330RBK
1991 Slumberqueen WS100
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deserteagle56
Nevada
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Joined: 10/15/2013
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StirCrazy wrote:
but man were they ugly compared to the normal truck of that year, and they sucked on fuel like a pig at the slop trough. as much as I am a ford guy, I would just keep walking by that.
On a scale of 1 to 10, in my book the importance of "looks" would rate about 15.
Stick a Cummins under the hood and fuel mileage improves dramatically. So does the ability to climb a hill without shifting.
1996 Bigfoot 2500 9.5 on a 2004 Dodge/Cummins dually
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jimh406
Western MT
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Joined: 06/11/2006
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As most of us know, the payload rating system is artificial with stock tires almost always the limiting factor.
Given the choice between a 45-50 year old camper special and fairly modern SRW, I’d take any leaf spring modern SRW. Almost every aspect of the new truck is better in spite of what the sticker might say.
'10 Ford F-450, 6.4, 4.30, 4x4, 14,500 GVWR, '06 Host Rainer 950 DS, Torklift Talon tiedowns, Glow Steps, and Fastguns. Bilstein 4600s, Firestone Bags, Toyo M655 Gs, Curt front hitch, Energy Suspension bump stops.
NRA Life Member, CCA Life Member
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mellow
Salisbury, MD
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I wish they would go back to the spare tire embedded into the side of the bed like that instead of underneath.
2002 F-350 7.3 Lariat 4x4 DRW ZF6
2008 Lance 1191 - 220w of solar - Bring on the sun!
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JRscooby
Indepmo
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mellow wrote:I wish they would go back to the spare tire embedded into the side of the bed like that instead of underneath.
I like that feature, but most would not like the rear axle set back far enough to do it.
Most pickups, the bed is pretty much centered over the rear axle. This 1, with more of the bed ahead of axle, a load centered in the bed will put more of the load on front axle. That will let you have a higher GVW without exceeding limit on rear.
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