Which 4x4 cab-chassis?

As an ex 4X4 with slide on owner, both of those you mention will be seriously compromised.
You need something more substantial, like an Iveco or a Yank machine.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Look into the Iveco Daily 4x4. It is manual unless you spend to get an Allison auto fitted, but its capability will take a lot to beat. Yes, they are quirky in a few areas, but great ride and capability. I know as an owner. Mine is a motorhome and I tow my 5 m boat to Kalumburu and the like.

Yep, any of the average crew cabs will be seriously compromised with such load, and towing adds to it.

Although the current later model crew cabs are better / stronger in the chassis, the design is just too susceptible to damage through bending with the design and rear axle placement.
On tracks and with load the design sees the stresses amplified tremendously.

You might have to go to a Landcruiser crew cab or Iveco Daily 4x4, both would be around the $100k mark no probs so not a cheaper option . . . I know, been looking for the Daily 2nd hand and they're rare as hens teeth, and hold prices well.

Edit - Just noted you are open to space cab (excellent design for those with suicide doors), and these are not quite as bad with better design in he rear for load carrying, though I still think it's risky, even need much caution setting up a similar model in a single cab as you wish.

The light utes that so many of us use should have their load distributed evenly throughout the vehicle. Slide on campers inevitably load too much of the weight behind the rear axle. Read this article. This is quoting several outback mechanic who see many bent chassis. They are critical of beefed up rear suspensions being requited to support the overhanging weight.

More info needed
What type of slide on (most hate the twisting of chassis & will leak/break) spring mount the tray/camper will help, what size of slide on, the weight, will it have bed over cab
I have travelled all over oz. the cape, Simpson, canning etc. etc. with a slide on from my old 3 speed cruiser, patrol ute to both landcrusier & patrols 6 wheelers, an oka to now my Isuzu NPS 300 with a warrior conversion they all have issues some big some small, weight will be the big one, most will take you over the legal gvm of the 4x4 when loaded, windage can be a killer, storage can also be an issue, look at the height of the heavy items as in most slideon's its high so your centre of gravity is high, width & height can also be big problem & in the bush you have to have big coconut’s & be very capable as they are a hand full in the rough, buy a one handed chain saw you will use it a lot if your higher than a std 4x4
I must say the truck versions are better suited to a full size slide on but pending your capability & recovery expertize you will find it restricting (note I don't hold back I’ve done gunshot in cape York & even has done the 4x4 track called monkey gum in the Shoalhaven nsw & made it up 2/3rds of six stage winched the last bit
I looked at both the Iveco & Isuzu Dual cabs the Iveco had a far better cab & is more built as a 4wd but a very small tray, The Isuzu is a truck with a diff fitted to the front so a lot more work $ is required to get it to be a very capable 4x4. I went for the Isuzu for several reasons 1) reliable & parts 2) tray size (I do use it for work) 3) 5.3ltr over 3ltr motor & the main reason I picked the Isuzu was i went away with 3 Iveco’s & they all went well but all had electrical problems & often still do some small some LARGE

"I'll be looking to put a slide-on camper on it and regularly tow a 6m boat."


A combination like that when combined with off sealed road conditions sends alarm bells ringing with anyone who has either seen or experienced chassis bending, sheered wheel studs or broken rear axle housings in the bush. I have even seen two bent chassis on 2wd tradie's utes in major cities.

It is not so much the overall weight, it is mass (the material in something), where it is located on the car and the forces generated as mass on the back of the car is constantly being lifted rapidly or stopped suddenly when it is falling as the car goes up and down on rough roads or even shopping centre speed humps. It leaves the end of the chassis flexing excessively up and down like a diving board.

A suspension upgrade will not stop it. Your car is like a box trailer. If you push the far end down, it will pivot on the axle and lift the draw bar. If you install heavier springs and push it down again, the same thing will happen. In the case of cars, the back of the chassis is going down while pivoting on the rear axle bearings and trying to lift the front end. Springs just compress and tilt with it.

If you can't afford larger vehicles then there are a couple of ways you can go about it.

1. Use a single cab. You will have a lot more tray area to place heavy items in front of the axle.

2. Have the camper custom made so it only has whatever items or features that you consider to be absolutely essential. Make sure the layout allows for the placing of all heavy items over or in front of the axle. Chances are you will have a camper that is considerably lighter than a commercially built one. They usually feature every possible creature comfort in order to attract as many buyers as possible.

3. Consider making a it permanent fixture on the chassis, not a slide on. I went this way with mine and ended up with a 2.4 x 1.83 metre pop top camper that was only 90kg heavier than the ute's aluminium tray that it replaced. Keeping the carwell under GVM on its standard suspension with nothing but bedding and clothing down the far end was as easy as can be.

Towing:Check the towing instructions in the owner's handbook before buying the car. Some say a weight distribution hitch (WDH) must be used for any ball weight above a certain limit. This is usually around 50% of the maximum ball weight.

These things do support the rear end of the chassis. They lever the end up while taking weight off the rear axle. That weight is then redistributed between the front wheels of the car and the trailer wheels. Springs can't do that.

The only catch is they are a menace in many off road situations. They can only bend so far and if the angle between the trailer and car exceeds a certain limit, they can damage the car, the tow bar, the coupling, themselves or the whole lot.

Mark,

Have you chosen your slide on and if so what are it's dimensions and weight?
Do you intend doing a bit of 4WDing or is it just to transport the slide on to a camping spot or caravan park and jack the camper off the tray while you go and launch your boat?

Any other info about this rig's purpose, other than carry a camper and tow a 6 m boat, will help with suggestions.

The Ford Ranger and new Toyota Hilux come with a rear diff lock as standard. Not sure about the others. Also the Hilux doesn't come in auto if extra cab is your preference. Can't remember all the others. I've selected the Hilux in auto but for me the dual cab will do the job.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Cheers
Pop

You haven't told us, which camper or slide on camper you were talking about, But if it was me one of the first things I would be concentrating on it would be the camper itself and it would have to be really lightweight particularly for any of the vehicles that you you are considering. Allan Whiting has a nice article on silde-on campers http://www.outbacktravelaustralia.com.au/camping-slide-on-campers/be-sure-your-slide-on-is-legal-february-2015 could be worth a read. May be something like the Trayon campers could be a consideration http://www.trayon.com/.

As far as vehicles go, for me I would consider a Ford Ranger well that's because they own one. Actually there's one vehicle you've left off your list and that is a Mazda BT50, and since you are considering a diff lock, both Ford and Mazda included the diff lock on their base models, which I think is rather important as that is a huge price difference, as majority of other vehicles that do include diff locks do so t on the top of the range models which generally has stuff in them that you don't really want and it's quite expensive if the main part that all you are chasing is the diff lock.

Last year I done a buildup project using a bottom of the range 4wd XL MK2 Ford Ranger dual cab cab chassis with gull wing canopy, suspension mods, snorkel, etc and for me that has been a great success. About the only luxury item that I swapped out was the navigation system or stereo system but that's just about it I really do like vinyl floors and the quality and the way the car is setup. I have documented my build up on 4x4Earth http://4x4earth.com/forum/index.php?threads/my-mk2-ford-ranger-2016.40913/ and maybe your setup might be similar so it could be a good read.

Hi Mark,

As an owner of a slideon camper I have had some first hand experiences with the problems with using medium duty utes to carry the slideon.
There are plenty of things to consider as the other respondents to your post have highlighted, the most important is choosing a lightweight slideon such as the Australian made Trayon. It will also depend on where you plan on taking your rig - outback corrugations will quickly find any flaws in the vehicle.

I originally had a BT50 extra cab (pretty much the same as the Ranger) which basically fell to bits (chassis crack, axle bend, engine problems, rear diff problems, etc) even though I was carrying a load well below the GVM. I just don't think that any of the meduim duty utes are up to outback 4WD travel in the long term.

I now have a Landcruiser 79 series which has been fantastic over the past 5+ years. I know they don't come in automatic but at least they have a decent strength chassis and a terrific under-stressed engine, more than I can say about some others.

So if you are mainly sticking to main roads and purchasing a light-weight slideon, any on the vehicles you mention will probably do the job - others who have first-hand experience can comment on the pluses and minuses on each. Perhaps consider the Hilux as well. Based on my personal experiences, I would choose a heavy duty ute such as the Landcruiser if looking for a reliable and long-term vehicle.

Good Luck!

Cheers, Geoff

Mark, last week we were down at the Australian barrel racing championships and had a chat with an owner of a supercab 2015 Ranger. He had a Puma slide on that looked the goods and he was happy with it.

Might pay to investigate the Puma slide-ons as the weight was pretty reasonable. He said his had a dry weight of around 550kg which isn't to bad.

On a side note, he new Rangers have a very strong chassis and are nothing like the older Mazda source Rangers.

My apologies, let me be a little clearer. I have done my homework, I have read all the articles mentioned (and many more). I have spoken with engineers and owners of slide-on campers. I am happy with the choice of one of the above vehicles for my needs (no I won't be considering an Iveco or similar). I understand it was my fault for not being more clear in the first place,-in mentioning the slide on of course people would have an opinion about the capability of these vehicles (of which I disagree).

I am looking at a design of my own, incorporating lightweight materials and engineered weight distribution design (not by myself alone, but with the expertise of two very qualified engineers).

So, to reiterate my query, without the distraction of suitability for task, does anyone have an opinion about the best vehicle out of those mentioned?

Thank you to those who have commented thus far, I do appreciate the replies.

Oh, and the boat does not get towed off the bitumen. From responses here and elsewhere, I believe it will be between the Ranger and the D-Max (flash or reliability? That is what I am trying to decide upon.

Cheers,

Mark

Check out Jacksons carrymecampers Murray Bridge. Quick and easy to erect,light in weight, will Taylor make to your needs

Dodge Ram is the way to go