NEED ADVICE - MATCHING CAMPER TO TRUCK

[dougers]

I am in the process of matching a camper to my truck---a 2500 SRW with a 10k GVW. The unladen weight is listed as 7443 lbs, but on the scales it weighs in at 8k. There is some extra weight that would be removed to haul the camper---the tailgate, and a few tools etc., however, it would probably only net me an additional 150 lb. The camper I am looking at weights approximately 2100 lbs dry. The dealer says they put these type of campers on 2500 trucks all the time after adding air bags. Needless to say, this has me a bit uneasy... Are these trucks typically overloaded with a camper? If not, can you recommend a "high end" camper that would be in the 1000-1500 lb range? Any other options?

Thanks in advance for your insight...

dougers

 

[trackhead]

My 2001 Dodge 2500 weighs 7500 across the scales with a full tank of fuel and me in it. With my empty camper added, it's 2,000lbs more. I still have 1000lbs payload left on the rear axle when it's empty. My truck handles it fine with me, my wife, three year old, 30 gallons of water, and food for the weekend. No airbags, works great. Don't be afraid of a 2100lb camper. It handles fine on any terrain I'd actually enjoy with my family. It's a bit more tippy than my old pop up, but not bad. I like the hard side for wife/kids comfort, and the quickness of not having a pop-up when you get to camp, plus the overhead cupboards of hard sided campers are nice. Yeah, they aren't as good for off road, but I'd bet 80% of posters here could get anywhere they want to go with a hard side camper.

I live full time in a fifth wheel with my family, and all our stuff we put in it to LIVE only weighs 800lbs, so most people in truck campers will only have 1/3 that, at the most, unless your a freak who brings the kitchen sink.

 

[Jfresh]

It almost impossible not to exceed your GVWR with a 2500 and a Full size Hardside camper. I would say "High End" lightest Lance 825.

 

[Darwin]

Lance 825 would work, but only on a short bed.

 

[wirenut]

Yes, most trucks carrying truck campers are overloaded, even the 3500s. My own truck is an '05 Chevy dually, it's GVWR is 11,400 but loaded with the family, gear, camper, and towing the boat I weigh in at about 13,300. I'm not exceeding the tire ratings and I'm not over the axle manufacturer's rating for the rear axle. I've logged thousands of comfortable trouble free miles with the rig. I do have heavy duty shocks and air bags.
It's not the best situation but trucks, especially 4x4 diesel crew cab models are heavy. Campers are heavy. If you want a nicely optioned hardside camper you basically need a dually to stay under the GVWR, especially with older trucks. In my opinion if you don't overload your tires or axles you should be fine.
I've run into some people who seem to think that going a few pounds over the truck's GVWR is a recipe for disaster. That you'll get sued, fined, etc. The fact is that lots of professional truck drivers use dually pick-ups to haul goose neck trailers all over the country for a living. They are typically loaded over the truck's GVWR. They are under on axles and tires because that's what the DOT looks at whenever a commercial truck is inspected. As long as your truck is tagged for the weight you are hauling it's perfectly legal.

 

[Coby65]

http://www.northern-lite.com

http://www.livinlite.com/truck-campers.php

I had a Northern Lite 8.5 classic on my 02 F250 7.3 CC SB. Only mods were airbags to the suspension and It handled great.

 

[stingray1300]

Have you looked at "4 Wheel" campers? http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/

 

[dougers]

I appreciate all of the responses... I have looked at pop up campers, but do not like the inability to "stealth" camp if needed. Interestingly (Coby65), the Northern-Lite 8.5 classic is the camper I am looking at. On the scales, my truck weighs 4660 lbs. on the steer axle (rated at 5200 lbs) and 3340 lbs on the rear axle (rated at 6200 lbs.). I am assuming some of the 2100 lbs. of the camper will show up on the front axle---correct? The reason I ask this is that if all of the 2100 lbs is on the rear axle, I am still real close to maxing out when the camper is wet and loaded.

 

[mcc272]

You Can't Change GVWR

Dougers --

You have to decide whether you want to exceed GVWR or not. GVWR is set at the factory or at a certified shop such as a body builder. It is not something that you can change on your own with air bags, tires, wheels or anything else. Unfortunately, no matter what you add, the GVWR remains the same as shown on the door plate. Lots of people with truck campers exceed GVWR and make careful upgrades to do so. However, if you are in an accident and litigation ensues, the fact that you have exceeded GVWR is likely to be determined and used against you. Perhaps the careful approach to doing so will serve as a good defense, perhaps not. I did not want to exceed GVWR. I run a NorthernLite 10-2 CDSE on a 2013 F350 Crew Cab, 4x4, Diesel, DRW with a 14,000 GVWR and only added a set of Torklift StableLoad Upper Overloads. Even with the camper fully loaded with gear, I am 1,200 lbs. under GVWR. Given the height and weight of the rig, I am glad to be running on DRW for the extra width which makes the rig more stable in high winds or when passing/being passed by 18 wheelers. When I decided to get a truck camper and picked out the exact model, it was clear that my F250 was not up to the task and I traded it in on the DRW. Note that truck options like diesel, crew cab, 4x4 all add weight to the truck and reduce available payload over the same truck without those options.

Good luck figuring things out. We have had a great experience with our NorthernLite 10-2 CDSE and love it.

 

[hdflh8]

Hey Dougers, I have a 2500 chevy with a lance 845. I used e rated tires, air bags rear stabilizer and rancho 9000 shocks. No problems after ten years of use. Gone around white rim, Death Valley, and big bend with no significant issues. Keep air pressure to max tire rating and keep speeds to posted limits and you should be fine. All of this IMHO. Good luck

 

[Coby65]

I appreciate all of the responses... I have looked at pop up campers, but do not like the inability to "stealth" camp if needed. Interestingly (Coby65), the Northern-Lite 8.5 classic is the camper I am looking at. On the scales, my truck weighs 4660 lbs. on the steer axle (rated at 5200 lbs) and 3340 lbs on the rear axle (rated at 6200 lbs.). I am assuming some of the 2100 lbs. of the camper will show up on the front axle---correct? The reason I ask this is that if all of the 2100 lbs is on the rear axle, I am still real close to maxing out when the camper is wet and loaded.

The Northern Lite 8.5 handled fine on our truck! But had some issues.
I feel that the center of gravity was too far back on the truck. I could tell the difference when the grey/black water tanks were full. The truck was a little light in the steering.
The other thing that we did not like was the wet bath is small. You have to leave the door open to sit and do your business because the sink location gives you little knee room. And taking a shower takes some practice.

 

[incognito]

hy,

the weak link are the tires

put 10 plies Michelins if possible and 5000 LBs air bags and I saw SRW with 5000 lbs campers on it. but the lighter the camper the better it will handle ofrroad situation, better mpg , less stress on engine, suspension etc
hope this helps
incognito

 

[IdaSHO]

Keep air pressure to max tire rating and keep speeds to posted limits and you should be fine.

Agreed.

Regardless of just how close you are to the max GVWR

Good load E tires inflated properly, dont be in a hurry, and dont drive like an idiot.

 

[deminimis]

Good tires are a definite, as stated above. However, even with bags, tires, etc., a factory SRW with a top heavy camper can get really tiring. We were well past our GVWR on our former Chev 3500 dually w/ a loaded Bigfoot 2500 (air bags, beefed up suspension all around, E tires on all six). Never an issue and the truck was well planted (even caught some air by accident in Baja). However, we were behind a Ford SRW with a large camper (smaller than our though) on Mex 1 for a while. Watching the pendulum motion of that camper nearly hypnotized me. I imagined it was a nightmare to drive (even on pavement, albeit it Mex 1). Anyway, point being, we've been overweight and we've been really overweight, and being really overweight is no fun (regardless of possible liability issues). In the alternative, being underweight is freakin' awesome. If it was my quid, I'd be looking for a light camper that keeps you close to your GVWR. A popup is a great option for a 2500. However, if you can't find a camper big enough, yet light enough to make you happy, then time to look for bigger rig. My 2 cents anyway.

 

[IdaSHO]

Bigfoots are stupid heavy, as are most 4-season campers these days.

A 2500 will be nearly 3k DRY