Depending on the year of truck there should be a tag on the door jamb of the truck with the GVWR. The GVWR of my ’78 SWB is 6200 lbs. but the truck actually weighs 7,700 lbs. dry before loading the camper with supplies for a trip, fuel tanks, water tanks, etc. It usually weighs just over 8,100 lbs. when loaded for a trip. Yeah, that is heavy and actually above its posted GVWR rating but all the items that limited the original GVWR have been replaced with 1 ton bits. There is nothing left of the original ½ it was other than the frame, and I am not worried about the frame unles the weight ever got closer to 10,000 lbs. Everything else on it now is 1 ton (springs, axles, brakes, brake boost, trans, tcase, shafts, engine, etc). I doubt johnny law will care about any of that if I ever get into a situation where they would weigh it and compare the weight to the posted GVWR on the door jamb but I am not worried that will ever happen either. Even with it being a SWB it is stronger and feels just as stable on the road as my Silverado HD. It flies down the highway just like a modern truck and takes to the trails like a mountain goat.
Funny, almost 20 years ago I was in the boat you are now. I wanted a square body style stepside to build for trail riding and camping. I couldn’t ever find a stepside that I liked so I settled on a fleetside and so glad I did. Just not enough cargo room in a stepside although they look so sweet! As with any toy, each year you find yourself doing improvements to help it go better, stop better, be more comfortable and just all around do everything better then by the time you are done you will find there is nothing left of the little ½ ton truck it started life as. But in the end it is still a better truck than most new ones. Old GM trucks are easy to come by and one of the easiest platforms around to restore, modify and modernize with late model powertrains. You can’t say that for old Fords or Dodges. Old Fords and Dodges were always throw-a-ways just like they still are today (not so much for Dodge/Rams these days though). You just don’t see volume of them on the road like you see old GM trucks.
This is my 18 years of project progress. Started as a ½ ton with a small block 400, TH350 and full-time 203 gas eating transfercase that could never pull more than single digit fuel numbers let along pull a greasy string out of a Coke bottle. Now it has 4 times the power, 10 times more capable off-road and gets 10 – 13 MPG. Same fuel economy my Silverado HD gets or what a new Power Wagon would get.
With a 425 HP 8.1L, 4:56 cogs, 35” tires and a camper on the back it still flies down the interstate nice and stable just like a new truck and still pulls down 11 MPG. I’ve never towed anything with it though but I wouldn’t imaging a small popup tent trailer being a problem. My copilot snapped this picture of the GPS speedo as we were running to Death Valley last spring
If you end up settling on a SWB fleetside I have a nice topper that is practically brand new that needs a home. The price is flexable. I just need to get it out of my garage!
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