Truck and tire suggestions for heavy Arctic Fox camper?

[dwilliams]

Yeah, so you're 1000 lbs lighter in the camper, and no trailer. I only take the trailer with me about 50% of the time. I could consider giving up the trailer, and only flat towing. Right now it's about a 50%-50% split. The trailer is nice though. Decisions.

 

[LeftCoastKiteboarding]

Ya. It’s only money.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[deserteagle56]

My biggest question about a DRW, if I were to make the switch instead of just going to a load range F tire, is are they really that much more stable? I know a lot of people claim that they are, but I can't help but wonder if that's just not because they traded in their SRW on an expensive new truck, and they just want to feel like it's better. I will concede that the DRW will obviously carry the load better, you've got double the tire and wheel, so the load is dispersed much more evenly. The DRW and SRW both have the exact same suspension (at least comparing 3500 to 3500, a 3/4 to a 1 ton would obviously be a different story). The amount of sway should be the same in either rig, shouldn't it? The DRW is going to be harder to tip over in an off-road situation, or when going around a corner or similar situation, but it's still going to feel the same inside the cab isn't it? You're still going to have just as much lean, you'd just have a slightly reduced tipping point in the DRW right?

Thoughts? Other pro's or con's of SRW vs DRW I'm missing? I think it's either a DRW or load range F tires and forged wheels.

1. I did not trade my SRW for a new dually. I went from a 2004 SRW to a 2004 dually. I made the change because, in talking with people who were using heavy slide-in campers and complaining about the lean I got with my SRW, they convinced me that going DRW would help tremendously. They were correct. I was amazed at how much more stable the camper felt on the dually.

2. I can only speak to the 2004 Dodge but there was a BIG difference between the suspension in the SRW 3500 and DRW 3500. The camper would squat the SRW down well into the overloads. That same camper on the DRW barely touches the overloads.

3. With the dually you are talking about ~ 14" wider stance which in itself helps stabilize that high and wide load tremendously. You will not have as much lean because of the wider stance and the extra tire holding up that weight. Less tire "squish"...with a load that is ~ 13' high, if a tire squishes down even a half inch the top of the camper is going to sway over several inches. Compare the payload of a SRW to a DRW (2004 model year):



So you're talking legally being able to pack essentially an extra ton of weight. More and more I'm seeing the heavier campers being hauled on F450/4500, and even 5500 models.

Dually trucks aren't for everyone. There are compromises. If you get a light weight truck camper a SRW will be fine. But for the weight you are talking about packing I would recommend a dually, if for safety reasons only.

 

[Bayou Boy]

You probably don't need a DRW for that camper. You said it feels fine the way it is. You need to buy a set of Method NV HD wheels rated at 4500# each and a set of 285/75r18 or 295/70r18 tires. Those are both rated at 4080# per tire. Before you do that through, I'd go weigh the rig to see exactly what the rear axle weighs loaded so you know where you stand.

 

[LeftCoastKiteboarding]

You probably don't need a DRW for that camper. You said it feels fine the way it is. You need to buy a set of Method NV HD wheels rated at 4500# each and a set of 285/75r18 or 295/70r18 tires. Those are both rated at 4080# per tire. Before you do that through, I'd go weigh the rig to see exactly what the rear axle weighs loaded so you know where you stand.

I pretty much agree. Did just that. Method doesn’t make the NV HD for my year so I got the Method 311. At 3700# they are the weak link in my setup given that tires are almost 4k# each and axle is 10k#. My rear axle weight, loaded, is 7200#. I’m close to the limit but not over.

As a pavement queen a dually is absolutely the way to go if you can stand it. But for anything off the beaten path I’d consider beefing up your SRW. Just my opinion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[hemifoot]

a big wig sway bar prolly couldn't hurt

 

[LeftCoastKiteboarding]

Yep. I did the BigWig bars front and rear. Helped a LOT.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[bahncamperworks]

I have a 2016 Ram 3500, DRW that I just c9nverted to a SRW setup. We are running a 20" rim with a load capacity of 4300lbs. We are also running 38.5" tires but in the 20" rim size there are lots of F rated tires. The nice thing is when we did the conversion we split the track width difference between the SRW and the DRW. This give a more stable stance without being overly wide. It looks kind of goofy with the stock bed on it right now as the rears are tucked in a few inches but a flat bed in being built so it should only be this way for a few more weeks.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Darwin]

LeftCoastKiteboard, the arctic fox probably weighs twice as much as your Lance. You are right though, if the OP has no complaints about the way the truck and camper handle then going with the highest load capacity LT tire is probably wise.

I still don't get what a load range F tire is though, The 37x17 Toy MT's are E rated but with a capacity of 4,300 lbs, that is a higher capacity tire than the load range "F" tires listed.

 

[Bayou Boy]

LeftCoastKiteboard, the arctic fox probably weighs twice as much as your Lance. You are right though, if the OP has no complaints about the way the truck and camper handle then going with the highest load capacity LT tire is probably wise.

I still don't get what a load range F tire is though, The 37x17 Toy MT's are E rated but with a capacity of 4,300 lbs, that is a higher capacity tire than the load range "F" tires listed.

I don't understand why Letter Load Ranges still exist now that we use Numerical Load Indexes.

 

[LeftCoastKiteboarding]

True that on the letter rating. The numbers are more accurate, just not as commonly understood. While weight eating is related to the letter rating (which is a sidewall rating) it varies based on a number of other design and size factors.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[LeftCoastKiteboarding]

AF twice as heavy!? Ouch. I’m about 4K loaded. Could that AF actually weigh 8k??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Darwin]

Surprised your set up weights that much, I always thought those older non slide Lance campers were lighter. The arctic fox is probably 5000 lbs. possibly more depending on how much equipment comes along.

I would guess the rear axle weight of the OP's set up is probably near 7,500 lbs possibly more, that leaves not much breathing room, and the load range "F" tires are rated for 4,000 lbs and that's at 80 psi. So the OP could not even really air down if he wanted to. It starts to defeat the purpose of having a SRW truck. At least with the dually it would provide increased stability, especially on road, where realistically 90% of travel takes place. Then there is the safety of having a blow out on a dually vs SRW.

 

[Bayou Boy]

Surprised your set up weights that much, I always thought those older non slide Lance campers were lighter. The arctic fox is probably 5000 lbs. possibly more depending on how much equipment comes along.

I would guess the rear axle weight of the OP's set up is probably near 7,500 lbs possibly more, that leaves not much breathing room, and the load range "F" tires are rated for 4,000 lbs and that's at 80 psi. So the OP could not even really air down if he wanted to. It starts to defeat the purpose of having a SRW truck. At least with the dually it would provide increased stability, especially on road, where realistically 90% of travel takes place. Then there is the safety of having a blow out on a dually vs SRW.

You can air down just fine. Most people, when aired down on an empty vehicle exceed the weight of the rating for that pressure. Weight ratings are a function of heat. That's why rating go down as pressure goes down. Repetitive tire flex creates heat. That bulge you get at the street on your tire has to travel around that tire as it rolls continually flexing the tire around its circumference. Higher pressure decreases that flex at high speed. At low speed, the tire doesn't heat up enough to stress it because that bulge isn't traveling fast enough to heat up the tire.

For instance, the Toyos on my Ram get "overloaded" on the front axle at 35psi according to the chart. That doesn't mean they won't handle being lowered to 20 or so for the trail.

 

[LeftCoastKiteboarding]

I air down to 34-40psi when carrying the camper. Works really well.

As far as Lance weight goes...it’s a 10’9” model with 30 gal water, 14 gal propane, A/C, etc plus our toys and food. Sticker says 2700# but that’s before accessories. All in I’m well over 7000# at rear axle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro