Help....advice on purchasing truck camper

[dezldog1]

Hi everybody,
Looking for some advice. We just sold our 33 LCDTS Silverback fifth wheel and are downsizing to a camper. We have a 2010 heavy duty 2500 diesel with Firestone air bags. We have taken a fancy to a...2000 Adventurer 90FWS EXT Camper.. We are going to view it at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Our truck is only a 6' 4" box but the fella said with the tailgate down we should be able to haul it. The previous owner apparently did. I think he said it's 2038 lb. I was just wondering if anybody else owns that same camper or similar to it and if you're happy with it. Also wondering what you are using to haul it with. Any bit of information you care to share with me would be greatly appreciated..
Thanking you in advance.
Regards
Jo

[Ski_Pro_3]

ykphil wrote:
Two most important considerations when matching a truck to a TC are the truck's rated payload which should be equal to or higher than the total weight of the truck camper plus everything else in the bed (equipment, tools, fuel, water, etc.) and cab (driver, passengers, etc.), keeping in mind the weight posted on the TC might be underestimated. Nothing you can do or add to your truck such as air bags, stabilizers, etc. can change its payload. Second factor is the TC's centre of gravity which must be above or in front of your truck's rear axle. The rest is a question of preference.

Uh... yea. That's pretty much bullpucky.
While it may be true nothing will increase that little sticker on the door, it's more than obvious that aftermarket parts will increase performance and capacity of any vehicle. If not, then a whole lot of jeeps couldn't do the Rubicon or other off road trails.
Regarding COG; weigh your truck's front and rear axles separately empty and again with load. If the front isn't lightened more than a couple hundred pounds, you are good to go there too.
Things that will limit your carry capacity;
Tires- check the load rating
Suspension-if it sags, add overloads
Sway- if it does, add a high quality sway bar

The rest is all weight police ****. I have a 2006 RAM shortbed 4x4 diesel. With my camper, it weighs in at over 12,000 pounds. Sticker says 9,900. The truck EMPTY weighs over 8,800. According to the sticker on the door, I can't even fill all the seats with people without overloading this truck. So much for stickers.

[jmtandem]

We just sold our 33 LCDTS Silverback fifth wheel and are downsizing to a camper.

A lot of us truck camper owners don't think having a truck camper is in any way 'downsizing' from what we could have if we wanted to. It is more like 'right sizing'. Almost every camper weighs more than any brochure or salesman will tell you. Water weighs 8.3 pounds per gallon and you will have at least 500 pounds of stuff. For a 2500 that could be quite a load. If you could get a stouter truck with an eight foot bed you have more options for what campers you might like. I don't know how Canada looks at GVWR and payload but if it is like the US the axles and wheels/tires are what should not be exceeded more than the GVWR. If I was 'right sizing' I would start with the truck especially if you plan to also tow a trailer with some toys. Don't be afraid to look at duallys. They are very stable and can carry the load.

If you are worried about any financial 'hit' should you not like the truck and camper then why not rent a truck and camper and go camping for a week. You will learn quickly whether it is for you or not.

[work2much]

dezldog1 wrote:
Many years ago we had a short box half ton pickup with a Vanguard 8-foot camper on it. The camper was a little bit heavy for that pickup that's for sure. We had it for a few years and then we upgraded the truck and went to a bumper pull. From there we went to the big fiver Silverback with our 2500 HD diesel Laramie.
We are now downsizing, back to the pickup and camper. We've found we REALLY LOVE to go quading. Going to be towing quads on a trailer...We really don't want to buy a toy hauler. We have been looking at small class C motorhomes or truck camper for towing the quads...
Also not wanting to invest a lot of money in a camper right now as we may find it's too much of a down size for us. If we decide to go up to a smaller much newer motorhome we won't take so much of a hit by purchasing an older truck camper...
Hope this post makes sense...lol..
Feel as though I'm rambling on..????

Going from a big 5th wheel to any truck camper will be an adjustment. Having used a TC before you know that.

When my wife and I retired we looked at 5th wheel trailers to travel in but just couldn't tear ourselves away from the freedom of a truck camper. We ended up with a large triple slide unit that gives us huge space for a TC and still the ability to tow our jeep and get out on to secondary roads.

Is trading in the truck an option for a bigger truck? It would also be fine for trailering again if the TC life doesn't work out for you.

[work2much]

ykphil wrote:

work2much wrote:

ykphil wrote:
Two most important considerations when matching a truck to a TC are the truck's rated payload which should be equal to or higher than the total weight of the truck camper plus everything else in the bed (equipment, tools, fuel, water, etc.) and cab (driver, passengers, etc.), keeping in mind the weight posted on the TC might be underestimated. Nothing you can do or add to your truck such as air bags, stabilizers, etc. can change its payload. Second factor is the TC's centre of gravity which must be above or in front of your truck's rear axle. The rest is a question of preference.

I guess I have been doing it wrong for almost 30 years. What is your truck and camper history and experience?

Not here to argue about one's experience or history with trucks and TCs. I am simply stating two demonstrated facts, that truck payload and TC's COG in relation to the truck are important factors to consider when matching truck and TC.

Demonstrated facts? Almost every full size camper you see driving down the road is on a truck that is over GVWR. These are the real demonstrated facts. That is nothing new over the last 50+years btw.

I take it that you have very little experience with truck campers? That's cool. Keep an open mind. 🙂

[dezldog1]

Many years ago we had a short box half ton pickup with a Vanguard 8-foot camper on it. The camper was a little bit heavy for that pickup that's for sure. We had it for a few years and then we upgraded the truck and went to a bumper pull. From there we went to the big fiver Silverback with our 2500 HD diesel Laramie.
We are now downsizing, back to the pickup and camper. We've found we REALLY LOVE to go quading. Going to be towing quads on a trailer...We really don't want to buy a toy hauler. We have been looking at small class C motorhomes or truck camper for towing the quads...
Also not wanting to invest a lot of money in a camper right now as we may find it's too much of a down size for us. If we decide to go up to a smaller much newer motorhome we won't take so much of a hit by purchasing an older truck camper...
Hope this post makes sense...lol..
Feel as though I'm rambling on..????

[work2much]

dezldog1 wrote:
Hi everybody,
Looking for some advice. We just sold our 33 LCDTS Silverback fifth wheel and are downsizing to a camper. We have a 2010 heavy duty 2500 diesel with Firestone air bags. We have taken a fancy to a...2000 Adventurer 90FWS EXT Camper.. We are going to view it at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Our truck is only a 6' 4" box but the fella said with the tailgate down we should be able to haul it. The previous owner apparently did. I think he said it's 2038 lb. I was just wondering if anybody else owns that same camper or similar to it and if you're happy with it. Also wondering what you are using to haul it with. Any bit of information you care to share with me would be greatly appreciated..
Thanking you in advance.
Regards
Jo

3/4 ton is ok for a light hardside but I think you will find that the short box might be an issue for COG. Also that weight of 2038 isn't realistic. We carried a Bigfoot full-size on a 1994 Ram 2500 longed. I think we were 2k over GVWR going down the road but the COG was good and it had a dana 80 axle (basically a 1 ton truck minus the spring pack) so the running gear and air bags made it a well handling rig. We have never had a truck and camper combo that was under the trucks GVWR. We have always been under axle, tire and wheel ratings. GVWR are a licensing marker not a true designation of the trucks capacity.

In general I don't reccomend a long bed camper for a shorted truck. Others here may offer a different opinion and some campers are specifically designed for both and people have made all kinds of things work.

Short bed trucks can be tougher to find a suitable camper especially for one designed for a longed. I would take anything any seller says with a huge grain of salt.

[wnjj]

The COG required to be in front of the rear axle isn’t so much a fact as a common suggestion. The manufacturers don’t agree.

[ykphil]

work2much wrote:

ykphil wrote:
Two most important considerations when matching a truck to a TC are the truck's rated payload which should be equal to or higher than the total weight of the truck camper plus everything else in the bed (equipment, tools, fuel, water, etc.) and cab (driver, passengers, etc.), keeping in mind the weight posted on the TC might be underestimated. Nothing you can do or add to your truck such as air bags, stabilizers, etc. can change its payload. Second factor is the TC's centre of gravity which must be above or in front of your truck's rear axle. The rest is a question of preference.

I guess I have been doing it wrong for almost 30 years. What is your truck and camper history and experience?

Not here to argue about one's experience or history with trucks and TCs. I am simply stating two demonstrated facts, that truck payload and TC's COG in relation to the truck are important factors to consider when matching truck and TC.

[work2much]

ykphil wrote:
Two most important considerations when matching a truck to a TC are the truck's rated payload which should be equal to or higher than the total weight of the truck camper plus everything else in the bed (equipment, tools, fuel, water, etc.) and cab (driver, passengers, etc.), keeping in mind the weight posted on the TC might be underestimated. Nothing you can do or add to your truck such as air bags, stabilizers, etc. can change its payload. Second factor is the TC's centre of gravity which must be above or in front of your truck's rear axle. The rest is a question of preference.

I guess I have been doing it wrong for almost 30 years. What is your truck and camper history and experience?

[ykphil]

Two most important considerations when matching a truck to a TC are the truck's rated payload which should be equal to or higher than the total weight of the truck camper plus everything else in the bed (equipment, tools, fuel, water, etc.) and cab (driver, passengers, etc.), keeping in mind the weight posted on the TC might be underestimated. Nothing you can do or add to your truck such as air bags, stabilizers, etc. can change its payload. Second factor is the TC's centre of gravity which must be above or in front of your truck's rear axle. The rest is a question of preference.