Is there a bed weight limit

[brillmtb1]

Since moving from a 5th wheel to camper and upgrading tires, shocks, sway bar I wonder if the 2017 3500 I have has limits on how heavy the camper can be to not overly stress the frame. Not sure if you can equate a rear axle capacity which I think is 11-13k or somewhere in there with the weight of a camper in the back.

I recently viewed a pic of a dodge with a camper broken in half....ouch

 

[AH64ID]

Max RAWR is 9,750 (on a DRW, which is the highest GAWR for the AAM 11.5/11.8/12.0 in the Ram), which is the number that matters. The axle housing itself is rated for more, but the RAWR deals with the frame, suspension, axle, etc.

You need to stay within the CG limits for a slide-in, and the axle ratings. Beyond that the frame should be good, but Ram
will tell you to stay within GVWR too, which you don’t with that camper on a SRW. That being said, the frame is the same as a DRW so that GVWR is 14K.

I’ve seen several broken Ram frame photos recently, and broken Ford frames too. They all fail with truck bed campers, and fail at the forward tie-down point. Keep your CG in the approved window from Ram.

 

[brillmtb1]

So why would the dully have higher ratings with the same frame. If tires well i put on 19.5 with 16 ply so is there any other difference to account for this. If not seems that these ratings can be adjusted by upgrade if rims and tires

 

[brillmtb1]

Perhaps a 4500 or 5500 is the only safe way to have campers since the frame seems to be the weak spot and why is it you cant get a 4500 with a bed. That would work for us camper people very nice

 

[brillmtb1]

Aftermarket beds really cool but very expensive

 

[AH64ID]

If I wanted a big slide-in I would get a 4500/5500, no question. Despite what the salesmen tell you the big slide-ins are too big for a pickup.

The DRW is rated higher because the SRW tire limits the SRW lower. Yes you put 19.5’s on so you can legally change your axle/vehicle ratings if you want to. I did that on my 05. I went with the max capacity of the 19.5’s (9K) since it was lower than the DRW RAWR, and the DRW GVWR since I knew the frame was rated for it.

 

[brillmtb1]

So i. Am probability safe right now while I contemplate camper long term and 4500 vs China going to war with us in 2025 and my West Point son in harms way but then again we are all in trouble

opps too much wine tonight going to watch tv with wife

 

[Turbo Terry]

So is my srw 2022 over loaded at 3000 lbs regular cab long box. No it’s not . At 5880 front and 5720 rear 11600 total still no because it doesn’t have any hang back. I really think it happens when you put a 11 foot camper in a 6.5 ft box. To much weight to the rear see my photo

 

[SSchang]

Your truck should have a camper weight rating sheet in the glove box. It will tell you where the camper COG should be in the bed of the truck, and the max camper weight allowed. For my 2022 dually longbed crewcab, the door sticker says occupants and cargo should not exceed 5569 pounds. The camper sheet says the camper should not exceed 4738 pounds. I would guess the derate on the camper sheet may be due to the height and "Tippiness" of the camper? Or maybe because the camper is a tall load, and they know campers porpoise, this is the limit of the frames strength? Or maybe they assume there will always be 5 166 pound people sitting in the truck? Don't know.

 

[AH64ID]

Here is the 2017 Camper Guide

https://www.dezosmanuals.com/wp-con...am-Truck-Camper-Application-OM-Supplement.pdf

Passengers must have an effect since they list different CG’s and weights for bench vs bucket seats.

My 2018 SRW had a payload of 4094, but a camper limit of 2974 lbs, with buckets it would have been 3125lbs. That’s a big difference from payload minus driver.

I’m having a hard time finding a newer one for my truck.

 

[Turbo Terry]

Interesting info. Hard to understand the difference drw and srw in the guide. My truck is 14000 total and I’m at 11600 we went over the scale ready to go camping no grocery’s or trailer tongue weight so I think I’m ok . Most definitely the camper folks will sell you a camper to big for your truck it’s a given . Boat dealers will sell you a boat with to small of a motor and battery places that test your battery for free the battery will always be bad. They are in the business of selling battery’s not testing them . Funny how it all works . Buyer beware

 

[AH64ID]

Interesting info. Hard to understand the difference drw and srw in the guide. My truck is 14000 total and I’m at 11600 we went over the scale ready to go camping no grocery’s or trailer tongue weight so I think I’m ok . Most definitely the camper folks will sell you a camper to big for your truck it’s a given . Boat dealers will sell you a boat with to small of a motor and battery places that test your battery for free the battery will always be bad. They are in the business of selling battery’s not testing them . Funny how it all works . Buyer beware

Your truck is not 14,000, that’s a DRW truck.

Your truck is 11,800.

 

[Turbo Terry]

I think your right and stand corrected trucks not here in storage right now but I took pictures of the door sills and 11800 is the right number so I’m fully loaded nice to know thanks

 

[Cummins12V98]

People need to quit worrying about the 14k as it’s only there to keep it in Class 3, insurance purposes snd licensing. If it mattered I would have gone to HE!! long ago. I am at ou under my axle ratings snd well over 15k combined. I am licensed for what the truck weighs loaded.

SAE axle ratings are what matters.

 

[AH64ID]

People need to quit worrying about the 14k as it’s only there to keep it in Class 3, insurance purposes snd licensing. If it mattered I would have gone to HE!! long ago. I am at ou under my axle ratings snd well over 15k combined. I am licensed for what the truck weighs loaded.

SAE axle ratings are what matters.

I agree, until you try to file a warranty claim for a cracked frame…

 

[Turbo Terry]

But I never see a regular cab long box frame break pictures . Maybe you do. Almost it’s always double cab trucks with to much weight and tremendous hang back

 

[Turbo Terry]

1. For the sake of good discussion I did a quick look at some of the biggest truck campers available. 11 foot two slide outs 4700 lbs dry weight . Add tie downs steps hitches water etc on and on could almost approach 6ooo lbs major weight even for a 1 ton dully then they hang 11 ft off 3 foot of a 8 ft box truck . I can wonder why the frame might break. Side doors so you can carry more on the back hitch My camper is a two person setup . The adage less is more . I’m warm dry no bugs no bears or people worries can cook eat etc all inside. Nice but not over kill. Some of the things going down the road now days amaze me. More needs to be in a trailer bumper pull or 5 th wheeler not in the truck. Just my thoughts

 

[SnoKing]

People need to quit worrying about the 14k as it’s only there to keep it in Class 3, insurance purposes snd licensing. If it mattered I would have gone to HE!! long ago. I am at ou under my axle ratings snd well over 15k combined. I am licensed for what the truck weighs loaded.

SAE axle ratings are what matters.

People seem to ignore what hotshot haulers do legally with pickup trucks. Pretty hard for a pickup to exceed the Federal Bridge Weight Laws. My old 2001.5 SRW and the 2015 SRW trucks were both licensed for 12K in Washington State.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I agree, until you try to file a warranty claim for a cracked frame…

he had to be over those numbers to be denied plain snd dimple.
My unloaded front axle plus RAWR is about 15k so the numbers just don’t add up.

 

[AH64ID]

he had to be over those numbers to be denied plain snd dimple.
My unloaded front axle plus RAWR is about 15k so the numbers just don’t add up.

The numbers add up just fine. Ram states your front axle can weigh 6,000 at most and your rear axle can weigh 9,750 at most, but the combo can’t exceed 14,000. They make no claims that you can run at max FAWR plus max RAWR.

You only have to exceed one of the OEM ratings to be denied warranty, GVWR being the easiest to exceed. It’s pretty simple, your warranty only covers you for what Ram advertises the truck at, even if I agree that you can safely go above 14K GVW on a DRW I know that warranty won’t cover any failures from it.

So at the end one the day all he needed to do was exceed GVWR and warranty would be denied, no math needed. Knowing what he was hauling the GVWR was easily exceeded, and likely the RAWR too.