Camper Question on 2011 3500 Crew Cab 4WD Dually Laramie

[ktimmer]

Just purchased a 2011 3500 Laramie dually w/auto and all the bells and whistles about 10 days ago. While looking through the paperwork that came with the truck the other day, I found this form from Chrysler Group LLC. It is a Consumer Information Truck-Camper Loading advisory. It has a couple of pictures referring to weight ratings and center of gravity.



I read down through this and got a real surprise... ... ... It states that this vehicle is not recommended for use with a slide-in camper!!!!!!!



I upgraded to this truck as I have had a 1998. 5 2500 for the last 12 years and was uncomfortable with my Lance 981 loaded on it. The truck seemed to handle it fine but the camper weighs in at 4000# and figured I would be safer with a dually. I have a call into the dealer on this but they seemed surprised by this too.



Anyone else out there noticed this?



I will be updating my signature.

 

[Grizzly]

I purchased my 05 3500 DRW new and it had the same disclaimer back then.



I loaded my 11' 3" Lance truck camper on it and drove many miles for about 3 years, including an 11K mile round trip to Alaska, and never had one issue with the truck.



I believe Chrysler does that to cover their butt in case someone has a catastrophic mishap with a top heavy load on the truck.



george

 

[ktimmer]

George



Thanks for the response. Kind of thought Chrysler might be doing just that. I was definitely over weight on the 2500 and upgraded everything I could but I (we) want to go on longer trips (Alaska) etc. The center of gravity should be a bit further back than with the 2500. Have not put the Lance on yet as I have to get new Torklift tie downs. Will not decide on air bags until I put camper on.



Sure do like this new truck tho. Expected the mileage setback. Not disapointed there!



Thanks again.



Ken

 

[HBarlow]

I agree with Grizzly. Your new dually will certainly do a far better job than your previous Ram 2500.

Bill Stockard has hauled one of the biggest, heaviest Lance slide-ins made on his '03 Ram dually for years. He has added a rear sway bar and, I think, Timbrens.

 

[Grizzly]

Ken,



I don't believe you'll need air bags. I didn't have them on my 95 3500 DRW nor my 05 3500 DRW. My 95 had the OEM rear sway bar and my 05 does not. The 05 with the carbon steel box frame is far more ridged than the 95's C channel frame. With the same slide in Lance camper my 05 squatted less and handled the load better than the 95.



I know the Torklift tiedowns are the best way to go, which I never had. On both trucks I had the Happijac tiedowns and a thick rubber mat between the truck bed and the camper. Even on the trip to Alaska the camper never moved an RCH.



george

 

[ktimmer]

George



I have the rubber mat on order as I had one on the 2500. Have never tried the Happijacs. This is the 3rd Lance I have owned on the 2500. Had a 1997 11' Lance originally and with the grey/black tanks full, the truck did not handle well at all. Putting Rickson 19. 5s on helped. Then we upgraded to a 2004 Lance 960. Shorter really helped camperwise. Have had airbags on the 2500 for all campers. We bought the Lance 981 (one slide) in WA as we wanted just a bit more room. Really like it but it is heavy. Should have bought a dually originally but hindsite is always 20/20.



Thanks for the info on the bags.

Ken

 

[rrl989]

Hard to believe that a 2011 Ram 3500 DRW has a no TC disclaimer. They use to have a "Camper Pkg" option which provided the slide-on certificate.

 

[SOLER]

Go for it!

I had a Lance Squire 1100 or something like that in my '04 4x4 Dually. No prob. I leveled the front of the truck, so when I put the camper on it, it sagged, and the rear was lower than the front. I put air bags on it just to bring it level. However, these trucks have the same suspension (I believe) as the 3rd Gen. The air bags mounted inside the frame, instead of outside. This created lots of sway. It would have been MUCH better if the bags were mounted outside the frame on the spring mounts.



All I would do was inflate the bags just until the helper springs came off the extended bump-stops I installed. I can't remember the website, or exactly what they were called, but the pads that meet the ends of your helper springs, I installed new pads that were 3 or 4 times longer, so the helper springs were in use sooner (if that makes any sense! ... it's been a long day ) I'd recommend them, and get Torklift tiedowns.



SOLER

 

[MSicotte]

I carried an Arctic fox camper for many years and personnaly I prefered the Torklift Stabil-loads to air bags. They utilized the overload springs, with air bags you don't, they are cheaper and just work with no need to check pressures. Also being on the spring (outside of the frame) I found the stability to be better. just my 2 cents... ... .

 

[SOLER]

I carried an Arctic fox camper for many years and personnaly I prefered the Torklift Stabil-loads to air bags. They utilized the overload springs, with air bags you don't, they are cheaper and just work with no need to check pressures. Also being on the spring (outside of the frame) I found the stability to be better. just my 2 cents... ... .

THAT'S IT!!! That's what they're called, and what I used, too. And I would inflate my airbags until there was about a 16th of an inch of space between the spring and these stabil-loads.



SOLER

 

[Jim W]

Ken,

I always refer to the DODGE BUILDERS WEB SITE for my information with regards to trailers and slide in campers. I have attached the link for you to review. The only thing this sites says about not installing slide in campers, is not to use them in trucks equipped with a snow plow or on 2500HD Power Wagons.

All other vehicles are ok. See Attached.

http://www.dodge.com/bodybuilder/2011/docs/ram/ramcgrcc.pdf



The actual Builders site is http://www.dodge.com/bodybuilder/year.pdf



Jim

 

[ktimmer]

Jim



Thanks so much for the info on the Dodge Builder site. I will pass the info on to the dealer also. That definitely answers my questions. Thanks again.



Ken

 

[CUMMINZ]

The best of all worlds are full length leaf springs for stability and load capacity.



#ad

 

[Bill Stockard]

Bill Stockard has hauled one of the biggest, heaviest Lance slide-ins made on his '03 Ram dually for years. He has added a rear sway bar and, I think, Timbrens.

Yep, Harvey is right about the above. I have added Timbrens on the rear, taller overload spring bump stops, and an anti-sway bar. I replaced the original shock absorbers with Rancho adjustable shocks (second set) on the rear axle and Bilstein on the front. I am highly satisfied with the truck hauling a heavy high center of gravity load thousands of miles in all kinds of weather and highway conditions.



When my truck is loaded with the camper, all our stuff on board, including me, my wife, and our weenie dog, the truck is 500-lbs over the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR); however, it is well below the front and rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).



The truck handles the camper so well that my wife does some of the driving on long trips while I take a nap in the passenger seat.



Your truck should handle your Lance 981 better than my truck since it's just a bit shorter and probably a little lighter. I suggest you add each item of additional equipment at the time to evaluate the results before adding something else.



Bill

 

[ktimmer]

Bill



Thanks for the response about the truck and camper. I will heed your advice on the add-ons. That is the way I did it on the 98 2500. BUT when I finally got done the truck rode really rough without the camper. Should have trimmed the Stable loads but with the last Lance, felt I needed to just upgrade the truck. As you know, no matter what I did I could not make that 2500 carry what this one will now. Thanks again and I will keep ya'll posted once I get this Lance on. Lance has already told me that they do not have mounts developed yet for the front cab stablelizers. That omission won't bother me probably.



Ken

 

[Bill Stockard]

Lance has already told me that they do not have mounts developed yet for the front cab stablelizers. That omission won't bother me probably.



Ken

Go ahead and haul the camper without the cab over struts. You may find that you don't need them. I've owned four Lance campers beginning in the mid-80s and some of them hauled OK without the struts. Other truck and camper combinations flexed the truck frame which shook the truck cab enough to need the struts.



We've been more comfortable using cab over struts on two fiberglass sided 11' 6" campers we have owned on both a 2nd and a 3rd generation trucks; however, a 2nd gen truck hauling a 10' 6" aluminum sided camper did not need the struts nor did a Ford F250 with a 9' aluminum sided camper.



Bill

 

[SOLER]

I prolly should have used them in my '04 with my '97 Lance Squire. I already had to use a sheet of plywood in the bed because the bed was too deep for the camper. I should have used either struts, or an even thicker sheet of plywood because I had a little smudging of the paint on my roof from the cab-over rubbing on it.



SOLER

 

[Scooby]

I went from a 2001 2500 with happijacks, rancho 9000's, airbags, cab struts, etc... ... to a 2004. 5 dually with just just the torklift tie down system. The dually with the torqlift system handled the load so well I left it completely stock. My Lance was a 1030 model I beleive and I weighed it loaded at nearly 4800 - 5000 lbs!

 

[ktimmer]

Sounding great guys!! Thanks for all the responses and the encouragement... Soon as I get the torklifts, I will put the Lance on and let you know. . Sure liking this truck. Mileage is the pits but knew that going in. Everything else has been great. Just about all I had done to my 98. 5 is stock on this one. Kinda miss my 12,000# MileMarker winch though. Oh well.

 

[BillNutt]

Sounding great guys!! Thanks for all the responses and the encouragement... Soon as I get the torklifts, I will put the Lance on and let you know. . Sure liking this truck. Mileage is the pits but knew that going in. Everything else has been great. Just about all I had done to my 98. 5 is stock on this one. Kinda miss my 12,000# MileMarker winch though. Oh well.

What kind of mileage are you getting with your new truck (unloaded)?