Camper suggestions

[KStarnes3]

Ok,



I have a 04. 5 3500 SRW LB and am looking for input as to what realistic options I have for campers. I am towing a boat (about 4000lbs) and am really looking for the best quality camper (i. e. solid built) but not necessarily all the bells and whistles. I am thinking that I don’t need slides or length over 10 feet but other than that I am pretty green.

Also concerned about the “consumer truck camper loading rating' of only about 1400lbs…



Thanks in advance!

 

[SBall]

I'm sure you'll get bunches of replies to this, but I'll chime in none the less. When we had our 92 W250 4x4 club cab cummins, we went shopping for a slide in camper. When we loaded up the 9 1/2' Lance Squire (which is relatively light-weight compared to the others), it "appeared" to be a perfect match for the truck. The dealer immediately wanted us to consider a larger unit. We bought the Lance and THEN we went to the scales ..... found we were nearly 1000lbs over our GVW when loaded! We lived with this combination none the less for several years, installed air bags to diminish sway and level the rig, but it handled horribly in cross-winds and twisty roads. We then got serious and considered the legal ramifications should we get into an accident. To make a long story short, we sold the 92 W250 and bought a 01 3500 dualie regular cab 2wd. We are now legal with almost 900 lbs reserve capacity when fully loaded, and didn't have to modify the suspension in any way. It also handles like a dream, sits lower to the ground by about 4", and stops much better. Bottom line: pay attention to your vehicle's GVW. It's there for a reason. And don't fall victim to the dealer telling you to buy a larger rig than your truck is capable of or you'll regret every moment behind the wheel. You're situation is complicated by the fact that you are pulling a boat with significant weight too. My $. 02 worth.

Steve

 

[NIsaacs]

KStarnes3, what Steve said is good info. Also check the thread, "sobering info if you are not legal" go to page 3 post #36 from WatsonJ, read all the way to post #45 you will get some good info. Hope this helps some.





"NICK"

 

[GFritsch]

Look into the Bigfoot 1500 series campers. Very well built but lighter than most.

 

[DPelletier]

Weigh you're truck to determine your real capacity. I'm not sure on your weight because you haven't said whether you have a 2wd or 4wd, auto or 6 spd, QC or reg. cab. Forget about the payload rating, the only way to really know how much you can carry is to weigh your truck and deduct that number from your GVWR of 9900 lbs. That will give you your true payload which needs to include passengers, the tongue weight of your trailer ( 400 - 600 lbs) as well as whatever gear you load in the camper. You will likely be over GVWR no matter what slide-in you chose, so I would suggest a very light one.

The Bigfoot 15C9. 5 would be my choice if I were in your shoes. Remember to take manufacturer's dry weight with a grain of salt. These weights usually don't include optional accessories which can add significant weight. I carry 750 - 1000 lbs worth of "stuff" in my camper.



Good luck,



Dave

 

[Gunny]

This is a good thread with a good realistic question. It probably will get some folks blood to boiling some as there are a lot of opinions out there. But here is a little of my take on slide ins.



I have owned and hauled both Lance and Bigfoot slide ins. These two brands seem to represent a large portion of the market out there. The last slide in I owned was a 2001 Bigfoot 2500 9'6" basement model. I hauled this camper on my 2001. 5, 3500 1 ton, 4X4, with airbags, torque lift tie downs and adjustable shocks, airbags had the on board compressor. I did a great dal of research on all of the brands of campers before I purchased this Bigfoot, and thought I was buying the best there was at the time. The construction of the Bigfoots is such that they are both lite weight and very solid and strong. The weight of my 2500 9'6" camper empty was 2,690lbs dry as stated on the manufacturies sticker, actually weight at the scales for the camper dry was 2,958lbs. All of the Lance campers I have checked on and a few I have taken to the scales is quite a bit higher by a few hundred pounds. Thats a lot of weight setting in the bed of any truck, and to make matters a little worse the Bigfoot held 60 gals of fresh water, 50 in the tank and 10 more in the hot water heater. Thats another almost 600 lbs. Air bags are in my opinion not an option with a slide in but a must. The big Ram hauled this camper pretty well, i could run any speed i wanted but usually held it down to a little below the legal posted speed, and never drove at speeds that felt uncomfortable. It still was a hand ful at times, a real handful in some winds. The sway never went away and I had as much stuff on there as I could find to help this problem. Sway is simply a problem with a big slide in no matter what you do.



After hauling as I said severeal slide ins I have come to the conclusion that they are a pain in the butt. They are a real pain to load even with the remote control for the electric jacks. Having 3,000 lbs that high off of the ground and over my $40,000 plus truck is a little nerve racking. Once you get where ever it is you are headed and get set up, lawn chairs out, kitchen ready to cook etc. It seems as if thre is some crazy damn law at work that you need something from the store. This means packing all of that stuff up that you just unpacked and driving your truck that has turned into your house to the store. When you get back you now have the joy of unpacking again. It seems that no matter or amount of planning prevents this from happeneing. All of these modern slide ins say they sleep 4 to 6 adults, well partner you just try that. What they do is sleep two people OK and one real well. The slide outs are also the darndest thing i have ever seen, i looked at a Lance camper 10 ft that had a slide out. Now this slide out moved only about 20" or so, not enough to make a difference you would think. Well let me tell you guys something that 20" almost doubled the usable area inside of that camper, DOUBLED IT. I was truly amazed, there is a price to pay for the slide out though, and that is even more weight. The dealer told me that slide outs where only recommend for Dual Rear Wheels, I do not know if this is correct or not but they are heavy. There are other problems with slide in campers a lot more i have found, but everything has its problems. Only the end user will know if he can live with any problems that come up. I could not, the slide in was such a pain for me that i went to a 23ft toy Hauler. Are they better? well for me it is, the hauler is much easier to load and haul, I have gotten away from that sway problem, I have a ton of room inside, and if you have to go to the store after you set up you don't have to pack back up. For me it is a lot better and I would never ever never consider another slide in never.



Gunny

 

[DPelletier]

Gunny,

You've made some valid observations. One thing I have learned over the years is "There Is No Perfect RV". You just have to pick the best one for your needs. KStarnes said in his post that he has a boat he wants to tow. That effectively limits his choices to a slide-in or a motor home. Motor homes have thier advantages too, but for me (and many others) they are; expensive (considering I need a truck anyway); usually are gas powered in the class C's and get crappy mileage; another vehicle to maintain and insure; stuck with an automatic transmission and no 4 wheel drive.

A slide-in might be his best choice.



Dave

 

[GFritsch]

We love our slide in camper. You do have to plan a little before setting up, but when it reallly comes down to it there isn't too many things you can't live w/o for one night. For us the HUGE advantage to a slide-in is the ability to stay at non RV type campgrounds. We can stay almost anywhere. Some of the best and most scenic camping is not accessible for trailers or motorhomes.



To each there own. I find our camper easy to install and the truck drives very confidently. Our 10. 6 camper used to ride on a 3/4 ton Dodge and I felt comfortable with that set-up too.



If you like a simpler camping experience with a place to duck out of the rain you will like a slide in. If you want a sofa and a TV you will like a trailer or motorhome. Neither is bad, just different.



Greg

 

[Gunny]

DPelletier,



I did see there was a boat in this equation. And I realize that in this case there are a limited number of options. That however did not and does not negate my opinion on slide in campers. These message boards are here for the exchange of ideas, I am of the opinion that is what was happening.



GFritsch,



I am very happy that you guy's are enjoying your camper, it seems to fit your needs very well. Almost every experiance I have had with slide in's recently where different than yours. The happiest day for me in regard to that Bigfoot was the last day I unloaded it at the dealer. To say that I was unhappy with it would be a gross understatement, nobody could pay me to take another one if I had to use it. That last Bigfoot was not my first slide in. I am not new to this Rodeo, I have owned 4 slide in campers the first was in 1976 and was a 10 ft Coachman. I bought this as a young Marine, thinking I could live off base and collect a little extra money. It was on a 1976 4X4 Ford f-250, this truck was parked and never moved very often, if I had actually driven that truck very often i probably would never have purchased another one. But I was hard headed and very slow to learn I guess.



I also realize that this opinion I have of slide in campers is not the popular one. They are today very popular and widely sold. I recently saw a Lance slide in at a dealership with a slide out that was $40,000. Somebody really likes them! But in this exchange of ideas as I stated in the bigining of this post I do have an opinion on them, and i sure am not afraid to speak up.



Gunny

 

[JPS]

Are you allowed to pull boat behind fifth wheel in your area. If so thats the way to go. Been doing it for many years. Have smaller 5th wheel to satisfy the DOT! jps

 

[DPelletier]

DPelletier,



I did see there was a boat in this equation. And I realize that in this case there are a limited number of options. That however did not and does not negate my opinion on slide in campers. These message boards are here for the exchange of ideas, I am of the opinion that is what was happening.



Gunny

Gunny,

It sounds like you're getting a little defensive to me. I also thought we were having a polite discussion of the issue at hand. If there was something in my post that angered you, that wasn't my intent, nor do I intend to try to change your mind regarding slide-in campers. As I said in my post, there is no perfect RV and its all about which compromises fit your needs best.

For KStarnes, a setup like yours is out of the question if he intends to haul his boat.

When I stop dirtbike racing (and can go on longer trips), I'm thinking of a 5th wheel toybox, but you wouldn't be able to get a 5er into the places I need to go at the moment.



Cheers,

Dave

 

[Boomer II]

We have a 10. 6 Bigfoot, it sleeps two, any more people and it's way crowded. It suits our needs just fine cause we're usually hauling a Jeep that we can run around in. Gunny has some valid points, it just boils down to what floats your boat. I have owned a goosneck car hauler type toy box and really liked it, I just don't have the room to park it as easily as the camper. I could see going back to one of those though, more room and four more tires to buy!! I need to own a rubber company with all the trailers I own.

 

[SSchang]

I bought a 2004. 5 SRW shortbed 4X4 in July. My wife and I have been tent camping for years, and thought this would be a great opportunity to step up to a truck camper. I was also concerned about the “consumer truck camper loading rating' of only about 1400lbs. After reading many posts in this forum and the Trailer Life Open Roads Forum (mostly from folks that haul overweight and the folks who bash them for their lack of social consciousness), we decided to shop for a camper. Most folks agree that as long as you don't exceed your GVWR or individual axle ratings, you're OK.



We first hit the huge RV conglomerate here in western NY, and walked away depressed by the cost (pushing $30,000 for the higher end models!) and weight of the Lance campers. The next weekend we headed to Erie, Pa and found a local RV outfit that carries Travel Lite campers. Yep, no raised panel oak doors, crappy blinds to cover the windows, and formica countertops. We bought a 1 year old (looked new) Mountain Star model, and we were on our way! We also spent 1/2 of what a comparable Lance would have cost.



The dealer mounted the removable tiedown brackets to the spring mounts and trailer hitch, tightened the springloaded turnbuckles, gave us instructions on how to operate all the camper utilities. Off we lumbered down the road.



I was pretty intimidated at first, as even with the overloads the 3500 bottomed frequently. After our first trip, I ordered airbags to help level the truck and stop the bottoming. They were easy to install, no drilling, and took a total of 2 hours start to finish. Easy to level the truck and no more hitting bottom over bumps.



Havng truck scales at work, I weighed the truck with and without the camper. Keep in mind the tag on the camper rates it at 1800# empty.

Truck without camper:

Front axle 4400#

Rear axle 2800#

total 7200#



Truck with camper:

Front axle 4300#

Rear axle 5540#

total 9840#



The truck GVWR is 9900#, I'm probably a couple hundred pounds overweight loaded. No flames - I'm a risk taker.



The camper weighs 2640#, and the CG is slightly behind the rear axle, note the loss of 100# on the front axle with the camper in the truck.



So far, we've travled to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, through the Smoky Mountains, all over the Adirondaks, New York's Finger Lakes wine country, and most of central and southern Pennsylvania. Of the 9500 miles we've put on the truck since July, more than half has been with the camper in the bed. As far as power and braking, you don't even know the camper is there. The only issue is the side to side rocking as you corner, and the front to rear rocking on concrete expressways - I-80 in Pa. is the worst!



The Travel Lite camper has been great, no problems at all. It does everything it's supposed to do, and we have had no quality issues. I've learned that electric jacks would probably be worth the extra $1000, cranking the jacks one at a time with a drill is a pain in the butt when loading and unloading the camper. Even so, we're down to 45 minutes start to finish to remove the tonneau cover, remove the tailgate, move the license plate to the camper, jack up the camper, mount the tie downs to the truck, load the camper (getting it aligned is the hard part!!), lower it into the bed, attach and tighten the turnbuckles, plug in the power plug to the truck, inflate the rear tires to 80 psi, and inflate the air bags to 50 psi.



Now that we have some experience, we'd do the same thing again, but the camper would have electric jacks!



Enjoy it, you've got a lot of great experiences ahead!



Scott

 

[KennethS]

Go to [Open Roads Forum Truck Campers] the best to learn about tr learn about campers

Ok,



I have a 04. 5 3500 SRW LB and am looking for input as to what realistic options I have for campers. I am towing a boat (about 4000lbs) and am really looking for the best quality camper (i. e. solid built) but not necessarily all the bells and whistles. I am thinking that I don’t need slides or length over 10 feet but other than that I am pretty green.

Also concerned about the “consumer truck camper loading rating' of only about 1400lbs…



Thanks in advance!

This Is the best forum to learn about campers of all kinds. I read It daily just like the TDR.

 

[smartineau]

Lots of posts to read, and my eyes are tired.



I did not see the 'Northern Lite' mentioned they have several versions and you can find one that has less tank capacity but is thus lighter in weight.



I see you live in Bend, if you do not winter camp/hunt you could look at some pop-up type campers, these are usually much lighter than a regular hard side camper.



steve

 

[SMorneau]

Slide-ins aren't for everyone but the wife and I enjoy ours. I'm lucky enough to be able to leave it on for long periods in the summer. Loading it sucks but then again I'm lazy



As you would expect the shorter campers and lighter and will simplify your hitch setup which is something to keep in mind especially if you ever up the weight. I have a little wide angle viewer on the window in the bottom of the camper door and I can see a lot when I'm pulling my boat. Its just sticks on the glass which obvously has to be clear.



I wouldn't worry too much about weight if you stay within your tires limits and that includes speed ratings for the limits. I don't know beans about 3rd gens but I can tell you the airbags are a must for every truck I have ever seen with a camper.

 

[sctnabt]

I am fairly happy with the FourWheeler camper that I have. (Pop-up Camper). The company tends to promote it as a four season camper, I tend to think of, and use it mainly for warmer weather camping. Works alright in colder weather if you let the furnace run, does not really have much insulating value as such. Lots of configurations for different pickups both long and short bed.



The great thing about them is they only weigh in around 800lbs. (This does not include corner jacks). You can have these (or a similar camper) on your pickup and still have capacity for towing fourwheelers, horses, whatever behind you. You will also keep the GVW down and still have capacity for added equipment and the tongue weight of a trailer or boat.



The price is VERY reasonable compared to other campers out there. There are some build qualities which aren't great, (some typical light weight constx. ) but you can certainly monster garage it as you see fit. (Just don't forget about weight!!) Drives WAY better on the highway than full size. (You may not even notice a difference with it on/off)



They don't compare to a full-size Lance, but depending on what you do, they may fit your needs pretty well. When you say "solid built" perhaps this is not the camper (the Fourwheeler) you are looking for, but this should at least give you some good weight statistics and something for comparison.



I see a lot of 3/4 ton pickups with full-size campers pulling horse trailers and boats around here that HAVE to be overweight. If you think the average 3/4 ton pickup will both carry a full size camper and a trailer you will be surprised. As best as I can research, add your camper weight, equipment, and tongue weight, passenger weight, and make sure you are under the GVWR. GCWR isn't too hard to stay under, but when you add tongue weight to your pickup in addition to a camper it tends to go over GVWR.



Hope that helps you or someone, here is the site:



FourwheelCampers





cj

 

[CRuth]

I also have the Four Wheel Pop Up Camper. I leave it on all the time, it actually rides better with the weight in the bed. Fully loaded I have plenty of capacity to spare. Pops up i just a couple minutes. The frame is all aluminum so any issues with construction are not going to be major. Of course the big thing is its not luxurious. I tow my jeep and it works well for me. You can sleep four but I wouldnt recommend it. Not something I would want to be cooped up in in bad winter weather but for what I do its primarily just for sleeping. I like to be outside when I'm camping.



I had a full size western wilderness camper on my old truck, and while that was nicer when actually camping, I hated the extra length in the back (I go offroad so it was inevitable I'd back it into something) and hitting tree branches just driving around the neighborhood. Plus it handled poorly and I couldnt stop, but that was combination of the weight and pos truck. A big reason why I finally broke down and bought my Dodge.

 

[PKleine]

One more option for you to consider is the Alaskan Camper. These are high quality units that raise and lower. They have hard sides, fully insulated, not drafty and don't leak. According to alaskancamper.com, the wet weight of the 10 ft cab over camper is less than 2000 lbs. YWMV.



I have an older 8 ft cab over Alaskan Camper that fits and rides nicely on my Dodge.

 

[NevadaBackroader]

Look into a pop up camper

I have an Outfitter Apex 8' model on my shortbed 2500 quad cab. It's been on since June when I got back from Iraq. Takes 5 minutes to pop up. I had a hitchhauler modified to extend the trailer hitch so I could pull my Polaris Ranger. I couldn't be happier after 5 hunting trips and a couple tours of the California coast. I added the Bilstein shocks for over 8800# GVW which took a lot of the sway out. Book says it weighs 1200# but I'm guessing it's closer to 1800# fully loaded. Check it out at http://www.outfittermfg.com