Camper Weight Distribution

[zippinbye]

As said in my thread about a Weekender camper, I am studying the weight issue carefully. So here's a question for you guys who offered the cautions; I am weighing my truck unladen tomorrow for the 1st time. Lets say for arguement sake and round numbers the front axle is 4000 and the rear 3000. Then I add said camper at say 3000 (yes, 100 lbs over GVWR, but just rough numbers at this point). Any rule of thumb for how the weight would then be distributed between the axles with a 10', extended cabover camper? If all 3000 lbs of camper went only to the rear axle, I'd be under the axle rating by 150 lbs. But obviously some weight will distribute forward. Any thoughts from real world experience on your own truck? I ask this because it looks like the for sale camper owner does not want it to roll on my truck w/o purchase for insuranace reasons. So if I take the placard weight and add a realistic gear factor, I want to have a pretty fair idea of where the wieght will shift to on my truck, since scales may not be an option until its mine.

 

[Bill Stockard]

The only way to "guestimate" how a camper will load your truck is to find the camper's center of gravity figure which should be in the camper Owner's Manual. The center of gravity figure is measured from the rear of the truck bed forward towards the front. The distance the center of gravity is ahead of the rear axle on your truck determines how much weight will be transferred to the front axle. With this measurement, you should be able to calculate roughly how much weight will be transferred to the front axle. Bear in mind the camper center of gravity figure is based on the camper without any optional equipment and doesn't include how it is loaded for travel. Anything you load to the front of the camper's center fo gravity will load the front axle and anything to the rear will load the rear axle and take weight away from the front axle.



Bill

 

[HBarlow]

Some amount of weight will be on the front axle but I can't estimate the amount or percentage.

It sounds okay to talk about exceeding the truck's GVWR by a certain amount, GVWR sounds like a theoretical abstact figure. But, exceeding the capacity rating of the rear tires is or should be a real concern. I think the rear tires on a 2500 Ram have a slightly greater capacity than the gross rear axle weight rating so as long as you aren't exceeding tire capacity it is only a DOT enforcement issue and most states currently pay little or no attention to private camping vehicles.

The seller sounds like a jackass. If he refuses to let you load the camper on your truck and ride with you to a scale how about offering to pay to weigh his truck empty, go back and load the camper, and pay to weigh it again? If he refused that request I'd politely suggest he keep the camper.

 

[Grizzly]

Bill Stockard has some great advice. The key to determining the weight distribution is to know the center of gravity.



You must also know the weight of the camper as Harvey said, wether it's on your truck or his as Harvey said.



If you can't determine the center of gravity and the weight of the camper, go somewhere else where you can. Consider a truck camper of better know quality, such an Arctic Fox, Host, Northern Lite, Bigfoot, Lance and few more.

 

[LRutigliano]

I had an '01 2500 extended cab and now have an '03 3500 SRW QC...



When I had my '03 Eagle Cap 10' slide-in camper (4100 lbs wet), it added approx 200 lbs to my front axle on both trucks. Almost all of the weight was on the rear axle.



Hope this helps,

Louis

 

[champspa]

do you get to try a camper out at a RV dealer for weight distribution ? do dealers have information on the weight distribution of the camper? I never gave that a thought .

 

[Grizzly]

do you get to try a camper out at a RV dealer for weight distribution ? do dealers have information on the weight distribution of the camper? I never gave that a thought .

Unfortunately you don't get to try a truck camper on your truck at a dealer because of insurance. They do however have all the weight information and center of gravity available. However as Bill Stockard stated, that does not include optional equipment and supplies for camping.

 

[Road Dog]

Generally speaking the camper CoG mark is 0 - 6" ahead of the rear axle which means 90 - 100% of the weight is on the rear axle. This is for a SB camper on a SB or LB on LB.

Being conservative I wanted the dry weight to put me 1,000 pounds under the GVW. That leaves room for the driver, passenger, fuel, propane, gear, beer, water, food, the dog, and maybe a trailer (hitch weight).

 

[HBarlow]

Automobile dealers allow, even encourage prospective buyers to take their cars out for test drives. Even luxury cars with $80k or even $100k price tags are test driven by qualified buyers. How else would anyone make a decision to buy one?

If an RV dealer or private seller refuses to allow a reasonable buyer to obtain answers to his questions or allow a sensible buyer with a nice truck and cash or good credit to weigh the camper or check front to rear weight bias I would simply go somewhere else.

The economy has been poor for over a year, RV sales have been slow, many dealers and sellers are offering deep discounts in order to move merchandise. It is a buyer's market.

I would not even consider buying a slide-in to mount on a 2500 Ram or any other truck without knowing you can carry it without exceeding your axle and tire ratings.

 

[wcjp]

I've weighed my truck a few times with/without camper. Expect most of the weight to be on the rear axle.

 

[Grizzly]

The key thing about knowing the center of gravity is that if that line is at the rear axle or behind it, you will add all of the camper's weight to the rear axle and take weight away from the front axle. Taking weight away from the front axle will produce a weak and dangerous steering, plus aim your headlights on the tree tops.



I speak from experience having had an old 10' Travel Queen cabover camper in the 80's. Some of you may remember those round top campers that were built very strong but exceptionally heavy.

 

[zippinbye]

Thanks to all who posted. The Weekender in question had two placards. As I decipher it, one was weight after basic assembly, no options. The other was almost 400 lbs. greater, rendering the unit @3240 lbs. out the door. It had electric jacks, outdoor shower, microwave, roof A/C, furnace, 3 way fridge, gen ready but no gen. I guess some of those were the options that added the weight. If the CG was stated, it had faded from the placard. My 3500 SWR has been on the scales many times, but never unladen. With just a litle bit of stuff (small tool kit, extra oil, tow straps, receiver, hitch, etc. ), 1/2 tank fuel and no people, it tipped the grabage dump scale at 7420 lbs. Not trying to be cheap, but it was the only scale, period, in Boulder City, NV where the camper was. My freebie weight was begrudingly revealed by the garbage guy, but he was not in the mood for independent axle weights. The camper seller said "no" to loading it, so I'll never know the details of weight ditribution. I said "no" to the purchase, mainly because I knew with my family and a full tank, we were looking at 11,500 before adding fluids, groceries and any gear whatsever. Even if I squeked by on the rear axle weight limit, 1,600 lbs. over GVWR didn't seem like a good starting point. To be legit, about a 2000 lb. camper would even be pushing it. I think this means a pop-up is the only option, and that's too much of a step back toward the tents we are trying to escape from! It also means that virtually every camper I have ever seen in a SRW truck of any brand is overweight, right? Actually, a SLT 2wd version of my truck would have a chance, but that's counter-productive to my aspirations for getting off the beaten path. I expect the reality will be that I get something lighter and defiy the GVWR, but make sure the axle weight is good.

 

[CUMMINZ]

One thing is for sure, if you purchase the rig and your truck does not have a rear sway bar you will need one. Helwig makes the best on the market.

 

[Regcabguy]

Poptops

Don't rule out a poptop. We've enjoyed our Northstar for nine yrs now. You live in a dry, hot climate which makes the abundant ventilation in poptops especially useful. My camper weighs 2000# and my reg cab affords the ideal platform with front axle weight@4400#,rear 4000#. The sb models I've seen offer the extended queen bed up top which should move your cog forward some.

 

[HBarlow]

... ... ... ... I think this means a pop-up is the only option, and that's too much of a step back toward the tents we are trying to escape from! It also means that virtually every camper I have ever seen in a SRW truck of any brand is overweight, right? ... ... ... .....

Most likely, yes. You are one of the few prospective buyers who actually did honest, objective research before and avoided an impulse purchase followed by disbelief, denial, regret, expensive truck trades, or worse, a blowout and rollover.

Many "pretend" or attempt to convince themselves they're okay by adding helper springs, anti-sway bars, or other goodies. I have exceeded lots of factory weight limits but I draw the line at rated tire capacities.

You could increase tire capacity and safety with a set of 19. 5" wheels and tires. DOT enforcement officers usually don't pay much attention to private RVers.

 

[Road Dog]

It also means that virtually every camper I have ever seen in a SRW truck of any brand is overweight, right?

If you're talking about Diesel SWR trucks then you're right. Going from a Cummins to a Magnum gasser saves you about 700-900 pounds of base weight and the GVW remains the same.

 

[HBarlow]

Eliminating the real engine and settling for the phony-hemi probably wouldn't help much with hauling a slide-in camper because all the weight reduction would be from the front axle and tires.

 

[Road Dog]

It turns out the difference between a Hemi and a Cummins is 60kg (130lbs) so there's no gain for switching to gas. With the Magnum the gain was 260kg (600lbs).

On my truck the GAWRs together are higher than the overall GVW -- 12,700 vs 11,000. So unloading the front gives me more on the back. In theory anyway.

 

[Grizzly]

It turns out the difference between a Hemi and a Cummins is 60kg (130lbs) so there's no gain for switching to gas. With the Magnum the gain was 260kg (600lbs).



On my truck the GAWRs together are higher than the overall GVW -- 12,700 vs 11,000. So unloading the front gives me more on the back. In theory anyway.

A difference of only130 lbs? I find that hard to believe.

 

[HBarlow]

I also find that hard to believe

The GVWR is not the critical limiting factor when carrying a slide-in camper. The rear axle rear tires are the limiting factor. Moving carrying capacity from front to rear is not possible when tire and axle capacity is met.