Diesel engines & PU Campers

[JPope]

I was on another site and the discussion was about the advantages of a dually vs. single rear wheels with a bed mounted camper.



This statement came up and thought you people might get a kick out of it?



"... (By the way, you don't want a diesel engine for a pickup camper carrying truck - the engine weighs too much. )"

 

[HBarlow]

Some of the opinions expressed on the internet are interesting in the same way as a visit to the zoo.

 

[JMDancoe]

And just think, someone deemed that individual intelligent enough to have a driver's license. He's out there somewhere... ... . lurking!

_____________________________

86 / 92 D-250 Retrofitted Cummins w/auto 2WD 246,000 miles - 96 Ram 1500 short bed 318 w/auto 4WD 307,000 miles - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4. 0 w/auto 4WD 160,000 miles

 

[PToombs]

Some of the opinions expressed on the internet are interesting in the same way as a visit to the zoo.

Or a visit to Walmart!

 

[Road Dog]

"... (By the way, you don't want a diesel engine for a pickup camper carrying truck - the engine weighs too much. )"

I completely agree. The Cummins adds 700 - 900 pounds to the base weight which means -- since the GVW doesn't change -- 700 - 900 less payload. It means that most modern campers with stuff (water,fuel, beer, food, etc) will be over the GVW of a Diesel SRW truck. I did up a spreadsheet and ended up with a dually. So did my friends with slide-in campers.

 

[ewcmr2]

The Cummins adds 700 - 900 pounds to the base weight which means -- since the GVW doesn't change -- 700 - 900 less payload.

Don't forget to subtract the weight of the gas engine that the Cummins is replacing...

 

[Regcabguy]

Having a standard cab 2500,I enjoy a higher payload than a qc. That being said,I couldn't imagine a Hemi in this thing. I know a guy with my identical truck with the gasser. He's got 3. 73 gears,auto and 265 tires. The highest fuel economy he's ever experienced EMPTY is 14. 5 all hwy. I get that with my Cummins and 2000# wet popup and 34" tires. The overwhelming power and fuel economy makes the Cummins an ideal engine.

 

[Gonzo 1066]

I have had 4 truck campers on 5 different Dodge Cummins trucks. I suppose combined I put on nearly 700,000 miles. The first 2 trucks were 3/4 ton the last 3 have been Duallys. I always have pulled about 9,000# of trailer behind and have been very happy with performance, towing, handling. No complaints from me about the Diesel engine.

 

[Road Dog]

Don't forget to subtract the weight of the gas engine that the Cummins is replacing...

That's the net weight. A Cummins long block is around 1,100 pounds. There's other differences -- like a second battery, and the drivetrain might be different too. As an example, a 2002 2500 QB SB Magnum V8 standard 4WD has a payload of 3,031 pounds and the Diesel is 2,332 -- 700 pounds less.

 

[Grizzly]

I had a large heavy truck camper on a 95 Dodge/Cummins and on my 05 Dodge/Cummins. I never had one problem with either truck.



george

 

[HerbW]

So how big of camper can I use on my 1998 3/4 ton 8800 GVW diesel? I have the factory tow package and camper prep that includes overload springs and anti sway bars? It's not a dually! I think of getting a camper or small 5th wheel. Thanks, Herb

 

[HBarlow]

So how big of camper can I use on my 1998 3/4 ton 8800 GVW diesel? I have the factory tow package and camper prep that includes overload springs and anti sway bars? It's not a dually! I think of getting a camper or small 5th wheel. Thanks, Herb

Herb,

The answer is not very if you want to remain within safe weight limits.

You can determine how much carrying capacity your truck has by loading it with fuel, the number of passengers who would ride in the cab on a trip, tools and other things you will carry and weighing it on certified scales. Subtract the loaded traveling weight of your truck from 8800 lbs. The remainder is your carrying capacity.

Understand that no slide-in truck camper is going to actually weigh what the manufacturer says it does. The camper will normally weigh several hundred to 1000 lbs. more than manufacturer's dry weight figures.

A Ram 2500 is much better suited for towing a conventional tongue pull travel trailer than carrying a slide in truck camper or towing a fifth wheel travel trailer. I say this because a fifth wheel will put between 20% and 25% of GVWR, not dry weight, on the kingpin. A Ram 2500 will have a maximum rear axle weight of around 6000 lbs. Typical Ram 2500s have 2500 lbs. of carrying capacity on the rear axle. That is your limiting factor.

 

[HerbW]

Harvey or others,

Do you think a Lance 8. 5' camper without tipouts are too much for my truck? Being I have a 4x4 that puts it up higher than I really like. I think about a small 5th wheel also like a 21 footer. I've pulled a 20 foot trailer with ease but want something that doesn't hang out so far bethind like a camper or 5th wheel. I don't want to be swaying around and be unsafe though. any more advise? Thanks, Herb

 

[Azelgin]

Harvey or others,

Do you think a Lance 8. 5' camper without tipouts are too much for my truck? Being I have a 4x4 that puts it up higher than I really like. I think about a small 5th wheel also like a 21 footer. I've pulled a 20 foot trailer with ease but want something that doesn't hang out so far bethind like a camper or 5th wheel. I don't want to be swaying around and be unsafe though. any more advise? Thanks, Herb

I've hauled the same 9. 5 Big Sky around on both my 94 4x4 2500 and my 01 QC 4x4 2500. Probably put about 100k total on both combined. A lot of those miles were on dirt and logging roads. I even tore the rear tie down out of the wall of the camper when we bounced a little hard across a RR Xing in Wyoming. Good thing we had along a screw gun and a few extra screws to put it back together. Trucks handled it just fine.

 

[Regcabguy]

Harvey or others,

Do you think a Lance 8. 5' camper without tipouts are too much for my truck? Being I have a 4x4 that puts it up higher than I really like. I think about a small 5th wheel also like a 21 footer. I've pulled a 20 foot trailer with ease but want something that doesn't hang out so far bethind like a camper or 5th wheel. I don't want to be swaying around and be unsafe though. any more advise? Thanks, Herb

I'd go with a trailer or 5th wheeler. The brakes on your '98 aren't the greatest. This way the load would be providing some of the braking to assist your truck. Dually's with good brakes and an eb are ideal to safely carry a hardwall slide in.

 

[jeepit]

I've had our Lance since 2006. Granted, it is the 8ft model, but the truck handles it with ease. We have taken it on several 500 mile trips and it works for us.

 

[HBarlow]

Herb,

I don't know what a Lance 8. 5' slide in camper weighs so I can't give you a definitive answer.

If I had to guess, I would say it is probably a little too heavy and might slightly overload your rear tires. Lance campers are quality built and are heavy.

It may be okay as many have done it and are doing it. The only way to know for sure is to weigh your truck with that camper mounted.

Gen II Ram 2500s have stiff rear suspension and are capable of hauling if the owner is willing to spend some money on 19. 5" wheels and tires.

Knowing what I know now, I think I would do as Regcabguy suggested and buy a smaller conventional travel trailer or fifth wheel but trailers are not for everybody. Some prefer truck campers for the style of travel and camping they do.

 

[HerbW]

Azelgin,

Were your two truck duallies or single axled? They are both 2500 so I assume they're single like mine. I see you're a "trial member", I hope you find TDR to your likings. I've been part of it for eleven years. The bunch of info I've gained has paid for my subscription many times over. Thanks for the advice, Herb.

 

[Azelgin]

Azelgin,

Were your two truck duallies or single axled? They are both 2500 so I assume they're single like mine.

They were both SRW. the 94 didn't come with a sway bar, or the overload springs. I added both. The 01 came with both and is much more capable, with the better brakes. The 94 also wieghed about 1000 lbs. less than my 01. The GVW listed for my 01 is only 8800. Considering it goes across the scales at 7k empty, they didn't leave much room for a practical payload. I'm over Dodge's limit by about 2000 lbs. Even so, the truck just touches the rear helper spring when we're loaded and rides level, even with my toy trailer attached. I'm still below the rated axle loads on both ends. It really rides nice with camper on it. I did switch from the stock tires to some 285/75 Es, so I can run them with a little less psi.

View attachment 76949

Picture shows it with the stock 265s on it. I might be back as a full member later. I used to be here about four years ago.

 

[SRath]

That's a mighty nice getaway rig, Azelgin. It takes about that much weight in the back just to make these srw trucks ride nice.

I was with my brother when he picked up his Northern Lite slide-in camper in San Antonio with his '02 quadcab Cummins 6-speed 4x4 with 33" E-range BFG All-Terrains. From there, after 3 weeks of running all over S. A. , we headed to his place in San Diego. The camper remained on the truck for the next 2 months as we did our daily running around all over S. D. and the mountains of southern California. Some pretty small and twisty roads in those mountains. It takes no time to forget it is even on the truck, which handled beautifully. You can go and park anywhere you normally would as long as you watch for extremely low overhead clearances at drive ups and such.

He only lost about 1 mpg on his trip back to San Diego than he got running empty from San Diego to San Antonio. Part of that, I'm sure, is he ran @80mph to San Antonio without the camper and ran 70 mph with the camper on the way back, but it was still impressive. He never knew his truck could actually ride that smoothly having never really had a load on it for any distance or length of time. All the camper did was level it out and actually flex the springs a tiny bit so they acted like springs instead of steel blocks.

He's a real urban worry-wart and I kept assuring him his truck was more than adequate for such a camper. I made and installed good tie-downs to his frame, like the commercial ones without the high price tag, and showed him how to load and unload it without damaging his truck or camper. Nothing to it.