"Not Recommended For Slide- In Camper" disclaimer...

[fkovalski]

So- I am looking at an new 3500 SRW on the dealers lot. Inside the glove box is a sheet that shows a diagram camper load placements in the bed but typed in the middle of the page are words to the effect: "Not Recommended For Slide- In Camper. " This is a 1 ton truck and it cannot handle the camper load?

Anyone have comments to this?

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Read your way thru this thread:



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126408

 

[ata]

That Disclaimer is for the Frame cracking just behind the Cab. Will it crack if you put a camper on it probably not but they have cracked. The slide-in camper puts a lot of weight ahead of the rear axle where a fifth wheel hitch puts the weight over the rear axle. A load in the box will be more even over the rear axle then a slide-in camper with the big front over hang. I don't think I would worry about it if that's what I wanted the truck for.

 

[DKlimas]

ata

That Disclaimer is for the Frame cracking just behind the Cab.

If possible, please substantiate this claim.



As far as I can tell from all the response on this subject, frame cracking has nothing to do with the disclaimer.



Cheers,

Dave

 

[fkovalski]

Gary- thanks for the link referal. Lot of info there!

 

[DBond]

So- I am looking at an new 3500 SRW on the dealers lot. Inside the glove box is a sheet that shows a diagram camper load placements in the bed but typed in the middle of the page are words to the effect: "Not Recommended For Slide- In Camper. " This is a 1 ton truck and it cannot handle the camper load?

Anyone have comments to this?

Make sure the VIN on that sheet matches the truck you are looking at. Or just look at the model code; 3500 4x2 start with DH3... and 4x4 start with DH8...



A few models have always had the "camper not recomended" for some reason, while most 3500s have a rating. My 05 has a rating of 1556 lbs (the rating assumes 150 lbs x 6 seats in the cab).

 

[Po' Riggity]

I understand why its there, and IMHO, its a CYA thing that DC is doing. . I'll have no qualms about putting a slide in inside my 2500 LWB 4x4.

Scott

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I understand why its there, and IMHO, its a CYA thing that DC is doing. . I'll have no qualms about putting a slide in inside my 2500 LWB 4x4.

Scott

Perhaps - but does Ford or GM see the need to similarly "CYA" in use of slides in THEIR trucks?



The "where there's smoke, there's fire" quote comes to mind...

 

[klenger]

While the agrument that a large cab-over slide-in camper could put undo stress on the frame forward of the axle does seem somewhat logical, the same piece of paper that has the statement "not recommended for slide-in campers" also shows the acceptable CG envelope. One could logically assume that if you loaded the truck with "whatever", and stayed within the CG envelope, and were under the trucks GVWR, that the truck should not care what "whatever" is. My $0. 02.

 

[ilovetrains]

I had one of these but I assumed it was because it was a short box.

 

[AlexWV]

My slip says not recommended for camper. It is the same piece of paper that shows the CG but the fact that there are no numbers for how heavy the camper can be makes the CG info irrelevant I think.



Mine is a short box but so was my Hemi 1500 and I am pretty sure that the camper info sheet for the Hemi did not say "not recommended" but had a number. It was a small number since they figure you have a person in every seating position in the truck and once you use that up, with the 1000 lbs or so payload of a 1500, there is not much left for a camper.



It doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[DBond]

I had one of these but I assumed it was because it was a short box.

Had one of what?

 

[Heavyweight]

crack of my $$*****

The fram cracking line of crap again... How many frames have cracked? Let's see the PROOF, not hear-say bull CRAP! With the advent of digital camera's, there should be a posted pic of the dreaded cracked frame.

 

[AlexWV]

I believe he is talking about the piece of paper called "Consumer Information Truck-Camper Loading" that comes with your truck. It has to be included with the truck by law and is in the glove box.



It has a cargo weight rating for the camper and a couple numbers showing where the center of gravity for the camper should be. In my case, there are no numbers and a note below where the numbers would be saying "This Vehicle Is Not Recommended For Use With A Slide-In Camper".



And that's that. But like I said, my short box 1500 Hemi did not have this "not recommended" note but had some numbers on the sheet. It seems ridiculous to me that a 3500 can't carry a slide-in camper. Not that I have one or want one. But still.

 

[ata]

ata



If possible, please substantiate this claim.



As far as I can tell from all the response on this subject, frame cracking has nothing to do with the disclaimer.



Cheers,

Dave

No I don't have a picture in hand. But run a Search in 3rd Gen No Engine Tran's.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

OK, I'll say/ask again:



IF there is NO known weakness in the 3rd generation Dodge frame, WHY did DC choose to include a printed warning, when as far as *I* know, neither Ford or GM displays a similar warning on THEIR trucks?



With all the other known issues, DC has NEVER issued warnings - "death wobble", "lift/injection pumps", various large-scale suspension, balljoint and universal joint issues - not a PEEP from DC - so WHY would they outta the blue, suddenly decide to vaguely cover a *possible* frame issue, if there IS no known frame issue?



Anyone wanna step up to the plate with a likely response?

 

[jlasich]

As far as I know, Dodge does not offer a camper package like GM and Ford do. The typical camper package includes a rear sway bar and upgraded springs. Someone needs to find a Ford or GM WITHOUT the camper package option and see if there's a piece of paper in there saying that slide-in campers are not recommended. That may help to clear some of this up.

 

[fkovalski]

... WHY did DC choose to include a printed warning, ...

, ... suddenly decide to vaguely cover a *possible* frame issue, if there IS no known frame issue?

I agree GAry,

The window sticker shows the "not set up for Snow Plow" disclaimer. I would think that Dodge should place the "camper" disclaimer her as well, but they would prolly lose a lot of sales if they did!

 

[DaveK98]

My new 05 dually came with the same warning sheet. Heck does Dodge make a truck that can be used with a slide in camper?

 

[GFritsch]

OK, I'll say/ask again:



IF there is NO known weakness in the 3rd generation Dodge frame, WHY did DC choose to include a printed warning, when as far as *I* know, neither Ford or GM displays a similar warning on THEIR trucks?



With all the other known issues, DC has NEVER issued warnings - "death wobble", "lift/injection pumps", various large-scale suspension, balljoint and universal joint issues - not a PEEP from DC - so WHY would they outta the blue, suddenly decide to vaguely cover a *possible* frame issue, if there IS no known frame issue?



Anyone wanna step up to the plate with a likely response?

There are a lot of variables with a truck camper. I cracked the bed sheet metal badly on my 94 carrying our Bigfoot truck camper. I attribute this to the mounting system that attached to the back of bed itself. After switching to a frame mounted system I have had no problem.



As Dodge (or any manufacturer) has no way of knowing how this load will be attached, and as many people run well over the listed cargo weight, and are carrying that weight at much higher center of gravity than designed for, I can understand how a truck manufacturer could be wary of giving the "carte blanche" to truck campers. Truck campers do place a very different kind of torsional load on the frame of a truck (my opinion).



All that said, I too have not actually seen a frame failure, and have no worries going down the road with our camper.



Greg