Payload Capacity For Campers On A Single Axle 3/4 Ton Truck

[MJWenrich]

I have a 3/4 ton 2004. 5 crew cab diesel w/ 4-wheel drive. Bought it new and I recall the advertised payload limit was something around 2000 pounds. I would now like to add a camper to the truck and would like to know what others have experienced in doing so. The 8 1/2 foot camper I would like to add weighs about 2400 pounds dry and I would like to tow my car trailer at times as well. That might add 300 to 500 lbs of tongue weight. Is it possible for this truck to handle the camper and/or the trailer if I add air bags or other devices? Or am I looking at a new dually or one ton truck? There are lighter campers available in the 1700 pound range dry weight but you lose a lot of amenities. Hopefully someone on this site has been thru this before. Thanks for any info/advice you might have.



Mike

 

[Newt]

Mike

The only "right" way is have your truck weighed and see how much capacity you have left.

Newt

 

[jeepit]

See my signature. My Lance weighs about 2300. I do tow a Jeep on a trailer at times. I do have the camper package. I have done very well and have not had any problems.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Air bags may level the load, but you are still overloading the tires, wheels, and differential. I recommend getting a heavier duty Ram. If you want to stay with single rear wheels, the new 2013 3500s have a 7000 lb. rear axle and wheels/tires to match that capacity. They can carry about 4000 lb.

 

[MJWenrich]

Thanks all for the feedback. Jeepit... the camper I am looking at is a Lance 850. With water on board it is supposed to be around 2700 lbs. That may be too much for my truck in stock configuration. Might have to consider the Lance Light.

Joe... I hope you see this thread again. I would ask that since I already have that huge American axle in the back, would changing to heavier tires and wheels be an option? The E rated tires on the truck are 8-10 ply rated I believe. I really wish now that I ordered the 1 ton back then but I just could not foresee the need. I was more concerned when I wrote this thread that the frame would not handle the load. Is that an issue as well?

I also must say that all the new equipment on the 2013 trucks make a lot of sense for towing. 6 speed auto and exhaust brake to mention a couple. But when I went to look at the 2012 model, I found that I could not order it the way I wanted. No longer a metal flip out tray under the rear seat and I use that a LOT! If I order the Laramie package, I get a damn boom box speaker under the rear seat instead of storage. I have to take a navigation screen whether I want it or not. And so on. If I order a stripped truck, I don't get the interior I want. Some of the things the designers come up with are not worthwhile to me on the user end. I may have to live with some of it though unless I just go to a car hauler that has living quarters instead of a camper.

 

[Bob V]

In the 70s my dad had a 1970 IH 1200 (3/4 ton) that has a Dana 60 REAR and 44 front, biased ply 750 16 tires and we had a 10 1/2 foot WOOD camper ( 2 1/2' hanging past the 8' bed) and probably an extra 1000lbs of steel for the home built bumper and hitch. The thing drove like you where on ice. Getting passed by a trucker was a white knuckle experience! I was only 16 at the time, What fun! Any way, your 2004 is built a LOT stronger than that old IH. It really comes down to the driver, a truck and camper will drive different that an empty truck. I would recommend a dually myself, but you can haul it in your present truck. You are the same as a 3500 SRW less the rear overloads, a set of air bags will make up for that, a sway bar might also help. I would get weights for the front and rear axle when loaded and it will give you a good idea what you will need for tires/wheels.
BTW the 2012 do have extra storage under the rear floor boards. I thought the same as you when I saw the rear under seat storage on my 2011 Laramie, but every thing I had under the rear seat of my 2005 fit in my 2011 with no problems. I really liked my 2005 but this 2011 is so much better in every way, except for the emissions stuff!

 

[Grizzly]

Consider a 22' or 24' 5th wheel, which will give you far more living space. In some states you can tow a trailer behind a 5er as long as you don't try to back up. I've had two truck campers and two 5th wheels. I'm done with the truck campers. I believe a 5th wheel is far safer to tow.



But, to each his own.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Mike,



Before doing anything follow the advice on post #2 and weigh your truck. Also check the Lance Owners of America http://www.lanceowners.org/ forum to see what trucks other Lance owners are using and what options to use hauling the size Lance you have in mind. I've owned four Lance campers beginning in the mid-80s. I hauled that first mid-80s 9' long Lance on a Ford F250 and towed a Ranger bass boat behind it. My wife and I traveled all over the southwestern US with that combination.



Bill

 

[MJWenrich]

Thanks again to all who replied. I may have to go by a dealer showroom again to see what can be ordered on a 2014 model but I am a little afraid the new truck smell and the lure of 800 ft lbs of torque and a 6-speed auto might suck the life out of my common sense.

I have been looking at the fifth wheel option and a tag trailer/car hauler. The toy haulers are common but the car haulers are rare. With living quarters, even more rare. Saw a 30 footer recently that has a 15 foot garage and would be enough for the restored military Jeep I want to haul but the living quarters were a bit skimpy. Oddly, no dinette. Lots of horse trailers with living quarters so maybe I should check with those builders and just enclose one.

BTW, I previously weighed my truck and with a camper shell, me, and a half tank of fuel. It is at 7600 pounds. The shell is about 200 lbs. But knowing the weight of the truck does not help with determining how much I can go over the advertised cargo limit of 2000 lbs. I believe the same year 1 ton trucks used the same wheels on the single axle models but they were not rated real high either. I just looked at my window sticker and it reminded me that I got the tow package with the truck and for whatever it is worth, it has the Heavy Duty badge on the tailgate.

 

[Bill Stockard]

BTW, I previously weighed my truck and with a camper shell, me, and a half tank of fuel. It is at 7600 pounds. The shell is about 200 lbs. But knowing the weight of the truck does not help with determining how much I can go over the advertised cargo limit of 2000 lbs. I believe the same year 1 ton trucks used the same wheels on the single axle models but they were not rated real high either. I just looked at my window sticker and it reminded me that I got the tow package with the truck and for whatever it is worth, it has the Heavy Duty badge on the tailgate.

Subtract the weight of your truck (7,600-lbs. ) from the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) that shows on the decal on your driver's door. The figure you come up with is the "rated" payload. Going over the rated pay load is up to you. The "advertised" cargo weight means nothing.

I haul a 11'6" Lance camper with a slide-out and every option including a built-in generator that could be ordered in 2003. Loaded ready to travel with me, my wife, and our weenie dog on board, my dually truck, weighed on commercial truck scales, is almost 600-lbs over the GVWR decal on the door and it doesn't concern me.

I know what you mean about looking at the new trucks. I would suffer from the same affliction. However, a new 3500 DRW truck would easily carry my Lance camper or any other truck camper on the market.

Bill

 

[Grizzly]

Look at the window sticker again and see what the GVWR is. Subtract the 7600 lbs - 200 lbs from the GVWR and that's what you can safely haul. I know most people grossly exceed that limit and get away with it. Myself like Bob V's father and Bill Stockard hauled a large camper with a 3/4 ton truck. In the 70's I had an F250 Furd with a 10. 5' Travel Queen camper. Some of you old timers may remember the old and very heavy Travel Queens. I won't use air bags, but I did beef up my suspension big time and installed Super Singles wheels and tires and often time driving through those 10,000 foot passes in Northern New Mexico and Colorado, it was white knuckle time.





george

 

[Grizzly]

Bill you and I said the same thing at about the same time.



george

 

[Bob V]

Mike, you don't say if your present truck is an auto or not. If it is that might be your weakest link. I have never been a fan of the 4 speed auto in these trucks especially when towing heavy. It also appears that your would rather play it safe and not go over the GVW of your truck. To me it sounds like if you settle for a smaller camper on you present truck, and then, have possible transmission issues, you might be into a newer truck and bigger camper eventually anyway. When I started looking at newer trucks to replace my 2005 6 speed I quickly bypassed the '07-'09s. The 4th gens to me just had too many pluses. I found a used 2011 Laramie dually (auto) in my price range, my '05 with the manual trans was in demand so I got a lot more for it than I expected. I ended up getting a Smarty JR and deleted the emissions and I get about the same MPG as my last two trucks, a '97 and '05, both manuals. This is my first Dually truck and its just nice to know I have twice the payload of any of my other trucks. I am about 24,000 GCVW when hooked up to my 5th wheel and I can pull any hills in the NW without any problems. After one long pull in Washington State a gentleman pulled up beside me at a stop light. He followed me up the pass and said he couldn't believe how well The truck did, if I don't pay attention I find myself at 70+MPH. Just so quite and smooth.

 

[MJWenrich]

The truck is a 4 speed auto. The door sticker says 9000 GVWR. The axle amounts are GAWR FT 5000 lbs and 6000 rear. So if I subtract the weight from the 9000 it is worse than I thought. About a 1600 lb payload. Heck, I saw a fifth wheel living quarter/car hauler with a hitch weight of 2400 lbs and that would not include the restored Jeep I want inside. I think I could get away with a light camper or a car trailer like I have been doing but not both. If I really want to show this Jeep I am going to be moteling it or sleeping under the camper shell. SoI may have to step up with the big boy toys and lighten my savings account if I want to play with both. BTW, I was looking on-line yesterday at the Camplite Campers. An 8. 6 model for the 8 foot beds weighs 2000 lbs dry and is nicely equipped. The 8. 5 short bed model comes in at 1800 lbs. The 8. 6 model has a north/south bed which is nice for me at 6 feet 2 and 230. Not sure if I could fit in the shower they offer though. Might need the jaws of life to get back out.

Thanks again to all for the advice. It really has helped me determine the safest approach... ... Mike

 

[Bob V]

Mike, I don't know if this is what you are looking for in a trailer but I saw it and thought it might be something you might be interested in http://portland.craigslist.org/yam/rvs/3957669964.html