Ram 1500 with a cabover camper

[Houser]

My 02 3/4 ton is listed on craigs list if your interested.

 

[Bill Lins]

Thanks for all the great advice you guys are awsome. As dangerous as that truck is going to be
once i get that camper on it im going to have to smoke a lot of pot and drink a lot of cheep beer
when ever i go driving in it. Other wise ill just be to freeked out to leave the dang ol yard.

I'm not so much worried about you as I am those who will have to share the road with you.

 

[Regcabguy]

Triple your insurance liability levels.

 

[mwilson]

Ok, this is probably poor judgement on my part but here it is.....

When my Mother-In-Law retired (fondly referred to as the Old Bat) she loaded up her Real-Lite slide-in camper onto her '95 1/2ton 4X4 Ram with the 318 engine and struck for Alaska. All by herself. She made it. No issues other than 1 flat tire. Gone for 6 weeks. Only thing that I had her do was to install 4 new LT tires before leaving. No air bags or overloads.

Maybe it wasn't quite right but it can be done.

We all run these great big trucks and sometimes forget what is or was done with 1/2 ton trucks. The 1/2 tons were never rated for a 7 1/2' Fisher plow on the front and a full 150 gallon transfer tank in the body but it is still done here everyday.

Her truck was not rated for a slide in camper by Dodge either even back then.

So to me the bottom line is this....Are you a Driver or are you a Steering Wheel Holder??? There is a big difference. The Old Bat is a Driver!!!

JMHO.

Mike.

 

[Houser]

Thats what im talkin about

 

[Grizzly]

None the less, it' still risky. Perhaps the Old Bat, (no offense Mike) was lucky, but she could have been a statistic even if she was a "driver".

 

[mwilson]

None the less, it' still risky. Perhaps the Old Bat, (no offense Mike) was lucky, but she could have been a statistic even if she was a "driver".

No offense taken George. No worries.

Hell, it's a miracle if she makes it to town and back.

 

[mwilson]

But my point is that if one is careful and vigilant the envelope can be pushed. There is always a risk doing anything and an over-built 3/4 ton does minimize the risk in some areas. Other areas all things are equal such as bursting a brake line or blowing a front tire. Those two things are a handful with any vehicle.

We have a gentleman at work that hauls a fifth wheel that is the same size as mine with an '07 1/2 ton 4X4 Hemi powered Ram. What makes me cringe are the 20" factory bling rims on the thing. But he has decent rubber on it and tows the unit across some pretty nasty roads in the state. He is careful and pays attention. No issues.
Would I do it??? Probably not.

 

[jhenderson]

Maybe we should all stay home on the couch wrapped in a snuggie.

 

[Grizzly]

Maybe we should all stay home on the couch wrapped in a snuggie.

That maybe the safest thing to do, but it's no fun.

georgr

 

[Bob4x4]

Mike it would have been very unlikely that old gasser would have had enough torque to break anything......now 400ftlbs and a bit overweight the situation changes.That lil fiat diesel puts out the power pretty nicely

 

[Houser]

Well the Camper ended up working out very well. Rides and drives very nice I think Ill keep it.

 

[EDankievitch]

I over loaded a 1500 with a small load of lumber. I was building a 8 x10 porch all the lumber was on a home depot push cart. One cart I was able to push it around very easily. Once I had it all in the truck the truck was down on the bump stops. A 1500 is not a truck it's a grocery getter that's all. Forget putting that slide in camper in it. I've seen far too many trucks that were over loaded wrecked on the interstate attempting to get to or from Fla. People forget the wind forces when a 18 wheeler passes them at 75 mph. The light suspension can't handle the loads.

 

[AH64ID]

Well the Camper ended up working out very well. Rides and drives very nice I think Ill keep it.View attachment 91311View attachment 91312

Have you hit the scales?

I would be beyond shocked if you are anywhere near your limits, and I don't mean on the low side.

Looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Houser]

You city boys crack me up.

 

[AH64ID]

You city boys crack me up.

Certainly not city, and certainly no issue ignoring the mfgr door sticker... to a point where it's safe, mainly with common sense. That camper/trailer on a 1500 does not apply to safe or common sense.

Lets see the scale tickets, would be happy to be proved wrong and will eat crow as needed... but you won't be under safe limits not even 110% of them.

When a semi-floating axle is overloaded and fails the wheel/tire separates from the truck. RAWR on a 1500 is based on the axle, not the tires/frame/suspension/etc.. it's the actual axle limit.

Every single bit of data has been presented to you, and NONE of it makes it look even close to okay to put that camper on that truck. How do you still think it's even close to a good idea? Oh wait the salesman said it was ok.... who in their right mind has EVER trusted a salesman.

 

[Houser]

And even though it -8f i still got 17.5 mpg

 

[Bob4x4]

Lol I am no city boy. I do tend to buy the right tool for the job though

 

[Bob4x4]

I am calling bs on 17 mpg with an overhead. I typically see 20 on empty 1500s

 

[Houser]

I am calling bs on 17 mpg with an overhead. I typically see 20 on empty 1500s

This tme of year i get about 26-27 empty. Driving the same speeds.