Heavy Camper Question

[retmotor]

My question is not exactly towing but it seems like the right place - has anyone ever put one of these newer 5k lbs slide-in truck campers in the bed of a one ton dually? I know it's over the recommended weight limit and I know I'm looking at airbags. If it's a dumb idea, call me out. I'm not easily offended.

 

[Supercharged111]

Damn my ears are burning up over here!

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It gets it done. My big concern was stopping, but with the dually stuff it gets it done. You are gonna want airbags and a swaybar. I added a second upper overload spring from a cab and chassis truck too, I think that did the most good. Without the supercharger it would hunt for a gear here at our altitude, so do plan to add some power as well. I love this setup though, the camper is a 2007 Lance 1131. It claims to be 4700# dry so all in ought to be north of 5000# but I've never had the thing on a scale. I will say that the crew cab trucks did get the thickest of frames at 5/16", I'm not sure how happy the 1/4" thick frames of the shorter trucks would be? I've seen some of the newer trucks snap in half with a camper this big and subsequently been under mine looking for signs of fatigue and there are none.

 

[retmotor]

Thanks, Supercharged. I appreciate it. You win, by the way. I am looking at a Lance but dry weight is just over 4200 lbs, a 2008 1180-11'6". I've never seen a truck camper with so much storage and with a 48 gallon fresh water tank, I'm thinking dry camping for a week or so is doable.

 

[Supercharged111]

Thanks, Supercharged. I appreciate it. You win, by the way. I am looking at a Lance but dry weight is just over 4200 lbs, a 2008 1180-11'6". I've never seen a truck camper with so much storage and with a 48 gallon fresh water tank, I'm thinking dry camping for a week or so is doable.

Depends on whether or not you want to shower and flush the toilet. Mine has 39 gallons fresh and 6 in the water heater. We made it 4 days at a time before running out of fresh water. I showered everyday, the wife and kids did not, but I was lumberjacking it and really needed to. This was consistent over a span of over 2 weeks. I did my business outside to the extent that I could to save on toilet flushed, but YMMV there. Mine has a little tent bed dealie that pops out the back which was a huge part of why we chose it. It opens up even more space inside the thing. It's absolutely insane to be inside of it and realize you're in the bed of a pickup truck.

 

[retmotor]

Depends on whether or not you want to shower and flush the toilet...

We once did 13 days on 71 gallons of fresh water. Being bald helps with the showers. Working on a ship and learning to take ship showers really helps. Water on, get wet, water off, soap up, water on, rinse off, water off. At the end of the rinse cycle is when the water starts to get warm which makes it oh so much more difficult to turn the water off.

And agreed, it blows my mind how much bigger these things are than they were a few decades ago.

 

[Supercharged111]

I do that style shower myself, but maybe I am weak on that final rinse cycle. Crack, sack, and back!