Hi All,

I'm new to the forum, thanks for having me. I have a 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 long box diesel. With standard suspension, what would be the heaviest camper I should consider getting?

Thanks in advance...Jeff

 

Without added suspension upgrades....probably about 1400 lbs
(8800lb sticker?)
not much weight if you go by that... ( Weigh the truck empty ) truckstop.

With a super spring and sway bar I'm running 3k lbs, ( 4x4,QC )
If I were to do it again , I would add the OEM overloads first , than see what else needed. ( Airbags, helpers springs , etc.)

And you will need to replace the rear shocks, OEM probably shot by now.

Note: Add the truck spec's to your siggy, Quadcab,4x4, makes a diff for
empty weight

 

My truck is a '99 with factory camper and towing pkgs.....extra rear spring, sway bars front and rear, heavy duty alternator, etc. I have added airbags.

I just got rid of a Lance 3000 (8.5'), fully self contained, hard side. Probably close to 3000#'s loaded. The truck suspension carried it just fine on good straight roads, but when it came to bumpy, curvy roads it was a little squirrelly. Of course, it was not problem for the Cummins, but was too much for a 3/4 ton truck.

This past week I bought a Starcraft Lone Star, 8', pop up, slide in. I think the tag says it's just a little over 1700# dry. I picked it up and carried it over 500 miles to get it home, and didn't even hardly know it was there. And, that was without using the air bags. In fact, I tried the air bags yesterday and it didn't ride as well.

IMHO, I think the 2500 equipped right will carry a 3K # camper, but is much safer with closer to 2K #'s max. A 3500 will carry 3K without a problem.

 

If you are involved in an accident and overloaded...............you get a hefty ticket. I believe 1800 is the max for a 3/4 4x4 .

 

I put my truck on the scale and it was 7,500 with 400 lbs of sand as ballast, me and my wife. Without the sand, this puts the payload (or fiver pin weight) at 1700. With a 1000 lbs in the bed, the overload springs only touch in the rear so I don't quite understand where the rating comes from. Naturally, I would not take a 90* sharp turn at 65 mph, but that is just common sense, right? I think the size and CG location of a slide-in camper matter more than the weight: the sway and squirrely-ness of it will be affected by the sailing in the wind and by how high the center of gravity is.
-P

 

You're carrying what I did on my '99(8' Northstar@2,000#). Go to a public scale and you'll probably find that your camper is heavier than the label says. The brakes are marginal on your truck so allow ample distance between you and the next guy. Checkout your emergency handling next on a empty road. With the standard tranny,an exhaust brake would be invaluable and supplement the brakes. New shocks are a must all around,and "E" rated tires.

 

Max Payload 3877 lbs
http://www.edmunds.com/used/1999/dod...557/specs.html

 

Those specs are for a 2wd gasser. 4wd and diesel are greatly diminished. Truck has a 8800# GVW and if it was outfitted like mine(4wd,auto,diesel tow package),it weighed devoid of passengers 6281#.Not a whole lotta room for cargo.

 

I think you're right.

This one has a curb weight of 5800.
http://southcoastautotoday.carsite.c...ORY_ID=1938621

 

I had a 11.5 camper on my 2500 4x4 it weighed 2700 lbs. I have air bags. It was ok on straight roads, but on curves and cross winds it kept my attention. I had my registration and insurance brought up to 11,000 lbs so I was legall. I sold the camper and now have a Northern light 9.6 under 1500 lbs. Hardly know it is there.