Slide in truck camper, will it handle it?
04-30-2012, 10:04 AM
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Slide in truck camper, will it handle it?
Hi all, just bought a truck camper, not a large one, a 8801 palomino. Now i look at my dodge ratings, and wonder if it'll handle it.Camper says about 2,400 lbs empty, and I here to add 500,loaded to go.My window sticker says 2,677 max rating. My trucks a 98 4*4 QUAD CAB 6.5 FOOT BED.12 VALVE AUTO. 4.11 rear axle. I ordered it new, but didn't get the sway bar, or helper springs, never saw myself needing it, and haven't until now.
04-30-2012, 10:14 AM
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Airbags,Rancho 9000xl shocks and a Hellwig Big Wig swaybar will help with the control issues. Stopping that mass with pre-2001.5 2nd. gens. is another matter. I had a DTT and a Smart Controller on my '99 which enable me have a Pacbrake on it.
Emergency collision avoidance with a camper loaded srw is another issue altogether...
Emergency collision avoidance with a camper loaded srw is another issue altogether...
04-30-2012, 07:15 PM
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Carried a 3000 lb slide in for a few years. Airbags are a must, but as Danderson said, brakes are an issue. I dualled my truck out with the full 1 ton drums to get the brakes up to par. They would stop it, but a couple trips into the Rockies would be all the pads could handle untill i put on the bigger drums and shoes.
05-01-2012, 10:21 AM
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All good advice......i haul a very heavy TC and have for a few years, alot of mountain trips.
mine goes about 3750lb dry so i figger well over 4200lb loaded.
i have firestone airbags, and i also did a dually swap, so i have all the good breaks, and could use a sway bar.
did a 2,000 mile trip from one end of the Appalachians to the other, and the truck done fine, except for some trany heating problems.
We met these folks about half way down the Blue ridge Parkway and his camper was just a couple hundred pounds lighter than mine and all he had done was some big wig helwig swaybar and some factory overloads, they were from SC and he said his truck was doing great in the mountains.
Your camper is not what i would consider heavy knowing that there TC's out there that go well over 5,500lbs.
My advice would be.
1. good E rated tires.
2. some type overload, ( airbags, or timbrens )
3. make shure your breaks are in tip top working order, and don't think
you need to go 70+ mph, slow down and enjoy.
Take it on a short trip, see how it feels to you, you mite feel better with a swaybar.
The best part about a TC is you can pull over anywhere anytime and have lunch whenever the mood strikes you.
Darwin
mine goes about 3750lb dry so i figger well over 4200lb loaded.
i have firestone airbags, and i also did a dually swap, so i have all the good breaks, and could use a sway bar.
did a 2,000 mile trip from one end of the Appalachians to the other, and the truck done fine, except for some trany heating problems.
We met these folks about half way down the Blue ridge Parkway and his camper was just a couple hundred pounds lighter than mine and all he had done was some big wig helwig swaybar and some factory overloads, they were from SC and he said his truck was doing great in the mountains.
Your camper is not what i would consider heavy knowing that there TC's out there that go well over 5,500lbs.
My advice would be.
1. good E rated tires.
2. some type overload, ( airbags, or timbrens )
3. make shure your breaks are in tip top working order, and don't think
you need to go 70+ mph, slow down and enjoy.
Take it on a short trip, see how it feels to you, you mite feel better with a swaybar.
The best part about a TC is you can pull over anywhere anytime and have lunch whenever the mood strikes you.
Darwin
05-01-2012, 11:35 PM
#6
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Thank you Whiskers.
Neverhme....
If you have a place close to home load it up and go weigh it, do the front axel, then the back , and the hole truck.
That will give you an idea of what you need to to do, and where your at with the weight ratings.
i think a bigwig helwig sway bar would be on the list for shure.
Dar
Neverhme....
If you have a place close to home load it up and go weigh it, do the front axel, then the back , and the hole truck.
That will give you an idea of what you need to to do, and where your at with the weight ratings.
i think a bigwig helwig sway bar would be on the list for shure.
Dar
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05-02-2012, 04:34 PM
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Thanks MTC.
Neverhme...I was in kinda the same boat as you, i had my truck and then bought a camper that i thought i could haul untill i loaded it and went on a drive (
) it didn't take me long to decide my truck needed help.
I didn't wan't to trade trucks for a dually because i had looked 2 years for mine and when i found it i drove 2,100 miles to get it with a goosneck.
It was to nice to sell and get something els and i had wore out my wife with buying and selling trucks over the last 4 years anyhow.
So there was only one thing to do for me because i knew no amount of add-ons could make it a safe hauler for my TC.
so i went from this.
to this...
then i started adding things like airbags, and rancho 9000 shocks, now i,m considering a sway bar.
you have whats considered the holy grail of the diesel trucks so i would do almost anything not to have get rid of it.
Darwin
Neverhme...I was in kinda the same boat as you, i had my truck and then bought a camper that i thought i could haul untill i loaded it and went on a drive (
) it didn't take me long to decide my truck needed help.I didn't wan't to trade trucks for a dually because i had looked 2 years for mine and when i found it i drove 2,100 miles to get it with a goosneck.
It was to nice to sell and get something els and i had wore out my wife with buying and selling trucks over the last 4 years anyhow.
So there was only one thing to do for me because i knew no amount of add-ons could make it a safe hauler for my TC.
so i went from this.
to this...
then i started adding things like airbags, and rancho 9000 shocks, now i,m considering a sway bar.
you have whats considered the holy grail of the diesel trucks so i would do almost anything not to have get rid of it.
Darwin
05-06-2012, 07:12 AM
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thanks for the info guys, I see most have some sort of air bag set up, I'll be trying this out and let ya now my findings.I've never heard of the dually conversion, are you referring to a brake upgrade?, or the dual wheels?. I drive tractor trailer for a living,so am used to weight, and movement issues, I currently haul doubles, the wiggle waggles, are common.
05-06-2012, 06:48 PM
#12
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Farmboy,killer truck indeed! Hardsided campers and duallies are a safe,stable setup.
A few yrs back,my wife and I were traveling south of Vegas on I-15. Crosswinds were howling and srw hardsided campers were condemned to the right lane and 50mph. I was hanging on with the popup. The duallies with hardsided campers were sailing along,minimally afffected that day.
A few yrs back,my wife and I were traveling south of Vegas on I-15. Crosswinds were howling and srw hardsided campers were condemned to the right lane and 50mph. I was hanging on with the popup. The duallies with hardsided campers were sailing along,minimally afffected that day.
05-20-2012, 06:25 AM
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did my first lil trip, 420 miles.Ordered bags, will try that, then maybe helwig bar if I feel it needs it. 14.4 mpg at 65 mph is that about right? was getting about 20.5 exact same trip empty, about 70- 75 though.
On another note, I've had big problems ordering online from rv web sights! why is that?
On another note, I've had big problems ordering online from rv web sights! why is that?
06-02-2012, 05:03 AM
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first trip with the air lifts was night, and day difference,truck now has the feel there is no weight in it, thanks for the tip on them. I weighed the truck, 4,100 on the front axle, 9960 total. with a half tank fuel, water tank half empty. Weird thing is the brakes seem pretty good with the weight?, I no sounds crazy! is crazy, always in fear of running over a lil car when they cut you off, and jack the brakes on at a stop light.