I wouldn't pay extra for a truck you don't want. Try to get just the camper.
I currently have a 98 2500 Sierra, ext. cab, long bed. After market HD rims and E range tires, firestone air bags and Rancho 9000xl shocks. The camper is a 10.5ft Okanagan. Like others have mentioned we're at least 4k lbs, likely more. GMC trucks of this era have tapered beds. Narrower at the tailgate opening. A real PITA when loading. only about an 1.5" either side. Does the truck carry it. Yep. No squat what so ever with the bags. Straight down the smooth road, not bad. Cornering, not bad. Bumps, porpoises a lot. Seesaws side to side for a while when tight cornering or an off-side bump. Exhausting to drive. Quite.
I've never felt overly unsafe with it. If done 130km/h highway. Gets pretty pushy with any cross wind or big rig passing. Logging road, crawling along at 10km/h, it's a porpoising machine. It's like being on a slow motion bronco. Ranchos don't put up with that much action and get wrecked.
What would I do after owning this 3/4 ton truck with a 4000+ lb camper set-up you ask?
I would do exactly what I'm about to do very soon: Buy a 1 ton Dually, long bed, 7.3 gasser. And the new camper will be a fiberglass clamshell one, and will likely be close to, if not a bit heavier, 10.5 ft camper. What if it was a lighter 9.5 ft camper? I'd still buy the 1 ton dually.
I want to enjoy the drive and not be completely exhausted when I get where I'm going. The dually will relieve the single rear blowout worry that comes with an SRW. Plus the truck is designed to carry right out of the box. No forking around trying to figure out which rims, spacers, lift kit. Which airbags will fit, adding leaves or which doohickies to attach to the leaves. Sway bar or not. paying to replace yet another 4x set of Rancho's because they can't handle the load being air shocks and the adjustment knobs have broke and the seal have blown for the umpteenth time.....
With all the kit on my 2500 and the extras in working order, yep, it's carry a schinto ton of weight. But it ain't no fun and not worth the risk or blood pressure or endangering fellow road users.
Just get the 1 ton and be done. Even if you have to step back to a gently used one to keep to the budget or whatever. I'd settle for a base model 1 ton before doing a fully blinged out 3/4 ton any day having the first had experience I've had doing what you're considering doing.
And I say that absolutely loving my 98 2500 gaser. It's a legend of a truck and with be sad to let him go.
And yeah, don't buy a truck just to get a camper when the truck isn't wanted. Unless you're gonna sell it right away and make money doing so.
Good luck! Keep us posted!
