A 2015 GM 3500 Dually Diesel and ArcticFox 1150 Question

my new 2015 GMC Denali is like having a whole new class truck !!!! the trucks handling ( with either camper loaded) is excellent, will add anti roll bar and air bags just to see if there are noticeable handling improvements

poriggity wrote:

DWeikert wrote:

jimh425 wrote:
I think the tailgate width is more narrow than it used to be although I'm sure someone with one will chime in.

I had run into that but the newer trucks have the narrower tailgate opening. The older truck should be able to handle the newer campers. It's older campers on a newer truck that present a problem.

It does depend on the truck and camper setup too.... I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 with a narrow bed opening, but it fits my 1988 Lance LC980 fine.. The only way to know for sure is to meaure opening on the truck, and width of the bottom of camper.

I was talking specifically about GM trucks. Starting with the 07.5 model the tailgate width was narrowed to 59". At one time I was looking at a 2006 Northstar 850SC but it needed a 60" opening. I don't know if GM has changed the width on the new models.

I now see I misread Ken's post. I thought he was talking a new camper on the older truck. I'd recommend measuring the tub width at the widest point that goes through the tailgate and head to the dealer's lot and measure the opening on a new truck. Any problems with the side bed rails can be compensated by spacers of some form under the camper. But it too is something you should probably measure before loading the first time. :)

DWeikert wrote:

jimh425 wrote:
I think the tailgate width is more narrow than it used to be although I'm sure someone with one will chime in.

I had run into that but the newer trucks have the narrower tailgate opening. The older truck should be able to handle the newer campers. It's older campers on a newer truck that present a problem.

It does depend on the truck and camper setup too.... I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 with a narrow bed opening, but it fits my 1988 Lance LC980 fine.. The only way to know for sure is to meaure opening on the truck, and width of the bottom of camper.

Something to also consider is that GM is supposed to have an answer to the two 6.7L competitors in the next year or so. I would also bet the GVWR will jump to the 14k that the other two brands are at currently.

I've got a 2015 GMC Sierra Denali, with a 2014 AF 992 (about 5500 lbs ready to camp) - I traded in a 2011 Denali dually last fall. I also tow alot - 5500 lb boat/trailer, 9000 lb 3-horse trailer, plus some smaller stuff.

There is no issue with my camper fitting the 2015 - I have a spray liner and a rubber map, all is fine. I can't speak to the 1150 but I assume it fits similarly if not the same.

I've found that the 2015 has slightly softer suspension than the 2011 - it sagged about 3" with the camper on, vs about 1" for the 2011. I put upper Stableloads on the 2011, and that worked fine although I had to cut them down by about 3/4" so they wouldn't hit the spring pack when empty. For the 2015, I put in lower swing-out Stableloads, but the truck still sagged about the same (but was much more controllable). I ended up putting in airbags to level things out, which works great as long as you keep enough weight on the spring pack.

My weights with the 992 loaded (I think it's only a couple hundred pounds lighter than the 1150, if that) are:

5000 steering
9050 rear
====
14050

So, about 1000 lbs over the 13,025 GVW, but it handles fine. So far this year I've done 2 round-trips from WY to GA (1900 miles each way), towing the boat half the time, and it rides and drives well.

- Clay

You might consider looking at a truck with a higher GVWR.

I just remembered that a few months ago I called and asked the Northwood factory if the AF campers fit the 2015 trucks. The answer was kind of vague, it wasn't a yes or no answer, so the conclusion I came to was they fit, otherwise if they "didn't fit" the factory would have known about it, because they'd have redesigned the camper.

I would have thought that as soon as the new trucks came out (in spring 2014), Northwood would have gone to a truck dealer and measured the bed, so people that called and asked would have been provided with a "real" answer.

Here's a thread about a 2015 GM truck with an 1150.

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28418626.cfm

What year is your AF?

I keep meaning to take some measurements of my trucks and my AF811, and then go to the local Chevy dealer (who is fixing my 09 right now) and take bed rail height and tailgate opening measurements.

Roadlover wrote:
What is the concern with the bed rail?

Height.

I don't know if or how much different it is than the GMT800 series truck.