Hi, I am looking at purchasing a Camplite 10 Truck Camper next year. The dry weight is 2290lbs, however I have read adding the 4 seasons kit adds 500lbs so after loading it up I am thinking it will weight around 3000lbs at least.I have a early 1999 f250 super duty crew cab long bed diesel rwd truck. While the window sticker says it was equipped with the camper/trailer package the spring code on the door sticker is "LA" and does not have overload springs in the rear or a sway bar. Per ford my max payload is around 1700 with a person in every seat. Since only my wife and I will be in the truck that will add more weight to the payload. The truck currently has 265 Goodyears rated for 34XX lbs I believe.I dont want to bring up the debate of gvwr. Does anyone else run a heavy camper on a f250/f350 srw? If so what modifications have you made to your truck?As of now I am leaning towards the roadmaster active suspension, big wig rear sway bar and possibly airbags.Looking for some advice from someone who has a similar rig!Thanks!

Two primary limitations in terms of payload are the leaf springs and the rims/tires. The first can be overcome with SuperSprings and the second with the use of 19.5 rims and tires. Cost of SuperSprings is $500 and for 4 19.5 wheels figure on $3500. Or you could get a lighter camper that weighs 2400 lbs. or less and get buy with E tires like the Nitto, Toyo,and BFG that are rated for 3750@80 PSI or more and will work with a 3400 lb. camper load (fully loaded).A 4-season kit will add at most 100 lbs. as all that is done is double pane windows and a tiny bit of insulation. Check out the Lance campers which are some of the lightest you will find and very well designed. A brochure with specs can be downloaded from their website. Good idea to get a camper that can hold two batteries and the optional solar panel is worth getting as well.

I had a 4000 lb camper on a 2005 F250 (had a 9800 GVWR) while towing 8000 lbs. Get an actual weight of your rear axle to see how much you have left with the current wheels. If you have the 10.5" Sterling rear axle, it is good for 9750 lbs if properly outfitted and is not anything to worry about. Since you do not have an upper overload spring, consider just replacing your spring pack with a heavier one. If it will need more help, then you can add StableLoads or air bags. You have close to 7000 lbs of tire rating on the rear axle - If you start to get close to that number, the rims and tires need to be upgraded and this is the time to look at 19.5" wheels. Since these wheels are heavier, OEM shocks will not have enough dampening, so you need to change to heavier Rancho or Blistien models at this time. I had the OEM stabilizer bar on the front and rear of my truck and never changed them out. Since you do not have one, look at the Roadmaster bars before the Hellwig.

Op I know this does not answer your question but What exactly is included in 4 seasons camplite? We have one so am curious. Thks!

Well the 500lb figure is what I read on another forum they could be wrong. The extended season package from camplite encloses the basement and heats it, tank heaters, thermal pane windows and extra insulation tthroughout. I don't see that adding more than 100lbs either. Ill be contacting camplite for specifics.

We have a 2005 HOST 9.5 Rainier camper on a 1999 F350 Superduty crew cab.Host Camper says "lightest in it's class". ha.Truck says "Ford Tough"... it is but not tough enough.Took a 5,000 mile trip from the NW down to CA and up to Yosemite.. back down and up to Kings Canyon... back down and then way down to Death Valley... across Texas, then Michigan, eventually to Bismarck ND and then back to the NW.Blew a tranny seal going up to Yosemite. Kinda fixed it and put an additional transmission cooler (in series) at the top of hwy 120 in Big Oak Flat, CA. And a completely new transmission in it when we got to Madera, CA.Started out with brand new 16.5 E rated Big O tires. Blew out two of those.Finally decided we better weigh our rig... In Bismarck ND.Put on a pair of (rear only) 19.5 245/70R19.5 G 133/131 556040 Toyo M608Z with vision wheels but kept the 16.5 's on the front until we could afford G's there too. (we are 2 wheel drive). (there was a serious wait for those vision wheels we were lucky to get two.)We were sagging a bit in Illinois... needed to repair the bracket holding the air bags and install additional leafs on our springs. Put on beefier air shocks too... Air bags were never meant to HOLD THE WEIGHT of the camper. they are only there to keep the camper from swaying too much...That was in 2012. We came back and kinda just parked the truck. We went on a similar 5,000 mile trip in 2014 with new G tires on the front... but we went with a less stiff tire. I don't remember what it was. Got it from Les Swab here in the NW. It drove just fine. We had to put in a new heater core in Grand Junction, CO.July 2012 – weighed in Bismarck Driver (Left) Passenger (Right) Total AxleFront 1,880 lbs Front 2,220 lbs Total Front 4,100 lbsRear 3,880 lbs Rear 4,040 lbs Total Rear 7,920 lbsTotal (Left) 5,760 lbs Total(Right) 6,260 lbs Total TC 12,020 lbsSo my truck (with the camper) weighs 12,020 lbsThat's with 3/4 tank of fuel ( Holds 38 gals appx)and with 30 gals of fresh water on board. (Empty gray/black tanks).***********************Truck GAWR 4280 lbsTruck Rear GAWR 6210 lbsGWR 9900 lbsand here is the 2012 post.. all 21 pages of it. 2012 Tire Saga

Advice from F250/F350 SRM Owners with HEAVY truck campers

14 Replies

wally665
Explorer
Feb 25, 2015
Well the 500lb figure is what I read on another forum they could be wrong. The extended season package from camplite encloses the basement and heats it, tank heaters, thermal pane windows and extra insulation tthroughout. I don't see that adding more than 100lbs either. Ill be contacting camplite for specifics.
lap527
Explorer
Feb 25, 2015
Op I know this does not answer your question but What exactly is included in 4 seasons camplite? We have one so am curious. Thks!
Bedlam
Moderator
Feb 25, 2015
I had a 4000 lb camper on a 2005 F250 (had a 9800 GVWR) while towing 8000 lbs. Get an actual weight of your rear axle to see how much you have left with the current wheels. If you have the 10.5" Sterling rear axle, it is good for 9750 lbs if properly outfitted and is not anything to worry about. Since you do not have an upper overload spring, consider just replacing your spring pack with a heavier one. If it will need more help, then you can add StableLoads or air bags. You have close to 7000 lbs of tire rating on the rear axle - If you start to get close to that number, the rims and tires need to be upgraded and this is the time to look at 19.5" wheels. Since these wheels are heavier, OEM shocks will not have enough dampening, so you need to change to heavier Rancho or Blistien models at this time. I had the OEM stabilizer bar on the front and rear of my truck and never changed them out. Since you do not have one, look at the Roadmaster bars before the Hellwig.
wintersun
Explorer II
Feb 25, 2015
Two primary limitations in terms of payload are the leaf springs and the rims/tires. The first can be overcome with SuperSprings and the second with the use of 19.5 rims and tires. Cost of SuperSprings is $500 and for 4 19.5 wheels figure on $3500.

Or you could get a lighter camper that weighs 2400 lbs. or less and get buy with E tires like the Nitto, Toyo,and BFG that are rated for 3750@80 PSI or more and will work with a 3400 lb. camper load (fully loaded).

A 4-season kit will add at most 100 lbs. as all that is done is double pane windows and a tiny bit of insulation.

Check out the Lance campers which are some of the lightest you will find and very well designed. A brochure with specs can be downloaded from their website. Good idea to get a camper that can hold two batteries and the optional solar panel is worth getting as well.

Forum Discussion

Advice from F250/F350 SRM Owners with HEAVY truck campers

14 Replies

About Travel Trailer Group

Related Content

Truck camper match

f250 VS f350

f250 or f350?

F250 or F350 to Haul a 5th Wheel???

New Truck Camper Forum Comments