artic fox 811 on 2005 dodge ram 2500 diesel short bed??

You'll have to be sure how comfortable you are at hauling at the limit of your truck.
I'm not advocating it's necessarily for everyone or someone with no experience towing and hauling heavy. I'm comfortable with it because I've done more with less since Ive been a kid, and modern pickups are far better equipped and more capable than the old trucks I've had.
I can say that if I was going to be hauling it on a regular basis I'd step up to a dually for these heavy campers but since my camper sits in the shop 350 days a year and the truck is a daily driver, paid for, in great shape, set up well and doesn't require shelling out an additional $20-25k for the new car smell, I'm using it for now.

lizwood71 wrote:
We already have airbags. So you think new shocks tires and a sway bar ? Anything else ?

I'd add lower stableloads as I did and it took the mushy feeling of just airbags as they engage the lower overload spring.

You will need to step up to 19.5's so plan on that as well, not just tires as you will overload any e rated tire as well as the wheels.


What shocks do you have now? Those are not as important at this point but if you have stock worn out ones....yes replace them.

Also, I did not add a swaybar and the stiff sidewall of the 19.5's, the suspension upgrades I did made it as stable as I felt nessary.

I would drive it after you load it up, add the stableloads, 19.5's....and see how it feels to YOU. You might feel comfortable with just that or feel you need more...then add the swaybar. No need to spend money if you don't need to!

We already have airbags. So you think new shocks tires and a sway bar ? Anything else ?

The salesman sent you on your way because he made a sale. Or, to give him the benefit of the doubt he's just ignorant of the true camper weight/ truck ratings.
You're not missing anything; truck campers are HEAVY.
You can modify the truck you have to make it work but it will take a lot of time and money. I used to haul my camper on a 3500 SRW. I weighed in at 11,140 on a truck with a GVWR of 9,900. I had added air bags and HD shocks and drove it thousands of miles. I now carry the came camper on a dually. I weigh in at 13,100 on a truck with a GVWR of 11,400. I've added air bags, HD shocks, and the tires aren't stock. I've driven even more thousands of miles.

lizwood71 wrote:
Thanks everyone. We are really bummed out. Love camper and love truck.., both paid for
We Could maybe return camper and pick another. haven't told rv center yet. Really ill they let us drive away w/o knowing. You think they would be liable if in an accident . Or could buy another truck but even an upgrade to a 3500 would not work. Grit dog, how did you decide the excess weight was a risk you could live with. It's good to know it's worked out for you.

My take on it as I ignored the gvrw as did grit dog.

These trucks can do more. The tires and wheels are pretty much the limiting factors as he pointed out. Having said that and not speaking for grit dog....I know what my truck can pull and what it is rated for in that capacity. To me, this is important to understand. This is where your numbers can make more sense. Consider your truck is a 3500 of the same year, your truck is just missing the overloads from the factory. Your truck can pull a 12k or so trailer....I believe this puts it at a rated 17k combined weight. Upgrade your wheels, tires and do some suspension upgrades and your truck can safely carry that TC in my opinion. You'll be about 10-11k in weight...which is NOTHING that your truck can't handle with the right mods.

However...if you want to go buy the numbers and not modify your truck.....you will need a factory dual wheel truck.

That is how I see it and I pull a 4k trailer as well. It cost me $$$$ to setup my truck but like you...I did not want to sell my truck and spend 50k on a new one....

Thanks everyone. We are really bummed out. Love camper and love truck.., both paid for
We Could maybe return camper and pick another. haven't told rv center yet. Really ill they let us drive away w/o knowing. You think they would be liable if in an accident . Or could buy another truck but even an upgrade to a 3500 would not work. Grit dog, how did you decide the excess weight was a risk you could live with. It's good to know it's worked out for you.

You're not missing anything. That camper is overweight in every category except the real mfgs rear axle rating, which is 10klb not 6-7klb like shown by the OE specs for srw trucks.
I've hauled my 860 around, same camper basically, around 4500lbs wet/ready to camp.
No problems to date including a HEAVY trip up the Alcan.
You will be over every rim rating unless you go to 19.5s. But I've been running on OE Ram aluminum rims and 3950lb rated toyos.
You'll need supporting suspension mods too. Minimum some extra capacity for the rear springs. Sway bar adviseable too.
Don't freak out, you can haul it safely with your truck but you'll need to spend some $ to make it haul that much well.
All that said, 3500 long bed srw or dually are more appropriate choices. Any srw trucks though will have the same limitations based on tire, wheel ratings.

Your 2005 2500 (IF 4X2)
GVWR 9000#
Payload 2507# (GVWR minus base 6493#) Total before passengers/cargo
Rear GAWR 6010# (base weight 3868#) So only 2142# on rear axle before any cargo

Your 2005 2500 (IF 4X4)
GVWR 9000#
Payload 2187# (GVWR minus base 6813#) Total before passengers/cargo
Rear GAWR 6010# (base weight 4140#) So only 1870# on rear axle before any cargo

You didn't state year fro that AF 811
2016 has a dry weight of 3468# (961# over 4X2 MAX payload & 1281# over 4X4 MAX payload) That is w/o even putting anyone in truck or a roll of TP in camper.
2016 has a GVWR of 4569# (2062# over 4X2 MAX payload & 2382# over 4X4 MAX payload) Again that is w/o even putting anyone in truck or a roll of TP in camper.

Nice truck
Nice camper

Not a good combo..........

I have a new AF 990 and it is slightly larger than your AF 811. My AF 990 weighs 4880 lbs. ready to go with water and I carry it on a 1 ton dually. So yes your 3/4 ton truck is too small for your AF 811.