Cabover and Towing questions

Ok, so I have to ask here because I want to try to stay logical and no overdo anything if not needed. But in stock form, unloaded, how much weight do you think rides over the rear axle? Excluding the axle, you have the leaf springs, the fuel tank, the obvious long bed, spare and the back half of the frame.

After doing some research i'm looking at 150lb wheel/tire combo and a hefty $2500-3000 upgrade. So I would have to seriously look at weights of the cabover. Even though I don't want to compromise safety, I don't want to go overboard with ridiculous $$$$$ upgrades.

Honestly, I was thinking of airbags, the strongest load range E tires, the superhitch along with a super truss extension along with the good mounts.

And, no, I will not be hauling the camper enough to warrant upgrading to a dually. No offense here guys and I respect everyone's replies but I have to piece this thing together logically. It's real easy to spend other people's money on internet forums. Unless someone here tells me i'm going to roll my vehicle or suffer a major blowout, i'm not spending $7000-10k to upgrade. If that were the case, I'd get a used class c diesel motorhome and call it done.

My advice is to look at the rear axle rating you have. Weigh the truck. And go from there. One ton duallys are more than just two more skins down. They also have a substantially bigger rear axle than a single rear wheel three quarter ton truck. Air bags, energy suspension bumpers, more springs, 19- inch tires/wheels won't increase the axle rating. Start there and decide what you can carry. My guess is that you will have about 2200-2300 total pounds of payload, for everything including people, stuff, dogs, bicycles, kayaks, camper, tongue weight, fuel, tools, truck options, etc. The Cummins is heavy and if a 4x4 truck even heavier. Good luck!

Buzzcut1 wrote:

Flyliner wrote:
Buzzcut1, do you have any links that would educate me towards the benefits of running 19.5" wheels?

I've been towing my boats for the last 15 years, I just never towed with a cabover, so the requirements/recommendations are all new to me.

load range E tires max out at 3750 pounds of load. to carry any thing over 7500 on the rear axle with a srw you need 19.5 s and G rated tires whick will get you 4500 per wheel and 9000 total for a safety margin

Ok, so I have to ask here because I want to try to stay logical and no overdo anything if not needed. But in stock form, unloaded, how much weight do you think rides over the rear axle? Excluding the axle, you have the leaf springs, the fuel tank, the obvious long bed, spare and the back half of the frame.

After doing some research i'm looking at 150lb wheel/tire combo and a hefty $2500-3000 upgrade. So I would have to seriously look at weights of the cabover. Even though I don't want to compromise safety, I don't want to go overboard with ridiculous $$$$$ upgrades.

Honestly, I was thinking of airbags, the strongest load range E tires, the superhitch along with a super truss extension along with the good mounts.

And, no, I will not be hauling the camper enough to warrant upgrading to a dually. No offense here guys and I respect everyone's replies but I have to piece this thing together logically. It's real easy to spend other people's money on internet forums. Unless someone here tells me i'm going to roll my vehicle or suffer a major blowout, i'm not spending $7000-10k to upgrade. If that were the case, I'd get a used class c diesel motorhome and call it done.

I would keep the hubcaps, and change out what is between them.

First take the truck to a scale. And then hitch up the boat and go back. Check the front and rear axle weights. If the rear axle only goes up by say 300 pounds (most boats do not have that much hitch weight) then forget about the WD bars, as they really don't help much on a heavy duty truck and a really light boat hitch weight. Even if the rear axle goes up by say 500 pounds, you really don't have that much weight for a 3/4 ton truck.

Now you will get down to what the truck can carry with the trailer hooked up. Say the empty curb weight is 7,700 pounds and with the trailer attached it is around 8,200. Your GVWR might be 9,000 pounds, or might be 8,600. Leaving an additional 700 - 900 or perhaps 1,200 pounds left to carry a camper. Thus the need to change everything between the hub caps.

A dually Dodge of the same year with the CTD should not be that much more expensive than trading in your current truck. Normally they will have about 400 - 500 pounds more curb weight with the ability to carry about 3,000 more pounds of cargo!

So go see the scales, and forget about a "Comfortable" cabover in a diesel 2500 series truck. They do not make them that light.

You might find a comfortable 2,000 pound cabover, but it probably will not have a refrigerator, air conditioner, or other heavy options. And probably will have a limited 15 - 18 gallon fresh water tank.

A camper with a 8' long lower section might have a 3,400 pound "Dry Weight" with only one slide out!

I had a 1972 Coachman camper back in 1992. Sold it in 95. It had a forward bath, and dinette on the passenger side. The drivers side was a 3' wide closet (same as the bathroom space) and closet door opened to close off the hallway from the rest of the camper. It was a HUGE bathroom, like nothing I have ever seen since that time. So drivers side was 3' closet, 2.5' refrigerator, stove, counter and sink by the back door. Above the dinette was a "Cabinet Bunk" that was either a cabinet or faceframe folds down into a bunk bed - so it will sleep 6 including the cabover section. It was 9' long at the floor length.

I had a sliding rear bumper. Basically brackets that bolted onto the frame on each side with a 2" receiver hitch on them. Then 4' long 2" steel and that was bolted to the bumper. I used a 12" long receiver and 12" long hitch extension. I only towed a dune buggy on a small and very light trailer, so overall it was only about 1,500 - 2,000 pounds, and less than 100' hitch weight (I could pick it up and move it).

Check your boat. If you can lift it (don't strain yourself) no need to check the weight. But don't lift so much that you take on more than say 75 - 100 pounds. You might be surprised and find out that the trailer axles are under the center of the weight, and the trailer hitch is pretty light. But if it is a huge cabin cruiser, it might not be under 500 pounds! I have not seen it, so have no idea how big it really is.

If you are really determined to use the 2500 truck to carry the camper and tow the trailer, and your weight is OK, you might want to carry heavy things like generator and ice chest in the boat, so that you put as much weight as possible in the trailer, not in the truck.

If you did not already get the brakes for the trailer, you might want to check the prices here. ETrailer.com


Good luck!

Fred.

Look at my profile to get upgrade ideas. I haul a 4000 lb camper and tow an 8000 lb trailer using my 3/4t truck.

If you put more than 1500 lbs. in that truck you will be overloaded, so what is your hitch weight on the boat and trailer, minus that from the max weight in your truck, I don't think you will be able to hall much of a camper in that truck.

I have a 9.5 (measures more like 9.2) that does not require an extension at all. That was my base requirement as what I tow is more important to me than where i sleep.


there are options out there, figure out what you really want, and then take a good hard look around.

You can take on an 8-8.5 cabover without need for an extension and that size camper will use up far less of your payload. You can still be self contained at that size. Just plan on living more outside than inside. But no, 3/4 ton does not mean 1500lb payload anymore. My one ton SRW has a payload of over 4000. You are likely 2500-2800.

Install a Torklift Superhitch and get the Supertruss extension...
But, first find a camper you like, then get the Supertruss to match the size needed for the camper.

Flyliner wrote:
Buzzcut1, do you have any links that would educate me towards the benefits of running 19.5" wheels?

I've been towing my boats for the last 15 years, I just never towed with a cabover, so the requirements/recommendations are all new to me.

load range E tires max out at 3750 pounds of load. to carry any thing over 7500 on the rear axle with a srw you need 19.5 s and G rated tires whick will get you 4500 per wheel and 9000 total for a safety margin

Flyliner wrote:
Superdave, no sir, I have not. Given that the 2500 is a 3/4 ton truck, I was assuming a 1500lb payload.

Okay, so that is a bad assumption right off the bat. If I was a betting man, which I'm not, I'd bet your truck weighs in at around 7,000 lbs. Look in your door jamb and see what your GVWR is. That is your trucks Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Or, max weight of your truck and all its contents such as you, wife, dog, tank of gas and a camper in the back. Do some of that math and it will give you a better idea what kind of camper you can really entertain with the current truck. Also, look in your manual to see what your factory hitch ratings were. I think my factory Dodge hitch was 1,000 lbs tongue and 10,000 pull.