COG - I broke a cardinal rule...go easy on me
So...months of research and shopping and the wifey and I recently settle on our first truck camper. I'm talking about a 2006 Okanagan 106 UDB. The TC is perfect for us with respect to amenities a...
Forum Discussion
jimh425 wrote:
How did you calculate the COG to figure exactly where it is and are you sure you measured right?
My thoughts as well. The only way to know for sure if the COG is behind the rear axle is to weigh the truck empty, and then weigh it again with the camper loaded. If the front axle gets lighter by even a few pounds, the COG is behind the rear axle. Unloading the front axle isn't ideal, but it can be dealt with if it's not too much.
I'd take a look at your truck tires and total suspension system. Are the tires rated adequately for what you're doing (and are the wheel rating >/= to the tire ratings)? Do you have a secondary (overload) leaf spring pack and if you do, does it engage fairly soon as the camper is loaded on the truck, or does the truck have to squat several inches first? Do you have front and rear anti-sway bars? Do you have good shocks like Rancho, Bilstein, etc? Do you have airbags? Personally, I'd rather ride on a beefy overload spring pack than airbags, but many have them and like them.
Some things you can do to help the truck ride better when the camper is loaded are: load your gear as much low and forward as possible, use the rear seat of the truck cab to carry some of your gear, don't carry heavy gear on the roof of the camper, use a front-hitch mounted cargo rack for some of your gear (these help a lot, actually), and if your fresh water tank is in front of the rear axle keep it full of water when on the road if possible.
:):)
