Hi all-We are looking to purchase TC and have been doing all the research we can. It appears truck + camper matching is an ongoing hot topic and it is obviously of great interest to us. Here’s as many particulars that I can think of and we would love any advice folks might want to pass on. -We want to be very conservative about payload capacity and have plenty of extra wiggle room. This is paramount. We would like a large margin plus good safe handling. -We are looking at used for both truck and TC. -would like 4x4 as we like desert and off road camping -looking for hard side-do not want slideouts-would ultimately like to boondock (can add upgrades in the future)-don’t care about dry bath, TVs-edit: crew cab for part time third passengerAs other posters have pointed out it is not generally practical to take prospective trucks or TCs to scales before purchasing used. We are considering 350 dually. Unsure if diesel or gas. In our price range we are looking at something about 10 years old with less than 200k miles. For TC there seem to be a lot of used Lances in our area, maybe 15 years old. Uses would be extended and short trips, remote or dispersed camping. Not really KOA type. We test drove a Bigfoot on top of a dually and it seemed rather top heavy.Do we have to worry about cog?We are unsure if we should just go ahead and get a dually then find the TC. With a dually are we good to go with nonslideouts?Again, any advice appreciated.

You have smart start with dually. Unfortunately TC choice is compromise. You want more dispersed camping- you need bigger camper with bigger holding tanks. I would not buy TC without a slide, but that is personal choice. Good luck shopping .

“don’t care about dry bath...” Don’t be so sure! About the tenth time you are wiping down the entire bathroom after a shower, you’ll care. If both of you shower at different times, you’ll wipe down twice a day.“would ultimately like to boondock...” Water...fresh and waste...is the limiting factor in boondocking. Bigger the tanks, the longer you can stay out. Propane tanks last a long time and solar is never ending.

If you want a margin of safety and handling, definitely look at a dually. A typical hardsided camper in the 8-9 foot range is likely to weight over 2000# dry and probably close to 2500# wet. You will want some addons such as solar, a couple of large batteries and a generator. With food for a couple of weeks, tools, lawn chairs, clothing, food, kitchen gear, etc you are likely to be in the range of 3500-4000#. That probably sounds like a high side estimate, but not so. My 9.5 ft Northstar Igloo is 4400# when ready. That is at or beyond what most 3500 SRW trucks can handle. BTW I strongly agree on a couple of your specs. A wet bath works well. After baths, I spend about 1 minute with a squeegee and the bath dries quickly. Slides are heavy and typically provide little useable space with another downside that most of the slide campers are not useable unless slide is extended.

With a dually such as a 350 0r 3500 the addition of Aftermarket Anti sway bars and Lower Torklift stable loads eliminates most of that top heavy feeling. I have a 2011 F350 CC 4x4 long bed Dually with the 6.7L diesel and a 2008 Lance 1055 non slide dry bath TC We have gone all over the US in it mostly dry camping. It works well for us. Truck and camper weigh in at 13000 fully loaded with 2 kayaks on the roof and two Mt bikes on the front rack.

It’s possible for even DRWs to sway. There are lots of potential problems like putting too much air in the air bags, worn shocks, no sway bars, low tire pressure, worn bed spacers, improper tie down tightening, etc. I say etc because I probably left something out.If you get a DRW long bed, you won’t find a TC made for a long bed that won’t work unless it’s an old TC on a new truck with a cab that is too tall or tailgate that is too narrow on a few trucks. The longest heaviest models with basements being the worst handling and the nonbasement shortest lightest being the best. Another complication is most of the largest TCs can have double or more of the fresh/grey/black tanks which just adds even more weight if they are full.I’d probably consider a gasoline engine unless you plan to tow if you are thinking 10 years or older. Many of the diesels are very expensive to fix.

How get truck and TC with ample weight capacity

29 Replies

TxGearhead
Explorer II
Apr 10, 2021
My dually Ram is stock except a Big Wig anti sway bar. Honestly I can't imagine a better match for my 9.4 Bigfoot.
I would go with a gasser if all I was hauling was a truck camper.
My understanding of today's RV market is if you find what you want buy it now, because someone else will buy it away from you.
Maybe I'm a slob but I don't get too worked up about squeeging the wet bath shower. Turn on the overhead fan, step out of the bathroom with the back door open and...
Grit_dog
Navigator
Apr 10, 2021
Kayteg1 wrote:
run100 wrote:
One other thought . . .

This approach sure beats trying to put a giant camper, with multiple slides, on a half-ton truck. Hopefully nobody has tried such a thing!

Is Ranger a 1/2 ton?

Polaris Ranger, park ranger, Texas Ranger or Ford Ranger? Lol
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Apr 10, 2021
run100 wrote:
One other thought . . .

This approach sure beats trying to put a giant camper, with multiple slides, on a half-ton truck. Hopefully nobody has tried such a thing!

Is Ranger a 1/2 ton?
run100
Explorer
Apr 10, 2021
One other thought . . .

You're taking the right approach by trying to go minimal on the camper (non-slide, flexible on size) and robust on the truck (350/3500, maybe even drw), which provides best potential for favorable weight ratings.

This approach sure beats trying to put a giant camper, with multiple slides, on a half-ton truck. Hopefully nobody has tried such a thing!
run100
Explorer
Apr 10, 2021
Hi Malone. Sounds like you're putting a good amount of thought into the intended use of your truck & camper and some priorities for both. Based on that, here's some thoughts:

For now, you can put most of your focus on finding the camper that meets your needs. Once you find it, then you can match it to the right truck for the job. Many rv'ers have tried doing it in the opposite direction, only to learn they purchased the wrong truck (or tow vehicle) and wind up needing to make a change.

A VERY GENERAL rule of thumb is that short bed campers (with or w/o slides) and 9-foot, non-slide, long bed campers can be carried on srw 350/3500. 10 & 11-ft long bed campers are best on a dually. There's many exceptions, but it's a good starting point. We've had a super cab and now crew cab and find the crew cab provides significant benefits in space and functionality.

Both our campers have been wet baths and we've had no complaints. An often overlooked benefit of wet baths is they are often one-piece fiberglass showers, with no seams and minimal chance of leaks. With dry baths, some owners comment on having water get outside of the shower onto the floor, cabinets, etc. To me, the primary con of a wet bath is the limitation of one-person access. In contrast, dry baths allow one person to use the sink or toilet, while another showers.

Best of luck on your future purchases!
Z-Peller
Explorer
Apr 07, 2021
malone wrote:
We test drove a Bigfoot on top of a dually and it seemed rather top heavy.

It sounds like you do not have any previous experience driving a truck/camper rig. I think you should try to rent a unit and try it out for some miles first. You may find you hate the "top heavy feeling", as you call it, and never feel comfortable driving it. What happens then if you have bought the rig?....a dually is night & day difference with stability over a SRW hauling a camper.... I have a larger Bigfoot camper on a dually, and after all the miles I have driven over the years with campers on SRW trucks, I just smile at how solid this rig feels every time I hit the road now...oh, and my truck is factory stock except for upper stableloads I put on to keep my headlights from blinding truckers.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Apr 06, 2021
Grit dog wrote:
^Careful there bud....may want to add another layer of tinfoil to your hat.

I figured out that since they let you do all the stunts, they should leave me alone. :C
jimh406
Explorer III
Apr 06, 2021
It would help if some people actually looked at FAQs instead of implying that there is some sort of conspiracy. Some of the topics on weight. ;)

3. Weighing your RV & Weigh Stations
Weighing in
Pin weight??
getting van/TT weight
How to weigh?
Have you weighed your motorhome?
Where can I weigh my rig?
Where do you weigh your class A
Scales
Where/How Do I Weigh?
Terminology
More Terminology
State truck weigh stations on interstate highways
Do MH need to stop at truck stop inspections?
Do Truck Restrictions Apply to Motorhomes?
Rules of the road in a Class C
RV manual lanes only
Do I have to stop at weigh stations?
stopping at wt. stations or state check points
Are RVs required to stop at weigh stations?
Grit_dog
Navigator
Apr 06, 2021
^Careful there bud....may want to add another layer of tinfoil to your hat.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Apr 06, 2021
billtex wrote:

Everyone should get a real weight on their loaded rig.

I can only guess why this advise never made it to stickies, regardless being pointed 1000's of times.
I did not buy luxury camper to camp with minimum, so buying dually was high priority.
No surprise that my camper, rated by manufacturer at about 3800 lb, did scale 6300lb on some trips.
Than the 6300 lb TC weigh put 6800lb load on rear axle (COG behind the axle) but again, we are talking against sponsors agendas.