"Import" in full sized truck?

JIMNLIN wrote:
A 1500 Z71 truck with a 1569 payload ........ may have a 6800-7000 GVWR with a 3800-4000 lb RAWR with P tires.

These small semi float GM axles don't like to be operated overloaded so stay within their door post ratings which includes tires/wheels and rear spring packs.

For a small truck like the 1500 that have small payloads I would suggest weighing the trucks front and rear axles separately. That way you know what your working numbers are especially the rear axle numbers as it can carry all of a TC weight.

I see LT tires and rear suspension help for your truck.

Now having said that if you have a '04 1500HD model then the truck has a 8600 GVWR with 6084 RAWR and E tires and wheels with up to 10xxx tow rating and up to 3000 lb payloads.
The devil is always in the details. Good luck on your search for the right TC

Door sticker says GVWR is 6400Lbs, GAWR is 3750 Lbs. I upgraded from factory tires some time ago. I'm running LT285/70/17 BFG A/T, load range E, rated for 3195Lbs.

jimh425 wrote:
Have you considered a Four Wheel Camper? You can buy them stripped down and add just what you need. Host and Sixpac both made some very light campers, but light is debatable. :)

I've looked into them but at this point I'm thinking a hard side is better suited to the time of year I would use it the most.

mkirsch wrote:
If the one on Kajiji is the one you're looking at, it appears to have siding damage in two of the pictures. Considering that the owner probably took pictures of the "good" side, what does the other side look like?

$4500 is too much also, IMHO. Unless you can go down in person and look at it and it is pristine...

I'm not able to make out the damage, which side and what area?

wintersun wrote:
You need to decide whether it is more important to keep you present truck and get a popup camper or get a 3/4 ton truck and a hard side camper.

The lightest hard side campers will have a dry weight of 1700-2000 lbs. and to that you will need to add 500 lbs. for gear, water, foot, propane, etc, and the tongue weight of the trailer. That adds up to needing a truck with a 3,000 lb. payload capacity which is easiest to find in a used 1-ton truck. Get a SRW with a gas V-8 and 4.10 gears and you will be able to haul most campers. A popup camper is going to weigh 1000 lbs. less and this also translates into a more nimble RV on bad roads and trails.

A 1/2 ton can be modified to handle that payload but it is not going to be cheap to do so, though it may be worth considering. Adding leaf springs, axle truss, heavy duty shocks, rear anti-sway bar, new rims and tires, while expensive is going to be cheaper than buying another truck.

If you weigh a truck at a local CAT scale you will get the weight at the front and rear axles. With the rear axle weight known, you can subtract it from the total load capacity of the two rear tires and have a good ballpark number for the heaviest load you can put in the bed of the truck.

I've found a few campers that will suit my needs with dry weights under 1300Lbs. Westland 8.0W, Travel Lite 690W and 700 Sport, Livin Lite 5.7. Not many pop-ups that are much lighter from what I've found.

FreeLanceing wrote:
I have fished for years with my 1500 z71 3 different model years. I have a lance 815 hard side and pull a 14 lund about 100 lbs t weight. I am still alive and well and have not had any bad experiance. I even put my kayak in the boat or on the roof of the camper. You will have no problems with a small light camper like you describe. Mine comes in about 2000 so I am a little over. The newer the truck the better they handled I found. 92, 01, 08, 11 were the years I had. The 92 I had a popup. I also fish alone with my dog. Good luck in your search. From my personal experiance you do not need a deisel dually to carry all TC's

Thanks for relaying your experience.

Just curious, for those who feel that camper is over priced, is that based on your local market? What should something like this be worth in the Canadian market? I just started looking this fall and don't have a whole lot to compare to. Certainly nothing remotely close to me anyway as there is a very limited market around here. Some of my comparisons:

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-travel-trailer-camper/markham-york-region/slide-in-truck-camper-mountian-star-6-5-box/1034796777

http://wwwa.autotrader.ca/a/Travel+Lite/700STD/TERRACE/British+Columbia/19_8436473_/?ms=rv&showcpo=ShowCPO&orup=85_15_117

http://wwwa.autotrader.ca/a/Adventurer/7.6+import/Kamloops/British+Columbia/5_22409756_CT200552594922737/?ms=rv&showcpo=ShowCPO&orup=90_15_117

http://wwwa.autotrader.ca/a/Livin+Lite/Livin+Lite+5.7/St-Cyrille+De+Wendover/Quebec/5_21942669_200543192755706/?ms=rv&showcpo=ShowCPO&orup=93_15_117

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-travel-trailer-camper/kamloops/okanagan-8ft-camper/1014001713?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-travel-trailer-camper/vernon/bigfoot-8-ft-camper-for-1-2-ton-truck/1033167212?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

http://arbutusrv.ca/unit/uvxxxx/12383/i/camper/adventurer/76r-sb/p13n740a.html