Lance 480 9' 6" on a short bed truck
I own a 1993 Lance 480 extended cab 9' 6" I have a buddy who has a 2008 F350 that's a short bed 6 3/4, my question is will my camper fit safely on this truck, what issues would I have? I want to buy h...
Forum Discussion
mkirsch wrote:VintageRacer wrote:
That means it will be very dangerous to drive, will violate the factory Ford load guidelines and all of that boring safety stuff. So no, the camper won`t fit safely on that truck.
Actually, it is not that cut and dried.
To further complicate things, we have no qualms about hanging a 1000lb trailer tongue off the receiver at the rear of an F350, with NO WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION HITCH.
1000lbs at the receiver has the same effect on the front wheels as around 5000lbs at 12" behind the rear axle. So why is it okay for a trailer and not okay for a camper?
I still say NO, but only because of the fact that the camper's floor may not be able to take the stress. However, being educated as to WHY will help you understand.
I would not so quickly say no. Only because, I have a 10 ft TC on my 2002 F350 CCSB 4x4. As mkirsch states so eloquently, we do not hesitate to add significant weight behind out Trucks and TC's with tongue-weights nearing 1500lbs, and some on hitch extensions up to 48" long. You need to definitely support the floor. You can also relocate weight shifting much of your weight forward. If the TC is well within your gross weight numbers, then build a platform and see if the buddy will let you load it long enough for a test drive, and a session at the local scales. The scales will tell you alot. I know if I drive my TC without water in the front tank, it handles very differently than when I have the full 40 gallons in the tank. Neither situation has the truck felt unsafe. But also realizing the characteristics of a particular truck and TC, will help you not only select a truck and camper combo, but will help with upgrade selections such as air-bags, sway-bars, 19.9 rims and tires etc.
Just food for thought. Especially with older TC's. My 10 ft TC had an entirely new floor installed by the PO that is 3/4" plywood over a framework of 2x4 brown-treat lumber on edge. This makes for a very solid floor and also gained the clearance necessary for the Ford's roof.
Good Luck!
Garry
