Hi TCer's,I have a 2005 Dodge dually with air bag suspension and an Arctic Cap 11.5 camper that is 3500+ lbs. One neighbor said it damages my truck suspension to leave the camper sitting in the bed all winter. I would take it out and store it like I see others do, but I plan on using it several times during winter, and trying to get it back in the bed in 4-5 feet of snow (I live in Alaska) makes me want to leave it in the bed. So, my questions: 1) Is leaving your camper in the bed all winter a problem? 2) If I leave it in there, is there anything I could do to lessen the stress/load on my truck suspension (I dk-somehow putting jacks under the axles to take off load?).RC

I have had my Arctic Fox 1150 in the bed of my truck for many extended periods of time well over a year and haven't had any issues and many members on the forum do the same.

What about lowering your camper jacks to take a bit of weight off the truck? But in all fairness, work-body trucks sit 365 days/yr with a heavy load; and it doesn't seem to bother them?

Our TC has set on our truck about 90% of the time since 2006, no problems have arisen that I am aware of. Take it off to pull a 5th wheel trailer.

If it does not hurt anything rockin and rollin down the road and off road then why would sitting hurt anything?

Camper won't hurt the truck as much as the truck setting all Winter without being driven.

Leaving camper in bed all winter--problem for truck?

21 Replies

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Oct 12, 2015
Nice comparison seagle2.
My friend working a pilot run into situation where an airplane needed a check of tanks, or something and had to have 1000 gallons of jet fuel, what is modified diesel drained.
After draining it from airplane into perfectly clean tanks, the fuel could not be reused on airplane, so mechanics just gave it away to joy of my friend.
I wonder if they do the same on nuke submarines ;)
seaeagle2
Explorer
Oct 11, 2015
I went on a guided fishing trip one time with a guide who was very picky about everything. Finally he said, "I'm sorry if I seem very picky, but I was on a nuclear sub, and we don't call it "an*l, we call it being careful". I've met pilots the same way, if you're flying a plane load of people to Hawaii, and you have a problem 1/2 way there, you don't pull over and call AAA or Good Sam..., when I had a truck camper, I left it on all the time.
ISBRAM
Explorer
Oct 11, 2015
My camper is on the truck all of the time, no problem.
ryoung
Explorer
Oct 11, 2015
If it will ease your mind, roll a floor jack under the hitch receiver, assuming you have one, and jack it up a few inches.
This will raise the frame and load from the rear suspension.

ryoung

I no longer own the truck and camper in my signature.
polarbare21
Explorer
Oct 11, 2015
I will tell you this, one of the saddest things I've seen happen to a camper was a truck camper left in the bed of the pickup through the winter outdoors.

Some snow and water had made its way into the bed. Leaves or dirt debris had plugged the drain holes in the bed.
The bed filled with water through the winter and completely ruined the Lance with a slide.

Just a heads up!
twodownzero
Explorer
Oct 10, 2015
Springs do not wear from sitting compressed, they wear from being cycled.
gareengo
Explorer
Oct 10, 2015
Thanks for all the advice. The neighbor who told me to remove it is a pilot with more than a little OCD. You have confirmed what I was thinking--I have another neighbor with a dually work truck that has had a crane-type rig (heavier than my TC) sitting in the bed since it was made 15 years ago, without problems. If I am worried, I will put some extra air in the airbags to lift it a bit. I would worry about putting the jacks down to slightly elevate it in the bed, because of stress on the jacks with the load being so high. Thanks again

RC
Buzzcut1
Nomad II
Oct 10, 2015
My TC is probably in the bed of my truck 355 out of 365 days each year. Its not something I worry about and I do not lower the jacks. Of course I live in earthquake country and I would rather have it rock about on the tires in a big one vs snapping/ bending a jack mount in a quake.
Reality_Check
Nomad II
Oct 10, 2015
Let's look at this another way. Think of all the actual working trucks that are out there everyday, with heavy loads...heavy constant loads. Everyday they sit, heavy and unsupported.

And the answer is???? bingo, they don't do a thing with them.

Now, if your truck is overloaded (which many are) I suspect there could be consequences long term. But that isn't really the situation raised.

One of our regular work trucks is a 550; sits 12-13k on the rear since the day we got it. Almost 8 years now. I can't even imagine having a conversation with my guys that they need to put it up on jack stands every weekend to get the weight off.....
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Oct 10, 2015
jmcgsd wrote:
Hmmmm, does a camper REALLY come off a truck? :?

Thinking about it - TC is RV.
I don't recall EVER seeing ClassA, or classC off the chassis for the winter.
The only worry I would have is corrosion and dryrot getting between bed and camper floor.
Park it with elevated front and sleep well.
I would caution about lowering jacks. At least disconnect the chains.
I made the mistake once trying to level my camper on truck bed with while still clamped and jacks could take it, the camper frame not.