I've been thinking about getting a light weight camper for my Ram 2500 with 8' box and have considered the Grandby in the link below. I'd like to be able to get off the beaten path and this would fit the bill, but some additional features such as flush toilet and maybe bigger fridge and a little more room would be good. Also, completely hardsided might be good for 4 season use, but I'd lose clearance, but clearance wouldn't make or break the deal.Any camper I get would need to facilitate use of my receiver hitch.So, what other fairly lightweight options are there? Has anyone used a Grandby?Thanks!http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/index.php/products/for-full-size-trucks/grandby-8-0-long-bed/

Are we talking just new campers or used campers also being considered?If used, consider the Lance 815 or 835. Both stop at the rear bumper, weigh about 2,500# wet and loaded. 815 is narrower at the expense of a smaller wet bath.I have found the 815 to be very off-road capable. The vertical COG seems to be fairly low. You will have a few more inches in height, but so far haven't been turned around because I didn't have a shorter pop-up.

D-mac,Just be very careful of the actual weight of the Granby. My brother has a 2004 Granby on his '99 F250 long bed, and it is about the same loaded weight or slightly more than my Lance hard side 165-s. It just looks like a big white solid looking box HAS TO BE much heavier than a down position, soft-side. The biggest difference is tank size. He has much bigger tanks than I do and that adds measurably to the final weight. It is a myth that all soft-side campers are lighter than hard-sides. You just look at the specs, case-by-case, model by model and make your decision.What ever you decide, you may have to start upgrading your suspension on your 2500 to carry even the modest weight of a small soft or hard side. I am looking for the holy grail for this and have gone through many permutations, which are on-going as we speak.Do you have the upper overload (secondaries) on your 2500? If not, let the games begin.Stable Loads? Lift springs? Anti-sway bar? E or F/G rated tires? Lots to consider here.regards, as always, jefe

The Northstar TC-800 is made for an 8 foot bed and will not interfere with the standard receiver. We have a TC-650, the S/B version, and it, according to the sticker, weighs 1700+ when loaded with water and propane.

Check on the Livin Lite 8.6. or 8.6C which has a casset type bathroom tolet. Its rated for a 8ft bed truck.Although it might be too high profile for what your are looking for.www.livinlite.com/cltc-models.phpScott

jefe 4x4 wrote:D-mac,Just be very careful of the actual weight of the Granby. ....you may have to start upgrading your suspension on your 2500 to carry even the modest weight of a small soft or hard side. Thanks for the info. I am now leaning toward a Northstar, but will look at the others suggested too. My truck has overload springs, E rated Michelin tires and Firestone airbags. See my sig for what I'm towing with it.

Lighter weight camper options | Good Sam Community

43 Replies

whizbang
Explorer II
Feb 13, 2014
Define off road. The worst I've been down so far is very poorly maintained (non-maintained?) forest service roads.

I used to Jeep. So, I know what a 4X4 trail looks like. Nothing that serious in the Ford.

By the way, my 9-1/2 foot hardside on a F350 handled like******on rough roads. A pop up is the way to go if you think you will be getting off the beaten path (and in CO, you should).
Wanderin_fool
Explorer
Feb 13, 2014
Went up Tincup pass regularly to camp. Wouldnt think of taking the hardside. That popup went a lot of places camping to go dirt biking.I would say there really isnt much in common between hardside and popup in how it rides and feels on a truck.After I got my hardside I thought the popup was like carrying around a feather. If you look at the models with the "full" bed that is a lot shorter overhang. A tape measure will tell the tale. We looked at a Palomino many years ago that had a bathroom. It was a 9.5'.
d-mac1
Explorer
Feb 12, 2014
Wanderin fool wrote:
I had a Sunlite popup and loved it! Easy to drive around loaded on truck. Never a problem in wind. Actually rather warm in cold weather with the canvas down over the screens.
Only sold it bacause wife wanted bathroom and a hardside. My 835 Lance Lite weighs 3000 lbs loaded. Sticker says 2200, BEWARE.
Hardside cumbersome driving around.
I actually miss alot about my popup, but do love the hardside also.
Will you leave it on the truck a lot and drive around?

No...mine would reside in my big garage when not out camping and stored off my truck. Problem is getting to be space but I could get it in next to the fiver.

I've heard that a soft side is much cooler than a hardside in summer. This attracts me as does lower profile for wind. Still concerned about a front overhang that would extend past the top of my truck's front windshield. Would like to have a toilet and shower if I'm gonna spend the coin on a camper, but not absolutely required.

Other than the 4wheel campers, have you guys off-roaded with yours? I wouldn't be going extreme, but some places are kinda rough with maybe kinda steep entrance/exits. Any issues with the TC not holding up in conditions like this? The reason for me to get one is to be able to get off the beaten path and if it can't take a little flex, then it isn't for me.

Next question....aluminum frame vs wood. I believe aluminum is lighter and stronger. Right?

Thanks.
Wanderin_fool
Explorer
Feb 12, 2014
I had a Sunlite popup and loved it! Easy to drive around loaded on truck. Never a problem in wind. Actually rather warm in cold weather with the canvas down over the screens.
Only sold it bacause wife wanted bathroom and a hardside. My 835 Lance Lite weighs 3000 lbs loaded. Sticker says 2200, BEWARE.
Hardside cumbersome driving around.
I actually miss alot about my popup, but do love the hardside also.
Will you leave it on the truck a lot and drive around?
kbaum
Explorer
Feb 12, 2014
dadwolf2 wrote:
805gregg wrote:
Pop up campers are just tent campers on a truck, very limited space and comfort, a large tent would be preferable

WOW...wrong on all counts!

IMO

Agree apparently he's never been in a modern pop up !
dadwolf2
Explorer
Feb 12, 2014
805gregg wrote:
Pop up campers are just tent campers on a truck, very limited space and comfort, a large tent would be preferable

WOW...wrong on all counts!

IMO
campingken
Explorer
Feb 11, 2014
Rex,

Since you live in the west take a look at Panther Campers. They are made in Vancouver WA. They make light weight reasonably priced hard sided campers and they will do customer requested modifications.
Coblue
Explorer
Feb 11, 2014
d-mac1 wrote:

Have any of you guys used a popup in windy weather? I like to go to Utah and often in the spring it is windy...and sometimes cold too. I'd think the popup walls would be adequately durable but noisy in a sandstorm? Anyone have any experiences is strong wind?

We had our Hallmark in Moab on Memorial weekend 2012. It was so windy the sky was brown. There was no flapping or noise from the softwall, and very little infiltration.
We did leave after 24 hours because it was no fun to be outside the camper!
MKish
Explorer II
Feb 10, 2014
Hard sides (without basements and slides at least) don't always weigh more unloaded than similarly sized popups. They do have more storage space, though, so it's easier to fill 'em up.

Some of the popups have more headroom than smaller hardsides (once popped up, of course). You kinda need to get into them all to see what bothers you and what doesn't.
jefe_4x4
Explorer
Feb 10, 2014
Rex,
There are lighter hardsides. My Lance Lite is lighter than what you quoted. I was on the Sacramento Cr. List. just today and saw (3) used campers that are lighter than your quote.
My truck too is an 8800 pound max. In the case of the Dodge it all has to do with tires. Now there are two schools of thought on where to go from here.
1. You are stuck with you payload and GVWR, according to the weight police. It's true that the 8800 is the Official GVWR of your truck as originally outfitted with those skimpy little tires.
2. You can upgrade individual parts of your suspension/tires/wheels/. I checked a long time ago when my '01 Dodge was new and found part for part the 2500 was exactly the same as the 3500 except for:
a. 3500 tires had a higher rating and/or dual rear wheels/tires to increase load capacity. Also, the 3500 had a higher load rating wheel than the 2500 with a lot of backspacing. The 2500's were usually aluminum and the 3500 typically steel.
b. The rear axle was slightly narrower (or was it wider?) on a 3500 dualie to make room for the big back spacing of the dualie wheels. It also had a longer hub and lugs to fit the the two wheels back-to-back.
c. The front axle on a 4x4 had hub extensions to get the WMS out farther to match the rear axle and allow the huge back spacing to not rub and get the wheel more centered on the wheel bearings.
d. The 3500 may have come with upper secondary (overload) springs to gain load capacity. This might be one thick or two thinner leaves to help hold up the load. Both the 3500 and 2500 had the thick lower actual overload spring. My 'Camper Package' 2500 came with the upper secondaries making it a 2001 defacto one-ton SRW suspension truck before there was such a thing.
e. everything else is the same: brakes/frame/shocks/. Just upgrading the tires to a 3750, 3900, or 4100 pound load rating will give you a boost in load capacity, not to mention the safety factor.
My advice is to go with a light weight hardside with small tanks. This will give you the lightest you can get. Then you will start the inexorable grind of upfitting your truck to carry the load.
The other thing is don't trust the dealer or seller's assertion that it will fit on a 1500 just fine.
regards,as always, jefe