Hey guys,
Thanks for all the feedback and questions. They are all valid and useful.
The dry weight for the Bronco was advertised as 1056#, and I knew that the load capacity of our truck was listed at 1350, so I had a pretty good idea going in that just with the camper and us, we'd be bumping up against the top of that limit. We did add on a solar panel and an awning and an extra battery, as well as the TorkLift attachment system, and the dealer filled the 20# propane tank before weighing, but I am still at a loss as to why we are so far above the GVWR!
As to beefing up the suspension, the StableLoads the dealer installed (recommended by Palomino), were not doing the job so we took them off and installed Timbren SES suspension assists. When we took the camper back to the dealer on Monday to complain, the sales manager tried to tell us that the added suspension increases the payload. Timbren's own site says that's just not true, it is only a stabilizer, and that you should not exceed the GVWR. When I told the sales manager that, it shut him up pretty quickly on that claim.
I have read on other forums as well that some have driven their vehicles for years exceeding the load limits with a few problems, but nothing major. I also know, and have heard from other Toyota owners, that the suspension is somewhat soft, and I also know that even the lighter 4wd camper options, other than getting a bare shell, are only a couple of hundred pounds lighter. Right now, we are re-evaluating what we absolutely need at a bare minimum, since we are NOT your average RVers, just want a place to sleep and hang out in crappy weather without having to deal with a tent.
Thanks again for all your feedback and suggestions, will read through them all carefully before we take our next step!
