Question for Dodge Ram 2500 owners

zcookiemonstar wrote:
I have a 2001 Dodge ram 2500 2wd gas long bed pickup. I am looking for my first truck camper and would like to hear from people who have or had the same truck what camper you carried weight how it handled and what you had to do to it. Thanks to all for any input.

I think most of the responses have not been from folks with a 2001 Dodge ram 2500, 8-foot bed, 2wd and a gas engine. Your truck weighs a lot less than most of the trucks typically posted about here.

My observation is most here are diesels and 4WD. They could easily be about 2000 pounds heavier than your truck. I think the diesel is about 1000 pounds heavier than the gas engine and the 4WD also about 1000 pounds. You did not state if you had a standard cab or extended cab, which also changes things.

I have a 1996 Dodge 2500, 2WD, diesel, extended cab, with an 8-foot bed. I have been been challenged on the weight of my truck more than once. My truck weight is 6200 pounds. The same truck in a 4WD typically weighs about 7200 pounds. Just looking at weight only, a big difference.

I doubt it will help you much, but my 11.5-foot Bigfoot weighs 4200 pounds (fully loaded). Truck and TC together are 10400 lbs. I removed an aftermarket overload spring, and installed airbags. I installed an anti-sway bar and Rancho shocks. I also installed 19.5 tires and wheels, which I think was the greatest improvement on road manors.

I mated my Truck and Bigfoot up in April 2004 with a little under 100,000 miles on the odometer. I now have about 265,00 miles on the odometer of which less than 200 miles were without the TC being loaded. There is nothing I really care to change in the way my truck handles the TC. I also frequently flat tow a Suzuki Samurai.

Wayne

pcoplin

That looks like a nice very setup you have but I'm not sure how much different the Ford is from the Dodge and I'm not going to ask because that could be it's own forum.

jefe 4x4
First thanks for the info. I have always liked your setup "from the pick at least". I have one of your pics as one of my screen backgrounds.
I thought that the frames were the same for 2500/3500 trucks. From what I have read the difference is in the axles/housings and springs and with the camper package the springs were the same at least in the rear. I know the drive line is stronger with the diesel and thought the front springs may be heavy for the extra weight of the diesel. I would think that on a stock truck I would have more weight capacity than you because of the weight of the diesel. Is your GVWR 8800lbs like mine? Or is it higher?

I have a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 short bed Hemi and auto trans. My camper is a 2005 Northstar TC800, Pop Up, 1,400 pounds dry. The truck drives like the camper isn't there. A real breeze, including even some off roading to remote places in Colorado and Utah. Carry's some 36 gallons of fresh water. We also have pulled our ATV trailer, or flat towed our jeep, or on a car hauler across country. No concerns. A great unit and fit and a great company at Northstar to deal with, that is family run, personable and easily available for telephone and emails questions. But I have never had a bit of trouble, using it nearly year round, and lots of camping. Driving just the camper, I can still get 10 to 12 mpg.

We are switching over to a Class C, so plan to put the Northstar and maybe the truck up for sale soon. Hate to see it go, buy Mom just wants something bigger, but I love the ability to get off the pavement.

Paul, simply beautiful rig you have there.
jefe

zcookie,
By robust, I am talking about the heavier frame, suspension, much more H.D. drivetrain, and more torque that comes with the Cummin$ option. By ordering the camper package on my '01/2500, I got the 1 ton frame, one ton suspension (actually the first SRW one ton in name only as it had all the springs/anti sway bars that came with a one ton dually). The only difference were the 4" hub extensions for the deep dual rear wheel backspacing, and a slightly narrower rr Dana 80 (35 spline. added Power Lok L.S. diff) for the SRW. The DRW had a WIDER rr axle to compensate for the backspacing and clearance on the rr disc brakes (new in 2001.5) AFA the drivetrain: with the use of the new at the time cast iron NV5600 (26K pound rating, weighs 360 pounds, dry) 6 speed manual, the Cummins was upgraded in TQ ad HP (245HP; 505TQ) (as opposed to downgraded in power for the automatics of the time) because the trans could take it. The t. case is the NV241HD. What's the HD? It's for snow plow work and has a much wider chain to absorb the shock loading you get when plowing. The front axle is a 35 spline, Dana 60 with upgraded after market 35 spline Dana 70 free spin kit, and locking hubs. Next week I will install a Detroit Eaton True Trac, gear driven L.S. center section for that axle.

To the factory 4 spring pack(probably the one you have) + one upper overload spring I added two more upper overload springs; one more bottom lift spring and Stable Loads. Also I recently rebuilt all the anti sway bar rubber and Rancho 9K's. The front end has been gone through with a 3" lift; Gen4 pan hard rod and many upgrade steering parts including a front frame stiffener around the steering box. The truck is very tight again. Remember this is to carry one of the lightest hard sides around.

I upgraded the rear wheels/tires to super singles or duplex status. The tires are 33x15.50's on 12" wide aluminum rims for driving over soft ground or even sand dunes.

So, more or less, this is what I mean by more robust compared to a gasser 2500 of the same Gen2 era.
regards, as always, jefe

My 2001 915 weighs around 3400 lbs loaded up with gear and full water. Carries more rearward than my old 9.5 ft Lance. It's about max for standard single rear tires and wheels.

zcookiemonstar wrote:
Thanks for all the input. I do have the camper package and my truck has a automatic trans also have 4:10 gears in the rear and disk brakes front and rear. I have hauled heavy weight many times from machinery to full loads of dirt. I weighed the truck full of dirt one time and it was over 3400lbs of dirt it handled fine but that is a very low center of gravity compared to a camper. I don't want a real tall camper but I do want a hard side and a full bath. I have been looking at Lance 835 and some Sunlite 8 and 9ft campers. I have looked at Lance 815's but they are a little to narrow for me let's just say I'm a little on the wide side!

My first camper was an 04' Lance 835 which would be slightly lighter than a Lance 915. I hauled it on a 2001 Ram 2500 LB, 4x4, Cummins, 6 speed manual tranny w/camper package. The truck handled it well but it definitely could have used a rear sway bar, but I never got around to getting one. I ran that combo for 100K miles. My loaded weight was just under 3,000 pounds. I believe that truck had the Dana 80 in the rear? I agree with most though, get the smallest camper you are comfortable in because they are almost always heavier than advertised. Good luck, Brad

jefe 4x4 what do you mean by "a much more robust 2001 Dodge truck"?

If you're a little on the wide side any bath other than a dry bath is going to be a challenge! I am also a little broad in the beam and our wet bath is REALLY COZY. I removed the door while replacing the potty/shower combo tank and just never put it back. Installed ceiling curtain track and an upholstery fabric curtain for privacy. It has shower curtains lining the inside for showering as its an older wet bath and I didn't trust that the material in it would really be waterproof. Not plastic or fiberglass like newer campers. I also installed a new toilet, high profile to facilitate easier seating and rising from the throne. Works fine for us now but something you should take an in person dry run in before committing to any camper purchase. Here's hoping you find the perfect "fit" and happy camping.