Forum Discussion

GAR2's avatar
GAR2
Explorer
Dec 23, 2019

Really Disappointing (T/C Weight)

I found a t/c I really like but looks like weight will be too heavy. I know some of the members here have said my truck will handle more than the gvwr assigned by Ford but it has me concerned.
I still haven’t weighed my truck (2002 F350 4/4 Dually Longbed/ 7.3PSD, Loadlifter 5000# airbags) but has got to be in the 8200# range + or - and Ford says gvwr is 11,500.
The T/C is a 2016 Livin Lite Ford 10.0 and dry weight is estimated at 3K and wet weight at 4K. It would have looked great matched up on the F350.
It still spooks me to run over the GVWR by much and then get pulled over and checked.
I read the story behind the start up of the all aluminum Livin lite campers, merge with Ford, and then buy out and shut down of the Company - what a shame!

60 Replies

  • Very few here are under there GVWR compared to those that are over..That being said..I had never weighed any of my previous truck campers prior to being on this forum..I am sure a few were over the GVWR of the pickup used,but who cares anyway..Certainly not me and they all rode really good with minimal sway except one..

    That is one kool looking TC with the big 'ol Ford emblem on the side..If that floorplan is what you and your family really like,I would get it..You have enough pickup with some mods so it shouldn't travel to bad if your used to carrying truck campers..You can always travel Lite(Laffin') without loading it really heavy and be close to where you want to be..

    I have never heard anywhere of a TC being pulled over and ticketed because of weight and there are some that maybe should be,but your 1-ton truck with that camper is not one that would..

    I have a DRW and 4600# of payload and I am almost at my GVWR with a 9.6 Non-slide/no basement TC all loaded up ready to camp..If you go by the GVWR you will be limited to very few non-slide TC's like the Lance 850 to meet the GVWR of your rig and that may put you over a small amount...

    Great looking TC..Go for it...LOL
  • In the spirit of Christmas, this thread should get shut down now. Nothing good or new will come of this discussion compared to the 100 others.
    Nor will it help or hinder the OPs position as he was simply venting that he isn't comfortable putting that camper on his truck. He wasn't asking for advice about it, but rather just stating his opinion.
  • You are unlikely to be pulled over and checked as you are not a commercial vehicle unless there is an obvious problem. However if you are involved in an accident it could be a whole new ball game. Weigh the truck so you have hard numbers to work with.
    Back in the distant past I got pulled over by the RCMP, dad's pickup was obviously overloaded with gravel. He made me turn around and drive eight miles back to the scale where I was waved through. I parked and went inside where the weighmaster asked what the problem was. I said "Ask him" as the cop came through the door. He told the cop I was obviously overloaded but he didn't care as it was a non commercial vehicle.
  • GVWR is taxable number and has nothing to do with camper carrying.
    Since most of TC weight goes on the rear axle, the math is pretty easy.
    Find your rear axle rating on door pillar, deduct the actual weight and you have what camper weight you can safely carry.
    When tax issue theoretically might hit you, beside British Columbia nobody reported being scaled by DOT officers in USA.
    Than you still can go to DMV and pay higher taxes for higher GVWR classification.
  • A friend of mine just informed me that we have a FS in the next rural neighboring town just North of me about 12 miles away with an outside scale that’s on all the time......I plan to run up there tonight or tomorrow evening to see what my truck weighs—- thanks for the input guys!
  • Well I have a 2000 F-350 Dually Crew cab XLT and 8' box and mine weighs in @ 7960 with a full tank of fuel according to the Cat Scales.
  • Being the odd camper out, my camper weight (laden) is well under the GCW of my 350 ford. How I like it. Legal.
  • I was thinking your truck weight would be more like 7800 +/-.

    My 1995 F350 CC long bed 7.3 weighed 7280 lbs with two people in the cab and 65 gallons of diesel. I didn’t think the next gen truck gained that much weight, but maybe so.

    :):)
  • Mines over the gvw too when all loaded up and its not a concern to me.

    I see no reason why your truck couldn't handle that camper.
  • The truck in my signature is over the GVWR with the camper in my signature. It's been that way for ten years. I stopped worrying about it years ago.

    I've never seen an RVer get pulled over by the commercial enforcement division of the Washington State Patrol and have their weight checked.