Suggestions which Campers are within our Pickup's capacity

I had to weigh the truck before registering it when it was brand new and it came in at 8080 lbs.. I estimate with the accessories that I have added that it's about 8600 lbs. (and counting). I know that I'm probably going to exceed the capacity, but I know this is pretty standard as far as TCs go (note all of the 3/4-ton pickups you see with these monsters loaded on). So it then becomes a question of just how much you are exceeding the capacity, and how confident you feel about that situation. And NO, I don't mean to start an argument here about overloading and such.

burningman wrote:
and whether you mean with the camper loaded or not. It all depends on those two things.

You forgot to include the part where I said that.

You won't sacrifice any off road ability with the camper on with a dually, since the camper is that wide anyways. Actually gain a bit due to stability but you can't really off road with a big camper. Beat up fire roads are about it.
With your truck, I'd be comfortable with most any of the 9-10' full size campers, even with slide outs.
Gvw rating, OE axle ratings, tires and wheels and suspension will generate a long degenerative discussion here. I'd haul it, others would say youre being irresponsible doing it.

whizbang wrote:
You need to weight your truck. My guess is your are 7,500 pounds, leaving you a 4,000 pound payload capacity.

A 3,000 pound "Dry" weight camper will weigh 4,000 pounds fully loaded. Typically this is a 9 to 9-1/2 foot camper.

Sure, you could carry a bigger camper.

Don't.

Probably closer to 8200-8400 with the diesel. At least that's what I weighed in at with my F350CCLB SRW with tow and gooseneck package.

You need to weight your truck. My guess is your are 7,500 pounds, leaving you a 4,000 pound payload capacity.

A 3,000 pound "Dry" weight camper will weigh 4,000 pounds fully loaded. Typically this is a 9 to 9-1/2 foot camper.

Sure, you could carry a bigger camper.

Don't.

burningman wrote:
I'm always baffled when someone says they want to take a truck camper off road and don't want a dually under it because it's too wide... the camper, and the trucks own mirrors are wider!

First, that depends if the person takes the TC off or not. Also, there have been more than one occasion that the road is smaller than the height where the TC rides. Actually, really common in the Northwest roads I travel. For sure, my outside tire has a problem fitting where the SRW had no issue.

It's ok to be baffled though ... probably a lot of us are baffled about why not everyone uses Torklift tie down frame mounts. Everyone should buy what makes them happy. ;)

I'd weigh the rear axle on a scale, and subtract that from your rear tires' capacity and consider that the real-world capacity.
Then the trick is finding out the real-world weight of a camper you're interested in, and completely disregarding the claimed "dry weight" fantasy numbers.

Wow, thanks for all of your inputs! It became instantly clear to me that I should have defined what I meant by "off-road". I would NEVER attempt to tackle difficult terrain with the TC onboard! There are just too many off-camber situations, punishing ride on the camper, and high center-of-gravity situations to deal with. I assure you, with over 40 years of experience, every stuck/tight situation I have ever had to extricate myself from has been SEARED into my memory. I have developed an excellent Sixth Sense about questionable situations and always err on the side of caution. My mantra has evolved now to one of "We came here to enjoy ourselves, NOT to spend the whole day digging ourselves out." Another note is that the suspension is stock but the tires were just upgraded to Goodyear Wrangler DuraTracs.

The pickup, enormous as it is, has done very well wherever we've pointed it, Granted, we've done a LOT of backing and filling at the end of some trails, but nothing we could not get ourselves out of. The areas that love to explore are BLM, National Forest, and, yes, some National Parks, particularly Southern Utah. Some, we have no idea of ownership or jurisdiction, but if it isn't posted, it's fair game until proven otherwise. We are reasonable and will NOT go off-trail. That's just dumb, very unnecessary, and gives the "Anti's" ammunition to lock us ALL out of.

On another note, got the itch yesterday and we made the short trip up to Grand Teton National Park. Dealt with numerous snow flurries on and off and were surprised to see a fair amount of people already camping in the few campgrounds that are already open. Even ventured off-road a bit. Enjoyed every second of it and can't wait to get out there with the trailer!

Lots of great comments and information, all delivered in a positive tone. Nice to see for a change (compared to some threads that seem to descend into you can't do this or that). Several thoughts occur to me as I read through this thread.

First, we all have different thoughts about what off roading is based on our experience and inclinations. The OP really needs to define what he means by offroad. Off road for us is fire roads and trails like we see here in the east. It may be very different out west.

Second, the list of likely options for a SRW 1 ton is actually pretty long and showcases the progress that has been made in TC manufacturing and materials. There are probably no really bad new TCs, just ones that are better suited for your expected use than others.

Third, folks here are a wealth of knowledge and I, for one, have learned much from those who have been TC campers for far longer than I.

Finally, happy Mother's Day to all the mom's that make it possible for this mostly male crowd to hang out together.:B

We do the same for more aggressive off-road exploration. We'll camp at the edge of extreme and take more nimble vehicles that are easier to extract if stuck. It does limit us to a day's drive of camp, but we do not venture any farther off the beaten track than this anyway.