Truck Camper Axle Weight Distribution

On my Northern Lite camper it adds 60# of weight to my front axle. It weighs right a 3700#. Front axle went from 5020# to 5080#.

Unless you have a COG very far forward of the center of the rear axle very little weight gets transferred to the front.

On the 116DS the COG is 55.5" measured from the front. Now this may change as you put water in the fresh tank. But with the 55.5" on a regular bed pickup that would put the COG about 1.5" behind the rear axle. Which is pretty good for the size of camper. The Lance 1172 which is a double slide has a COG of 60" or 6" behind the center of the rear axle. The Eagle Cap 1160 is 57" and the 1165 is 60".

How much goes where depends on the position of the camper's COG with respect to your rear axle.

On a MDT with a >8ft bed, the COG will likely end up ahead of the rear axle and push more front weight on to the front axle.

If you drop the camper's COG right over the rear axle, little to no weight is added to the front axle until you start filling tanks and loading stuff up front.

Thanks guys, sounds like I should be well under on both front and rear axles and close on GVWR.

I have a 11.5 foot Bigfoot TC. Its total weight loaded is 4,200 lbs. I have weighed the truck and TC. The TC adds 200 lbs on the front axle, and 4,000 lbs on the rear axle.

Wayne

I would not worry about the GVWR for the truck. Focus on the load on the rear axle and its 4 tires. The axle and wheel bearings have their maximum load rating and the 4 tires at DRW tire pressures have their own rating. Go by the weakest link for your truck.

Thanks guys, that is what I was thinking. My TC with options, water, propane and batteries weighs 4600#. Add that to my 9800# truck and that leaves me 600# for stuff to stay under my 15K GVWR.

According to cat scale my 3900 lbs. Lance 990 only 300 lbs. is on front axle. Rest of the weight is on the rear axle.

For a crew cab long bed, I'd be shocked if it is over 500 lbs. I don't remember anyhing higher thean 400 posted here. Unlike a trailer, it isn't a percentage due to how COG is planned to be primarily near the rear axle for a TC.

I have a shortbox truck which may differ from your longbox but my camper adds 350lbs to the front axle (less then 10%), the rest is on the rear.

the vast majority is on the rear axle