Truck Camper Capacities

There are storage boxes with barn doors hinging on the verticals instead of the longer horizontal length - These are harder to find and more expensive. My 4' boxes were about $275/ea with shipping.

Bedlam wrote:
My original thought was to frame out the TC wings with no floor, but no one was interested in building that for me. I guess I didn't waive enough money under their noses. My setup was just a simple bolt in solution I had as a backup plan from the very beginning.

If the hinges are piano style, you could always cut the doors just inboard of the tie downs and then tack the remaining part of the doors on permanent. You'd have to find a gasket to seal the new cut when the door is shut. Anyway, probably not worth the effort. Nice setup you got there.

My original thought was to frame out the TC wings with no floor, but no one was interested in building that for me. I guess I didn't waive enough money under their noses. My setup was just a simple bolt in solution I had as a backup plan from the very beginning.

If removing the tie downs is too much bother, one could make custom boxes with doors that don’t interfere with them. With the fast guns, I don’t see it being that big of an issue though.

My deck is 9' long and you can get 8' of top boxes to clear the camper (my under deck boxes are 3'). I went with two 4' boxes on each side and they do not pass through to each other or to the camper. You can choose 8' boxes or go to 3+3+2 size boxes based on your needs. My popup canopy just fits in the 4' box without the rolling wheel bag it came with. The pictures with the camper off the truck were prior to my storage boxes. I bolted them to the deck and they stay on the truck when the camper comes off. I did not want add weight to the camper or its structure by attaching them to the camper since those four boxes empty weigh 450 lbs.

My tie downs are outboard of the storage boxes and must be removed to access storage but are easy to remove since they are quick release turnbuckles. Typical turn-to-tighten fasteners would be inconvenient for this application. You would have to frame over these boxes if you wanted to attach the camper above the access doors and there is insufficient room between the camper and boxes for tie downs.

The Eagle Cap and Host inside floors start above the boxes, so everything bellow is storage, tanks or generator which is where you you want to keep your heaviest items. The Class 5 trucks have much heavier springs and stabilizer bars than the Class 3 and show little signs of sway or porpoising even in stock configuration. You will sit over 13' high using a flat bed deck since the camper will sit at wheel well height of the typical pickup (about 3.5' off the ground).

Fully loaded and hitched, I have about 13,000 lbs on my rear axle and only use the upper StableLoad pads on the overload springs to keep everything at level. Without the StableLoads, I am slightly lower in the rear only when the 8000 lb trailer is connected.

Bedlam wrote:
I have plenty of storage with my boxes on a flat bed or you can choose a utility bed. The storage in Host and Eagle Cap will be the most you fine in a truck camper because their inside floors do not start until the top of the pickup bed rails.



If we were to stay somewhere for an extended time, I will drop the camper off the truck.





However many of our long trips have toys in tow, so we use them to get around rather than the truck.

I learned alot from these replies, did not know you could use a flat bed truck for increased storage. Are the storage bays under the TC full pass trus? Do you have to remove the tie down cables to access them? Also with the Host and eagle cap floor design does that raise the CG enough to affect the ride when cornering?

Arctic Fox 1150

Fresh Water Capacity (w/water heater, approx. gal.): 59
Gray Water Tank (approx. gallons): 35
Black Water Tank (approx. gallons): 43
LPG Capacity (approx. lbs): 60

Gjac wrote:
Also I would imagine most of the TC owners don't remove the TC once you get to an area say for a few days to a week and want to explore the surrounding area is that true?

That varies from owner to owner. Us? We have never taken the TC off unless we are home. For instance- when we are on vacation, we like going out from the campground and bringing our kitchen and bathroom with us each day. Even if we are returning to the same CG later that day.

I have plenty of storage with my boxes on a flat bed or you can choose a utility bed. The storage in Host and Eagle Cap will be the most you fine in a truck camper because their inside floors do not start until the top of the pickup bed rails.



If we were to stay somewhere for an extended time, I will drop the camper off the truck.





However many of our long trips have toys in tow, so we use them to get around rather than the truck.

SugarHillCTD wrote:
50 gallons of fresh water in our Eagle Cap.

But as far as storage for all your gear- THAT will be a rude awakening coming from even a short class A.

Example- quite a few years ago we had our first truck camper. Then as our 2 kids grew we went to a travel trailer. Forward a few more years and they wanted no part of an RV.
At that point we traded back to a different truck camper, but before the trade in I emptied the trailer contents onto the garage floor. WOW- what a mountain of stuff. No way would 1/3rd of that fit into the new camper, even considering that we always try to keep an eye on weight.

Good luck!

I think your right about the storage, I googled some of the TC's in the various folks who responded and did not see allot of storage bays. Looks like the Host Mammoth had the most storage with a large bay in the rear. Also I would imagine most of the TC owners don't remove the TC once you get to an area say for a few days to a week and want to explore the surrounding area is that true?