Want info on this Kodiak with a Lance 1181

WHAT?????

That truck is dangerously overloaded- it shouldn't be carrying anything more than an 8' pop-up. :E

Weight police must be sleeping off a tryptophan hangover. :B

I don't know if the owner of that camper and truck combination is on this website or not. I have not seen that camper picture posted before.

What I do not like is the distance between the rear tires and the truck body, it is to short and can rub if you bottom out. Also the distance between the center of gravity and rear axle is to short, or the camper center of gravity is to far rearward for my liking. While you are not going to lift the front tires off the ground with such a heavy truck, it would be more stable with the weight a little more forward, and because it looks like a custom truck body, why not make it so that you can get from the cab to the camper? Even being able to pass drinks back and forth would be handy, having the heated air flow into the camper is nice too!

But perhaps they purchased the flatbed truck without the camper, and installed everything to fit the current truck, rather than shorten the flatbed, and make it shorter overall? OR perhaps they wanted to carry a generator or something large in the space under the cabover - just behind the truck's cab?

Anyway it is not my "Ideal" set up, but if it works for them, go for it, it looks safe.

Fred.

I don't know if the owner of that camper and truck combination is on this website or not. I have not seen that camper picture posted before.

What I do not like is the distance between the rear tires and the truck body, it is to short and can rub if you bottom out. Also the distance between the center of gravity and rear axle is to short, or the camper center of gravity is to far rearward for my liking. While you are not going to lift the front tires off the ground with such a heavy truck, it would be more stable with the weight a little more forward, and because it looks like a custom truck body, why not make it so that you can get from the cab to the camper? Even being able to pass drinks back and forth would be handy, having the heated air flow into the camper is nice too!

But perhaps they purchased the flatbed truck without the camper, and installed everything to fit the current truck, rather than shorten the flatbed, and make it shorter overall? OR perhaps they wanted to carry a generator or something large in the space under the cabover - just behind the truck's cab?

Anyway it is not my "Ideal" set up, but if it works for them, go for it, it looks safe.

Fred

You're kidding right?

There are more rigs set up this way:

Rear tires are no closer than on this unloaded truck- same model.

There is space up under the fender for suspension travel.



Also these trucks are right about 20,000 GVWR. I don't think they are affected by C of G like our puny 3/4 and 1 tons are.

Mine requires 8" wheel clearance to prevent interference when fully loaded on uneven terrain.

I don't know if the owner of that camper and truck combination is on this website or not. I have not seen that camper picture posted before.

What I do not like is the distance between the rear tires and the truck body, it is to short and can rub if you bottom out. Also the distance between the center of gravity and rear axle is to short, or the camper center of gravity is to far rearward for my liking. While you are not going to lift the front tires off the ground with such a heavy truck, it would be more stable with the weight a little more forward, and because it looks like a custom truck body, why not make it so that you can get from the cab to the camper? Even being able to pass drinks back and forth would be handy, having the heated air flow into the camper is nice too!

But perhaps they purchased the flatbed truck without the camper, and installed everything to fit the current truck, rather than shorten the flatbed, and make it shorter overall? OR perhaps they wanted to carry a generator or something large in the space under the cabover - just behind the truck's cab?

Anyway it is not my "Ideal" set up, but if it works for them, go for it, it looks safe.

Fred.

The gross weight rating on that truck is at least 17,500 pounds. With no camper on it, it likely weighs 9500 pounds or so. That gives it at least 7500 pounds of camper capacity that is under tire, rim, and axle ratings. So what if it fits a little back from the cab? I like it!

Trucks in this class are chassis cabs to which you get the bed added on and whatever else you need. Wherever you buy this type of truck they will know of local shops that do the modifications. This is where aluminum construction will cost more but can save a lot of weight and you avoid rust problems.

Check the fuel tank options from the factory and with aftermarket products. Getting 6-8 MPG you will burn through fuel quickly (and DEF as well) and fuel capacity is often more limited than you would expect as these trucks are meant for local use and not long distance travel.

Campers are designed to place the COG over the rear axle. So long as the camper is at the rear of the bed and you add storage and fuel tanks to the area in front of the camper and behind the cab you will have no trouble. These trucks will have a payload capacity of over 8,000 lbs. so you are not overloading them with a 6,000 lb. camper load by any stretch of the imagination. Even the F-450 chassis cab truck has a payload capacity of more than 8,000 lbs. though the truck also is DRW and uses 19.5 wheels.

Doesn't btggraphix own the Lance/Kodiak beast that went to Argentina?