What truck camper is on your 2500hd deisel
Just looking to see what people put on there 2500hd diesel. I have a 2007 and thinking about a truck camper. Wanted to see what other people match to there 2500 hd. Also what it ways and modifications...
Forum Discussion
I have a 2011 2500HD and a Lance 845 with a wet weight of 4,000 lbs which the truck handles very well. I upgraded the tires to 285/70R17 Nitto Terra Grapplers that are rated at 3750@80 PSI, and I added a SuperSpring on each side which increased the payload capacity by 1400 lbs. over the stock leaf packs on the truck. The higher load capacity tires seem to flex less and so improved handling slightly over the stock tires.
The 2011 GM fully boxed truck frame is the best you can get and a lot stiffer than with earlier years or frames used on other manufacturers' pickups, expecting the Ram 2013 1-ton trucks. With an older truck I would expect to need a rear anti-sway bar. A camper has a high center of gravity and exerts more leverage in turns than a standard pickup load with the same weight.
The OEM truck shocks do not last very long in my experience, especially the GM ones on my trucks and SUV's from them. Plan on putting on Bilstein 5100 or Rancho 9000XL shocks. Easy to find the Rancho's on sale for 25-33% off at various times of the year. I put on Rancho 9000XL shocks but next set are likely to be Bilsteins.
Many people do not understand that the payload calculation from the factory is calculated based on the weakest link as the truck leaves the factory. Almost always that weakest link is the rim and tire setup which is easy to change. The AAM rear axle and wheel bearings supports a load of 10,900 lbs. so it is definitely not the limiting factor.
My camper had a sticker on the rear from the factory showing it being under 2700 lbs. but when I picked it up from a dealer and took the truck to a nearby CAT scale the weight was over 3100 lbs. and that was before I added solar panels, a second battery, or put water in the tank. After the modifications the weight was close to 3400 lbs. and fully loaded it approaches 4,000 lbs. which is my maximum weight with my current rims and tires. Good idea to take the published weight and add 1000 lbs. to determine a probable load weight for the truck.
With the 4,000 lb. payload and the Nitto tires and SuperSprings my truck is perfectly level with no squat at all. When I remove the Lance camper and have the bed empty it is 1" higher in the rear but when I put on a 200# fiberglass cap the bed is level again. A lot easier than fooling with airbags and the SuperSprings will never fail.
The 2011 GM fully boxed truck frame is the best you can get and a lot stiffer than with earlier years or frames used on other manufacturers' pickups, expecting the Ram 2013 1-ton trucks. With an older truck I would expect to need a rear anti-sway bar. A camper has a high center of gravity and exerts more leverage in turns than a standard pickup load with the same weight.
The OEM truck shocks do not last very long in my experience, especially the GM ones on my trucks and SUV's from them. Plan on putting on Bilstein 5100 or Rancho 9000XL shocks. Easy to find the Rancho's on sale for 25-33% off at various times of the year. I put on Rancho 9000XL shocks but next set are likely to be Bilsteins.
Many people do not understand that the payload calculation from the factory is calculated based on the weakest link as the truck leaves the factory. Almost always that weakest link is the rim and tire setup which is easy to change. The AAM rear axle and wheel bearings supports a load of 10,900 lbs. so it is definitely not the limiting factor.
My camper had a sticker on the rear from the factory showing it being under 2700 lbs. but when I picked it up from a dealer and took the truck to a nearby CAT scale the weight was over 3100 lbs. and that was before I added solar panels, a second battery, or put water in the tank. After the modifications the weight was close to 3400 lbs. and fully loaded it approaches 4,000 lbs. which is my maximum weight with my current rims and tires. Good idea to take the published weight and add 1000 lbs. to determine a probable load weight for the truck.
With the 4,000 lb. payload and the Nitto tires and SuperSprings my truck is perfectly level with no squat at all. When I remove the Lance camper and have the bed empty it is 1" higher in the rear but when I put on a 200# fiberglass cap the bed is level again. A lot easier than fooling with airbags and the SuperSprings will never fail.
