Last summer wife and I chose a Wolf Creek as our retirement TC. We will be laying out a deposit for the unit in next few weeks. We like it because we have a boat and the Fox Landing deals with negotiating the stairs and towing the best of all makes. Considered a side entry camper but entrance was too high off ground when on truck, even with some kind of hand rails we deemed it unsafe for us. For convenience want the built in gen which makes it a short bed model. So I've been researching trucks for months and had pretty much settled on a 3500 Dodge 4x4 but today my WC dealer tells me his WC rep said the WC's are not designed for the Dodge's because the 6'4" bed length does not match up with the campers COG. How much difference can 2" in bed length mean? Tell me about your rig if you have an 840 0r 850 short box WC.

I do not have the specific make/ model as you, but I have looked very closly at all of my specs, weights, etc... I won't bore you with it since it is too different from your desired set-up, but...Anytime COG is behind the rear wheel (regardless of how far) it WILL lift SOME weight from the front tires. If you add to this rearwared COG a boat trailer without some sort of WD hitch, the lift at the front will increase more... it is just physics.I read it as you do not have either truck nor camper... Too bad there is not a way to "test drive" the truck and camper to the scales.If WC says it is not designed for a Dodge, it is worth listening to them- JMHO.

Here's what I'd do: get the COG measurements from the camper, then find out where that measurement is on the truck bed of the style truck you are looking at.

The center of gravity (COG) decal on my 850SB is directly over the rear axle on my 2012 GMC Sierra. You'll need to know the distance from the front of your box to the center of your rear axle and see how that compares with the COG decal on the Wolf Creek campers.

Ram camper applicationsThe link shows that Dodge recommends the COG for a TC lie somewhere in a range both sides of the rear axle, basically the area above the entire wheel well. They like to measure it from the rear also!Same document from Ford, sorry no link, shows they recommend the COG to be in a range directly above the rear axle and running forward. Not sure what Chevy's stance is. Will visit dealer this week to find out.I have measured the 850WC and the COG arrow is 32" from the rubber bumpers on front of camper measured to the rear. That would put it 42" from the rear of the 6'4" bed. Again the above link shows a COG range going from 25" to 75" from the rear end of the truck bed in a crew cab model. So at 42" from rear I'd say the COG arrow is gonna be about 8" behind the rear axle but still well within the range! I don't want a camper that unloads the front axle. Choosing the right truck is turning out to be harder than choosing the right TC!I do need to measure some trucks too!

The Ram SB will probably work fine for that camper but if you haven't bought the truck yet I would Seriously consider a longbed.As you mentioned, the Ram bed is only 6'4 and it has a pretty good curve in the front of the bed that pushes the camper back even further.I loved my 15 Ram but sold it and just picked up my 16 LB today. I'm going to a 5th wheel TH and didn't want to worry about a slider hitch. I'm sure I'll get another TC someday and a LB allows many more options.The LB rides better and really isn't any harder to maneuver. Just 22" more tail.It also gives you 600 lb more payload.With a SRW you could probably go with a 9-10' camper with a slide and have much more room. Look at the Arctic Fox 990 or maybe a Lance 950S.

Wolf Creek 840 or 850 shortbed model on a truck

MORSNOW
Navigator II
Feb 02, 2016
The RV dealer better give you back your deposit. Ask them to weigh the 840 camper in front of you to prove the actual weight, you will see how close we are and how far off the dealer is. My truck (2500 GMC with a 6.o gas engine) and Wolf Creek 850 weighed 10,404 loaded, that puts the camper near 3,000lbs.
footlooselove2t
Explorer
Feb 01, 2016
Thank you! Now I just need to present all of this to my husband. Since we were clearly given misinformation I am very glad and thank you all for your input! FYI, even w our F150 w the towing package, eco boost engine, our in the bed wt capacity is just less than 1500 lbs for our short bed. I will keep this up to date. I have made several calls this am to those who should know and will put up the final results and if we are able to get out of our deposit, etc....
Reddog1
Explorer II
Feb 01, 2016
footlooselove2travel, I think you are now headed in the correct direction.

Wayne
footlooselove2t
Explorer
Feb 01, 2016
Thank you everyone!!! You are all right and I really appreciate your input! We are either going to get the right truck or cancel the purchase thanks to your recommendations!
Reddog1
Explorer II
Feb 01, 2016
It appears you are ignoring the actual numbers that are being provided to you by people that have been there and done that. They are not trying to sell you anything. You must be working with an exceptional salesman and/or want the TC bad enough to dismiss real data.

footlooselove2travel wrote:
Thank you Tom! I do not have the extras you have listed and our truck handled just great w the Pastime 840LT fully loaded and that is a very similar camper size and weight. We are not getting any of the accessories you listed especially the ac, microwave or generator, opting for the solar panels. ...
To say "very similar camper size and weight", is really not very tangible. Most campers are visually similar in size, and without weighing the campers it is not possible to know if they are of similar weight.

footlooselove2travel wrote:
Our F150 is a 4x4 ...
Due to the weight of the 4x4 components, the 4x4 takes away from your load capacity, not increase it.

footlooselove2travel wrote:
... We also have the towing package and I also forgot to mention that.
The key word here is "towing package". Typically this consist in a trailer light connection and hitch. Neither of these things are relative to carrying a slide in camper.

footlooselove2travel wrote:
... Upgrading to the Michelin Defender tires w the superduty load capacity ...
What does "superduty load capacity mean?" Every tire has a stated load capacity as required by law. The verbiage has little meaning, kind of like "the best in it's class."

footlooselove2travel wrote:
... and the Ride RIte air bags ...
The air bags will help raise your bumper off of the ground, but will not remove weight from your rear axle. I think airbags are a good thing on most trucks.

footlooselove2travel wrote:
... all are things that the dealers all tell us make this camper perfect for us.
I do not know if the dealer is ignorant or just dishonest and trying to sell you the camper.

I am very comfortable in saying you should carefully review what members have posted. Do you really think they have something to gain by being untruthful? Ask the same question of the sales person.

I really think you will not be a happy camper with this setup. Not just a little unhappy, a lot unhappy. I encourage you to base your purchase on facts and reality, not emotion.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Feb 01, 2016
To the footloose guy, coming from someone who is NOT one of the weight/axle rating cops on here and having greater than avg understanding and use of light duty trucks in a lot of applications, even your "HD" F150 with the payload package is way too light of axle rating for a camper that big.
Go weigh it. You probably have 2500lb at least on the rear sitting empty. Add the entire weight of the camper at around 3500lb and your over by a decent margin on axle capacity.
Will it work for a while with all the bandaids? Probably but do you even have the payload package???
You appear to by stating the 3k payload cap but then talk about upgrading tires. The payload package comes with a 9.75" 7 lug sterling semi floating axle. Idk what the actual weight rating is but being a semi floater I doubt it's much over 5klbs, real world axle rating, not the dumbed down 6k ratings of most 2500s which have full floating axles that are really more like 8-9klb axles.

You need to get more accurate information on your whole setup and the camper dealer is NOT the place to ask. They sell campers and could care less if you haul it out of there on a ford ranger as long as they get their $.
lonegunman
Explorer
Feb 01, 2016
footlooselove2travel wrote:
Thank you! You have or did have a newer FORD F150? Our F150 is a 2014. This is very important to me as I have been told by many, many that the Ford has the right capabilities? Also, I don't understand how you got to 3500 pounds if you load light? Do you mean 2500 lbs which is certainly more in line w the correct numbers with the add ons of the mandatory Wolf Pack and the fluids/tanks/batteries, etc.

My Arctic Fox, fully loaded, came in 1000 lbs heavier than anything predicted by weighing the options or listed on the sticker. It lists a wet weight with 40 gallons of water and 60lbs of propane. I verified everything with the CAT scales at the local truck stop. I added air bags and upgraded tires, wheels and shocks to make it roadworthy.

As far as I can tell, every one of the factory weight estimates is based on 2 pound per gallon of water and 1 pound per gallon propane with no food, clothes, equipment or grey water in the camper. Truckcamper magazine gets pretty close in their estimates.
Wardster
Explorer
Feb 01, 2016
footlooselove2travel wrote:
Yes and that is why we have some concerns. If you look at the manufacture brochure for this camper it is clearly sitting on top of an F150 short bed.

That same brochure states "A dual rear wheel truck is advisable for Wolf Creek campers." Definitely misleading showing the unit on an F-150, but you've received real numbers from folks that actually own the unit and know the real weight of the unit in it's 'ready to camp' state.
Vinsil
Explorer
Feb 01, 2016
footlooselove2travel wrote:
Thank you! You have or did have a newer FORD F150? Our F150 is a 2014. This is very important to me as I have been told by many, many that the Ford has the right capabilities? Also, I don't understand how you got to 3500 pounds if you load light? Do you mean 2500 lbs which is certainly more in line w the correct numbers with the add ons of the mandatory Wolf Pack and the fluids/tanks/batteries, etc.

No, don't own half ton trucks.

It weighs 3500. I know you want to believe the dealer but they want to just want to sell you a camper. You have been told by 3 guys on here that own the campers they weigh well over 3k ready to camp. It's your choice.
footlooselove2t
Explorer
Feb 01, 2016
Thank you Tom! I do not have the extras you have listed and our truck handled just great w the Pastime 840LT fully loaded and that is a very similar camper size and weight. We are not getting any of the accessories you listed especially the ac, microwave or generator, opting for the solar panels. Our F150 is a 4x4 as well.We also have the towing package and I also forgot to mention that. Upgrading to the Michelin Defender tires w the superduty load capacity and the Ride RIte air bags all are things that the dealers all tell us make this camper perfect for us.