1875# wet wt camper on dodge ram 1500?

[ruthiebaby88]

Ok I found a little lance camper and I wanted to get a 3/4 ton truck for it, but the owner of the camper would like to sell his trick with it for 5000$. It only has 77k miles on it and it is a 1998.
He says it handles fine, the pickup does not have payload or cargo weight rating stickers. I'm guessing the payload to be around 1500 but would have to ask him to drive it to a scale to check for sure.
Its so tempting to get this truck cause it already has mounting points attached and the other pickups I'm finding are closer to 15000. Tires are rated to 3000#, GVWR is 6400#
What would you do? I wanna make sure the combo I get has safe handling for driving all over the USA at fast speeds - good stopping etc.

[ruthiebaby88]

TwoDownZero - sticker inside? I have been looking at the one posted outside near the back door and the wet weight it states is a little heavier than the weight listed in the brochure.

Did they change the design in 2003? Where is this inside sticker?

[ruthiebaby88]

Thanks peeps - I needed to hear that. It would be just so easy and cheap to buy it as a package, but I sense I will be happier in the long run with a 3/4 ton.

Farmerjon - the previous camper I was looking at weighed about 800# more - I was excited to find this one since it opens up so many more options in pickups in my price range. I have noticed so much variability in payload rating in pickups it's crazy. Some 1 tons have a lower payload rating than 3/4 tons - so I guess I wondered if it was possible to find a 1/2 ton with an unusually high payload rating? I desire a 2800# payload for this camper. Too bad it's so difficult to figure out what the payload rating is! I have yet to find a truck with a payload rating sticker - though I have found a few with the cargo weight rating in the glove box. I wonder if there is any chance if I ask for permission to take this to a scale that it could have a really high payload rating for a 1/2 ton?

Although the sticker is worn, the 1879# wet weight makes sense when I read the 2002 Lance brochure (love Lance for having all of their old brochures online!). The brochure states 1667# dry weight, 18g FW tank, 1x20# LPG tank, battery x1. The manufacture date is 1/28/2002.

Brochure states that you can buy skirts to use this on a short bed pickup - has anyone tried that and how did it affect center of gravity and weight?

[ScottG]

tonymull wrote:

ScottG wrote:
If you go for it then at least install some real truck (LT) tires on it.

Absolutely....that will cost you $1000+ and another $600 for airbags...and you still be slowly killing that 1/2 ton.

Yep, I totally agree.

[tonymull]

ScottG wrote:
If you go for it then at least install some real truck (LT) tires on it.

Absolutely....that will cost you $1000+ and another $600 for airbags...and you still be slowly killing that 1/2 ton.

[twodownzero]

My 2003 Lance 815 weighs 3,000 pounds all loaded up for a 5 day trip, without the dogs! It overloads my 1 ton SRW......surely you must be kidding about putting it on a 1/2 ton with a semi-floating rear axle.........

Sticker inside says it weighs about 2400 pounds wet, not 1875.

[ScottG]

If you go for it then at least install some real truck (LT) tires on it.

[jefe_4x4]

The Lance 815 was touted to be able to be loaded on a 1 series truck. My Lance 165-s is 1742, wet per spec sheet. I bought it from a guy that had it on his 1 series Dodge p.u. and he had air bags and upgraded tires. He said it handled O.K. I loaded my new purchase on a 2 series Dodge truck with lots of suspension upgrades and it works fine, and has never felt unsafe.
The truth is, it can be done. Many, and some on here, have made the smallest hardside on a 1 series work, usually as the first step in TC nirvana. The ultimate truth is, you are closer to the Overload Abyss, and have little margin of safety, and extra carrying ability. As Clint Eastwood said, "Are you feeling lucky?"
jefe

[tonymull]

I carried a dry wt 1750 camper on a 2008 Tundra, which did have a 1500lb payload. I put on air bags and upgraded to e class tires. Tundras are a bit overbuilt compared to other 1/2 tons but I realized soon that this was a short term deal. When those tires were at 80lbs and the air bags @ 60 everything went well but I could tell that the suspension was loaded. Take the tires down to 60 and it was not a good ride at all. I would venture that that truck has closer to a 1200lb payload being older. Not what you want no matter how good a deal it looks at first you will be unhappy after a trip or two. If you are driving through passes it won't even take that long. Do yourself a favor and look for a one ton, the price difference is not much. You will be glad you did.

[Farmerjon]

ruthiebaby888 wrote:
safe handling for driving all over the USA at fast speeds - good stopping etc.

No that wouldn't be a safe idea. Yes it obviously has been done by the current owner, but do you know how fast he drives.? But that really doesn't matter we all can be lucky and buck the odds for awhile. A 3/4 ton is a much better idea.
I thought you were kicking around the idea of 1 tons and DRW for this camper. And now you are ready to roll with an older 1/2 ton?

[Dakota98]

SugarHillCTD wrote:
Then it looks like 2500+ lbs. On a 1/2 ton????

Yep !

And since the Ram is a club cab, don't ask.

Add 4 people, dogs & whatever else ?

[SugarHillCTD]

Then it looks like 2500+ lbs. On a 1/2 ton????

[Dakota98]

SugarHillCTD wrote:
That wet weight- who says it weighs 1875?

While getting to a scale is a good idea, driving with it on a half ton wouldn't be.

Remember that you will be adding to that weight which will easily have you over 2000# even if the 1875 figure is accurate.

Hold that thought for a few minutes- the "weight police" will be arriving at this thread very quickly. :R I can hear the sirens now......

First of all, 1875# not the wet weight. It's a 2003 Lance 815. Don't ask me how I know that.

As far as I know, 1878# is the dry weight & that depends on options.

[SugarHillCTD]

That wet weight- who says it weighs 1875?

While getting to a scale is a good idea, driving with it on a half ton wouldn't be.

Remember that you will be adding to that weight which will easily have you over 2000# even if the 1875 figure is accurate.

Hold that thought for a few minutes- the "weight police" will be arriving at this thread very quickly. :R I can hear the sirens now......

[ScottG]

I had a camper about that heavy on my old Chev 3/4T and that was pushing it - way too heavy for a 1/2T IMO.

[Dakota98]

A Payload information sticker never was on any 1998 Ram 1500, only GVWR.