5.5 Foot Bed Options/Who's running one?

[ct1500]

After looking around a bit, it seems that the only truck campers that have a bathroom and are compatible with a half-ton "ultra short"/5'5" bed truck are the Lance 650 and the the Northstar Liberty.

Any others? Anyone have that kind of set up and would be so kind as to share their experiences? Thanks!!

[wcjeep]

Is there a reason a 3/4 is not preferred for Offroad use? Better frame, suspension, axles and brakes.


Have you checked Alaskan campers? Would work great on a 3/4 ton truck.

[hedgehopper]

Lance is pitching a 1900-lb-wet camper for a half ton. Loaded it will be in the 2400 to 2900-lb range. Most half tons have a payload around 1500 lbs. How does that strike you?

Since you do not have a truck, why not get something more suitable for carrying a camper? Better yet, pick out the camper you want and then buy a truck that’s capable of carrying it.

[hedgehopper]

You might want to check out some of the many previous discussions on this site about putting a camper on a half ton.

[burningman]

In that case, making sure you get a 6-foot bed will open up a lot of options.
But really, if I was gonna go off-road, I'd feel better about a pop-up trailer with flipped axle plus blocks or springs to get some lift and some big tires. I think that would follow you more places than you'll go with a tall hard-side camper on top. And it'll be a whole lot roomier. I know guys who pull such things behind their wheelers just about anywhere they wanna go. One guy goes such gnarly places with his that he has a rotating hitch setup to allow crazy twist.

[ct1500]

Thanks for the reply. I see your point. I'd like to think I'm smart enough to not trust a dealer, which is why I'm working on doing my due diligence now.

I sold my last truck, so at the moment I don't have a specific payload number. I'd really prefer to stay with in the half-ton segment, so I'm trying to figure out if I can manage to find an appropriately matched hard sided camper. I need the flexibility of being able to go off road, so a trailer is not as well suited to me.

[shellbackcva59]

When the dealer tells you that XXX camper will be fine for your 1/2 ton 5.5 ft bed truck, be sure to have him guarantee a full refund of your purchase price after you hit the scale or determine center of gravity. Did you look to see what the recommended truck camper weight is for your truck? Both of those you posted will go between 2000 and 2500 pounds loaded, plus you need to consider the center of gravity in relationship to the rear axle.

[ct1500]

Edit: I may have found another...looks like the Adventurer 80RB can fit but it will hang over. Assuming it's not overloaded, anyone see any major issues with having an overhang like this?

http://www.amlrv.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2017-80RB-Ext-9.jpg