Hi Everyone,Long-time lurker, first time poster.I'm just about to pull the trigger on a new truck and camper and wanted to run my specific combo by the community as a sanity check before committing to such a large purchase. The camper is a new Lance 1172 with most options and I'm looking to put it onto a new Ford regular cab dually with diesel engine. If I can't afford the weight of the diesel, which I do prefer as an engine, then I'll go with the gasser which will do the job just fine as well. The cargo capacity door jam sticker on the truck that I'm looking at is 6390 lbs. and I've estimated my total payload to be 6280 lbs. leaving only ~110 lbs. of buffer. Now I know that these trucks can handle weight above the specified limits, but I'm one of those guys that doesn't want to be even one pound over these limits - not passing judgement on anyone who sees it otherwise.To me, this is a decision of whether or not I can afford the weight of the diesel. A big consideration is that I will be launching a boat in the shoulder season where the ramps can get quite slippery. The weight of the diesel would ensure great traction on the front tires when pulling the boat out. Therefore, even if I end up going with the gasser, I am considering sticking with the regular cab in order to shift as much as weight as possible towards the front tires - does that make sense or will the regular cab vs supercab result in very little difference of weight on the front tires?I'm looking for feedback from the community on this combo and how I am planning on using it. Additionally, and maybe I'm just being paranoid here, but if end up with the diesel, is there any chance that I might end up with too much weight on the front axle?Base Camper (dry) = 3923Options = 400Water (60 gallon) = 500LPG = 60Extra Drinking Water = 40Torklift Talon Tie-down (front) = 30Torklift Talon Tie-down (rear) = 18Torklift Locking Guns = 5Torklift SuperHitch Magnum = 105Torklift SuperTruss 48" = 83Torklift Ball & Mount = 10Torklift Wire Harness = 2Torklift Stable Loads = 9Timbrens = 6Rubber Mat = 48Rock Tamers = 35Boat Tongue Weight = 475Clothes + Personal Effects = 100Kitchenware = 100Food = 80Driver Extra = 50Passenger = 200-----------------------------------------------------Total Payload = 6279Truck Payload Capacity = 6390Excess Truck Payload Capacity = 111Thanks I look forward to the feedback!mike

You'll be fine. Nice rig you will have there...enjoy.In fact, you will have better capacity than most...Bill

my first pickup was a regular cab. the next three weren't. hated it.bumpy

1. If you are launching and retrieving the boat with the camper on the truck, it will not matter if you have the gas or diesel engine weight difference for traction. The weight saved with a gasser will add to payload capacity.2. If you plan to travel west into higher elevations, you will be much happier with the forced induction of the diesel. Otherwise, you will be fine with a gasser and high ratio axles.3. I don't think you will find large redistribution of weight between the standard cab and the extended one. The extended cab will weigh more and take away from payload.4. Only you know if your extra you are packing will actually total up to that weight. If you take your boat often, the heavy items can be stowed there to free up your truck GVW.

The gas engine mated to the 6 speed transmission will have plenty of power at even the highest altitudes. We have had no difficulties driving at what ever speed we want in the Beartooth Mountains and many other high altitude locations. Keep in mind the gas engine is rated to pull a 15,000 pound trailer so unless you are also pulling a really heavy boat the power train will have a large reserve. Just be aware it's an overhead cam engine and let it spin.Diesel is a great engine if you want it but as you noted you do lose a lot of payload and will weigh more with all of the implications (longer stopping distance, emergency handling etc.). There not the old breed diesels which could run any fuel etc. With all the pollution equipment they are now very complicated. The power and torque are impressive though.I would think hard on the regular cab. You gain a fair amount of usability just going to the super cab.

Lol, you forgot beer and toilet paper on your list. And better not have a fat fishin buddy. Only allowed 200 lb there.....Since you don't really want advice, the only real question you asked was about a slippery boat ramp and front axle weight. The truck, camper, front axle, boat and ramp won't care or know the difference whether you have a diesel or gasser under the hood. If the ramp is iced up, everything will end up in the water. If it's not, it will be fine.

Advice & Feedback on Truck/Camper Combo Before Purchase

Steve_in_29
Explorer
Sep 25, 2016
Reddog1 wrote:
During my life time, I have known several people who had accidents and were cited for for being at fault and drunk driving. Their insurance companies covered them. Kinda difficult to be more negligent than that. While I understand the CHP may have deemed him grossly overloaded, and cited him and he was criminally charged, I really doubt that gave the insurance the ability to not cover him. Cancel his insurance or not renew, but not refuse to cover the accident.I think there is more to the story.

If you have a link, I would appreciate it. I too am not a member of the weight police and have run well over my sticker rating for years. My present truck (same TC) runs well under its sticker rating. That is not why I bought it, but it is what it is.

Wayne

I personally know a Marine that had her insurance company deny coverage on her brand new vehicle (I think they still paid medical and other damages though). She drove her and friend to the bar in her new vehicle and was supposed to be the DD for her friend. Then later in the night, after friend was already drunk, she changed her mind when she met a guy she wanted to go home with. So she gave her drunk friend the keys and told her to drive her car home.

Drunk friend ended up rear ending a stopped tractor trailer on the 60 mile trip back to Base, totaling the car and suffering brain damage.

They didn't pay her a dime for giving her keys to a drunk and she hadn't even made her first car payment yet.
Vinsil
Explorer
Sep 24, 2016
I'll see if I can find it. Insurance did deny him he lost everything. But....it is an Internet forum too. Lol
Reddog1
Explorer II
Sep 24, 2016
During my life time, I have known several people who had accidents and were cited for for being at fault and drunk driving. Their insurance companies covered them. Kinda difficult to be more negligent than that. While I understand the CHP may have deemed him grossly overloaded, and cited him and he was criminally charged, I really doubt that gave the insurance the ability to not cover him. Cancel his insurance or not renew, but not refuse to cover the accident.I think there is more to the story.

If you have a link, I would appreciate it. I too am not a member of the weight police and have run well over my sticker rating for years. My present truck (same TC) runs well under its sticker rating. That is not why I bought it, but it is what it is.

Wayne
Vinsil
Explorer
Sep 24, 2016
Reddog1 wrote:
Vinsil wrote:
... From what I e learned if you cause an accident and deemed at fault and given a ticket for being over weight as the source of that accident, yes insurance can deny the claim. I have asked this question and have only seen this done in extreme cases, i.e. The Toyota pickup hauling three tons of rock and had a tire blow out killing people. ...
I do not believe this. More often than not, one person is responsible for an accident, driving under the influence, speeding, running a red light, and more. Based on your post, the insurance company can deny the claim. I have never had anyone tell me from first hand experience this is true.

Wayne

Wayne, there is a thread on dune runners I believe where it did happen to a guy with an overloaded F250 pulling a 40' or toyhauler (lifted on 37's of course) that crashed into and killed a family. CHP deemed him grossly overloaded, cited him and he was criminally charged. Extreme case sure. The troopers and officers I have posed the question to state it is rare and more common with commercial haulers but they do consider this in investigations. It is usually a series of events that lead to accidents which is why it might not be pointed to as the sole cause.

Having said that I'm not the weight police and I run well over my sticker rating. I feel my truck has been outfitted for the tasks and God forbid the worst happen, I don't think my few thousand pounds is going to make or break things IMHO, now if I was pulling 30k down the road and couldn't stop it......I think insurance might look at that a little harder...but might also be the least of my concerns too.

But like you I've never had any first hand experience and don't think it ever happens much.
Bedlam
Moderator
Sep 24, 2016
The slide on rating is less because they assume all of he seats in the cab are occupied by 150 lbs. This is taken off your available payload to give you the slide in weight rating.
GeoBoy
Explorer
Sep 24, 2016
Steve_in_29 wrote:
GeoBoy wrote:
The truck should have a payload capacity and slide-in camper capacity rating. The slide-in camper capacity will be lower due to the higher center of gravity of the slide-in camper.

The payload capacity is the same whether it's for a TC or a pallet of bricks.

That might be true if the pallet of bricks were 12' high.:B
Steve_in_29
Explorer
Sep 24, 2016
GeoBoy wrote:
The truck should have a payload capacity and slide-in camper capacity rating. The slide-in camper capacity will be lower due to the higher center of gravity of the slide-in camper.

The payload capacity is the same whether it's for a TC or a pallet of bricks.
Reddog1
Explorer II
Sep 24, 2016
Vinsil wrote:
... From what I e learned if you cause an accident and deemed at fault and given a ticket for being over weight as the source of that accident, yes insurance can deny the claim. I have asked this question and have only seen this done in extreme cases, i.e. The Toyota pickup hauling three tons of rock and had a tire blow out killing people. ...
I do not believe this. More often than not, one person is responsible for an accident, driving under the influence, speeding, running a red light, and more. Based on your post, the insurance company can deny the claim. I have never had anyone tell me from first hand experience this is true.

Wayne
GeoBoy
Explorer
Sep 24, 2016
rogerwaters wrote:
Hi Everyone,

Long-time lurker, first time poster.

I'm just about to pull the trigger on a new truck and camper and wanted to run my specific combo by the community as a sanity check before committing to such a large purchase.

The camper is a new Lance 1172 with most options and I'm looking to put it onto a new Ford regular cab dually with diesel engine. If I can't afford the weight of the diesel, which I do prefer as an engine, then I'll go with the gasser which will do the job just fine as well.

The cargo capacity door jam sticker on the truck that I'm looking at is 6390 lbs. and I've estimated my total payload to be 6280 lbs. leaving only ~110 lbs. of buffer. Now I know that these trucks can handle weight above the specified limits, but I'm one of those guys that doesn't want to be even one pound over these limits - not passing judgement on anyone who sees it otherwise.

To me, this is a decision of whether or not I can afford the weight of the diesel. A big consideration is that I will be launching a boat in the shoulder season where the ramps can get quite slippery. The weight of the diesel would ensure great traction on the front tires when pulling the boat out. Therefore, even if I end up going with the gasser, I am considering sticking with the regular cab in order to shift as much as weight as possible towards the front tires - does that make sense or will the regular cab vs supercab result in very little difference of weight on the front tires?

I'm looking for feedback from the community on this combo and how I am planning on using it. Additionally, and maybe I'm just being paranoid here, but if end up with the diesel, is there any chance that I might end up with too much weight on the front axle?

Base Camper (dry) = 3923
Options = 400
Water (60 gallon) = 500
LPG = 60
Extra Drinking Water = 40
Torklift Talon Tie-down (front) = 30
Torklift Talon Tie-down (rear) = 18
Torklift Locking Guns = 5
Torklift SuperHitch Magnum = 105
Torklift SuperTruss 48" = 83
Torklift Ball & Mount = 10
Torklift Wire Harness = 2
Torklift Stable Loads = 9
Timbrens = 6
Rubber Mat = 48
Rock Tamers = 35
Boat Tongue Weight = 475
Clothes + Personal Effects = 100
Kitchenware = 100
Food = 80
Driver Extra = 50
Passenger = 200
-----------------------------------------------------
Total Payload = 6279
Truck Payload Capacity = 6390
Excess Truck Payload Capacity = 111

Thanks I look forward to the feedback!

mike

The truck should have a payload capacity and slide-in camper capacity rating. The slide-in camper capacity will be lower due to the higher center of gravity of the slide-in camper.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Sep 23, 2016
rogerwaters wrote:
Grit dog wrote:

By the numbers, by the numbers period!

Maybe it's different up here in Canada with insurance rules. I've read my insurance agreement in full detail and have read the same for a handful of other insurers available in my area and those policies all say the same thing very clearly... is it different in other areas of the world?

Back to my original point then, if absolute compliance with the gvw limit is required for you. Either personally or as a regulatory requirement then your only real question is how does each truck handle a slippery boat ramp.
If it is really that critical then figure out how to shed some more weight. Smaller camper, bigger truck, aluminum flatbed, load a bunch of stuff in the boat, etc.

Or just put some F550 badges on the side!