Asking for advice setting up truck for tc

[Xroofer]

Wife and I just sold our bumper pull toy hauler and are going to try the truck camper experience.

I'm hoping to get some advice on properly setting up my truck so when we decide on a tc we'll be ready. I know some things are going to be dependent on the size and weight of the camper but my truck (2011 GMC 2500HD Duramax) has a surprisingly low payload rating so I'm going to be somewhat limited on camper choices.

I'm planning on installing airbags and tie downs, but I'm getting quite a bit of conflicting advice, particularly about the tie downs.

Any advice about properly setting up my truck will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark

[jaycocreek]

Grit dog wrote:
Nope,I haven’t. And that was my point.
Flyguy is perpetuating that the OP needs a dually before he even starts, because the CAMPER is soooo heavy. It’s not a special camper and that 865 would ride fine on a srw truck with a “normal “ amount of stuff. Flyguy, full timing, if his rig weighs that much it’s because he has everything including the kitchen sink in or on his truck.
Doesn’t mean the average weekend warrior will have a 6000lb load like he does.

If you read the op's post like I am sure you did,he is brand spanking new to truck camping..He has no idea the sway a TC gives in corners/driveways etc that the old dogs here are just used to.I have seen people get a truck camper blind to the effects, that all TC's give only to sell it immediately because of the sway and tippi-ness..Usually it is a no-go right off for the women..

I think this is what Flyguy is referring to in his post...

As an example..Your 860 is a heavy TC and you have done the mods to your TC that make "You" comfy driving it around..Others would not be as comfy as you are with your setup, but they might if it was on a DRW truck because of the added stability the DRW gives.

And,Flyboy is quite aware what a Duramax does to payload,and he has a DRW,not a SRW..So the SRW is going to be really low(payload) with a Duramax for the "New to truck camping" owner that probably wants to stay within the factory specs,which is hard to do sometimes,even with a dually..

As far as a normal amount of stuff..Please explain that to my wife..LOL
We have 28 cupboard/drawers in our non-slide TC and she has found a need for everyone of them..Some are very heavy like the many iron skillets and dutch ovens we seem to need..ha ha..

We shouldn't sugar coat to the new guys that there will be sway with a TC,some are okay with it,others not so much.

[specta]

Grit dog wrote:


Happijack if you're cheap

Do you think there might be any other reasons people choose Happijack over Torklift??

Other than the person being cheap?

[Grit_dog]

jaycocreek wrote:
Hey G-dog..

Have you ever full timed in an RV?..Meaning the RV is your home,not your home away from home..

His Duramax is only starting out with 4900 pounds of payload and that's without people or any TC hardware..Pretty easy to be over 4900 pounds in people and tie downs let alone the stuff that fulltiming requires.

Ex fulltimer here..

Nope,I haven’t. And that was my point.
Flyguy is perpetuating that the OP needs a dually before he even starts, because the CAMPER is soooo heavy. It’s not a special camper and that 865 would ride fine on a srw truck with a “normal “ amount of stuff. Flyguy, full timing, if his rig weighs that much it’s because he has everything including the kitchen sink in or on his truck.
Doesn’t mean the average weekend warrior will have a 6000lb load like he does.

[_1Flyboy]

FYI... We did add a Hellwig Big Wig sway bar & Upper Torklifts; VERY satisfied with handling & ride..The front sway bar on the truck looks beefy enough....

[SS_Sean]

This...

#1Flyboy wrote:
..... We read several articles on several sites and basically AFTER your TC is fully loaded with batteries, propane, alcohol, clothing, food, entertainment stuff, coats, flashlights, cords & hoses, etc, etc, you’re gonna be over GVWR on a SRW Duramax on any Hard Side TC..... We are FULLTIME in the LIGHTEST Arctic Fox TC, an 865, on a 2019 Duramax Dually..... Fully loaded we’re 1400 over GVWR...So you might wanna go to a Dually unless you wind up with a pop up TC..... Talk to some folks driving a Dually and they will tell you that they wished they had gone that route FIRST... Yes you can do it with a SRW truck but you can enjoy the driving a whole lot more with a Dually....We do a lot of Western states mountains with ups & downs reason we got the diesel ( power going up & exhaust brake going down ).....If we lived on the Right Coast probably woudda gone with a gasser as not so mountainous..... Might not be what you wanna hear but it is what it is.....

[jaycocreek]

Hey G-dog..

Have you ever full timed in an RV?..Meaning the RV is your home,not your home away from home..

His Duramax is only starting out with 4900 pounds of payload and that's without people or any TC hardware..Pretty easy to be over 4900 pounds in people and tie downs let alone the stuff that fulltiming requires.

Ex fulltimer here..

[Grit_dog]

#1Flyboy wrote:
Grit Dog.... Can we all agree that the manufacturer LIES on their weights? I think we can.... So when you add the factory REQUIREMENTS & your OPTIONS when you order the TC it becomes REALITY! And we don’t even have a television!!! Also if the poster is interested in an Arctic Fox there’s a FB page one can post their inquiries....Our Duramax rides like a Cadillac fully loaded; skateboard when empty.... Our 2nd Duramax...

I agree that either they lie or the published dry weights are sans any options and gear that isn't tied down. However I'm allowing for that in my statement above and saying the camper is 4klbs before adding any personal effects and it's lighter than that. We've ahd 2 AF 860s which are heavier (not by much) than 865s and it tips the scales at about 4500lbs ready to camp, full of food, drinks, water and weeks worth of clothing etc for 4 people. Fishing gear, cast iron cook ware, lawn chairs, generator, etc.
Based on your statement of 1400 over gvwr on your dually with a 13k gvw, 14400lbs - 8000lb empty truck = 400lbs for people, ish and a whopping 6000lbs for the camper and the contents in it and the truck. That's alot of "stuff" and not the norm for sure.

So either you have teh worlds heaviest AF 865 camper or you have alot of heavy stuff that most people who aren't full timing wouldn't have in their camper. And it doesn't even make sense one could pack that much weight in a little 865. Does the back seat of the truck have 1000lbs of tools and a dirt bike in it?

[ajriding]

Torklift frame mounts are the best and worth the price!

I have Hippajaks for the legs. I am the cheapest and most frugal person here and I sprang for the electric motors and am happy I did.

From here it depends on you and what you intend to do. If you plan to load the camper and leave it on for long periods of time (a class-c basically) then electric jacks are not going to do much.
How often you use it will weigh on how much concern you should have if you are over-weight or not. The biggest issue of the weight (not considering safety since most over-weight rigs are not safety issues) is the extra wear and tear on the tuck. If you drive an hour to the lake twice per year with TC then I wouldnt worry abot anything and would not do any mods, if you plan to make multiple xc trips and thousands of miles then just the opposite…

Airbags can be the best IMO, but depends greatly on how they attach to your particular truck.
Issues arise when the bags are put inside the frame which narrows the side to side support and cause it to tilt more in turns. If you can bag it under the frame or outside of the frame rails then use bags, otherwise use something to stiffen the springs. Bags are great since they are adjustable. The nay sayers do not know that the class 8 trucks run on bags.
You want bags since it will level the truck out again… bags or other means to stifen the springs that is…

As far as shocks and sway bars goes, get the TC, drive it and then decide.

You should run E tires only. 10 ply.

[Xroofer]

I really appreciate all of the replies so far. I'm learning some new stuff!

I'm not getting rid of the truck in favor of a dually. It's a great truck, low mileage, etc so it's a keeper. If, in the end I decide it's not appropriate to put a tc on it, them I'll go back to a trailer.

Question about tie downs. My local camper dealer is really selling the Happijac system pretty hard. It looks like the front tie downs should work fine, but I can't see where there's much strength in attaching the rears to the bumper. My factory hitch has a 2.5" ID square tube running perpendicular across the rear of the truck. Couldn't that be used as a receiver for some square tubing that would extend out past the body to be used for the rear tie downs. Seems like it would be stronger than the bumper. Maybe rear tie downs don't do that much. What do you guys think?

[_1Flyboy]

Grit Dog.... Can we all agree that the manufacturer LIES on their weights? I think we can.... So when you add the factory REQUIREMENTS & your OPTIONS when you order the TC it becomes REALITY! And we don’t even have a television!!! Also if the poster is interested in an Arctic Fox there’s a FB page one can post their inquiries....Our Duramax rides like a Cadillac fully loaded; skateboard when empty.... Our 2nd Duramax...

[Grit_dog]

"We are FULLTIME in the LIGHTEST Arctic Fox TC, an 865, on a 2019 Duramax Dually..... Fully loaded we’re 1400 over GVWR...So you might wanna go to a Dually unless you wind up with a pop up TC....."

Even with the low 13klb gvw, you have to have the truck packed full of lead to be at 14,500lbs with a 865.
The good news is the truck should be 14kgvw and can easily handle the weight, but the fact that you have about 3000lbs of "stuff" in the cab and camper is staggering. But anything is possible.
However, at least the peanut gallery started with the need a dually comment.
Most people leave the lead bags and boxes of rocks at home when they go camping!

And the OP already has a truck. The truck they are asking about. No one will argue that a dually doesn't require less mods for the same load as a srw and that a dually is more stable. However that doesn't make a single wheel truck incapable or unsafe. Unless you read several articles about that too...

[_1Flyboy]

..... We read several articles on several sites and basically AFTER your TC is fully loaded with batteries, propane, alcohol, clothing, food, entertainment stuff, coats, flashlights, cords & hoses, etc, etc, you’re gonna be over GVWR on a SRW Duramax on any Hard Side TC..... We are FULLTIME in the LIGHTEST Arctic Fox TC, an 865, on a 2019 Duramax Dually..... Fully loaded we’re 1400 over GVWR...So you might wanna go to a Dually unless you wind up with a pop up TC..... Talk to some folks driving a Dually and they will tell you that they wished they had gone that route FIRST... Yes you can do it with a SRW truck but you can enjoy the driving a whole lot more with a Dually....We do a lot of Western states mountains with ups & downs reason we got the diesel ( power going up & exhaust brake going down ).....If we lived on the Right Coast probably woudda gone with a gasser as not so mountainous..... Might not be what you wanna hear but it is what it is.....

[Grit_dog]

Aaaand here we go.
OP, I would suggest reading this very forum for truck campers. I bet you only have to go back a few weeks to see this same thing discussed several times.

Weight of the camper has alot to do with what you need and how heavy a camper you can haul is entirely dependent on what mods you do to the truck and how much you believe the debate you'll read about or see on this thread by morning regarding the "capacity of a 3/4 ton truck."

True story though, I and MANY others haul about the heaviest campers you can put on short bed trucks (even if yours is a long bed) at 4000lbs + safely and for many miles and years.

Good luck!

Tie downs? 2 real options. Happijack if you're cheap and torklift if you want nice tie downs.

[jaycocreek]

I have had several truck campers on a 3/4 ton truck,from 8ft to 10ft..The "Only" mod I ever did with any of them,was ad springs whether Helwig(My favorite) or coil on top of leaf springs..

My personal opinion is you would be happier with something like the Helwig spring pack than just air bags, which can actually ad sway.Springs kinda solve most problems with a TC..

1976 Ford F-250(7200 GRWR) with Helwigs spring pack adjusted for the TC with 8.6 ft Lance..This was a great ride..