Camper Tie-down Pros/Cons

joerg68 wrote:
The Brophys will probably work just fine for you on paved roads.
As has been said, the camper will overload your truck. This is not neccessarily a problem, but you need to know by how much, and you need to know what you are doing.
Stated weights for trucks and campers are chronically "optimistic", and just adding up numbers from sales brochures or even camper placards will usually not give a reliable total weight. Only a scale knows the truth.
For your own sake, you should have the rig weighed and know the actual axle weights without / with camper. The limiting factor is typically the Rear Axle Weight Rating (RAWR), which is often limited by the carrying capacity of the rear tires. That is one number you should try not to exceed.

How will it handle? Depends on your driving and expectations...

You say you are a carpenter and want to live in the truck. Where are your tools and how much do they weigh? Are you planning to pull a trailer? If so, the tongue weight of the trailer will reduce the available carrying capacity.

Also... when you start making modifications to the camper, you will typically add more weight.

I have a storage unit for now. As I upgrade the parts of my rig (the truck) I'm planning on investing in an 8x14 trailer to pull behind my rig which will hold my tools & also be able to store some materials. Also planning on installing solar arrays on both camper & trailer for off-grid energy production purposes.

My thoughts were when I have a job, I can get to the job. Drop my camper off my truck, go get my tools and stage them at the site, then put the camper back on. Yes I know this is extra steps, but in the short term I'm fine with it as I typically end up on a job site for anywhere between 2 weeks and 4 months before having to move tools again.

The answer seems to continue to be "I need a new truck". With that being said, what are things I should be looking for besides payload & bed-size?

Thank you to everybody who has taken the time to write a response and help me wrap my head around this monumental decision.