Caribou 6.5 Dimensions

[denmark219]

All,
I have a Caribou 6.5 that I used with my 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. I just purchased a 2009 Ram 1500 with the Rambox option. I know that the ramboxes will cause issue with the boxes that are above the wheel well on the camper. I plan to modify these so they will work, but my bigger question is, what is the width of the main box at the bottom of the camper? I'm attaching a diagram for anyone out there who can help! If you have a caribou 6.5, post pics of the undercarriage for me. I would do this myself, but the camper is up in Northern Michigan and I'm trying to plan on how to get it home!

Dimensions

[silversand]

...that 2ndary box under the wing by the dinette side is a foot rest in our unit under the dinette table; on the other side (the kitchen-ette) I'll have to look and see...

I think the "T" box area we're talking about is all past the bed, so it wouldn't interfere with the RAM boxes

....cold be on that 6.5; but if I was building a camper, I'd want to build in every square inch of floorspace I could right behind the wheel-wells.

[mkirsch]

Hopefully those "armpit" areas aren't structural box beams or something...

In a basement model, those armpits would be your interior floor.

Come to think of it, my Palomino doesn't have those armpits. The section in the bed is straight vertical up to the wing.

[denmark219]

Aha, I'll try that silversands. Again, thanks for the help.

Mark Christensen

[denmark219]

Camper on my old truck

So here is a pic of the camper on my old truck. I think the "T" box area we're talking about is all past the bed, so it wouldn't interfere with the RAM boxes. I would still need to modify the "armpit" wire chase boxes that usually go over the wheel well. What I'm hoping is that there isn't any aluminum framing in those and I can just disassemble them and transplant whatever plumbing/wires are in them.

[silversand]

Denmark: call Outfitter directly. They are great over the phone, but e-mail can be slow...

[denmark219]

I definitely don't want to mount it on top of the bed. I don't think that's a good idea from a safety standpoint. I think the 6.5 has the rear "T" box, but it sits where the tailgate usually is so it shouldn't cause issue with my ramboxes. It's just those wire chases that sit in the armpits of the camper. Those are what I'm hoping to modify somehow. I'm communicating with Outfitter MFG but they are pretty slow to respond.

[silversand]

....ouch!

As suggested above (by Jim), you may have to raise the camper up possibly 22 inches to the top of the bed rails (if the insert goes up that high?)...

This will raise your center of gravity substantially. How high off the bed does that 50-inch dimension go?

[jimh406]

Wouldn't it just mean you need to raise the camper? I can't say I've seen the inside of a Ram like that.

[denmark219]

It is literally a 50" wide truck bed with straight vertical walls to the top of the bed rails.

[silversand]

....the entire rear wall of the camper would have to be removed, re-framed (no idea how this can be done: glue-laminated and welded aluminum frame), and re-installed. The rear wall is what holds up the entire left and right rear half camper wing sections.

So you want to narrow the entire camper tub profile?

Does a drawing of that Dodge bed insert exist out there somewhere?

[denmark219]

Hmm, that back "T" is what is going to cause me issues I think. I think I can modify the wire/plumbing chase boxes above the wheel well, but the "T" box looks like it would be too much to mess with.

[silversand]

Denmark: will do...

I think I know what you want to do. Think about framing out the tub to a near flat-bed platform.

Stand by...

Under:



Rear side:



Entire side:

[denmark219]

Silversand, thank you very much. My main problem is that I have a Dodge Ram with the RamBox option which basically eliminates the wheel wells in the truck bed. What I'm thinking is that I can modify the tub of the camper to fit into the truck. I just can't remember the exact shape of the tub. If you find it in your heart silversand, could you snap some pictures of your tub?

I really appreciate the help guys!

[silversand]

The tub on the Caribou is a bit more complex than you have drawn. The rear of the camper is nearly as wide as the opening of the full-sized truck bed. I have measured our Caribou 8 (I think the tub is the same shape for full-sized trucks, just 8 feet long, not 6.5 feet: 1500, 2500HD and 3500):

-our camper tub's rear width at the truck bed tailgate is 58 3/4 inches
-our A dimension (tub section between wheel-wells) is 48 3/4 inches
-our B dimension (the tub rise to top of wheel-well) is 13 5/8 inches

*remember: because the tub of the Caribou series campers is a T shape at the rear, the camper tub dimension will differ from behind the rear wheel-wells to the truck's tailgate between various models of short-bed trucks vis-avis various model long bed trucks!

S-