Heavy Truck Campers

[brholt]

With all the discussion about heavy truck campers and weights I thought the Truck Camper Magazine review of the Adventurer 116DS was timely:

Adventurer 116DS Review

The relevant comment is:

"According to Adventurer’s inside weight sticker, the 2014 Adventurer 116DS under review was 4,624 pounds. Let’s put that weight into Truck Camper Magazine’s wet weight equation and see where we end up.

Adventurer 116DS: dry weight (with options) 4,624 + 38 gallons fresh, 316.9 pounds + 6 gallon full hot water heater, 50 pounds + 2x 20-pound full propane tanks, 40 pounds + 2x batteries, 130 pounds + stuff, 500 pounds = 5,660.0 pounds.

In reality, 500 pounds is probably a little low for stuff weight on a camper this big. To be more realistic, I would add another 250 pounds for stuff putting the total at 5,910 pounds. While nearly 6,000 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, you can easily find long bed dually trucks with more than 6,000 pounds of payload; if you spec them right"

While normally I like his reviews and honesty about weights this was going a bit to far. Finding a 350/3500 with 6,000 pounds of payload for just the camper, not even considering the passengers and the stuff in the truck, is going to be far from "easy".

When I bought my truck I looked at the payload capacity of lots of trucks at dealers. It was very rare to find 6,000 lbs or the 6,500 pounds you probably need for this one. Forget diesels and the sunroof.

In Ford my 14,000 GVWR F350 gas in Lariat trim (which I had to special order because we couldn't find anything) had a door sticker of 6,230 pounds. Maybe I could carry this camper but it would be a push as just the three of us easily use up all the spare capacity. (No jokes about how much we weigh :)) To be safe you probably need to drop down to a XL or at least XLT if you want to be under GVWR. Maybe not a CC either.

These campers are really F550 (or F450's with 19.5 wheels) and equivalent territory and people need to be upfront about it.

I predict though we will be hearing from someone about how to make it ride better on their SRW one ton that the dealer told them could carry it. 🙂

[sky_free]

Bedlam wrote:
Price out some motor homes that are 4wd with a 10,000 lb tow capacity and then see how economical a truck/camper combination looks. You have compare similar capabilities if you're looking at price.

+1. 4X4 plus an isolated "box" that doesn't have a lot of glass area to lose heat for winter use is the reason we went with a heavy TC instead of a C. You should be able to put together a really decent TC rig for a lot less than a comparable 4X4 C.

[sleepy]

I don't believe that I haveever seen a transmission shop that doesn't have a class A or a class C MH parked along side it... some times the owners don't return for them.... they rent a automobile or fly home... find out how much the repair will cost and just say to heck with it...

I always figured that if my truck broke down and the cost was outrageous I'd just trade the dealer for a new truck... load my TC and continue the trip.

Truck campers are truly the best RV concept ever devised... nothing compares...

A truck camper can do any of the things that a class A, B, or C or the various house trailers can do... better still... a TC can do a lot of fantastic things that no other types of RV's can do.

I can't imagine anyone that can afford a a really good truck and a TC settling for any other type of RV's.

I think that owners of other types of RV's understand what they are missing... they seem to lurk on the truck camper forum most of the time.

Before long someone will be arguing that a Condo package is better than a truck camper... Ugg!


I'll never have a flagpole to run my opinion about truck campers up... having a flag pole means staying in one place which I won't do... but worse... flag poles amd tree limbs cast shadows on PVsolar panels... and TC folks know that ain't good.

Sleepy

Just think, nearly 3/4 of a century and still going strong... who'd a thunk it? It'll be here for you before you know it.

[bka0721]

wintersun wrote:
The camper mentioned is an ultra heavy camper and at this point one has to question the wisdom of buying such a camper and a heavy duty DRW truck to haul it around and pay double the cost of a Class C motorhome that will have more usable space.

Finally someone has accurate information, as I have learned that I have been doing it all wrong, all these years. Geez. I could'a had a Class C.

As has been written often, in this forum, how important it is to match a truck to a camper.

I once brought attention to a photo, by a Truck Camper Dealership, of a Heavy Lance 1172 camper on a Ford F250 SRW (He has since gone out of Business) and received horrific blowback. I soon discovered one should be a mind reader and know that the Dealer really was just using the F250 as a yard Jockey and sometimes make deliveries out of state. "I have done it many times and never had a problem," was his answer. While there was nothing saying that this truck was being recommended, it should be the responsibility of a Manufacturer or Dealer, not to provide representation that is possibly not safe or acceptable, for that particular camper.

b

[ZRX-Steve]

RoyJ wrote:


You're absolutely correct. Can't even count how many times I try to educate people it's the axle (or tires, whichever lower) rating that matters.

Tires, I forgot tires. They said that too. As long as you're within specs on axles and tires and personal comfort level, you're probably ok. Thanks for the great post! You articulate it much better than I.

/s

[RoyJ]

ZRX-Steve wrote:
I started a thread on the Lance Owners site and got the reply that the manufacturer's frequently understate GVWR in order to stay below federal and state regulations for Heavy / Commercial Vehicles. They said if I'm below on my axle ratings and comfortable / feel safe with the handling I'd be ok.

You're absolutely correct. Can't even count how many times I try to educate people it's the axle (or tires, whichever lower) rating that matters.

In just about all commercial vehicles, GVW = front GAWR + rear GAWR. And that is what the DOT looks at. The artificially lower GVWR imposed by OEMs, are due to both power-train warranty issues, and like you mentioned, commercial weight licensing laws.

Just every component on a truck, the axle shafts, diff, brakes, and suspension, is designed around an axle weight spec. Therefore, as long as you don't exceed the axle capacity, you don't exceed the acceleration/braking/weight carrying capacities.

[ZRX-Steve]

I have a 2000 F350 and a 2014 Lance 1191. I weighed it with and without the camper on DOT scales at a Love's station and I'm about 1300 lb's over my GVWR fully loaded with passengers. On the other hand, I'm under on my axle ratings by a few hundred pounds. I started a thread on the Lance Owners site and got the reply that the manufacturer's frequently understate GVWR in order to stay below federal and state regulations for Heavy / Commercial Vehicles. They said if I'm below on my axle ratings and comfortable / feel safe with the handling I'd be ok. The truck handles it great. My previous camper (same truck) was a 2004 Lance 1161 which was all wood frame and even heavier and it did great as well.

What are they trying to avoid by underestimating the ratings? Commercial Vehicle Registration Act of 2001 (F450). Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (F450). I live in Arizona and they have a tax that the F450 falls under as well.

This also explains a mystery to me about the new trucks having increased their towing to 30K lbs+, 400/800 HP/TQ, but have only increased payload & GVWR by a small fraction. Hmmm.

To your point on the Adventurer, it would be in the weight league of my camper and I wouldn't hesitate putting it on my 2000 F350 DRW.

[Mike3]

For what it's worth, I recently ordered an Adventurer 116DS as my first TC. Coming from a big Fiver I really liked the floor plan's space and the twin recliners. The company's reputation and already having a F450 for my fiver made the decision easier.

I'm excited about it. Seems to me a TC is like Fivers, MHs, cars, trucks and even lawn mowers, none do everything perfectly, you have to decide what's most important for you.

I'm sure I'll learn things I wish were different as I did with my previous RVs but hopefully I'll have fun doing it.

[Bedlam]

Price out some motor homes that are 4wd with a 10,000 lb tow capacity and then see how economical a truck/camper combination looks. You have compare similar capabilities if you're looking at price.

[jimh406]

wintersun, what misinformation are you writing about?

Also, as has been noted on other threads, other than Super Cs there isn't a C that can do what a TC on a DRW 4x4 can do, and even a Super C can't lose the RV part as needed to become simply a truck.

[wintersun]

Interesting misinformation. All three US truck manufacturers have DRW trucks with a 7,000 lb. payload capacity with their 3500 models.

With GM the rear axle load capacity is exactly 7,050 for trucks with the gas V-8 and with the diesel V-8. ONLY difference with the diesel engine is that the front end is rated at 4800 lbs. whereas with the gas engine the front suspension is rated for 4400 lbs. This is to be expected as 95% of the load in the box is supported by the rear wheels. The engine is supported by the front wheels oddly enough.

The camper mentioned is an ultra heavy camper and at this point one has to question the wisdom of buying such a camper and a heavy duty DRW truck to haul it around and pay double the cost of a Class C motorhome that will have more usable space.

[Jfet]

sleepy wrote:

jimh425 wrote:
sleepy, to get your answer to your loosely related question ... I think you just need to start your own thread instead of highjacking this one!

I agree with you... Jfet... hyjacked it and I responded. I appologized in my last post while you were writing your response.

Someone asked if you could put something like the adventurer on a Isuzu cabover truck and I posted a picture of my camper on my Isuzu. My camper is probably larger (though not as heavy) as the Adventurer talked about in this thread so it seemed a good example since I doubt we have anyone who actually has an Adventurer on a Isuzu truck.

But you have an aerospace degree or something...

[sleepy]

jimh425 wrote:
sleepy, to get your answer to your loosely related question ... I think you just need to start your own thread instead of highjacking this one!

I agree with you... Jfet... hyjacked it and I responded. I appologized in my last post while you were writing your response.

[sleepy]

brholt wrote:
With all the discussion about heavy truck campers and weights I thought the Truck Camper Magazine review of the Adventurer 116DS was timely:

Adventurer 116DS Review

The relevant comment is:

"According to Adventurer’s inside weight sticker, the 2014 Adventurer 116DS under review was 4,624 pounds. Let’s put that weight into Truck Camper Magazine’s wet weight equation and see where we end up.

Adventurer 116DS: dry weight (with options) 4,624 + 38 gallons fresh, 316.9 pounds + 6 gallon full hot water heater, 50 pounds + 2x 20-pound full propane tanks, 40 pounds + 2x batteries, 130 pounds + stuff, 500 pounds = 5,660.0 pounds.

In reality, 500 pounds is probably a little low for stuff weight on a camper this big. To be more realistic, I would add another 250 pounds for stuff putting the total at 5,910 pounds. While nearly 6,000 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, you can easily find long bed dually trucks with more than 6,000 pounds of payload; if you spec them right"

While normally I like his reviews and honesty about weights this was going a bit to far. Finding a 350/3500 with 6,000 pounds of payload for just the camper, not even considering the passengers and the stuff in the truck, is going to be far from "easy".

When I bought my truck I looked at the payload capacity of lots of trucks at dealers. It was very rare to find 6,000 lbs or the 6,500 pounds you probably need for this one. Forget diesels and the sunroof.

In Ford my 14,000 GVWR F350 gas in Lariat trim (which I had to special order because we couldn't find anything) had a door sticker of 6,230 pounds. Maybe I could carry this camper but it would be a push as just the three of us easily use up all the spare capacity. (No jokes about how much we weigh :)) To be safe you probably need to drop down to a XL or at least XLT if you want to be under GVWR. Maybe not a CC either.

These campers are really F550 (or F450's with 19.5 wheels) and equivalent territory and people need to be upfront about it.

I predict though we will be hearing from someone about how to make it ride better on their SRW one ton that the dealer told them could carry it. 🙂

This is an attempt to get back on subject...

I appologise for getting baited into responding to a hyjacted thread... I really liked the OPs post and TCM evaluation of athe Adventurer Truck Camper.

[jimh406]

sleepy, to get your answer to your loosely related question ... I think you just need to start your own thread instead of highjacking this one!