New Camper Hauler for my camper

[Butch50]

I just picked up me new camper hauler on Thursday. Now have to start putting the goodies on it. Need to do a Super Hitch ,tie downs and a bed mat and then see where I'm at. I think this should handle my Northern Lite 10 2 CDSE OK

2013 Ram with a 14,000# GVWR 4X4 CC Laramie pretty loaded
light metallic gray with black interior

[JumboJet]

Butch50 wrote:

Hi Jim,

When are you taking off for PA? Take your time and have a safe trip do be careful it looks like they are getting a lot of weather out that way.
:B

Leaving tomorrow after Thanksgiving lunch. Forecast is Sunny, in low 40's during the day and 20's during the night.

We should arrive early Friday afternoon. Load up and head back a few hours before stopping for the night. I expect to be home Saturday evening.

[Butch50]

JumboJet wrote:

Butch50 wrote:
Brian,

As requested this is a couple pictures of the camper loaded on the truck. I have the truck leveled up so I can run the fridge and get ready for the Branson Gathering next week. If you can kind of see the truck sits pretty level.

"run the fridge" Are you kidding? Well, maybe to keep things in the frig from freezing! 🙂

I have a trailer brake magnet that you can wire in and make the Dodge think it has a trailer behind it. Would that work?

Does your RAM have the built in brake controller?

Hi Jim,

When are you taking off for PA? Take your time and have a safe trip do be careful it looks like they are getting a lot of weather out that way.

Yes, I have the built in brake controller. I have it figured out now. It is just a push of the button in the center console. It stays disabled as long as I want it to.

Yea I know we might not need a fridge in Branson. Just put the stuff outside and let it freeze and then move it into the fridge and use it like and icebox.

Everybody have and Happy Thanksgiving and don't eat to much turkey. :B

[JumboJet]

Butch50 wrote:
Brian,

As requested this is a couple pictures of the camper loaded on the truck. I have the truck leveled up so I can run the fridge and get ready for the Branson Gathering next week. If you can kind of see the truck sits pretty level.

"run the fridge" Are you kidding? Well, maybe to keep things in the frig from freezing! 🙂

I have a trailer brake magnet that you can wire in and make the Dodge think it has a trailer behind it. Would that work?

Does your RAM have the built in brake controller?

[Butch50]

Well I read some more on the Rear Sensors in the manuals and there is a switch that turns it off and on and if turned off it stays off through key cycles. Unlike the Ford where you could disable it and then the next time you turned the truck on again you had to disable it again. All it tells you in the dash is that the Rear Sensor is disabled when you put it into reverse. I'm still working through the manuals as there are 4 different manuals for the truck. Between all 4 there are over 1400 pages of info. :h Then try to remember all of it that you have read. That is hard for an older guy like me.

[69_Avion]

Butch50 wrote:

mike mck wrote:
Butch
I am a dyed in the wool ford fan but have to say Dodge is building some beautiful and capable trucks.
Nice looking acquisition.

Well I traded in a 2011 F350 King Ranch CC on this truck. I started with a new Ford F250 in 1972 and have had many over the years. Throw in a 2002 Dmax and one 2006 Dodge Cummins along the way. I just didn't trust the Ford diesel enough to lay out my money on a new one and I had good luck with the 2006 Dodge so decided I would buy get one again. The 2011 was a 6.2 gasser. Also I didn't like the looks of the rear fenders on the new Fords. They look almost like the Dodge duallies did years back, kind of like an after thought.

That is a fact. They look like aftermarket fenders bought from J. C. Whitney. Those new Dodge fenders are the nicest dually fenders ever.

[btggraphix]

Beauty, thanks Butch. Have fun in Branson!

[rooney77]

Butch50 wrote:
Brian,

I was hoping that the rear parking sensors worked the same as the Ford where it detected brakes on the trailer but it appears that it does not work like that. I have the Tekonsha tester that DJ found that shut the rear sensor off on the Ford and tried it on the Dodge and it does not work. So need to work on that. Dodge says that it senses brakes but doesn't seem to work on my rig. I have an extension on my rear plug and plugged it into it. I'm going to slide under the truck and check it right where it is off the truck as the pigtail might be bad. I'm going to wait till the temperature rises a little though, to cold today. If anybody knows what it takes to fake out the sensors to make it thing there is a trailer behind on the Dodge please let me know.

Mirrors? That's all I got. I never would have thought about that being an issue.

[Butch50]

Brian,

As requested this is a couple pictures of the camper loaded on the truck. I have the truck leveled up so I can run the fridge and get ready for the Branson Gathering next week. If you can kind of see the truck sits pretty level. I'll try and remember to get some photos of the truck and camper at the campground next week.





Thanks all for the comments on the truck, so far I really like it. The GPS is far superior to my 2011 Ford. The screen on the Ford was tiny compared to the Dodge. I'm still trying to learn where all the bells and whistles are at on it. I found out today how to bring up the turbo info for boost and temp.

I was hoping that the rear parking sensors worked the same as the Ford where it detected brakes on the trailer but it appears that it does not work like that. I have the Tekonsha tester that DJ found that shut the rear sensor off on the Ford and tried it on the Dodge and it does not work. So need to work on that. Dodge says that it senses brakes but doesn't seem to work on my rig. I have an extension on my rear plug and plugged it into it. I'm going to slide under the truck and check it right where it is off the truck as the pigtail might be bad. I'm going to wait till the temperature rises a little though, to cold today. If anybody knows what it takes to fake out the sensors to make it thing there is a trailer behind on the Dodge please let me know.

[Butch50]

usmcshepherd wrote:
Butch50...I have the 2011 version of the same truck and was wondering what kind of drop you had in your suspension when you loaded your camper and what if any suspension upgrades you've made at this point? I have a little larger camper than you have I believe (Lance 1172) and have done a couple upgrades all of which are working well.

I dropped about 2.5" when I loaded the camper and it looks level now instead of rear high. I have no suspension mods. I'm just getting ready to touch on the front pads on the overloads. If I decide I need it I'll install some Stable loads. I checked the parts number and the Stable Loads for Ford and Dodge were the same so I took off my old ones from the Ford and put the bumpers back on so have a set in the garage. I'll try it the way it is first.

There is no doubt that your camper is heavier than mine is. NL weighs every camper when it leaves the factory and empty with all options it weighed 3020# dry.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

btggraphix wrote:
Hey Butch, congrats! Very nice truck! Not sure how long Dodge has been doing it this way, but I do kind of like how there really isn't a "flare" for the rear wheels it is just that long sheet metal going out to that width gradually. Makes it look very clean and less "dually-like" I guess.

Sweet truck; looking forward to seeing a picture with the camper on.

Dodge has had the absolute best looking dually pickup beds of any of the 3 for some time now. 🙂

[btggraphix]

Hey Butch, congrats! Very nice truck! Not sure how long Dodge has been doing it this way, but I do kind of like how there really isn't a "flare" for the rear wheels it is just that long sheet metal going out to that width gradually. Makes it look very clean and less "dually-like" I guess.

Sweet truck; looking forward to seeing a picture with the camper on.

[usmcshepherd]

Butch50...I have the 2011 version of the same truck and was wondering what kind of drop you had in your suspension when you loaded your camper and what if any suspension upgrades you've made at this point? I have a little larger camper than you have I believe (Lance 1172) and have done a couple upgrades all of which are working well.

[EfonFred]

That is sweet! Me likey!, would love to have one too but the would have to get rid of the NL 8.11 so the DW could have her 10.2....

[Mello_Mike]

Congrats, Butch! She's a beauty. Nice payload numbers even with the diesel and 4x4. I'm a Ford man, too, but I might have to take a hard look at one of these next year when it comes time to buy again.