New Truck, to me, needs help to carry my Truck Camper

[bka0721]

Like many here, even I need to down size and I have now purchased another truck and use the truck camper I have. My truck is a 2004 Ford Ranger Truck. It has the 3.0L Edge V6 and it is a 4X2, so that saves some payload capacity! I suspect that the weight police will show up, but I don’t really care about what they have to say. I am just interested in what others have done to beef up their trucks to carry a larger hard side truck camper. My camper is a Lance 1191. O.K. what should I start with first? What type of tie downs do you guys recommend? Will Air Bags work for the time being and maybe some extra springs? Granted, the tires and rims are probably the weakest link and should be swapped out. But to what?

Thanks in advance!

bryan


I have since given the topper away as well as the bedliner. I figure I will just use a bed mat like many have done here in the TC Forum.



My 1191 Lance Camper ready for me to pick it up and load onto my Ford truck!



My Lance Camper salesman giving me the tour of my new camper!!



I can’t wait. This is going to be Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!


b

[bka0721]

silversand wrote:

bka 0721 wrote:
No matter how you paint your position, hammer the nail, push your finger into the chest of a non-believer, we all have our own experiences and opinions. For me, I am a better person for having all of you to share yours with me.

....very well said! Well played thread.

:B :B

Thank you Silver and to all that came here to play.

b

[bka0721]

Bedlam wrote:
By adding that tag axle, it negates his need for a receiver extension.

:B


b

[Bedlam]

By adding that tag axle, it negates his need for a receiver extension.

[GoinThisAway]

Well played, b. I'm a little late to the game but enjoyed reading through the discussion. I notice everyone missed the real item you'd need help with for the new rig ... which hitch extension to add to pull your utility trailer 🙂

[jimh406]

You just wonder how many of these April 1st threads will confuse people months or years from now. I'm guilty of starting a April 1 thread as well but on a different site. 🙂

[silversand]

bka 0721 wrote:
No matter how you paint your position, hammer the nail, push your finger into the chest of a non-believer, we all have our own experiences and opinions. For me, I am a better person for having all of you to share yours with me.

....very well said! Well played thread.

[bka0721]

Thank you to everyone that participated and to the legions that stopped and peered through the fence to see all the fun we were having here today. It seems that we have been a bit serious this spring and a dearth of the posts that we normally see as those with TCs become anxious to get back exploring and having their own adventures. Though tales of Truck Campers under the Sea still is greatly appreciated.

I am pleased that many caught my tongue firmly placed into my cheek as I piled onto the increasing subject of a poster coming here to receive validation for the choices that they have already made and indignant when they didn’t receive the validation that they wanted to hear.

There is some truth to what I posted, in that I did purchase a 2004 Ranger Edge 3.0L Pickup recently. As well as I do have a Lance 1191 TC. But rest assured that they will never be mated together. No, I don’t plan on abandoning my M/C Trailer and my toys to haul it and in it. But to use it while playing a National Park Interp Ranger, again this summer as I begin my 8th Season with the NPS. Last summer, I admit now, it was challenging getting to work in the rain, snow, ice and cold on my motorcycle. The Ranger will be parked the remainder of the year.

As for the other things going on. I have been very lucky and have met more than 3 dozen of you out here on the road. It is easy to say I am impressed with you guys and gals. that I have met. The same goes here, on this forum, too.

Personally, I am more than happy to yield to others points of views and would expect the same from others. Like any forum, some feel very differently about that, as they do about parking in Handicap spots and taking two full shopping carts into the grocery lane that is signed; Express Lane - 15 items or less.

We find our thinking, habits sifting into all aspects of our life. Including how we use our Truck Campers. Tolerance seems to be getting less popular and hopefully that is just a trend. As when one believes a rule/law/common sense does not apply to them, but does to others. Whether it is a seriously over weighted Truck Camper I saw/photographed in Death Valley last month, or simply an obstructed plate. No matter how you paint your position, hammer the nail, push your finger into the chest of a non-believer, we all have our own experiences and opinions. For me, I am a better person for having all of you to share yours with me.

Thank you.

If you see me out here on the road, stop me and introduce yourself.

Safe travels, my friends.


b

[jefe_4x4]

That Ford would be perfect if it only had the legendary retro Ford 9 inch, big bearing rear end with extra pinion bearing. These new Corp Ford mini-truck rear ends are not up to a 5800 pound payload. Looks like, in the original pic, that the air bags are at 120 pounds to have the rear sit up that high. Need another set of air bags: dualin' airbags! Yeah, that's the ticket. A faux one ton. Wait! What's the date today?
jefe

[RedRocket204]

A Ridgeline would be way overkill for that TC. You must be part of the weight police.

[iwon415]

Why not a Honda Ridgeline?

[mike_kellie]

Bryan, I was reading up with the license plate topic and finally your common sense observation closed the debate. I just finished hitting 9 mile canyon, The Arches and The Bridges with some spring training baseball last week and never thought anything but moving my CA plate to the bracket and light provided by the camper manufacturer. I loved the boom!
So after 10 days off the grid (a breath in your time) and the Edward Abbey Desert Solitaire book behind me, imagining you holding an audience on stage and dropping the mic at arm's length and walking back into the darkness among the curtains...priceless!

[RickW]

I think the truck is a good start, but the COG of the Lance 1191 will be too high.

I recommend the pop up conversion kit for the Lance that will lower the COG within acceptable limits. You can get to more boondocking sites and fast food drive throughs with a lower height.

Good luck and happy camping

[Kayteg1]

Joke aside, my first RV was ClassC build on Toyota truck with 4-cylinders.
The truck was even lighter than the one in topic, yet Dolphin converter added tag axle to it to carry 20' of body.
The electric tag was something as it was almost impossible to have electric brakes adjusted for braking and avoid dragging locked inner wheel on sharper turns.
Happy April Fool.

[bka0721]

mike/kellie wrote:
Don't forget to move your license plate to the rear of the camper, otherwise I'm sure you'll be getting looks from LEO's as previously discussed. Boom!

Excellent advice. I don't want those Doughnut Munchers to have a reason to pull me over. Don't want them going through my crib! Boom!! Right back at you!

bryan