Newbies

[Team_Indian_Sum]

Hello, we are Snow and Anton. We currently own a 03 2500 Dodge Ram Short Bed with 293,000 miles on it. We currently use it to pull a 34' 5th wheel. We are looking to sell our 5'ver and downsize to a truck camper. We are looking into hard sided units preferably with a slide. We not sure brand or anything else but so far have liked the Adventurer Campers. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We're not sure if we should look for a long bed truck so we could get a bigger camper or keep the truck we have and maybe upgrade later. We currently live in Arizona and truck camper dealers out here are scarce. Again any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Snow & Anton

[Grit_dog]

A long bed would be ideal, as would a dually but you said no duallys and honestly a 8.5' with a slide is no problem for a 2500 sb Ram with the right tires and some airbags.
No you won't be legal with the weight cops but it's not inherently unsafe.
I pack a 4000 lb est weight AF camper on my sb Ram and just beat it all the way to AK and around the state last summer, pulling a decent size trailer up the Alcan and it never felt uncomfortable.

[billyray50]

The Adventurer 86 FB is a nice camper and is made for a short or long bed.

[Bigfootchevy]

If you are truly looking into " hard sided units preferably with a slide" then you should seriously be looking at a one ton and probably a dually.

It all about matching the weight of the two units (Truck & Camper), and don't forget about all the extra gear you need to take with you.

Paul

[jefe_4x4]

Anton and Snow,
Welcome to TC mecca. You will, no doubt, receive many suggestions from folks who really know truck campers inside and out, all derived from their own personal journey. There are many things to consider. Not the least of these is your personal RV lifestyle. If you are going to stay on civilized roads plugged in to camp grounds, then go big. If you are moving in the direction of remote, down the two track style of travel, unconnected to anything but your Garmin, your solar/generator and the earth then keep that big truck and go much smaller on the TC. Hours ago we got off the Mojave Road. Here's my sled for the adventure, front tires @32 pounds; rr super singles @ 30 pounds; trailer @ 9 pounds:


and the 146 mile wagon track from the 1860's:

Remember the number one nubbie truck camper dictum: always, always, always, buy much more truck than your given camper requires. Notice for off-roading I have no AC, nothing on the roof, and running as light as I can to support the 9 bike and motorcycle buds along.
The number two dictum is buy the camper first. Then find that "too big" truck to carry it.
My opinion is anything with a slide requires a 350/3500 dualie, two slides a 450/4500, 3 slides a 550/5500 dualie to carry it. Otherwise you have no margin with the weight police. I have a 2500/camper package with lots of suspension work to carry my 1850/wet Lance camper. We are used to it, but it is WAY small for people coming from a good sized 5-er. The fact is you are carrying everything on that rear axle not towing most of the weight with some of the weight on the pin.
What we have here is a bona fide paradigm shift. What seemed like plenty of truck to tow now is woefully inadequate to carry. Maybe hundreds of people on this very forum found out this the hard way. Profit by their collective wisdom.
regards, as always, jefe

[Possilian]

Anything diesel 350 dually long bed 2011 or newer should be fine. All brands in my mind have plus or minus the features and issues all wash out the same. Mechanically I have heard all sorts of stuff about them all. A good inspection by a trusted mechanic and afterwards the upkeep will be key on a smooth and problem free ride. My next truck will be a dually but plane jane on the inside. Fords from what I hear with the cab height is you might need to lay down a piece of good quality foam board to increase the height of the sleep area over the cab.

[TucsonJim]

The best way I know of to get the value of your current truck is to use Kelly Blue Book. Here's the opening page to get you started:

KBB

[GoinThisAway]

Best way to start is to browse through TC manufacturer websites looking at floorplans, camper weights, tank sizes, etc. For a given floorplan, a short bed version will typically have more storage than a long bed version due to wings on the overhang. However, the overall length of the TC will be more limited with a short bed and some sacrifice may be made on the center of gravity.

Be aware that camper weights usually don't include the weight of options which can add up fast. Also add about 500-1000 lb of other stuff you'll be adding (tie downs, chairs, BBQ grill, ax, canned goods, clothes, toiletries, etc.). And don't forget to add the weight of everyone who'll be going along. Total all this up and compare to capacity of the truck.

If the camper floorplans you favor are longer than those available in a short bed version or if you will be exceeding the carrying capacity of your truck then you'll either need to adjust your TC expectations or get a bigger truck (short bed vs long bed, 3/4 ton vs 1 ton, etc).

Once you have an idea of what you like, take a vacation to an area with a number of TC dealers representing the brands you're interested in and start touring. Another option is to find a TC rally in your vicinity to attend.

Happy shopping! I'm sure you'll get plenty more advise here!

[Team_Indian_Sum]

Thats what are are thinking now. How much do you think we could sell our 2500 for and how much for a 3500? Anything to stay away from? Were thinking no dually. Thanks

[kerry4951]

You will have more choices in TCs if you have a long bed truck. Longer TCs mean more room inside and storage.