Over weight? Does it bother you?

[specta]

From spending time in here lots of people have said that they were over weight with the camper.

I'm over weight.

Does it worry you? Does it keep you from going where you want to go?

How much "cushion" do you think the truck and tire manufactures build into their products?

5%? 10%? 15%? 20%?

I have no worries about the capability of my truck or tires nor do I believe that I'm unsafe.

How about you?

[ppine]

If your rig is overweight, it should bother you enough to change it.

[SideHillSoup]

happycamper1942 wrote:
It is my understanding that no matter what you do to your truck, including tires, suspension etc. you can not change the stated GVWD of the truck, and if you were involved in an accident you could be held liable.
I do not have a camper now but have had 5 in the past, and have always been careful to stay under my GVWR.
Personally I would never take the chance.

In BC if you are over weight, no matter what the situation, ( by hauling or towing) it is illegal.
In BC if you are over weight ‘anywhere”( Not just BC) and you are involved in an accident, your insurance on the vehicle hauling the camper is null and void.
Pretty simple.
Also anyone towing or hauling more that 10,000 lbs you need to have an endorsement of your drivers license.
That endorsement on your licence involves a medical, written test, plus driving test with either the trailer/ 5th wheel at the time of the driving test.
When I got mine endorsement I had to borrow a buddies truck and 5th wheel as I hadn’t bought my new overweight 5th wheel yet.
few years later and Because of my heart attack and stints, I failed the medical when it was time to renew my drivers license.
Hence the truck and camper combo that is under weight.
This is for BC drivers, whole different game in other places in the world.

[jimh406]

happycamper1942 wrote:
It is my understanding that no matter what you do to your truck, including tires, suspension etc. you can not change the stated GVWD of the truck, and if you were involved in an accident you could be held liable.

People talk about the liability from time to time, but nobody seems to be able to provide reference of the liability being different compared to the weight vs GVWR. That being said, I’m under. 😉

[happycamper1942]

It is my understanding that no matter what you do to your truck, including tires, suspension etc. you can not change the stated GVWD of the truck, and if you were involved in an accident you could be held liable.
I do not have a camper now but have had 5 in the past, and have always been careful to stay under my GVWR.
Personally I would never take the chance.

[ppine]

I like being underweight by a lot. Plenty of truck that will last.
That's why I bought a one ton, and it was a great decision.
Driving around overweight wears out the suspension, brakes and bearings.
Hard to stop, hard to go, and problems with being top heavy.
Don't do it.

[free_radical]

mkirsch wrote:
It only concerns me when other people do it.

I don't know them, or their capabilities, or how they maintain their vehicles.

Lots of people out there who think they're God's gift to driving and hauling, but have no business being behind the wheel of anything bigger than a Nissan Versa.

X 2

I only have a half ton and homebuilt camper,
even with all my stuff in when moving cross country I was never over the weight limit.
Makes driving handling enjoyable and safe.

[Supercharged111]

I've been hauling for years over my GVWR on my upgraded 1500. Bone stock it would never have hauled my enclosed trailer safely, but it does as it sits and I've never had an issue. My dually has a GVWR of 10k which is a joke. The chassis cabs got a 12k rating with nothing more than a different transfer case and different upper overload leaf pack. The RAWR is 7500# and the axle's true rating is 8,600#. With the camper alone, I figure I'm at or under that and with the trailer and camper I'm likely north of that, but not astronomically so. I'm certainly south of the 12k+ the wheels and tires are all good for. The truck handles the load just fine. While it doesn't have 1000# of torque and a 10 speed tranny like the new new, the 600+# of torque from the Whipple gets the job done in OD most of the time and the temp gauge never climbs even in the dead of summer. The truck is stable and it stops well, so why would I have reason to believe I'm overloaded? GM intentionally slapped a 10k gvw on this thing to avoid it being a class 3 truck plain and simple. That's the thing nobody's brought up yet.

[Grit_dog]

billtex wrote:

restlessways wrote:
I would never exceed tire or axle ratings. My dually has a GVWR of 11,500, and I am fairly sure whatever camper I end up with will put me over it. That's why I am going to have a spring shop install another leaf in the packs. I will weight my truck first, then truck with camper to know exactly what I have, then I will account for some gear and tell the spring shop what additional payload I am looking for.

Please “Splain” how adding spring effects your tire and / or axle ratings?
Thx.

Nice bait, but no fish on.
Nothing to 'splain. He said he won't go over his tire or axle weights but will give it stiffer springs if needed.

[stufarmer]

Weight is about common sense. Tires are my biggest concern. You can do all you want with Springs, Sway Bars, Shock upgrades, but if the Tires cant handle the weight, you have a problem.

[mkirsch]

It only concerns me when other people do it.

I don't know them, or their capabilities, or how they maintain their vehicles.

Lots of people out there who think they're God's gift to driving and hauling, but have no business being behind the wheel of anything bigger than a Nissan Versa.

[swhunter]

Being over weight does concern me. I have a 1992 Lance with a 11’ 3” floor. Specta it seems to be very similar to the camper you have. I carry it on a 2000 Ford F350 7.3 diesel 4x4 CC Long bed SRW. I added air bags and upgrade to rear springs. The weight of the rig exceeded the stock 16” tires rating by more than 500 lb’s per tire on the rear axle. When loaded even with the tires at max 80 psi the sidewalls flexed a lot. I never felt that comfortable with the setup. As time went by I did become a little hesitant to drive the rig fully loaded. I recently added 19.5” wheels and tires. Now the new 19.5” tires are rated 615 lb’s more than the actual weight on them. The 19.5” tires side walls not flexing has made lot of difference in how the rig handles. And I feel a lot better about driving this rig now. I do have lot better piece of mind with this setup now.
Thanks,
swhunter

[specta]

SugarHillCTD wrote:
and a bed that she didn't have to launch herself into to go to sleep.

That's how I'm going to die. Getting out of bed. :B

[specta]

SugarHillCTD wrote:
Practical experience here. Our former combination of the truck in my signature and a 2013 Eagle Cap 850.

The truck had a GVWR sticker of 9500#.

I'm over by about 1100 lbs. 700 over on the rear axle or about 350 per tire over.

With the tires I have I'm not the least bit worried about tire failure.

[SugarHillCTD]

Practical experience here. Our former combination of the truck in my signature and a 2013 Eagle Cap 850.

We traveled all over the northeast U.S. and Canada. The truck has airbags inflated to 30-35#, Rancho 9000 shocks, 3970# rated tires and a BigWig sway bar.

Never had any sweaty palm moments when driving. Truck handled like it just had a heavy load in the bed, nothing bad. Never felt unsafe. I wouldn't risk our lives if I ever felt otherwise.

Coming back from a trip we happened to drive by a CAT scale. The camper had about 25 gallons of fresh water and our gear/clothing/etc. Wife and I in the cab with her two large dogs in the back seat.

The truck had a GVWR sticker of 9500#.

Here's my CAT scale print out. We were on the road and 2280# over GVWR.



The reason why we now have a 5th wheel is because SWMBO wanted a couch, dry bath and a bed that she didn't have to launch herself into to go to sleep. I was happy with the TC.