Question: too much camper - too little truck
Hi folks: Totally new to campers and truck campers. I replaced my 2007 Tundra with a F350 SRW Shortbed 7.3gas. The camper I bought is an Eagle Cap 811 made by Adventurer. I live in Maine and bou...
Forum Discussion
Grit dog wrote:cptqueeg wrote:
The simplest solution is to sell the camper and buy a lighter one.
ROFL
Dude just drove 3000 mi 1 way to buy a new camper (gotta presume that means it's the one he wants), sounds like he's never driven a truck with a really heavy load and hasn't done a thing to improve the ride or handling. Simplest solution is to sell the camper?
He's made it 7000miles so there's that. And he's gotta get another 3000miles home, at a minimum, so why not go slap a sway bar on it.
A 3000lb or 3500lb camper will also benefit largely the same from the same mods to the truck.
OP, if ya go to the hardware store, get yerself 4 plastic felling wedges, 4 hockey pucks and 8-16 hose clamps, you can unload the camper and stuff some temporary upper and lower "stable loads" under it. That will help a fair amount for well under $100.
Sway bar will also help a bunch with any high CoG load.
Then see where you're at.
My "best setup", truck didn't have upper overloads, was a shortbed with about the same weight camper and quite a bit less OE spring capacity than a new F350. It was a Big Wig sway bar, lower stableloads (semi permanent felling wedges) and airbags. Put alot of miles on it. Towing and not towing. It was fine on the road. the body roll was most noticeable when driving through potholes, bumps or off camber approaches at low speeds. Just a suggestion.
I did presume the OP bought a used TC and selling it and finding another one wouldn't be very difficult, but may take some time and effort. As far as how far he traveled it doesn't sound like he or his wife enjoyed it and sounds rather unsafe. His wife suggested a smaller camper and she experienced the entire ride. Wives may not be able to put air in a bike tire, for instance, but I've found some them to be pretty darn smart and many men would be far better off taking their counsel at times.
If the TC was new I can understand not wanting to eat the depreciation w/out trying to improve the trucks ability to handle the load. Sounds like the OP has a good plan and I'm sure it will work out for him.
Anyway I hope the chuckle made your day!
