S&S 8.5 Camper on Ram 2500: Measured weights; advice.

[trackmagic]

Hello everyone!

I have a 2021 Ram 2500 Cummins short box and a S&S 8.5 camper.

Camper states Dry Weight of 2200. I have it loaded and have taken 6 trips in it and with airbags on truck it drives and handles completely fine.

Took to scales today: No water in tanks, no dogs/passenger in truck, not fully loaded with gear. Relatively empty.

With camper:
Steer Axle: 4980
Drive Axle: 5760
Gross: 10740

Post Camper:
Steer: 4900
Drive: 3100
Gross: 8000

So total camper weight before water/gear, but with battery, two propane, most everything that stays in camper between uses = 2740lbs

I still need to go re-weigh with camper dropped, but think it is at least 1k heavier than the "dry weight of 2.2k" even without water/gear, etc.


Truck specs from door sticker: GVWR 10,000. Front 6k Rear 6,040.
I have the nicer 18k wheels and nice well rated tires, so they aren't the limiting factor.

Loaded with gear I think I will be closer to 11k.

I am interested in peoples thoughts. The truck drives and handles just fine, so not concerned about that. Just got back from ski trip on lots of twisty roads and the body roll is minimal. Braking seems just fine especially combined with diesel exhaust break.

It appears I am below axle weights, but over on gross.


I got a killer deal on truck (was just using for towing at that point) and then practically got this pristine camper given to me. I could not afford a newer/lighter weight 20k+ camper right now. I see my options as either keeping going for awhile with this setup. Trying to sell my current truck and buying an older 1-ton.

Thanks everyone.

[trackmagic]

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:
Where is your center of gravity sticker positioned when on the truck? My 9.5 S&S CG is about 6" in front of the rear axle hub center.

About same, just in front of rear axle.

[ajriding]

misread 2021 for 2001. No need for a lengthy explanation of the difference from 20 years apart. geezeeeeeeee
I think we all know 20 years is going to have changes. Some things should just go unsaid

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Grit dog wrote:

burningman wrote:
I’d like to point out to the people who keep saying gas trucks have more payload that this truck’s front end weight is LESS when loaded with the camper than when empty.
It actually removes some weight from the front end.
That extra payload from a lighter engine up front does not increase your real world, useable payload.
Yeah, I know, the spec sheet says it does… but that’s not the whole story.

Like button for a true statement.

I would just clarify, if the front gets lighter, that weight did not disappear, It has merely shifted to and increased the weight on the rear wheels. If the CG sticker is behind the rear axle hub center, then it is a fulcrum lifting the front while pushing down behind the rear wheel.

[Grit_dog]

ajriding wrote:


Check your engine block. If it is stamped with 53 then you got a lemon, otherwise that is a great engine, now the truck is junky, but the Cummins is great. The injector pump is the weak link. Put a gauge on the lift pump and never let the psi drop. An after market lift pump like FASS or Air Dog is best, but $700. If you starve the injector pump of fuel it will quickly fail. Parts $1,500 and labor close to $2k. I have taken the pump off and put back on so is not a big deal, but you will pay lots to a mechanic to do it.

The air bags take weight off the truck frame and put it on the truck axle, bypassing the trucks leaf springs somewhat (so the weight is shared). The frame can take the weight, the axles can, the tires can,(you said the wheels can?) but the suspension components will just get wear faster as will the wheel bearings.
I assume you put the bags on top of the leaf springs? Putting them inside of the leafs will cause a tippy issue with the TC that a trailer would not cause.

Exhaust brakes are a wonderful thing.

The OP has a 2021, not a 2001....FWIW, your good advice ended with the 2nd Gen 24V trucks.
And he doesn't have leaf springs. And there's only 1 place for bags to go on his truck and that is outboard of the coil springs. (The reason the coil 2500s are inherently not as good as leafs for hauling a high c of g load like a TC is partly due to how soft the coils are and equally or moreso, that they are inboard of the frame rails.
But from my experience with these trucks and with leaf sprung trucks and TC's, a light to moderate weight camper like the OP has will haul just fine with the right upgrades.

[trackmagic]

ajriding wrote:
put up a pic.

I had a similar truck, but with long bed. Camper dry claimed 1800 lbs, so similar weights, but I also towed a trailer so actually had more weight on the truck.

Many trips across the nation, no issues at all.

The downfall is the weight, not that the truck can't handle it, but more weight means more stress on everything, so faster wear of components, but that is a universal fact with weights in in vehicles.

I moved to a trailer partly for this reason.

Check your engine block. If it is stamped with 53 then you got a lemon, otherwise that is a great engine, now the truck is junky, but the Cummins is great. The injector pump is the weak link. Put a gauge on the lift pump and never let the psi drop. An after market lift pump like FASS or Air Dog is best, but $700. If you starve the injector pump of fuel it will quickly fail. Parts $1,500 and labor close to $2k. I have taken the pump off and put back on so is not a big deal, but you will pay lots to a mechanic to do it.

The air bags take weight off the truck frame and put it on the truck axle, bypassing the trucks leaf springs somewhat (so the weight is shared). The frame can take the weight, the axles can, the tires can,(you said the wheels can?) but the suspension components will just get wear faster as will the wheel bearings.
I assume you put the bags on top of the leaf springs? Putting them inside of the leafs will cause a tippy issue with the TC that a trailer would not cause.

Exhaust brakes are a wonderful thing.

From my quick research, it appears block 53 was manufactured 99-2001 or something. Are there still 2021 trucks being made where this is a concern? I will try to look at block number. Thanks

[trackmagic]

notsobigjoe wrote:
Post your pic here.
http://photoposting.is-great.net/?i=1

Edited above with that link. I hope it works now.

[notsobigjoe]

Post your pic here.
http://photoposting.is-great.net/?i=1

[trackmagic]

ajriding wrote:
put up a pic.

I had a similar truck, but with long bed. Camper dry claimed 1800 lbs, so similar weights, but I also towed a trailer so actually had more weight on the truck.

Many trips across the nation, no issues at all.

The downfall is the weight, not that the truck can't handle it, but more weight means more stress on everything, so faster wear of components, but that is a universal fact with weights in in vehicles.

I moved to a trailer partly for this reason.

Check your engine block. If it is stamped with 53 then you got a lemon, otherwise that is a great engine, now the truck is junky, but the Cummins is great. The injector pump is the weak link. Put a gauge on the lift pump and never let the psi drop. An after market lift pump like FASS or Air Dog is best, but $700. If you starve the injector pump of fuel it will quickly fail. Parts $1,500 and labor close to $2k. I have taken the pump off and put back on so is not a big deal, but you will pay lots to a mechanic to do it.

The air bags take weight off the truck frame and put it on the truck axle, bypassing the trucks leaf springs somewhat (so the weight is shared). The frame can take the weight, the axles can, the tires can,(you said the wheels can?) but the suspension components will just get wear faster as will the wheel bearings.
I assume you put the bags on top of the leaf springs? Putting them inside of the leafs will cause a tippy issue with the TC that a trailer would not cause.

Exhaust brakes are a wonderful thing.

All good tips... I will look into it all tomorrow.


Photo is with the original tires before upgrade.



https://imgur.com/a/M32uINy

[ajriding]

put up a pic.

I had a similar truck, but with long bed. Camper dry claimed 1800 lbs, so similar weights, but I also towed a trailer so actually had more weight on the truck.

Many trips across the nation, no issues at all.

The downfall is the weight, not that the truck can't handle it, but more weight means more stress on everything, so faster wear of components, but that is a universal fact with weights in in vehicles.

I moved to a trailer partly for this reason.

Check your engine block. If it is stamped with 53 then you got a lemon, otherwise that is a great engine, now the truck is junky, but the Cummins is great. The injector pump is the weak link. Put a gauge on the lift pump and never let the psi drop. An after market lift pump like FASS or Air Dog is best, but $700. If you starve the injector pump of fuel it will quickly fail. Parts $1,500 and labor close to $2k. I have taken the pump off and put back on so is not a big deal, but you will pay lots to a mechanic to do it.

The air bags take weight off the truck frame and put it on the truck axle, bypassing the trucks leaf springs somewhat (so the weight is shared). The frame can take the weight, the axles can, the tires can,(you said the wheels can?) but the suspension components will just get wear faster as will the wheel bearings.
I assume you put the bags on top of the leaf springs? Putting them inside of the leafs will cause a tippy issue with the TC that a trailer would not cause.

Exhaust brakes are a wonderful thing.

[Grit_dog]

burningman wrote:
I’d like to point out to the people who keep saying gas trucks have more payload that this truck’s front end weight is LESS when loaded with the camper than when empty.
It actually removes some weight from the front end.
That extra payload from a lighter engine up front does not increase your real world, useable payload.
Yeah, I know, the spec sheet says it does… but that’s not the whole story.

Like button for a true statement.

[burningman]

I’d like to point out to the people who keep saying gas trucks have more payload that this truck’s front end weight is LESS when loaded with the camper than when empty.
It actually removes some weight from the front end.
That extra payload from a lighter engine up front does not increase your real world, useable payload.
Yeah, I know, the spec sheet says it does… but that’s not the whole story.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Where is your center of gravity sticker positioned when on the truck? My 9.5 S&S CG is about 6" in front of the rear axle hub center.

[mkirsch]

You should feel whether you are okay in the seat of your pants. It sounds like you are: If you are happy with the way it handles and you are not breaking any laws that are enforced against RVs (few if any weight laws are enforced against RVs in the USA), then you are fine.

You should not need a DRW for a 2700lb camper, even if you pick up a few hundred pounds with supplies for camping.

[JIMNLIN]

You know, I guess I'm not really asking for specific advice.. The truck camper stuff is all new to me since I'm used to towing. So I guess I was just posting to either look for some gentle reassurance vs DON"T EVEN DRIVE THAT TRUCK ANOTHER MILE. And if the latter... I guess I would tuck my tail and think really hard about selling my new truck for a 1 ton.

The truck is fine.
I see your state Idaho motor vehicle weight regs tell us the gross weight of any two (2) or more consecutive axles shall be the sum of the axle weights. So your well under the truck mfg axle rating. And of as you found out the truck stops fine as brake performance is the sum of 6000 frt and 6084 rear gawrs = 12084 lb at a minimum. Like most 3/4 ton trucks they may share the same brake specs with their one ton srw sister.

Not all states have a registered gvw on non commercial vehicles. My state has no weight number on the trucks registration. I see other members say their state may use a gcw/gvw/gvwr/tonage or other type of weight.
Just make sure you registered properly....for your state.