Single Slide Truck Lean

[Riley01]

I’m currently camper shopping and have enough truck for most of the campers I’m interested in. I read in several posts that guys have had trouble with the single slide campers leaning to the slide side when on the truck due to the extra weight of the slide. With aftermarket air bags it doesn’t seem to be an issue as one side can be pumped up a little more.

My concern is with my Ram 3500 with factory air leveling I can’t adjust each side independent of the other. Is this a major issue with all of the single slide campers or just certain ones?

Thanks,
Rick
2019 Ram 3500 CC/LB DRW 4WD factory air leveling
CTD HO Aisin/4:10 Max Tow package

[Riley01]

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm thinking for the most part this isn't something I should be worrying about.

Thanks,
Rick

[mountainkowboy]

I don't remember my Ford or Dodge leaning while traveling with the AF 1140 on them. It would lean if you put the slide out without having at least the passenger side jacks down, but even then it didn't lean that badly.

[mike_kellie]

Bedlam wrote:
On some roads, it is not the camper leaning. The road has a tall crown down the center for proper water drainage

This is very true on our local highways. My first real job post high school was with an OEM heavy duty trailer company and we would align the passenger side rear axles on long trailers about 1/4" ahead of the drivers axles. You can really notice it seeing trucks and trailers crab walking.

[Grit_dog]

It’s not as big of issue as you’d imagine, a lot of trucks don’t even sit level when empty.
Your Ram will adjust out the lean anyways. Has a separate ride height sensor on each side of the truck.
Fwiw, my Dodge 2500 with a 4000lb full wall slide camper doesn’t lean much at all. Maybe 5 psi different in the airbags, if I’m measuring it. Usually I just put the same pressure in the bags and roll. I do sometimes or try to at least, offset the camper about 1.5” to the left. But that’s just me thinking about how it should be heavier o that side.

[Fisher_Bill]

We had an AC 1150 and it was slide heavy as the fridge was part of the slide. Every one I saw go down the road leaned a little to the passenger side.
I split up my air bags and ran 25#'s on the drivers side and 35"s on the passenger side and that helped my truck balance the load along with stable loads

[Bedlam]

On some roads, it is not the camper leaning. The road has a tall crown down the center for proper water drainage making your truck and camper lean to the right. The Ram air suspension system is sealed and only has some presets for ride height. I am not sure if the pressure is equalized between bags with check valves or is allowed to freely shift, but there is no adjustment for left to right leveling.

[Kayteg1]

It is very hard to make RV with COG over center.
Even in TC water tanks and holding tanks are over center line, batteries, propane cylinders and generators tend to go on the sides.
When putting them on opposite sides even it up, not everything can be put perfectly.
Additional issue is COG height. Since TC has it pretty high, any effect of uneven loads is getting amplified.

[jimh406]

Just packing different amounts of weight on one side could cause a lean. Similarly, weight in the holding tanks might as well.

That being said, I don’t think any manufacturer would intentionally design their TC to make a truck lean. That being said, I’ve seen several trucks leaning going down the road. I have no idea why any of them were leaning, but they were noticeably leaning nevertheless.

It’s also fairly common for trucks to lean with no load.

[Kayteg1]

I don't think this is an issue with most of the campers.
But having air suspension I would be tempted to make independent fill valves for leveling camper on sites.