insp1505 wrote:
Randu wrote:
Neat concept. I'm hitting "subscribe" so I can watch this thread and follow your progress.Just keep adding to this thread so its easy to track. Randu
X2
I've had thought's of building a TC someday too. It will be interesting watching your progress.
I've looked at your drawings and was hoping you could comment on camper placement and weight distribution of the final placement of your TC and garage space on the truck. I see you have over 10,000 lbs of GVW left to work with but if you don't balance that over the rear axle I wonder if you will severely over load the front axle. I wonder if that Isuzu motor is taking up most of your front axles weight capacity much like my diesel engine takes up almost all my trucks front axle weight capacity. So basically I was just curious if the TC was going up against the cab because most of the weight will be forward of the rear axle or will it be mounted more rearward? Thanks and good luck with your awesome project!
This is heavy on my mind, and I am constantly arguing with my wife about shifting as much weight to the back of the camper. We have the fresh and gray water tanks, batteries all at the very back of the camper closer to the rear wheels. I am also going to put some storage boxes under the flatbed behind the rear wheels that will hold heavy items like the camper jacks, extra water in jugs, possibly extra propane, etc.
From the truck data sheet and my calculations, it looks like the front axle is carrying about 5000 pounds right now and is rated for 6850 IIRC. I need to drive on some scales again real soon and get separate weights for the front and rear axles, as I stupidly only did a total weight for the registration when I first got the truck. There are some drastic things I could do, like cut off the steel headache rack from the flatbed to gain another 100 to 200 pounds for the front axle, but I am holding out on that.
If the camper sits midway between the front and rear axles on the flatbed, and if the weight of the camper is skewed toward the rear, then the 1850 pounds I have left on the front axle might just squeak by. The garage pod and all of the stuff in it are going to sit either directly over or well behind the rear axle, which will cause the front axle to lift. The 250 pound tounge weight of the sailboat will also lift a smidgen off the front axle.
But yes, I am concerned....but it is not a deal killer yet.
