short bed with a long camper

[notsobigjoe]

I down sized some time ago from my chevy dually and my lance 1181 and bought a small travel trailer. I have a Ram 1500 4.7, 355 rear end with a tow package and tow and haul feature.  Air bags, heavy duty springs, pretty much a 2500 wannabe. I'm looking at a 2016 Eureka cowboy style camper but it is a 7.5 footer and I have a 6 foot bed. Can anyone share some experiences they have had with a similar rig as far as towing with the tailgate down, launching a boat with camper attached and all around handling of truck, camper and boat. I am well within my towing weight so that is not an issue.  The camper weighs 700 pounds. My pontoon is 3000 pounds.  Thanks in advance, Joe

[notsobigjoe]

I have a 2013 ram 1500 6.4 bed, 4.7.  4th page down, quad cab 4x2 tradesman. My truck has the chip that basically changes the stock tow to the upgraded tow numbers. You'll have to look that one up yourseves. https://fifthwheelst.com/documents/ram/2013-RAM.1500.Towing.Specs.pdf I have no problem with the upgraded coils and no bounce in the front end. The aftermarket air bags are amazing. I have a 2020 StarCraft pontoon boat with a 115 Sho Yamaha motor. https://starcraftmarine.com/showroom/2025/pontoon/ex/20-c

[notsobigjoe]

I have a 6 foot truck bed that is clearly stated in my opening statement. The defunked camper is just that! No info at all!!! Here's the Facebook link.  https://www.facebook.com/eurekacampers A center of gravity issue for a 700 pound camper In my opinion is moot. It's well within the 1500 pound cargo limit on my truck. I stated also that I installed heavy duty springs and air bags to basically make the 1500 into a 2500 because the only difference between the 2 is the suspension and the motor. I have no weight issues or center of gravity issues and I have seen them hauled "the way I described in my OP post" around like this for decades. I didn't respond because my email alerts were going to spam so I was wrong there. That has been fixed. Thanks to all for your comments but I have purchased a Tusca sleeper and couldn't be happier. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091430966339&sk=photos I installed it over the decked drawer system and it's an amazing combination. If of course you can handle a 4 foot high camper. I will be installing a 12 volt A/C and 2 solar panels to use with my solar generator. I have plans of installing that cartridge toilet system as well  https://www.amazon.com/THETFORD-200866SP-CASSETTE-C223-CS/dp/B07P5HTP7C/ref=sr_1_48?c=ts&dib=eyJ2Ijo... I installed a tailgate ladder that folds neatly up when my tailgate is closed. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YFVS8V/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B078YFVS8V&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_ssd_im... I also installed this hand rail. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079QDH26J/?coliid=I23ZUML1CIGJR1&colid=28ANU1EKUFK6F&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl... I never had any intension to sleep in this thing and consider it a big out house.  I will be using it specifically to travel to the keys with my pontoon boat and to explore the ICW here at home in central Florida. My wife and I picked the camper up and put it on my truck, so absolutely no weight issues at all. I haven't used it yet because I'm busy at work but as soon as I get photos of the finnished work I will post.  Thank you for your replies, Joe

[StirCrazy]

hold on here, I think I misread your post. your initial post is a little confusing you have to read it 3 or 4 times to get it, and I skimmed it as well as everyone else at first I believe.

 I missed the type of camper because you listed the lance and that was what I was looking at. 

A 7 foot camper on a 6.4 bed..  I would take the tail gate off unless you want a sliver of a step out, but it will probably get in the way of the steps.  I wouldnt be concerned about the 8" of overhang

what I am getting now is you will have the little pontoon boat on a small trailer behind you and launch the boat that way.  should be fine..  

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[StirCrazy]

retracted answer based on wrong information

[Grit_dog]

Well that’s quite some clairvoyance considering the OP still hasn’t said which length bed he has and with virtually no info available on the defunct camper brand, we have no idea where the cog is, or how much it would affect the handling of the truck. 
But by your conclusion, ALL these 10-12’ long TCs on 8’ beds are just horrible. Yet they’ve been making them for decades and continue to, without issue. 
However, the OP isn’t really interested in providing enough info to get actual succinct advice so there’s that. 

[StirCrazy]

retracted, based on wrong information

[mkirsch]

Where are you getting your information on COG?

It's only 7.5', which is typically a "short bed" camper.

Even at 39", it's less than 6" behind the rear axle. That has the same effect as a trailer with no more than 100lbs of tongue weight. OP will hardly be doing wheelies down the road, even with a 3000lb boat in tow.

"OMG the COG is 1/4" behind the rear axle! It's a death trap!!!!" C'mon, be reasonable.

[StirCrazy]

hold on here 

[Grit_dog]

Regarding tailgate down. If the bottom of the camper is flat (it is for the model you referenced) , tailgate down is no problemo. 
Camper can’t sit on tailgate at all is another TC wives tale in a lot of scenarios. 
Launching boat w camper? 
Well you didn’t say if 4wd. But if it’s not, 4wd, it’ll get up a ramp better with the camper in back than an empty truck bed all other things equal. 
Not sure what the question is here really. 

[Grit_dog]

Where to start.  
First, yes regardless of the pertinent info that you didn’t provide, a 700lb camper will be just fine. Period. No questions asked. 
How much it will really weigh is in question though. Which you ought to know as an ex TC owner. 
On to specifics. 
Year of truck is most important to start with, literally. As the description you provided could be a 3rd gen with leafs or a 4th gen with coils. 
Coils basically suck for truck campers but if light enough like the Cowboy camper, may not be prohibitively bad. coils with air bags, even worse. However heavy duty coils are available. 
Next, no such thing as a 6’ bed. It’s either 5.5 ish or 6.4 ish. Unless you have a 3rd gen in which case it’s the 6.4 whatever.  The latter being preferable. 
Also, it is nowhere near a “3/4 ton wanna be”. Regardless of which gen truck, although a 3rd gen with leafs again would be better. 
You can figure out the differences. But the reality is the only thing that’s similar is the body and interior. The chassis is good for about half of what a 3/4 ton is good for. 
Onto the boat. Again left off the most important info. Tongue weight. However most pontoons are light ish tongue weight so what’s yours?  1000lbs in the bed and 300lbs on a short hitch extension (maybe, since you don’t say if it’ll work with no extension, but a tape measure and some basic measurements would tell you)  is not horrible for either model truck you might have. And actually the boat will help stabilize the body roll so the truck drives less like a boat….actually.
That’s about all I can think of for basic consideration and parameters. 
Your axle capacity will be fine. Tires might not be. You didn’t say aboot that. But those are easily changed. 

Back to the short answer, I can approximate pretty easily what that combo will feel like and tow like and if it is an old leafer rear end truck, I’d do it without thinking twice. 
If it’s a 5.5’ coil spring truck, I’d think harder about it. And either bed with coils, I’d slap some heavy duty coils in it. 
Hope this helps. 

Hey are you the dude who had the OBS dually with the goofy studebaker lookin front clip?  

[MORSNOW]

At least you're looking at a good camper made for a light duty truck, but being a long bed camper it may have a COG behind your rear axle.  And then to add your pontoon is really going to overload the rear axle/tires of your truck with the front end handling being really poor. 

[Grit_dog]

As much as the 4.7 is a lightweight and not great engine, can’t just surmise that it’ll float down the road with not enough weight on the front axle. 
(Although possible for sure.). It’s still hard to wrap my head around the concept that take a couple hundred lbs off the front and it is dangerous. Maybe because it’s not. Unless egregiously unloaded.