TruckCamperNoob
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Re: next after Upper Stableloads? Jittery ride on rough pavement
How much does that camper weigh? We have a 2020 F350 shortbed diesel SRW and an 855S. We plan on towing our boat as well, so we have done the Bigwig sway bar, airbags, and upper stableloads. The responses you’re getting here make me wonder if we’ve “over-improved” our suspension, but to be honest, although the ride is pretty darn good, it still has noticeable sway and some squat without airbags inflated. Maybe you’re a lot lighter than we are, or maybe we’ve overdone it. Btw, is the true brand new? I keep reading how the tires can be squirrels for the first 3-400 miles. I didn’t notice any of that, but it seems that might be described as “jittery”.245Views0likes0CommentsRe: Truck Campers and Boating?
I’m new to this, and recently bought a truck/TC specifically to camp with a boat (MasterCraft x10, about 4500# with trailer and a Lance 855S on a 2020 F350). Would the same general advice apply to a heavier setup like this? I kind of assume I would need to drop the camper to launch, but it sounds like a number of you are launching while loaded. Are you using the front hitch just for visibility while “backing”, or for some other reason? Does a rear-mounted camera solve the problem? I assume we’re talking about reasonably maintained concrete boat ramps, not anything out of the ordinary like launching from the beach directly where even an unloaded trailer might get stuck in the muck.827Views0likes0CommentsRe: Used TC: does it have a lien?
Well - we figured it out and made the purchase! For future readers, the Idaho DMV doesn’t even know their own rules, you definitely need to title and register a TC in our state. The seller was able to provide evidence of loan payoff and we wrote up a purchase agreement where the buyer represents they are the owner of the TC and are selling free and marketable title. We paid half now and took possession of the TC, and will pay the remaining balance on receipt of the title (7-10 days to process). So, for the moment, we have a gigantic, expensive lawn ornament... still don’t have a truck!! Hahaha oh well...422Views0likes0CommentsRe: Used TC: does it have a lien?
So... just got off the phone with our local DMV, and they state that a Truck Camper does not need a title in the state of Idaho "because it doesn't touch the ground," even though that is in direct contradiction to their website (i.e. #2 here: https://itd.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Truck-Campers-FAQs.pdf) Ahh... bureaucracy. Even if the seller first titled it in Idaho, which according to my convo with the DMV this morning might not be possible, I don't think they'd run a lien search on it (?). I don't think they care if there is a loan on it in order to title/register it. Hmmm....378Views0likes0CommentsUsed TC: does it have a lien?
Hi everyone, I am attempting to buy a used TC (you may have seen my recent post about towing a boat, I am in fact trying to buy that Lance 855S). I have the deal all lined up and have agreed upon a price, and now I’m trying to figure out how the legal transfer works. I live in a state that requires a title and registration (Idaho). The seller just moved here from California, a state that does not require either, so the only legal document they have is a bill of sale showing they bought it from a dealer in California. It’s an “installment bill of sale”, which I believe means the purchased was financed. It appears that the seller may have to get a title and register the TC in Idaho before selling it to me, but my bigger concern is this: how do I verify the TC does not still have money owed on it (or some other lien)? The only solution I can think of is to write a bill of sale where the seller warrants that the title is free/clear/marketable, but that’s about all I’ve got. Are there other options or ways to do a lien search / title search? Thanks in advance!6.9KViews0likes27CommentsRe: Tow a ski boat behind a TC?
Huh? @kayteg1 what are you so mad about? I'm just asking for opinions - got yours, thanks. If you re-read my message I literally said the salesman is dead wrong, so take a chill pill. My point is that even with a dually 1-ton diesel, you're still potentially over the limit and I don't know how much more truck you can even buy (I haven't looked into a Ford F-450, but I think I gotta draw the line somewhere hah!). For instance: GMC 3500 DRW payload: 5,262 Wet camper weight: 3,300 pounds Boat tongue weight: 500 pounds (minimum, plus the effect of a 24" hitch extension) Stinger/hitch: 150 (?) pounds 40 gallons truck gas: 240 pounds Boat gear: 200 pounds Camping gear: 300 pounds? Driver: 225 pounds Wife: 140 pounds Kid 1: 50 pounds Kid 2: 50 pounds Kid gear: 100 pounds Black lab: 80 pounds = 5,335 pounds payload, i.e. over the limit for a dually. So, since people definitely do this, how do they do it? I know these are not the smallest campers and not the smallest boats, but they are by no means the biggest either, so I'm just trying to use good middle-of-the-road numbers. FWIW, I am looking at a Lance 855S. The guy I'd be buying from put it on a RAM 3500 and towed a Sanger boat at exactly the same weight as mine. He said it towed beautifully. I pointed out he was probably illegal. He didn't even know that.365Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow a ski boat behind a TC?
Appreciate all the help so far!! Lwiddis wrote: "we’d have 500 pounds available for all passengers, fuel, and gear." An unrealistic number for passengers, fuel and gear IMO. Four very skinny people is 500 pounds (125 each) without adding fuel and gear. Soon those kids will want to bring their bicycles, baseball gear, a friend etc. I agree, it's not very much and between myself and fuel alone, would exceed it. joerg68 wrote: Pay less attention to the payload and more to the rear axle weight rating (RAWR), especially on a SRW truck. A TC usually puts most or all of its weight on the rear axle. If the CoG of the camper is behind the axle, it will even transfer weight from the front to the rear, effectively making the front axle lighter. The tongue weight of the trailer is also carried by the rear axle, amplified by distance. On a SRW truck, the RAWR is usually limited by the load rating of the rear tires. At some point, no tires with a higher load rating are available. A DRW truck has twice as many tires in the back, which translates to roughly twice the capacity. Edit: with a TC and a trailer you tend to be pushing (or exceeding) the capabilities of many trucks. Calculate your weights conservatively. Things tend to be a lot heavier than you anticipate. Wherever possible, get actual weights from a scale. Ahh... okay, this is kind of what I have been wondering about because I didn't really think payload was the only story here. A couple questions: 1) I haven't seen the RAWR published for (for instance), a GMC 3500 1-ton diesel short bed SRW. Where do you find it? 2) How do you calculate the actual payload and RAWR weight impact of a trailer on a tongue extension? It occurs to me that if you put the tongue weight way back there on a 4' lever arm, it's going to have a different impact than what it would be if it were right on the hitch, so how do you know what it is? ******* In other news, I just called up the huge volume truck dealer in my area. I stumped the first sales guy with my questions about payload, so he transferred me to their "most experienced" sales person. That salesperson was adamant that the way to achieve what I am contemplating is by adding airbags to a 1-ton diesel truck, that it would increase the payload, and that it would be perfectly legal. He might be right that it would *effectively* increase the payload and make the rig comfortable to drive, but I think he's dead wrong that it would be legal if the stock payload is exceeded (i.e. adding airbags doesn't "legally" increase the weight rating) - can anyone comment on this? Setting the legality of it aside, he said he was "100% confident" that if I bought a 1-ton diesel and installed airbags, loaded it up with the TC and the boat, and drove it over the mountains in our area I would be perfectly happy with how the truck performed (none of this first-gear, 30mph hazards-on nonsense). Thoughts?365Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow a ski boat behind a TC?
By the way - we live in the mountains and it’s up and down over some significant mountain passes to where we want to camp and boat, so I really don’t want to be under-gunned here. We are currently towing our boat with an old 2500 suburban (gas), and this weekend had to chug along in first gear at 30 mph with the hazards on to get up and over the pass to get home... I hate that!128Views0likes0CommentsTow a ski boat behind a TC?
Hi everyone - been studying up on how to tow a boat behind a truck camper. Kind of out of the blue, my wife and I have recently bought a ski/surf boat (2005 Mastercraft x10) and have absolutely fallen in love with boating. We have two small kids and been planning on buying a trailer in the future, and with the addition of the boat our focus has quickly shifted to a Truck + Truck Camper Magazine + Boat combo. I know people do this, but I am trying to figure out how because as far as I can tell this kind of combination is going to more than max out even the most extreme trucks. It seems like the limiting factor is overall payload. Do I have this math right? Payload = GVWR - truck weight Weight of camper + **tongue weight (??)** of trailer + all people, gear, water and fuel = must be less than overall payload. We’re contemplating buying both the pickup and the camper (probably recent models but used), so here’s a rough example of what we’re considering: GMC 3500 diesel, single rear wheel (not dually) - payload: ~4,200 Lance 855S - wet weight: ~3,300 pounds Mastercraft x10 - trailer weight: ~4,200 pounds, tongue weight:~ 400 lbs In this scenario, our payload situation would be 3,300 TC +. 400 boat TW = 3,700 pounds. Deducted from a 4,200 pound payload, we’d have 500 pounds available for all passengers, fuel, and gear. This is where things seem to run aground (pun!). You’re probably going to have at least 250 pounds of gas in the truck, I’m a 200 pounder, my wife is 140, our kids are 50 (each - as of today), we could easily have a few hundred pounds of gear, an 80 pound black lab... you can see that we’re going to be way over the payload limit. And that’s with a 1-ton truck! So.... how do you pull this off? Do you have to go to a 1-ton dually?7.1KViews0likes36Comments
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