Hauling Truck Camper On A Srw 3/4 Ton

[JAG1]

I imagine most you guys feel that it is better to haul a Truck Camper on a dually. I am a SRW sort of guy and weigh around 10,000 lbs when hauling my camper. I have to admit that it would be better if I had a dually.

 

However, dealers all across the nation are saying that a SRW is okay for the lighter class of TC's like mine weighing 2475 dry. You see a lot of them and like me seem to have no problem getting insurance.

 

Besides the number of wheels (obvious difference) is there really anything weaker about the axles and bearings on a 3/4 ton SRW truck? Mine is a camper package btw. Whatever that means

Edited January 13, 2014 by JAG1

[AH64ID]

The axles and bearings will not be an issue, even if you have a D70 vs D80.

What is limiting you, and is a safety concern, is your wheels and tires. What are they rated at?

Have you actually weighed your truck with the camper on it?

I ask because the advertised weight is never very accurate. My Dad's Lance 850 is advertised at being 2350, the sticker on the back is closer to 2600 and the actual weight when loaded for camping with full water, dual batteries, etc is around 4K lbs and just under 7K lbs on the rear axle.

[War Eagle]

X2^

 

I'm an SRW SB truck that carries a heavy camper.  I carried mine on stock chrome clad steel wheels and the OEM Aluminum wheels both with LRE tires thinking all things were good. 

 

Then one day I got the rig on a certified scale and found I was over the capacity of the tires on the rear axle and this didn't make me feel good at all.

 

I am now going to 19.5s so that I will not be over weight on the tires or wheels.

 

I prefer the SRW rather than dually because my rig is also my hunting rig and I get off the road a feel I have much more manueverablity in the SRW stance.

 

I believe your truck had a sway bar in the rear (if not then I would suggest you consider that item) but I added Tork lift stable loads and that made a nice difference on the truck setting height as well as helping to stablize the tendanccy to sway when going around corners or over RR tracks etc.

 

Good shocks help the bounce control with the cg so high when the camper is loaded.  I use Rancho 9000XL because I like the ability to adjust, but there are other good shocks available as well if you're not a Rancho guy.

[JAG1]

My 16'' rims are rated at 3750 each and the Michelins are the LTS M/S rated at 3450 ea. I weighed out at the scales, fully loaded with water at 10,500 but that was with all the carpenter tools since I was doing to a job out of town. Could probably take off 400 lbs or so for tools.

 

I do have front/ rear sway bars and the KYB Monomax shocks. I'm very impressed with them as they have been on there for 6-7 years (40k miles) and show no sign of wear.

 

I brought home a dually the first night of looking at trucks and could not get used to the wider sides in the mirrors.

 

Following a dually one time... he tried avoiding an oncoming vehicle on a skinny road but hit a rock on the right side. It was too bad on such a nice new rig.

Edited January 14, 2014 by JAG1

[AH64ID]

Your truck is pretty light! I would break 9,000 with just the tools and my normal winter toolbox load. I have been over 11,000 a few times with nothing hooked to the hitch.

I just looked up the curb weight on a QC LB auto for 2002 and it's 700lbs lighter than my curb weight which is about 800 lbs lighter than my lightest of "empty" weights.

[hex0rz]

I imagine most you guys feel that it is better to haul a Truck Camper on a dually. I am a SRW sort of guy and weigh around 10,000 lbs when hauling my camper. I have to admit that it would be better if I had a dually.

 

However, dealers all across the nation are saying that a SRW is okay for the lighter class of TC's like mine weighing 2475 dry. You see a lot of them and like me seem to have no problem getting insurance.

 

Besides the number of wheels (obvious difference) is there really anything weaker about the axles and bearings on a 3/4 ton SRW truck? Mine is a camper package btw. Whatever that means

 

Well, last time I weighed on a scale, I was probably around that same weight or more! I'm an SRW as well.. I think I curb out at around 6600lbs. So when I add my pin weight of my trailer, thats right about around that 10k or more mark.

 

I think that if you want to be a stickler and stay safe in legal perspective, do not go over the ratings. You are going over the GVWR but not the RAWR. You probably have atleast 1-2k lbs more for your rear axle if you stay under that 2500lb mark. It'd be best if you went to a scale empty and then loaded to know for sure. As well I have never seen a 3/4 ton dually cummins!

 

My 16'' rims are rated at 3750 each and the Michelins are the LTS M/S rated at 3450 ea. I weighed out at the scales, fully loaded with water at 10,500 but that was with all the carpenter tools since I was doing to a job out of town. Could probably take off 400 lbs or so for tools.

 

I do have front/ rear sway bars and the KYB Monomax shocks. I'm very impressed with them as they have been on there for 6-7 years (40k miles) and show no sign of wear.

 

I brought home a dually the first night of looking at trucks and could not get used to the wider sides in the mirrors.

 

Following a dually one time... he tried avoiding an oncoming vehicle on a skinny road but hit a rock on the right side. It was too bad on such a nice new rig.

 

My rims rated for 3400lbs each and tires 3750 each. The 10500lb is right at GVWR for a 1 ton dually. But still there is plenty left for RAWR on that dually.

 

IMO, I think that if you have/get some really good sway bars, airbags, shocks, and a good gear lube, you would be all right. Like stated above, wheels and tires are important. Check to make sure you have proper air pressure in the tires and tread wear is good.

 

Last RV park I stayed at, the owner had a camper and boat she was pulling with her dually. She was cruising down the road taking her trip, and she had dual tire blowouts on the rear! She ended up in a ditch upside down. She did not suffer major injuries from it but everything was totaled. Her camper took the brunt of it and kept the cab of the truck from collapsing.

 

Now, this is not saying you will have problems, but I think if you use your head and make sure you stay on top of things, you should do good. Heck, I'm pulling  one heck of a 5th wheel with my 3/4 ton. I can definitely get worked up about pulling it sometimes, but I do good. Heres to hoping I don't get into trouble!

[JAG1]

I'm all with what you guys say even if I weren't

 

You know.... the single biggest, most surprising mod was putting on the air bags Couldn't believe the difference..... It was like driven' an empty Datsun pick-up after that.

[Ilikeoldfords]

That camper thats in my avatar pic was a 1974 Monaco. The whole frame was built out of 2x4's and the interior was all hard wood. That thing was a beast!!! Dry i think it was right at about 3500 lbs or better. My SRW handled it pretty well actually. The only thing that set me back I think were my 35in tires and I dont have any airbags or anything in the back. That camper was the old style where the front bunk was angled in instead of sloping back so I dont know how much extra weight that applied going down the road at 65 mph.

[MnTom]

You know.... the single biggest, most surprising mod was putting on the air bags Couldn't believe the difference..... It was like driven' an empty Datsun pick-up after that.

I had an old 10' slide in that I put on a 1987 Chevy R30 (1 ton dually, four full size door cab) and at 50 mph it felt like it was all you felt comfortable doing. I traded that truck in on the one I have now and put the same camper on it. I aired up the bags to about 35# each. I went to Branson, Mo. with it and on the freeway I set the cruise at 65 mph and just rode. It felt real comfortable with the air bags.

Hey Jag1, you are dating yourself. Datsun brand has not been around for a long time.......

[Ilikeoldfords]

I had an old 10' slide in that I put on a 1987 Chevy R30 (1 ton dually, four full size door cab) and at 50 mph it felt like it was all you felt comfortable doing. I traded that truck in on the one I have now and put the same camper on it. I aired up the bags to about 35# each. I went to Branson, Mo. with it and on the freeway I set the cruise at 65 mph and just rode. It felt real comfortable with the air bags.

Hey Jag1, you are dating yourself. Datsun brand has not been around for a long time.......

Thats interesting. You would think that old chev would have felt more stable being it had a longer wheel base and the dual wheels. Maybe it was the front suspension set up on the chev vs. the dodge?

[MnTom]

Thats interesting. You would think that old chev would have felt more stable being it had a longer wheel base and the dual wheels. Maybe it was the front suspension set up on the chev vs. the dodge?

I don't know what it was, but my Dodge has the camper and trailer package on it. If you look at the suspention under a 3500 second gen it looks the same as my 2500. Even my daughter's QCSB 4WD 2500 rides better than mine. Like Isaid, the camper I had was an old one and I never did weigh it, but it was heavy. I have about 10 psi in the bags now and my fiver puts 1800 pounds in the box and only drops it about 2".

[hex0rz]

You can have quit a bit for cargo capacity in these trucks! I think my rear axle, empty was 2084. Thats 4k lbs to get to RAWR!

[JAG1]

Hey Jag1, you are dating yourself. Datsun brand has not been around for a long time.......

   Can't help it, that's the one brand, I remember Dolly Parton goes for her 280 Z  and being the most lightweight truck that's all I could think of

[MnTom]

   Can't help it, that's the one brand, I remember Dolly Parton goes for her 280 Z  and being the most lightweight truck that's all I could think of

I had one many many years ago! That was one tough little truck!! I think it was a 1973.......

[JAG1]

The early 70's chevy trucks were the best ones built. A little later in life I bought two 64 chevy trucks and built one good one out of the two. It had a custom flatbed with a 283, rv cam, special lifters, dual exhaust and 4 barrel carb. I used to run that thing down the freeway at 80 and the truck loved it so much would say, 'gimme me more, gimme me more'

 

It ended up I had to sell it since I bid too low on a house I built. :banghead:

Edited January 15, 2014 by JAG1

[Ilikeoldfords]

Thats actually one of my dream builds. I want to put a cummins in a mid 1970's chev one ton dually. Make it a full size crew cab with all the power options and 4x4. That would be one awesome ride :drool:

[JAG1]

Thats actually one of my dream builds. I want to put a cummins in a mid 1970's chev one ton dually. Make it a full size crew cab with all the power options and 4x4. That would be one awesome ride :drool:

A friend of mine did that exact same thing. He paid for the work to get done.....  $10 grand something like that in the 90's. It had an Allison trans behind it. It needed a paint job real bad but it was a nice truck after that.

[Ilikeoldfords]

I would like to keep the NV5600 depending on how everything fit in there. I will probably end up driving my current truck until I dont want to fix it anymore, then use it as a donor truck for the motor, trans, and electronics to go into the chev.

[AH64ID]

I currently have about 1500 miles on my 245/70R19.5 LRG tires, and I am very impressed. They ride great, they handle well, and the truck is more stable with 60psi in them than 80 psi in the LRE's while towing.

 

If you need more weight carrying capacity or a bigger safety margin these are the way to go.

[Mopar1973Man]

Kind of like a set of Load Range G's I found at Big O Tires (235/85 R16 3,750# @ 110 PSI) even fit on stock rims.