payload and towing question

[4motion]

Sorry if this isn't the correct spot for questions regarding towing and payload capacity.

I have a 2015 silverado high country with 8 speed, 5.8ft bed. I want to put a truck camper on it soon and the camper Im looking at is at 1860 lbs dry weight. I see some info online stating the truck is at 1828 lb payload capacity. Would I be ok if I use airbags on the springs and torklift tiedowns? I am new to truck camper and towing world. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.Thanks.

[NE18]

I would not put a truck camper in a 1500 and you don’t have enough payload. It’s amazing how quickly it adds up with just supplies and accessories.

[carkhz316]

28 minutes ago, NE18 said:

I would not put a truck camper in a 1500 and you don’t have enough payload. It’s amazing how quickly it adds up with just supplies and accessories.

Agreed.

 

Also OP: airbags, helpers, etc do not increase the payload of a truck, despite what many seem to believe. They only serve to stabilize a given load. If you've not purchased a slide in yet, perhaps consider the myriad of options available to you in pull behinds/ travel trailers.

[dieselfan1]

1860 dry weight does not include batteries, propane,and any accessories. You will be way over a ton with your water and cargo. Not to mention you and your passengers.
These types of campers are made for 3/4 tons. Period.

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[btj_z71]

4 hours ago, 4motion said:

Sorry if this isn't the correct spot for questions regarding towing and payload capacity.

I have a 2015 silverado high country with 8 speed, 5.8ft bed. I want to put a truck camper on it soon and the camper Im looking at is at 1860 lbs dry weight. I see some info online stating the truck is at 1828 lb payload capacity. Would I be ok if I use airbags on the springs and torklift tiedowns? I am new to truck camper and towing world. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.Thanks.

No, don't do it.  Air bags, extra leafs, extended bump stops, etc., do not increase towing or payload. Rather, these products increase the ability for the truck to handle heavy loads.

 

Go for a 2500 or 3500 long bed if a bed camper is what you want.

[2018GMC]

Pickup bed campers certainly have their place but...

 

A family member bought one and it’s a big PITA to slide in and out. Once it’s on the truck don’t really want to daily drive truck with big camper. Definitely feel it’s back their on corners and windy days. He has 3500 truck single rear wheel with airbags. Not much room when you are in it vs a travel trailer.

 

I agree with others that don’t do a slide in on a half ton. If you must get one, get a pop up as they are lower profile and a little lighter but I’d still root for a pull behind trailer you can easily unhook and have a nice unloaded truck to drive a long with more space etc.

[dieselfan1]

17 hours ago, 2018GMC said:

Pickup bed campers certainly have their place but...

 

A family member bought one and it’s a big PITA to slide in and out. Once it’s on the truck don’t really want to daily drive truck with big camper. Definitely feel it’s back their on corners and windy days. He has 3500 truck single rear wheel with airbags. Not much room when you are in it vs a travel trailer.

 

I agree with others that don’t do a slide in on a half ton. If you must get one, get a pop up as they are lower profile and a little lighter but I’d still root for a pull behind trailer you can easily unhook and have a nice unloaded truck to drive a long with more space etc.

You nailed it. A buddy has a 11.5ft top of the line Lance on his 3500 drw. It has two slideouts and if I remember it weighs around 4000lbs. It squats the truck a bit even with bags. Once it's on the truck they only drive it to the lake because it's such a beast to drive. He said it's a pain in the ass when it's windy too.

 

[KARNUT]

We had a couple of born free slide in campers in the 70s-80s. We used a couple of one ton fords with 390s, C6 transmissions, 410 rear ends. The engines had headers hollies were modified a bit. The campers had their own axles and could sleep 6. We raised horses and went to horse shows all over. I remember them being very stable and easy to lift and slide in the truck. We eventually went to goose neck- fifth wheel because they were larger. The nice thing about slide ins are there compact and take little space.


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[Donstar]

You definitely have the wrong vehicle for this application.  Truck mounted campers were once quite common but they have proven to be the least popular of the RV types. This empty camper exceeds your load rating even when the truck is empty.  Check your load capacity on the inside of the driver's door.  The camper you can buy to fit on your current truck will be small and basic.  The truck you need to buy to carry such a large camper will be impractical for the 300+ days a year you won't be hauling a camper.   Maybe explain why you want a truck camper over a travel trailer or a class C  and experienced members can give specific feedback.  I know I have often thought that a truck and camper would be a compact and convenient way to travel. 

[garagerog]

As Donstar as alluded to, the main advantage of a truck/slide-in camper is the compact size. Back in the day I had a Conestoga 9'3" slide-in camper that I hauled around with an 84 K-20 HD camper special, it was a kidney bruiser un-loaded, but the 3000 lb unloaded camper just barely got it on the overload springs. Anyway, the Conestoga had everything we needed, frig, stove, toilet and shower, and queen bed with dining table that converted into 2 bunks, albeit in a very compact size. My family and I enjoyed that for years as we liked to frequent forest service campgrounds and the smaller, out of the way state parks. My brother used to tow a 35' TT, and he spent an inordinate amount time planning his trip and he was pretty much limited to commercial campgrounds along freeways that charged almost as much as a hotel. Is that camping? Not to me, but to each his own. As far as the loading and unloading of a slide-in camper, not all that difficult, even easier since the advent of electric jacks.

[dieselfan1]

3 hours ago, garagerog said:

As Donstar as alluded to, the main advantage of a truck/slide-in camper is the compact size. Back in the day I had a Conestoga 9'3" slide-in camper that I hauled around with an 84 K-20 HD camper special, it was a kidney bruiser un-loaded, but the 3000 lb unloaded camper just barely got it on the overload springs. Anyway, the Conestoga had everything we needed, frig, stove, toilet and shower, and queen bed with dining table that converted into 2 bunks, albeit in a very compact size. My family and I enjoyed that for years as we liked to frequent forest service campgrounds and the smaller, out of the way state parks. My brother used to tow a 35' TT, and he spent an inordinate amount time planning his trip and he was pretty much limited to commercial campgrounds along freeways that charged almost as much as a hotel. Is that camping? Not to me, but to each his own. As far as the loading and unloading of a slide-in camper, not all that difficult, even easier since the advent of electric jacks.

When I was a kid in the late 60's early 70's my uncle had a huge slide in camper on a 68 F350 . I remember camping in that thing to this day. Good times.

[newdude]

Something to look at with GM is they do put a camper load label in the glovebox.  Most commonly its only found on 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, and shows the max allowable weight for a slide in camper.

 

A 5ft8in crew cab 1/2 ton is not the truck for a slide in camper.  

[4motion]

On 6/16/2020 at 7:16 PM, carkhz316 said:

Agreed.

 

Also OP: airbags, helpers, etc do not increase the payload of a truck, despite what many seem to believe. They only serve to stabilize a given load. If you've not purchased a slide in yet, perhaps consider the myriad of options available to you in pull behinds/ travel trailers.

Well, the reason why I was considering a truck camper is because I also wanted to tow the boat to camp at the same time too. Kinda want to have two worlds altogether. 

[4motion]

I apologized it took a while for me to respond back fellas. I did find a smaller size slide in camper rated at 1380 lbs, however considering the real facts that we won't be camping and boating at least 50% of the time, I I have decided to just haul a 29fter trailer rv which has a 5654 lb dry weight. I'd like to say thanks for sharing all your suggestions/advises, stories or experiences pertaining to truck campers and such.

 

On a second note, I actually did plan to upgrade to a 2500 hd, but then again, the truck camper only provided such a cramped space for a growing family of five. I guess the traveling trailer will be our first experience for now.

 

Thanks again!!