Let's See Those HDs With Slide-In Truck Campers!

[Another JR]

Also, note that the rated truck camper weight on the camper sticker in the glove box is less than the rated payload weight by 750 lbs on a GM truck. 

[Chuck FB]

49 minutes ago, Another JR said:

I have met two people who had Northern Lite 8 foot campers on their 2020+ 3500HD SRW trucks and they had verified at a scale that they were within the weight limits of the truck, but without much margin when passengers are considered.  I don’t remember the weights they told me. I doubt you can achieve that with a Lance.  The payload for my truck is 4055 lbs. 

 

I agree that you can’t rely on the data plate of a truck camper, which is the base model weight. The data plate on my pop-up says 1222 lbs, but as I said above it actually weighs about 1700 lbs with tanks full and nothing else. The base model for that camper is called a “shell” and has nothing in it, and that’s the weight they apparently use on the data plate. 
 

I see on the road a lot of hard-sided 8 to 10 foot campers on SRW 2020+ 3500HDs, including Arctic Fox campers.  All the 10 and 11 foot heavy Lance campers I see are on duallies. 
 

Regarding bear safety with a pop up camper, the top of the hard side is eight feet high, so most black bears aren’t really a threat. Also, if we are worried, two of us can sleep comfortably in the lower dinette bed with the top down. I’ve done that a couple of times in stormy weather. A third person could also sleep on the floor or the back seat of the truck in a pinch, but that would be a last resort. 

 

I was reading some comments below a sales guys blathering youtube video where he spewed out the usual crap information claiming that customers just had to spend money on their truck to upgrade the suspension to carry the camper and referring to a camper with a dry base "listed" weight of some 1800 lb or more as he stood by it and the claim was it would work on a half ton truck ( like in whos fantasy world ? ), then walks over to I think it was an Arctic Fox 8-11 size or so and showed what the listed weight was on it which was plenty heavy. Then I start reading the comments and that is where those that either owned such rigs or had been digging deeper into the specs and like the AF made to fit a short box srw truck, the arctic fox landing its called on the back is listed as an option so is not included in the sticker weight on the camper but AF makes those campers with the fox landing so its really not an option, its a game they played to lower the weight of the camper. Northern Lite, and others out there seem to play that slight of hand game as they are all trying to compete. 

 

Jon, your camper brand I looked up a while back or at least if its the brand that I have in my mind with how they brought it across on the website, they listed off the base weight and then the weight of every option so it could be tallied up and come up with a no nonsense final figure, that's the way all camper manufactures should do it ... with honesty. Its a big deal when one buys an expensive truck that the camper manufacture claims is suitable and then find out after the fact when you already own the truck and now the camper, its heavier than what they claim, plus once loaded with water and supplies just too much weight. The problem is trying to figure this out before putting down the cash and that's where forums or youtube videos or a comments section can help unless one happens to have friends that have rigged up a unit and can give some hard numbers and know what one is in for with a particular brand and model of camper. 

 

Your weight of camper Jon as well as your low center of gravity, that slid into the truck you have is the ideal setup for going up into the Yukon and Alaska with the crap highways which is always a moving target depending on year or time of the summer, construction season with rain, and all those wonderful perma frost frost heaves that some area's up there and then if one wants to venture up the Dempster in the Yukon or the Dalton in Alaska, lots of truck under a lighter camper allows that type of travel on gravel potholed roads ( with bullet proof tires ) .  

Edited December 5, 2025 by Chuck FB

[Chuck FB]

53 minutes ago, Another JR said:

Also, note that the rated truck camper weight on the camper sticker in the glove box is less than the rated payload weight by 750 lbs on a GM truck. 

 

In my case it would be 3800 pounds under my max payload LOL, with standard torsion bars they don't rate it at all which is ridiculous but that is what GM does, had I opted for either heavier torsion bar then it would have had the camper rating. Or done like you did in the end as you couldn't know until you had your truck and camper set up and then realize it would benefit from a softer bar since your camper is not throwing the weight forward like some campers may although I get the impression that even some of the fairly large campers are putting pretty much all the weight on the rear axle by the time the storage is used that tends to be further back in the camper. 

 

I had it on my brain today so I walked out to the shed to measure my brothers camper as per the width of the camper as Jake was mentioning the issues with being able to see properly with the GM mirrors. My brothers camper brand is no longer made but its brand is a Corsair and its width across from wall side to wall side is 8 feet 4 inches. Yes its that wide as I see a lot of campers are either 8 feet on the nose or some middle to smaller ones are under 8 feet by a certain margin. His camper doesn't have anything much sticking out beyond that, yes some covers as per water heater and so forth but nothing jutting out very much and the jacks are tucked in as the front ones swing forward and the rear ones stick out about 1/4 of an inch if that beyond the flat side of the camper. His camper has no side awnings so no other brackets or arms that stick out as that or jacks sticking out which I see on some campers becomes the obstacle even though the camper body is not as wide. So a camper that wide on a 2006 Ford dually, the camper was too wide to really see properly out the factory mirrors as it would have been the outer end of the mirror that I believe worked to just see past it, how it would compare with todays equivalent Fords I don't know. So he took off his factory mirrors which probably had some lighting etc on them and put on some brand of mirror that was made for the Ford but was more basic with LONG arms so they stick out and it is good to look back through them ( I've backed his unit into the shed more than once and they work good ). But that shows that some campers out there create issues with mirrors on trucks that even have "tow mirrors"

Edited December 5, 2025 by Chuck FB

[tortiseshell]

Alrighty... nice to see the campers getting some love these days! Here's my rig. A 2021 Cirrus 620 on a 2021 2500HD Duramax. No mods... works great for our needs except the height differential from the ground up to the tailgate (with camper on=36"). Or what I'm more concerned about the way down! Esp at night a mis-step could be a bummer. We have a swing away cargo carrier and bike rack we mount depending on the trip. Allows us to swing away the unit while attached to the truck and provide egress to the camper. Quite happy with the setup and rides very well with the 2500 HD. This is my first diesel and Im blown away at the low rpms going up a mtn pass or hill. Effortless, and the exhaust brake is really nice for those steep or long descents. We moved from a VW camper van (of 25 years) to this platform. Huge shift but we have a much larger footprint now and serious height. So paying attention to things I didn't really need to before. My jacks use a quick release system so we travel with them off and selectively take them with us depending on the trip. But overall very happy and the whole platform feels solid.

[SoCal Angler]

On 12/4/2025 at 3:20 PM, Another JR said:

Also, note that the rated truck camper weight on the camper sticker in the glove box is less than the rated payload weight by 750 lbs on a GM truck. 

What is the reason for that...(weight of 6 passengers for six seatbelts)?

[Another JR]

4 hours ago, SoCal Angler said:

What is the reason for that...(weight of 6 passengers for six seatbelts)?

I don’t know if it’s driven by a regulatory requirement or is just a GM practice, but my understanding is that it is intended to account for people and stuff in the cab subtracting from the available payload. 

[jake111]

From 2024 owner's manual, about page 206:  "The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the "******" amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lb passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)"

...and...

"Subtract Occupant Weight @ 68 kg (150 lb) × 5 = 340kg (750 lb)"

 

So yes, because we all weigh an average of 150 lbs.      While my camper sticker (2446 lbs.) is technically a little more than what's in the glove box (2427 lbs.), it's just wife and me totaling about 340 lbs., instead of 750.  Why, that leaves 410 lbs. for food, tools, clothes, and lots of other stuff.  My camper weight sticker (what's left that I can read), includes fresh water and propane and something I can't make out (something about the refrigerator).

  

[Another JR]

On 12/10/2025 at 10:58 PM, jake111 said:

From 2024 owner's manual, about page 206:  "The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the "******" amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lb passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)"

...and...

"Subtract Occupant Weight @ 68 kg (150 lb) × 5 = 340kg (750 lb)"

 

So yes, because we all weigh an average of 150 lbs.      While my camper sticker (2446 lbs.) is technically a little more than what's in the glove box (2427 lbs.), it's just wife and me totaling about 340 lbs., instead of 750.  Why, that leaves 410 lbs. for food, tools, clothes, and lots of other stuff.  My camper weight sticker (what's left that I can read), includes fresh water and propane and something I can't make out (something about the refrigerator).

  

That makes sense. My truck is a crew cab with front bucket seats, so five seats x 150 is 750 lbs. I wonder if the lower trims trucks with the standard convertible center front seat are minus 900 lbs. 

 

The refrigerator weight wording you mentioned probably says it includes the refrigerant fluid. 

[SoCal Angler]

On 12/7/2025 at 10:59 PM, tortiseshell said:

Alrighty... nice to see the campers getting some love these days! Here's my rig. A 2021 Cirrus 620 on a 2021 2500HD Duramax. No mods... works great for our needs except the height differential from the ground up to the tailgate (with camper on=36"). Or what I'm more concerned about the way down! Esp at night a mis-step could be a bummer. We have a swing away cargo carrier and bike rack we mount depending on the trip. Allows us to swing away the unit while attached to the truck and provide egress to the camper. Quite happy with the setup and rides very well with the 2500 HD. This is my first diesel and Im blown away at the low rpms going up a mtn pass or hill. Effortless, and the exhaust brake is really nice for those steep or long descents. We moved from a VW camper van (of 25 years) to this platform. Huge shift but we have a much larger footprint now and serious height. So paying attention to things I didn't really need to before. My jacks use a quick release system so we travel with them off and selectively take them with us depending on the trip. But overall very happy and the whole platform feels solid.

I really like the Cirrus 620...one of the reasons is... it's one of only a few hardside TC that can be installed and used with the tailgate in closed/up position.  Have you had any issues with regard to the front over cab "Stargazer" window?  I've read issues with sealant gaps, leaks, flying off, etc?  I believe it is only chemically mounted to roof (Silkaflex) with no fasteners used.  Also, how does your multi pro tailgate work (if you have one) when used as entry/exit step?  Would you purchase the 620 again?  Thanks!

Edited December 23, 2025 by SoCal Angler

[lineman1234]

I am about 500lbs under my max payload with everything i need. 

      The plan is to have stuff i may need for a 5 or so months wandering south, then back up north when im done or for spring and summer. 

  1st, pic is before i headed south, im south now. How south, 6 miles from the Mexican boarder in Texas. 2nd pic.

        After the 1st of the year, its go check other places out. 

 

       The TC center gravity is made to go on any bed length. I like transfer tanks, so i have a 45 gallon gas tank in the bed. A legal gas rated, pump in only, not plumed into the filler neck, like my last diesel was. 

        Thats why the camper isnt against the front of the bed.

 

The racks are great for extra stuff and no trailer towing for needed extra stuff. 

       The front hitch mount wasnt to bad to install for one person.

 

The setup handles great, my rear overloads arent touching. Mine does have factory plow/camper prep.

[lineman1234]

A couple random added pictures. 

    I do like the front window, but for the heck of it, i made a travel snap on cushioned rock cover. 

    The cheby tailgate is not flat/flush with the bed floor, as it sits about a half inch taller.  The camper sits on 4 rails so i was able to move in the last rail in to be right about where the bed ends to be able to leave the tailgate in/down. 

 

Palomino seems to have a bad reputation, but,,,,,,, the only thing i needed to do was add more insulation to behind the front cap, everything else works fine and is as it is supposed to be, including fit and finish of everything. 

 

Camper 2024 palomino hs-750, i got new, as a carry over.

 

 

[Chuck FB]

15 hours ago, lineman1234 said:

I am about 500lbs under my max payload with everything i need. 

      The plan is to have stuff i may need for a 5 or so months wandering south, then back up north when im done or for spring and summer. 

  1st, pic is before i headed south, im south now. How south, 6 miles from the Mexican boarder in Texas. 2nd pic.

        After the 1st of the year, its go check other places out. 

 

       The TC center gravity is made to go on any bed length. I like transfer tanks, so i have a 45 gallon gas tank in the bed. A legal gas rated, pump in only, not plumed into the filler neck, like my last diesel was. 

        Thats why the camper isnt against the front of the bed.

 

The racks are great for extra stuff and no trailer towing for needed extra stuff. 

       The front hitch mount wasnt to bad to install for one person.

 

The setup handles great, my rear overloads arent touching. Mine does have factory plow/camper prep.

 

Are you often staying in RV parks with hookups as per that example photo and the reason I ask is because of the limited fresh water and sewer tank sizes that I expect would make it tough to be off grid for very long. Weather always plays a huge roll in what any RV can deal with to comfortably live in and not be tethered in one way or another depending on how much self reliant supplies one can stuff into it and keep from spoiling, by way of fuels or electric power from solar or a generator etc. Unless I am not seeing correctly, did you mount an air con to it after the fact ?. Because you also own or at least did have a trailer, you have a comparison in rigs under your belt to compare the amenities and storage room. 

 

I know my brothers camper because it really lacks in solar, that has been a problem to get enough charge and it does not have a dc-dc charger to make good use of the trucks alternator when it is running. However he always has the fridge running on propane but during cooler weather camping and I don't mean winter here in Canada but getting into the early part of the fall he talks about the propane being sucked up because of running the furnace at night and morning when its cool out. On the other hand his camper has no air con and years back he was in southern BC and was not having fun as it was hot compared to where he normally camps up here and then was limited with the electricity to even run the fans he has and no room in the camper storage to even put a portable gen set on his camper. But he has a crew cab and has that back seat area stuffed to the gills with stuff. 

 

Which brings me to your front rack, is that a generator your carrying ?, and a propane bottle I see as your camper only fits one propane bottle. 

 

That to me anyway when I watch my brother is the crux of the truck camper, running out of room to pack stuff and the limitations of water storage/sewer storage. He pulls a Jeep TJ behind and runs around with it and will have the 5 gallon jugs in the back where he can find a place to fill them and then use a 12 volt pump to suck them out and into the campers holding tank to help extend his fresh water needs at a no service site by a lake for example. He never drops his camper off as that is an ordeal and relies on his Jeep as his run around vehicle. In the fall here the sun starts to be low in the sky and if its overcast out, that would never work with a 12 volt fridge unless one has LOTS of solar that might barely be able to do something and during our winters that must be something else for those that try to survive in an RV off grid period and solar is completely SOL then. When he first bought his unit he had ideas of maybe using it to go skiing with as some of these mountain ski resorts such as in northern BC have nothing for accommodations near the hill and thought with his wonderful new camper that maybe it was feasible but soon figured out even before winter came that he couldn't see doing that at all as the amount of propane to even hope to heat it and then probably never keep the water system from freezing and not enough battery power to keep what 12 volt systems need power. Never mind that the salt would ruin the camper prematurely and destroy the truck that could last for many years if kept off of winter roads so scrapped that whole idea. Yes, I see some youtubers struggling to use their campers at ski resorts but that is further south and doesn't tend to get near as cold as up here. 

 

Aside from my throwing out examples of cold or hot weather struggles, are you tending to try to move with the weather and find that happy medium so its not too hot or not too cold so your able to make it all work and feel like your having fun vs feel your in a struggle to survive. And also as I said at the beginning, if you rely fairly heavily on staying at hookup campsites vs being off grid a lot with your camper ?  

[lineman1234]

1 100 amp hour lithium battery, 400 watts solar factory. I could drop another batt in easy if needed. 

   35 gallon extra folding water bladder, pump to pump it in camper not needed yet, 60 gallon folding black/grey bladder and a boat macerator for filling and emptying it not needed yet.

    1 camper 20 lb propane tank needed, 3 extra tanks not needed yet. 2000 honda generator 45 gallon gas transfer tank holds about 43 gallons not needed yet. Tank is perfect for when i towed the 5ver and now, not worrying about fuel stops. Lots of gen run time with that fuel amount.

    Extra ac/dc freezer that cools to -4f. Camper fridge is a 3.3 dc one, very small freezer. 

 

I am a full hookups person, and like eating out or takeout. But,,, i got this to also do some dry stops like state parks and such, not really done yet. 

     I like to cook with, heat with, ac with, electric, as well as tv. The gen would run my needs if needed as things are sized for it.

 

Right now, sitting outside at a very nice campground in Mission Texas, looking for my next stop about 600  miles down the road. 

      So far, i found a nice $6 a night self check in place on the way with a great view, no hookups. I need more no hooking up to check out. 

      Then not far from Big Ben state park TX area, full hookups, restaurant and bar within walking distance, ill stay a week, or more, not sure yet.. 

 

So far its been about 6 weeks in a row in the camper, before that, it was 5 two night trips last summer. 

    So far, so good, i dont miss my past 5ver. 

    I did fulltime rv for over 8 years so i have my needs down.

    Now, apartment wayyyy up north in MN my home town, as well as a seasonal camping place up north, the tc to wander as needed. If i get sick of travel, its easy to just head back north with a tc, drop it and back to apartment, then if the mood hits, load and go. 

 

Spoiler

 

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[Chuck FB]

1 hour ago, lineman1234 said:

1 100 amp hour lithium battery, 400 watts solar factory. I could drop another batt in easy if needed. 

   35 gallon extra folding water bladder, pump to pump it in camper not needed yet, 60 gallon folding black/grey bladder and a boat macerator for filling and emptying it not needed yet.

    1 camper 20 lb propane tank needed, 3 extra tanks not needed yet. 2000 honda generator 45 gallon gas transfer tank holds about 43 gallons not needed yet. Tank is perfect for when i towed the 5ver and now, not worrying about fuel stops. Lots of gen run time with that fuel amount.

    Extra ac/dc freezer that cools to -4f. Camper fridge is a 3.3 dc one, very small freezer. 

 

I am a full hookups person, and like eating out or takeout. But,,, i got this to also do some dry stops like state parks and such, not really done yet. 

     I like to cook with, heat with, ac with, electric, as well as tv. The gen would run my needs if needed as things are sized for it.

 

Right now, sitting outside at a very nice campground in Mission Texas, looking for my next stop about 600  miles down the road. 

      So far, i found a nice $6 a night self check in place on the way with a great view, no hookups. I need more no hooking up to check out. 

      Then not far from Big Ben state park TX area, full hookups, restaurant and bar within walking distance, ill stay a week, or more, not sure yet.. 

 

So far its been about 6 weeks in a row in the camper, before that, it was 5 two night trips last summer. 

    So far, so good, i dont miss my past 5ver. 

    I did fulltime rv for over 8 years so i have my needs down.

    Now, apartment wayyyy up north in MN my home town, as well as a seasonal camping place up north, the tc to wander as needed. If i get sick of travel, its easy to just head back north with a tc, drop it and back to apartment, then if the mood hits, load and go. 

 

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Your packing lots of other items with you for sure that will aide in prolonging your stay at a location that has no services to physically connect the camper into. I assume the bladders if put to use would be laid into the back of your pickup and the camper having been dropped off so you can run around with the truck to a location that has potable water and a sewer dump. Those racks you have rigged up are a big deal in being able to pack the extra propane and yes as your very aware a camper like yours only has room for one tank in its tank storage compartment. If a person isn't needing it too much for heating the camper, that makes a huge difference to how much propane gets used. The burners and hot water tank would no doubt take far less and last for quite a while. From what I gather with those that use a camper in colder weather that is even claimed to insulate reasonably well like a Northern Lite, they are using up a 20 lb tank in two days !, that gets very expensive to heat a space like that per month and the hassle as tanks having to be refilled constantly. Following the sun/weather like you are doing is far more comfortable anyway !. As to fuel type compatibility, with a gas gen set and a gas pickup and your jockey tank, your very well set up in that regard. 

 

So that air con you have, it must be a more modern unit that uses less power to get fired up as older air con units take too much power for a Honda 2000 to think of running from what I understand. That size of generator is at least one which can be lifted and moved, bigger than that and its a two person job. Your solar capacity is decent as well as long as you have some sun and not doing anything crazy with draws. That is the issue with my brothers camper, using the furnace means the draw for the fan motor and its an older camper so all the interior lights are high draw as he needs to round up led bulb replacements. His solar is 15 years old and is only an 80 or 100 watt panel and the less efficient converter solar charging system, and his vehicle charging to camper battery is almost a total joke which is very typical without a dc-dc charge system. 

 

I looked up to see where Mission is and I see its not far from Brownsville Texas. My dad and mom drove down there one winter way back and am guessing must have been the early 1960's or something like that, before I was born anyway and that was there late honeymoon trip I guess, did that and also over to Big Bend NP and so forth. That was with an old GM step side half ton pickup and an 8 foot camper and no doubt would have made your camper seem like an out of this world palace in comparison !. An ice box fridge and would have had zero bathroom and I doubt any running water, typical of the time period. And speaking of Big Bend, I never had the time to stick around there but tried to explore it a bit when I went through that area, various hiking trails etc if one has the time to be around there for a while. At least with your trucks power and gearing ( and obviously you have four wheel drive and low range ) the 15% grade to the west of Big Bend along the highway that follows the Rio Grand would be nothing for your unit, the hill that just about claimed my dads gutless wonder of a 235 GM engine and a high speed first gear of a 3 on the tree LOL. As you travel north from where your at over to Big Bend be sure to stop at the Pecos river bridge and take in that drop and the gorge, and over at Langtry and take in the little museum and some Judge Roy Bean history. It was later in the day when I was headed south from Alpine towards Big Bend and I was not expecting the views of the mountains, the angle of the sun sure can take a high sun washed out view and turn it into something spectacular. I don't know how far west you plan on going but there's Carlsbad caverns in southern NM, and the Guadalupe NP on the Teas side and so on with things to see into southern AZ as well. 

 

 

[lineman1234]

I  did the portable ac unit for a little wile, it worked fine. Then after the first full week in the camper, ordered a low profile roof 9.5 btu unit to free up the limited floor space.

Not a cheap ac unit, but works great. $1,200 for the ac unit with dry mode. Another $400 for heat pump option didnt make sense as electric heaters work better. 

      2 800 watt wall plug in heaters, work great, i have 2 zone heat, up top, and below now. I dont use the propane unless i need to, and havent needed to, except the on demand hot water heater.

          Putting that ac unit in alone in the camphood, i realize why the instructions say 2-3 people recommended. 

 

          I was in between Carlsbad and Artisia  NM last winter for a month with the 5ver, not much going on there. I did go to the alian museum in Roswell, and that was really a tourist trap. Never did go to the caverns. 

 

It wouldnt be hard for a person to use the 4 non used spaces front/back of the wheel wells to put stuff, and or carry water or waist there.