Pop up camper with 1/2 ton truck

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Love those Four Wheel Campers! But I'll have to agree with you, that 4-banger HAS to be cutting it pretty close. Which ever way you choose, make sure you pay close attention to the dry and wet weights of the camper. Anything over your GVWR or axle ratings are you're just asking for it.

I started off with an '06 Dodge Ram with the 5.7L Hemi and threw a mid-90's Starcraft popup camper on there. It was about 1.500lbs. wet, which is pretty light considering, and I was over my GVWR. In normal conditions I'd forget it was back there because I could hardly feel it. Throw in some sudden stops in Southern California traffic, some long grades (up OR down), and a little crosswind for good measure and you'll know real quick that the truck manufacturer's don't just pull those ratings from thin air.

Just a friendly piece of advice from someone who did it bass ackwards - find the camper you want, then buy the truck to haul it in - not the other way around. Too much camper for too little truck and you put your life in danger, as well as everyone else you're sharing the road with.

Good luck in your quest!
 
freerangetortoise said:
Love those Four Wheel Campers! But I'll have to agree with you, that 4-banger HAS to be cutting it pretty close. Which ever way you choose, make sure you pay close attention to the dry and wet weights of the camper. Anything over your GVWR or axle ratings are you're just asking for it.

I started off with an '06 Dodge Ram with the 5.7L Hemi and threw a mid-90's Starcraft popup camper on there. It was about 1.500lbs. wet, which is pretty light considering, and I was over my GVWR. In normal conditions I'd forget it was back there because I could hardly feel it. Throw in some sudden stops in Southern California traffic, some long grades (up OR down), and a little crosswind for good measure and you'll know real quick that the truck manufacturer's don't just pull those ratings from thin air.

Just a friendly piece of advice from someone who did it bass ackwards - find the camper you want, then buy the truck to haul it in - not the other way around. Too much camper for too little truck and you put your life in danger, as well as everyone else you're sharing the road with.

Good luck in your quest!

Agreed.
 
695 lb dry weight might be pushing it a bit if you're moving around a lot or ion the mountains
I hauled me, a buddy, and 800 lb of motorcycles from Tx to NC, In 96 Ranger with the 3.0 (three point slow) v6
This engine is not much if any better than the 2.5 available in the same year Ranger
the truck was fine in the Texas and LA and FL area, but when we hit NC and some of those grades, we were going uphill at 35 mph on the freeway

seriously do find out your truck's GVWR, subtract the curb weight, subtract your own weight, and see if you still have the carrying capacity for the camper
 
I've had 1000 lb payloads in the my old v6 1/2 ton truck a few times and it was ok. But I can tell I wouldn't want to go any higher. If I can keep the pop up camper in the 600 lb range, I should be ok. But I may start looking at 3/4 ton trucks, because I agree that the specified limits are pretty much on the edge.
 
TBH me and my buddy plus those bikes added up to 1225 lb, plus our riding / camping gear
I'd really not have any problem with a 600-700lb camper, so long as I was in flatlands. in fact I've looked at the Capri camper a few times, small and bare bones but better than a cap
 
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