Truck Camper on a 1500?

I have a 2011 1500 4.7L V8 5.5 ft bed rated for 1470 payload. I am looking at getting a truck camper that weighs 1120 dry. With gas, my wife, me, my dog, food and all the other stuff we would need to camp, I would be over the payload weight by 200 pounds min. Would that be OK? I would also be driving up a mountain pass fairly often to camp (paved roads, occasional snow on roads). Would going over the max payload by about 15% wreck the truck or give me possibilities of blowouts, weaving, hard on brakes?

If so, has anyone ever used a non-popup truck camper on a 1500 before? I am looking for something to be able to take to the ski resorts and stay in and they don't let travel trailers or any pull behinds in the parking lots over night.

Your're unlikely to run into any problems with drive train, power or brakes with that weight. But, the payload is a problem. The truck is rated for what it's rated at. No group of people on the internet can wave a wand and make that problem disappear.

Do people routinely go over payload with 1500 trucks and not blow up tires or die? Yes, every day. It just depends on how much you want to push things and risk your safety and those around you. By far, tires and axle weights are the biggest area of concern. Probably the best place to start is to weigh your truck if you haven't so you have "real world" numbers. If you haven't done that you may be surprised how much over you really are. Using the truck's "dry weight" (effectively what you are doing by using payload sticker weight) is not a good way to start. In ever truck I've had there is always at least a couple hundred pounds of weight that comes from random things you don't think about - floor mats, jumper cables and tools in a bin, bed liner, bucket of change in the console, etc. It all adds up quickly. Same goes for the camper in the bed.

Good set of tires/ air bags and you are set. just take it nice and slow on the steeps and twisty”s.
What ski resort you going to?

I would add to the D or E rated tires with air bags that heavy duty sway bars will help alot with a overhead camper.

Ratket said:

Good set of tires/ air bags and you are set. just take it nice and slow on the steeps and twisty”s.
What ski resort you going to?

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I currently have Cooper Discover ATR tires rated E on 17 inch rims. What kind of airbags should I get? Are they something I can install myself?
Planning on going to Winter Park/Mary Jane. You can camp overnight in the Mary Jane lots as you have self contained campers.

69GWC said:

I would add to the D or E rated tires with air bags that heavy duty sway bars will help alot with a overhead camper.

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I have Cooper Discover ATR 17 inch rated E tires currently. Any suggestions on air bags or sway bars?

Really happy with my Timber Grove air bags ,they bolt inplace really straight forward with no cutting just a real nice kit.

Hellwig makes heavy duty sway bars for our trucks, Thats next on my list for my truck.

mtofell said:

Your're unlikely to run into any problems with drive train, power or brakes with that weight. But, the payload is a problem. The truck is rated for what it's rated at. No group of people on the internet can wave a wand and make that problem disappear.

Do people routinely go over payload with 1500 trucks and not blow up tires or die? Yes, every day. It just depends on how much you want to push things and risk your safety and those around you. By far, tires and axle weights are the biggest area of concern. Probably the best place to start is to weigh your truck if you haven't so you have "real world" numbers. If you haven't done that you may be surprised how much over you really are. Using the truck's "dry weight" (effectively what you are doing by using payload sticker weight) is not a good way to start. In ever truck I've had there is always at least a couple hundred pounds of weight that comes from random things you don't think about - floor mats, jumper cables and tools in a bin, bed liner, bucket of change in the console, etc. It all adds up quickly. Same goes for the camper in the bed.

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So once I have the real world numbers what do I do with that? Take the GVWR minus the real world numbers and that number is my max payload? Will high rated tires and airbags not help me raise that max number I can put in the bed?

The tires, air bags and sway bars will make your truck haul that camper just fine, But the sticker on you door states what your payload is and nothing you do can change that sticker .

i routinely drive with 2k pounds in the bed, pretty close to the limit. Tires are running low and a little hard to drive around corners.

You can raise that max number on ur door jam with a sharpie..... just kidding...

All good advice for you so far. Your tires should be fine. Now just bags and sway bars.

filmschooljefe said:

So once I have the real world numbers what do I do with that? Take the GVWR minus the real world numbers and that number is my max payload?

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Yes

Will high rated tires and airbags not help me raise that max number I can put in the bed?

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Wont change your GVWR at all. Can only improve how it carries that load.

On a side note, I think you will be surprised at how the crap we put on and in our trucks adds up in a hurry. E rated tires are heavier, subtract from GVWR. Everything. Even the box of tissues. And that camper won't weigh 1120lbs. I'd be willing to bet over 1200 and probably more like 1500+ ready to camp.



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Your tires are fine, make sure you have high pressure valvestems and air them up to 60 or 65 psi, throw some airbag 1000's on it and call it a day. Replace the rear sway bar too if you will be hauling it on a consistent basis. You could always go with heavy duty springs instead of air bags, that would be a preferable route over airbags in all reality on the off chance one get a hole in it.

Slide in campers change the handling characteristics of a truck a lot due to the higher center of gravity. I've never been to a ski resort but I assume it involves hills or mountains and snow which would suck in a tipsy feeling truck. I saw a 1500 with a slide in a few weeks ago. It was probably too big/heavy for the truck but he must of had air bags that were over inflated because the truck was at empty ride height. On a flat straight road at 60-65 that thing was swaying all over the road. In an emergency steering or braking situation he would have rolled it no question. You can do a lot of things and get away with it sometimes. Does it make it a good idea or safe?

I wonder what is the max bed payload a 2014-2018 Ram 1500 Quadcab 4x4 Hemi could be improved to do???

As for this thread-------Besides putting in a good set of air bag suspension I would HIGHLY suggest replacing all your rear lug bolts with new and stronger ones. Tire shops are always stressing out lug bolts with their air guns. I would strongly suggest replacing your lug bolts as part of your first steps, along with the air bags. Sway bar is key as well.

I suggest the lug bolts from personal experience...................03 Ram 1500 with Air Ride(2,000lbs)......
Losing a rear wheel at 65-70 mph on a highway with a pop up camper(1150lbs) and supplies is not an enjoyable experience. Things go south real quick.
Best estimate is a lug bolt failed, leading to the others to follow.....6 1/5 hours into my maiden camper trip. Before that all was good. Truck rode really well with 85 psi in the bags and 42 psi in my new Falken Wildpeak ATs (275x55x20). Then a slight vibration started and before I could evaluate and move out of the fast lane and off the highway.......all hell broke loose. Felt as my rear left tire came apart. Fought it long enough for surrounding drivers to react and avoid me as well as witness a show. I was alone and perfectly fine, only a small glass cut on my finger. The image of the axle with the snapped lug bolts shows the axle/wheel area very dirty due to the ass left slide the truck took and the rotor and axle end digging into the ground from the tow truck flipping the rig back over, not rust, in case someone wants to point to that.
CHANGE THEM LUG BOLTS. And make a safety check list to check and recheck before departure and during trip.
Now I am looking for a newer truck, probably a 2500 this time because I have a DRZ400 to put on the back along with my replacement camper, glad it wasn't with me when this occurred.
Be careful pushing payloads. Take all precautions.
Ok, I am now braced for those whom will take pot shots..........

^ Scary - Glad ur ok.

RamShark1, what a sobering post. I push the envelope once in a while. That particular thing happening never occurred to me.

Loose lugs can cause the same problem, once it goes it snaps all them off just like that.

drittal said:

Yes




Wont change your GVWR at all. Can only improve how it carries that load.

On a side note, I think you will be surprised at how the crap we put on and in our trucks adds up in a hurry. E rated tires are heavier, subtract from GVWR. Everything. Even the box of tissues. And that camper won't weigh 1120lbs. I'd be willing to bet over 1200 and probably more like 1500+ ready to camp.



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^^This is pretty much it in a nutshell.

Bags, springs, better tires, etc help make towing up at/near the max a bit more manageable.

The first thing to do is weigh your truck. As Drittal says, I think you'll be surprised with how heavy it is right from the start. According to the sticker my truck weighed 6960# out of the factory. I've never weighed it below about 7400#. I'm about 240# but where it the other 200#? Nerf bars, tonneau cover, air bags, floor mats, bin of change in the console, jumper cables and a couple tools. It all adds up super quick.

OP, I will stop short of saying what you are trying is impossible while staying within numbers but you'd better travel S-U-P-E-R light.

Yikes, Tire Loading Yellow Sticker Payloads aside, the numbers I would not exceed is the GAWR and Max Cold Tire PSI weight ratings.

The only way to know is to drive your truck to a CAT scale before buying/loading the camper to get your empty front and rear axle ratings.

The difference of the RGAWR less the scaled rear axle weight is the max amount I would put over the rear axle, assuming the tires are up to the task.

If I was running a 1500 at max, I would have LT Tires, airbags, bilstein shocks, and helwig rear sway bar installed.