First Time Diesel Owner + Bed Camper Advice

[WY-Dave]

We had a popup because when we had the Jeeps, it was perfect for towing. We just got my-inlaws old 5w camper. Other then the pot and shower, the popup was nice. One side was king and other was full. And it had more storage than the 5w we have now. When I was towing the popup around to get it ready for sale and hitched up, the rear did not go down any amount to the eye. This was a camper 1705# dry and it had a truck bed full of stuff that we are still trying to find space for in the 5w. Loaded and weighed at the trcuk scales, came in just over 2000#.

Nice thing about the popup is that it is not sticking up 100ft to catch on tree limbs.

Also with airbags, get either the ones with separate lines or put in a shutoff valve on one of the sides. Imagine if you will, you lean the truck to one side, the air bag compresses and where does the air go?, to the other side. Now you are getting a lil more boost on the side that is going up. Just imagine a squishy stress ball. I ha a special duty job in the military that we had truck and trailers with the air bag setup. After about the first year, motorpool put in a cut off valve on one line and it made a world of difference.

 

[Marine Les]

No way would buy a Cummins for a camper. The 6.4 would cost less, be much lighter and not have the exhaust problems that are a common for all new diesels. I have an older 5.9 Cummins with a cabover on it and it works great but if I were to replace it the 6.4 would be my choice hands down.

 

[w6pea]

Hey All -

Just upgraded from a 1500 to a 2500 Cummins. Pick it up tomorrow evening. I have a few questions I was hoping you can help me with.

1. The wife and I are upgrading from a rooftop tent to possibly a truck bed camper (likely a pop-top Palmino or Four Wheel Camper with flatbed). I CANNOT find a 2017 RAM camper guide. The 2016 I have found lists GVWR using some code I cannot figure out what it is. This is the guide I am referring to https://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/bbg/pdf/2016/docs/ram/hdramcg.pdf . What are the codes in the GVWR column? It is a 2017 2500 Laramie with the Cummins and 6'4" bed.
2. I will likely lift the truck using the AEV 3" DualSport suspension for offroad use with the camper, so will get a light camper. The AEV keeps the factory payload and tow limits. Any thoughts around this or concerns?
3. Airbags. With the 2500 having the coils in the back versus the leaf springs, with a factory stance, or a 3" lift, are air bags recommended with a 1,200 - 1,600 pound camper?
4. May remove the bed and go with a flat bed on the back and a four wheel camper. Any idea what the factory bed weighs so I can calculate out payload with camper + flatbed - factory bed?
5. How is tire pressure properly determined based on payload and camper weight? Should I just run it at recommended PSI on truck door?
6. Exhaust brake on the diesel. It's my daily driver, about 25 miles per day one way, so 50 miles per day. Do I leave the exhaust brake on auto, or what's the deal with that thing? Leave it off?

Lastly, in regards to getting the Cummins, I hear a lot about deleting and tuning. I am not looking for high speed or rolling coal, not my thing. I will be offroading and taking this on long range camping/expedition trips. Is there a value in getting a tune on the truck, and if so, which one? Most of my driving will be highway to get to location, followed by light to moderate offroading.

Thank you all in advance! I have a lot of questions on the diesel so I'm sure I will have plenty more!

Look at this web site, http://www.truckcamperadventure.com/
There is always a lot of good info.
When I bought my Ram I was going to buy a Ford Super Duty, but decided on my Ram from all the pro's and cons I read on this web site. There is a lot of informative articles on his blog.
Good Luck