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> 2007 Dodge Mega Cab Payload Capacity

RamMegaCamper
post Mar 30 2007, 05:21 PM
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Joined: 30-March 07
Member No.: 538
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Lance
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: Dodge 3500 Mega Cab 4x4 DWR
Type of Tiedowns used: TorkLift
Truck and Camper Setup: Dodge Ram 3500 MegaCab 4x4 Dually Lance 845 Camper (2800# dry) Factory Receiver Hitch TorkLift Tiedowns TorkLift FastGun Turnbuckles



I just bought a new 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 MegaCab 4x4 Dually to haul my Lance 845 camper (2800# wet). After installing the camper it was apparent that despite being located in the "center of gravity" the rear of the truck dropped enough that the headlight lowbeams are "high" and the highbeams "illuminate the stars". I checked out the 2007 Dodge Brochure which list my truck as only having a GVWR of 10,500# and a Maximum Payload Capacity of 2,830# including passengers. With a truck full of family members, this only leaves 1,780# of capacity to carry the camper, not to mention gear and the 250# tongue weight of my boat.

I consulted my Dodge dealer and talked to a "technical advisor" at Dodge, only to to be told that use of a truck camper in my truck wasn't recommended. Not willing to take "no" for an answer, I found information on the Dodge website (thanks to the Lance representative) called "BodyBuilder", which actually does provide slide-in camper information. It shows that I can install a truck camper, as long as it only weighs 1500#. My insurance agent says that if I exceed the GVWR of my truck or the Pay Load Capacity (which is standard proceedure in a truck camper accident) that I will be uninsured.

My questions for the forum are:

If my MegaCab uses the QuadCab longbed frame, springs and shocks, then why is the GVWR on the MegaCab only 10,500# and the QuadCab is 12,200#?

Why is the MegaCab Payload Capacity 2,830# and the QuadCab longbed 4,830#?

Is there an automotive engineer or someone with more brain cells than me who can explain this??????!!!!!!!!!!!
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Rodg
post Apr 20 2007, 10:52 PM
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Group: Members
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Joined: 18-March 07
Member No.: 490
Favorite Truck Camper(s): homebuilt
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: dodge 2500 xtcab diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: stablelift system
Truck and Camper Setup: in process of building truck camper from Glen-L plans that i got off web site. Alcapulco model, almost finished, have it skinned and still working on it. hope to be finished in 6 wks and on the road just in time for the spring trout run in Galveston, Texas



Rodg here, had the same problem on my 96 3/4 dodge truck. so i got on line and did some reading. come to find out the manufacturers put long leaf springs on these dodge trucks to get a smoother ride. i put 500 lbs in the bed of my truck centered over the axle and it sunk like a rock. i put a set of air bags on and that solved the problem. i also researched putting on heavy duty springs, to expensive and time consuming. $350 a side. air bags were $250, bolt on kit, took me 6 hrs from start to finish with a few breaks in between. there are all kinds of air bag systems for sale on line. i bought mine on line thru J.C Whitney, the heavy duty ones. i had over 500 lbs in the bed of my truck the other day, air pressure at 30psi in air bags and you couldn't even tell it was there. my camper is a homebuilt and i have never weighed it but i think it is close to 2800 lbs, i aired up my bags to 70 psi and truck was level. try the air bag system on the rear axle, i think you will be impressed. i am. the only problem with up grading the leaf springs is cost, labor, and if you beef them up and are running down the road empty with nothing in the bed of the truck, your rear end will be hopping over every bump in the road. with air bags you can adjust them to what you are carrying.
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nick
post Aug 26 2008, 01:29 PM
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Truck and Camper Setup: na



Nick here. As Roger stated "Airbags" I have a 1500 Dodge Quad cab. I used to pull 5th wheel. With alot of problems with bed bouncing off rear axle-I installed airbags bought through Firestone at our local auto parts store. Easy to install. Everything is made to fit. Took care of all my issues. i am now in the market to purchase a truck camper, and put it to the real test. cool.gif
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Spanky
post Aug 26 2008, 06:56 PM
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Posts: 320
Joined: 24-June 06
From: Silver City, New Mexico
Member No.: 144
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Lance 1030
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1999 F350 Power Stroke Dually SuperCab
Type of Tiedowns used: Torklift
Truck and Camper Setup: 1999 Ford F350 4x4 Super Cab 1 ton Dually Lance 1030 Torklift tiedowns



I can solve all your problems with one word "FORD" wink.gif


--------------------
1999 F350 Power Stroke Dually Super Cab, 2003 Lance 1030
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garbinator
post Sep 15 2008, 02:40 AM
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Group: Members
Posts: 56
Joined: 7-February 08
Member No.: 2,832
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Lance
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 3500 GMC Dually 4X4 Crew Cab DuraMax w/6sp variable Allison
Type of Tiedowns used: Happijac, Altec power jacks
Truck and Camper Setup: Lance Legend 990 fully loaded series, Electric Jacks, Air Bags, heavy duty torsion bar, Titan extend-a-hitch, .357 Mag Marlin Lever Action (Cowboy rifle) for camper defense. Bose Acoustic Wave Machine to Ez the nights away...



QUOTE(Spanky @ Aug 26 2008, 04:56 PM)
I can solve all your problems with one word "FORD" wink.gif
*




During my tenure as both a car salesmen, and a RV salesmen?

Its all about product! You move it period! Whether or not it fits your particular needs is irrelevant. If I can mentally plant the seek that makes you "feel the NEED" to have this "thing", and you purchase it, then I have done my job according to my managers.

Rarely will salesmen get in any sort of "specific usage" conversations as most of the time they don't really care diddly what you want to do with the truck. You're looking at it is good enough for them! Even if it means inflating its capabilities versus loosing a sell?

They need the sell believe me!

Let me put it this way to make it simpler, at 2800 lbs unloaded? I would consider nothing other than a one ton dually completely equipped with appropriate air bags to include a rear heavy duty anti-sway bar. Any heavy duty CAMPER PACKAGE offered as an upgrade you purchase it. Period!

Before anyone here wishes to attack me for my frankness I will let it be know now I have been through all this the hard way, 2500 single rear wheel Dodge 4X4 factory upgraded to one ton suspension. Oh but I was GUARANTEED at the time very convincingly by the management I was getting MORE than I needed to haul my 3400lbs Lance safely down the highways and byways... NOT!

IT WAS FRIGHTENING!!!! A $35,000 MISTAKE!!! I could go on and on, but I hope you get the idea.

Next time you travel to your local dealer, climb underneath a one ton dually and check out those brakes!

Hello! Now COMPARE them to your 1500?

Research Research research! I hope I have given you somewhat of an answer to your question.

Please though, do not take this personal, I flubbed bigtime as you can already see. Campers, when hauled down the road by trucks never designed to handle that amount of load will kill you and yours rather suddenly and without any indication. Weight and CENTER of gravity my friend.
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