I'm a newby, considering buying a 2000 Starcraft 1100 slide in. The camper is 4 hours away and I don't have specs on it, not having seen it yet. I don't have a truck yet, and am looking for a used Ford. The seller recommended that I get a
F-350. I believe that an F-350 (4 wheels only) will be plenty truck to carry this slide in. I saw another posting where someone is using an F-250 to carry a Lance that weighs over 3,000 lbs. and it seems to work fine. I would appreciate any comments and guidance.
Thanks, SWB

I believe you could go with a F-250 4X4 and install airbags or helper springs but in the end it's what you like weither it be the F-250 or F-350 4X4 or 2WD it's all about likes and dislikes

Its all about payload versus GVWR of the truck. Just because it "works fine" doesn't mean its legal. Which ever truck you settle with make sure it has an available payload in excess of the camper weight plus the weight of all passengers, cargo, water in the tanks, full fuel tanks in the truck, etc etc.

In all cases you can't violate the GVWR of the truck. So with that said, how do you figure it out? well....

Before you buy the truck, take it to a CAT Scale and weight it with a full tank of fuel and take note of the GVWR and front and rear GAWR (sticker on drivers's side door). If you can have all the passengers that would normally travel with you in the truck when its measured, all the better. Now subtract the weights you get from the weighing from the GVWR and GAWRs and that will tell you how much payload the truck can carry.

The camper should have a sticker on it that says what its dry or wet weight is so ask for that info from the seller. Some campers will give you wet weight which includes the weight of a full fresh water tank plus full propane tanks and all factory installed accessories. dry weight is the base weight of the camper. If all you can get is dry weight then add 8.5lbs for every gallon of water in the tank plus 20lbs for each 20lb propane tank.

Total up all the weights for the camper and subtract it from the trucks available payload (not the GVWR). If you go negative here then the trucks too small or the camper too big. If you're still positive then thats a good sign.

the other thing you need to subtract from the truck's available payload is the weight of the tiedowns, turnbuckles, truck bed mat and any other accessories that will be added to truck when loading the camper. Now if you're still positive then you're in business, if not then perhaps a larger truck or smaller camper is required.

I personnaly have a Dodge 3500 dually. Loaded with fuel and passengers I have 4000lbs of available payload (GVWR minus total weight). My camper comes in at just over 3000lbs wet weight. Now adding in the tiedowns, turnbuckles, food, cargo in the camper, etc etc Iam just under my GVWR limit by 100lbs or so. My point? All the little things add up to a lot so get out that calculator and do the math.

I had my Lance weighing in around 3,200 lbs dry on my F250 Heavy Duty and with Timbrens and it worked just fine. The bed didn't even sag enough to use the Timbrens unless cornering and then they are great at stoping the sway. I just bought a new F350 with a much higher GVWR and I can't say there is much of a difference. If you are going to buy a new truck then I recommend the F350 as they are not that much more money and you get a lot heavier suspension and larger brakes. Be sure to add the camper package and you will not have any problems.

Aqualung is correct on the load capacitites but if you are asking will the F250 carry the load, the answer is yes. I had a Ford mechanic tell me the F250 Heavy Duty can carry close to 6,000 lbs in the bed. Maybe a stretch but you camper is a lot lighter than mine and does not even come close to 6,000 lbs when loaded.

Neverhome

Air shocks are a cheaper alternative to air bags.

I would recommend air bags or overload springs. This keep from killing your ride when unloaded.

I would get ''Firestone Airbags'', and you can also use a ''bolt on helper spring'' that would help also.... You can get the helper springs at Advance auto.... I have the airbags, and they are great!

Pictures of the camper would be nice if you can post them!

Good-luck!

Hum. . . . this concerns me a little . . "legal" - help me out if you don't mind. I'm in the process of getting my Dodge 2500 Heavy Duty (3500 frame) 4X4 ready for a truck camper. It will probably be a lance 855. The manufacturer lists the dry weight 2,364 without any options at all.

I weighed it at a CAT scale a few weeks ago with full fuel, my wife, me, and a 100 pound Chocolate Lab. It came in at 6,620 pounds. Since that time I have added a rear sway bar kit at 30 pounds and air bags at 20 pounds - 50 pounds total. I will soon add an on-board air compressor and tank system, a battery, and a bottle jack. Those items will go all the way up front just behind the bumper. I expect all three items and an aluminum skid plate I am having fabricated (attaches to the bottom of the frame rails) to hold them will come in at right at 100 pounds. All of this would bring my gross weight without camper, ties downs, and turnbuckles up to 6,770 pounds.

The published GVWR of my truck is 8,800 pounds. 8,800 - 6,770 = 2,030. Holy Cow! If I add the 2,364 pound camper I'd be 334 pounds overweight and that's without even adding sardines, crackers, a bottle of water - or for that matter a way to tie the camper onto the truck.

Ok, here's what all this comes down to: As far as Gross Vehicle Weight Rating issues are concerned, are there federal or state regulations that govern non commercial (private use) vehicles? If so, in general, who would be the monitoring / enforcing agency?

I am fully aware that there are GVWR regulations that apply to commercial vehicles and that they are rigorously enforced.

It seems to me that the manufacturers of truck campers would not openly advertise that many of the models they produce can be carried by certain (small) truck models, the combination of which, would greatly exceed the GVWR for the various truck models they reference if there were widespread regulations that governed GVWR as it regards non commercial vehicles.

Could it be that they there are no such regulations and that they rely upon a qualified dealer network to advise customers to add appropriate equipment (air bags or helper springs) so that their vehicles are capable of safely carrying weight in excess of the published rating?

If anyone is aware of any of these kinds of regulations anywhere I would appreciate it if you would post a link so that I can learn more about this before I actually buy the camper.

Thank you. WW II

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