I am looking for a 10ft slide-in camper, and a 2001 Lance 1061 has come on the market.

The only thing is it seems AWFULLY heavy for a slide-in to me, weighing 3200 pounds (not sure if that's empty weight).

I have a decent truck (2003 Dodge quad cab Cummins 3500 6spd manual dually), but to put over 2000 pound in the bed seems like it would be an overload.

Do you need an F-450 or F-550 for such campers, or will my "wimpy" 1-ton do the job w/ enough power and stability to be safe on the highways, and maybe be able to still pull a boat trailer or flat-towed Jeep or the like?

Bob

check with Dodge to see what the "pay load" for the truck is, dealer should be able to help you, Dave

By the manufacturer, it's 4600 pounds, but subjectively, like I said, anything in a pick-up over 2000 pounds (a ton) seems like a LOT of weight to me, regardless of what the manufacturer says for good handling.

Bob

i have an 03 dodge 2500 hemi that my lance 9.5 that weighs in at 3100 fully loaded handles just fine with about 60 lbs of air pressure in my rear air bags.

I could not believe what I read! You mentioned selling your Dodge Cummins for a Ford Powerstroke! You would give up the Best Diesel you could ever buy, for the Worst Ones ever made? They don't call them "PowerJokes" for nothing. your Dodge can handle the load I am sure. Check out the specs on the 2010 Ram Cummins 3500 if you want to trade. If I am not mistaken it is rated at over 5,000 lbs. I have an 03' 3500 and I am not worried about putting 3,000 lbs on her.
It is comments like this that give an old guy heart attacks!!

I have a similar truck and put a 3000lb Adventurer Camper on it. Once fully loaded with water, cargo fuel passengers etc its a total payload over 4000lbs. I did add some torklift Stable Loads plus some airbags to stop side to side roll but other than that there are no issues. Now I wouldn't take corners at high speed but with this arrangement the truck performs great. With airbags empty the rear of the truck squats 3 inches, but that is levelled out with air in the airbags.

Yes, that is most likely dry weight. 3,200# dry weight for a 10' slide-in camper isn't unusual.

You can always load up your truck like it would be for any trip with a full tank of fuel, all the people and gear that will normally be loaded into the cab and run it down to the local scales to get it weighed. Subtract this "real life" weight from your truck's GVWR and that will give you the maximum amount of LOADED truck camper you can carry without going over any of the truck's ratings.

We have a 2007 Dodge 3500 with the Cummins and duallies, extended cab and carry an Eagle Cap 950. Last year we spent 4 months traveling with the camper and stopped at one of the closed Oregon weigh stations to weigh it. Our total weight (full tank of fuel, full fresh water tank, and all the supplies we were carrying for that 4-month trip) was 12,450#. The GVWR of the truck is 11,500#, so we were 950# over that amount. However, we were well below both the front and rear GAWR's: Front GAWR = 4,750#, we were 4,600#; Rear GAWR = 9,350#, we were 7,850#. The truck handles the weight just fine and we don't have anything added to it except the AmTech RollGard stabilizer.

I have an okanagan 90w in my 2008 dodge 3500 srw shortbox. Okanagan has this camper at 2300lbs dry weight I weighed it at the truck stop camper on then camper off i have it at 3300 lbs dry. I have done some mods to the suspension on my truck but the only real concern i have is the tires. I am going to upgrade to 19.5 rims and tires asap. you having a dually should have no problems reason being is your limiting factor on payload is usually your tires. Ive driven this setup in some nasty cross winds and across the midwest and get along just fine.

I have a 93 W250 dodge with a 2003 lance 1071 that tips the scales at 3,600 dry, so i'm shure it's 4,000 loaded, and my truck handles it fine with a set of overload springs, but like stated above i wouldn't take corners at hi-speed,



Dar

With regards to the GAWR. I am being told that this has no bearing on the weight carried. It is the GVWR that matters. Not that I agree with this, and I really don't understand why they would have a GAWR, yet it doesn't have anything to do with the the Payload! This is very confusing!

GAWR is the number you MUST Stay under to prevent damage to axle and drive line components.

GVWR is the finalized number that the OEM manufacturer chose based on several different criteria (Though the factory original tire size has been noted as a recurring on several years of Ford Model Truck), this number can be exceeded within reason, most times without really noticing any major change in handling other than perhaps accelerated wear and tear.

Then there's those of us that have kinda just gone off the deep end. For example, my GVWR is 8500, I weight closer to 10,000.

I'm currently in the process of doing an axle swap on my truck since the only major difference between a 92 W250 and W350 was the leaf spring pack (Which you got on the rear with the Heavy Duty package on the 3/4 ton gasser) and the axles used.

Dodge used a fiberglass little fender extension that attached to the edge of the bed's wheel well to extend out over the second tire, so converting it is actually rather easy.

I've already obtained a Spicer 70 Dually axle for the swap and a set of appropriate dually rims for the period, just need to get the fenders and add the running lights once I start the swap.

You can see the fender style I'm talking about here:

1st gen 350's came with a D80 rear.

Im a proud owner of an 03 F250 with a Powerjoke 6.0. You may have the mighty Cummins engine but the rest of the truck is nothing to beat your chest about.

Here is a video to show you. (You can see my Torque lifts in the back)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh4puTT-4Rs

I am looking for support from owners similar to my 1990 dodge 250 with cummins. I am looking at a Lance 1010 @ 2894 on data plate. As you would know the GVWR is 8510 and my truck weighs about 5100 with half tank gas. Passengers and gear will take it over the GVWR.
Can you provide your input to this being an adequate rig. The truck is stock with no helpers.
Thanks

I would suggest you, not to go for your plans cause your truck may not support the campers which you are dreaming for.The weight will be too much also dodge updation to such a level can harm your truck too.So it's better you leave your plans for now ,wait for sometime and than go for a new one rather than wasting your money on modification.