I agree that using the Tow/Haul mode in slippery conditions is risky, even if not towing. The downshifting that occurs in tow/haul mode is not precisely predictable. On an icy downhill I want as much control as possible and do not want any unplanned downshifts especially say on a icy corner.

I have the same truck as your's just 1 year older. My Northern Lite camper is definitely heavier than your Northstar, and I initially had the same concern. My truck took a few modifications to make it handle the load, but it does great. Stable loads that go between the spaces in the leaf springs are a huge improvement and are cheap. Start with that. I also added air bags, beefy sway bar and Rancho 9000 shocks. You might not need all of those. Also, E rated tires are a must. Your truck will do great with that camper, but again, you might need some mods.

Take a look at Northern Lite campers. I have a keen eye for build quality, I've owned two other RV's before our current Northern Lite and while the Northern Lite is not without issues, it's way better than most others in terms of fitment and quality....certainly better than any Lance's I've looked at. Personally I think Lance's are the Chevy of truck campers not the Cadillac. Our Northern Lite so far has 15 thousand miles and 70 nights of camping....and it's been awesome.

Went from a Class C to a TC 1.5 years ago. We use the TC way more often because instead of storing in a remote facility it fits in our driveway. Also, way better driving experience....the Class C use to wear me out driving compared to the increadible ride and power of our Diesel Ford. Our access to remote spots with higher clearance and 4x4 is great as well. Just got back from Yosemite Valley campgrounds, where we got almost a foot of snow overnight. Low clearance vehicles, including a lot of Class B's were screwed, we had no problem.

I would echo what others are saying about truck capacities....do not believe the literature or sales staff at camper dealers or truck dealerships. Things like "Oh yea, this 3/4 ton truck will handle any camper" , or "it's a diesel, of course it can handle a camper" get stated all the time and it's far from true. In fact a diesel actually reduces the payload capacity.

If you are getting a hard sided, full self contained camper I recommend going strait to a 1 ton truck. especially if you want a diesel or extra cab. You still might need some suspension mods depending on the camper and truck set up.

Our biggest complaint about our camper is that it has a black tank and not a cassette. So much more convenient and easy to dump a cassette than a black tank. If you always stay in a campground with a dump station that doesn't get crowded then maybe a black tank is better. But for us we like to go to remote/primitive campgrounds, or just boon docking. Until I installed a sewer access in our driveway we always had to find a dump station on the way home and we still have to add "dumping" to the list of chores after a trip. Funny, if you go to Europe, where RV's are very popular, they are almost all equipped with cassette toilets.

I used to have the same truck model and year. I think the Max payload on that was only around 1000-1200 lbs. (GVWR is around 6500 if I recall and your truck probably weighs around 5000lbs. That only leaves 1500lbs payload not including passengers, gear etc)

Your Laredo (which is an awesome camper BTW) is easily over 2000 lbs dry. Probably more like 2500 when loaded up. Your almost certainly way over spec for your truck. Assuming you don't want to buy a new truck I'd say get new shocks all the way around (Rancho 9000's are awesome) and heavier capacity springs for the front at least.

Hi Linda,
My wife and I have 2011 Northern Lite 8'1" Special Edition we purchased used 1.5 years ago. We've been very happy with the camper and because it's small enough to fit in our drive way we use it a lot, in fact we've spent nearly 70 nights in it since purchasing....and we both have full time jobs. Every time we use the camper we remind ourselves of how much we enjoy it.

The Northern Lite is better insulated than most other brands and that's important...yes you'll have a heater and you may have an AC but you want to reduce your reliance on those, especially if you camp without hookups (we almost always boon dock with no hook ups). The capacities for water, grey, Black and propane are great for boon docking. The cabinetry is frankly better than anything else I've seen in a camper, trailer or motorhome. The layout is great, and our favorite feature is probably the traditional style dinette with two small bench seats and a table in the middle. Also the north south queen bed with storage on both sides is great. I also like the fiberglass exterior as it's easy to clean and looks better, IMO than other campers.

We removed the AC on ours and replaced it with another vent and very glad we did. You can only run the AC if you are plugged in or carry a generator (note; we camp mostly in the West/North West. If we were in the South it might be a different story on the AC).

Regarding your question about problems: First, a Northern Lite will have all of the most common potential leak issues of any other motorhome, trailer or camper IE around the vents and roof penetrations. If you don't maintain them then they will leak. The fact that the NL's are made out of fiberglass with only one seam does not make them immune to leaks. Their marketing materials are bit misleading in that way.

Second, while the name implies they are light weight, you really need to research the capacity of your truck and the actual weight of the camper. Our 8'11" when full of water, batteries and propane weighs nearly #3000. You can very easily go well past the capacity of a 3/4 ton truck with a Northern Lite, especially if your truck is a diesel, 4x4 or Crew cab (each of which reduce the payload). Our 2013 Ford Diesel handles the 8'11" beautifully, but it took some modifications to the truck. Better shocks, air bags and stable loads. If I did it over, I'd have started with an F-350.

Third, we found this out after the fact: If you purchase a used Northern Lite (2014 or older) and you have a late model Ford (2012 or newer) the 8'11" or the 9'5" you will need a 2 inch platform in the bed in order to have clearance from the roof of the truck to the over cab section of the camper. If your Ford has marker lights on the roof (ours did not) you'll need even more platform lift. This adds to your overall height and center of gravity and can affect handling. Northern Lite does not mention this anywhere on their web site. Since 2015 the Northern Lite models were modified and they now fit on the new Fords with out any platform.