"heavy" bed load with a 1/2 ton

[TRD270]

So I've never carried the weight or had the COG messed with by this kind of load. So my question is.... I'm looking at picking up an in bed camper, not the giant crazy monstrosities that are available now, but a mid sized camper. Weight don't know don't have one yet, height don't know don't have one yet. Okay so really here is the question would you feel comfortable driving around with one of these in your bed with a half ton? or would you not even consider it and stick with a 3/4 or 1 ton.

I would like to keep a 1/2 ton if its viable just for the sake of ride comfort, but if its unsafe and not a great idea I'll look elsewhere. no crazy roads while the camper is in, but your average dirt road will be the route most traveled

 

[TJDukit]

Growing up we used to put a ton of hay(literally) in the back of our 1/2 tons all the time and never died.

Seriously though my dad used to use our old 1/2 ton with an in bed camper and this was 20 years ago so i can only imagine it would be better with a newer truck. The old truck always managed to handle the weight just fine. I can't remember him ever complaining about how it drove. I'm sure there are plenty of people here with more useful insight from more modern vehicles though.

 

[I Lean]

I carry one in my F350 and notice a lot of "body roll" with it. I added airbags to try to stabilize it, and they did nothing. They did improve the ride when loaded though.

What 1/2 ton truck are you using? Not all are created equal....no matter what, I'd plan on adding a set of airbags and maybe a swaybar. (or a thicker swaybar, if you have one already)

My 1999 Lance Lite 9'6" claims to weigh 2700 lbs, for some reference for you.

 

[LT.]

Your half ton will be fine as long as you get a camper that is designed for a half ton. Weight wise i would try and keep it no more than somewhere between 1000 and 1300 lbs. A sway bar will really go a long ways to eliminating body roll. Helwig makes good products and may have exactly what you need for a bolt on instalation.

LT.

 

[jeeper]

A light weight camper, especially newer pop up styles are plenty light. However, personal experience will tell you a 12' lance camper (2,300lb) will make the pumper of a f150 nearly touch ground.. couldn't even get it to hold the camper up on its own..

 

[Rot Box]

I'd recommend a pop-up camper like the Hallmark, Four Wheel Camper, Skamper etc. They are typically much lighter compared to a standard camper and they really cut down on the wind resistance with very little (if any) sway. I hardly notice my FWC while cruising or off road it's like a big shell/topper for the most part. Either way if you find an older camper for a good deal make sure it will fit your truck bed. Many of the older campers (80's-older) will not fit the newer truck beds and it's usually by just a few inches or less.

Remember gear, passengers, water tank etc etc. Really adds to the weight. So while a regular camper may not exceed your weight rating all the cargo very well could. For a 1/2 ton I'd recommend a fresh change of differential fluid-possibly a switch to synthetic. If there's an optional rear sway bar out there I'd track one down. Consider airbags or add-a-leafs. Also common sense stuff if your transmission starts to upshift and downshift from 3rd to 4th often just leave it in third and pull into the slow lane.

 

[TRD270]

Thanks for all the input, how do the pop ups do in the wind and how well do they hold up over the years?

 

[STAG]

A sway-bar upgrade is always nice too

 

[cjncustoms]

Whatever you do, get the frame mount tie-downs. Makes a world of difference in the way it handles when driving down the road.

 

[Rot Box]

Thanks for all the input, how do the pop ups do in the wind and how well do they hold up over the years?

The brands that I mentioned earlier are well built and hold up good for the most part. Some of the others out there are cheaply build so not so much.. That said no camper is immune to water damage so look for obvious signs. The FWC's are designed for offroad use and the newer models actually have an aluminum frame which really adds to the durability. As far as wind noise they are not like a tent or even a tent trailer for that matter. I'm sure they are all different but wind noise on mine is minimal--I'm a very light sleeper and it doesn't bother me.