Here is some info on how I connected the islator on my Dodge truck. I also included some photos of my truck with the camper installed, and options I have added. This is an update from what I posted back in October. Let me know what you think.
Thanks for all the info! I imagine that your camper is quite a load for your 1/2 ton? How much does your camper weigh? Do you find the 5.9L to be enough power?
As far as the questions about my choice of circuit breaker, etc. I got my information from a local RV place and from Sure Power directly. They both recommended the #1602 isolator (up to 160 Amps) with a 120-Amp breaker. I guess maybe that is their way of making sure they are covered and they don't have me returning a fried isolator. I guess I'd rather have the bigger unit and know that I'm covered.
Nice looking rig! How much does the whole thing weigh (loaded)? I have a Sunlite Eagle sb pop up on a 2000 Dodge 1500 4x4 and was concerned about being close to the max. load.What are your tires rated for? You seem to be a do-it- yourself type person and I was wondering why you didn't install the air bags yourself. I am thinking of getting some for my truck. Where did you get them? Thanks-oltroll
Thanks. My camper weighs about 2400 lbs loaded, so I am about 800 lbs overweight, and that is without pulling either the jetboat or a Polaris ATV. The engine pulls as if there was no camper there. I have a hard time believing how much power I have, even with the camper and trailer connected. The 3.92 and posi rear help a lot in this case. Being a 1500, I have the P-type tires, and plan to replace them with the LT-type ASAP. I haven't had any problems, but I did the same tire swap to LT's on my old truck, and felt more secure.
As to the air bags, I did install them on my old truck; it was just with only 200 miles on the new truck, I didn't want to be the one drilling the first holes. Installation through Camping World was only $72, so that wasn't too bad. The problem was all the stuff I bought in their store during the 2 hours it took to install the airbags. By the way, I agree with everyone else in here that airbags are definitely the way to go. With only 10 lbs in them, you don't even know they are there. With 60 lbs, I can haul 2400+ lbs, and still have a level and safe truck.
mictro, I would double-check on that 120-amp circuit breaker. Where in the line does it install? If you put that big a breaker between the isolator and your camper, even a direct short to ground probably won't trip a breaker that big. I've used 30-amp circuit breakers for years, and haven't popped one yet. Vince and stabbur are right, you don't want to go too large with a circuit breaker for these purposes.
Thanks for the information.I am still confused about the weight issue. My truck has a max. payload of 1475 lbs. The sticker on my camper says it weighs 1319 lbs with the options,water, and LP. After weighing my rig; the weight was ok on each axle and came in at 7020 lbs with me and a full tank of gas . Gross weight the truck is 6600 lbs, so I am 420 lbs over. Is there that much difference between a 99 and my 00 Ram in regards to weight?
It's you! You haven't posted here for awhile (at least a picture) and I didn't remember your name but I did remember your truck. I'm glad to bestow upon you the title of "King Of Overload" which formally belonged to Mike2, sorry Mike. I think you will be hard to beat, especially with a trailer connected to the back of that thing!
Your pictures look great, it's a nice rig. You did a good job documenting the battery. I have a similar setup with 2 under the hood and 1 in the camper, however I'm using the factory relay. It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts.
Those Firestone bags must lift better than the Air Lift brand most of us have. We run 55 to 85 psi on 3/4 ton trucks, and I see you only run 60 psi with less spring assist. Do you have a rear stabilizer bar? Have you replaced the factory shocks?
The 120 amp breaker must be to go between the alternator and the isolator. The rating is that high so it never trips from normal charging currents but would for a dead short. You don't need it for a few reasons. First your alternator is 130 amp and the isolator is 160 amp so you can't hurt it. Now marketing being what it is, the 160 amp rating is probably a total for both sides which means it's really 80 amps. And that is probably only good for 45 nano-seconds. However your system is already fused on each side for less than 80 amps most likely. The feed to the battery goes through a fuse I can see from ahollowell's nice picture. So that takes care of one side. The feed to the camper will have a 30 amp breaker so that takes care of the other side of the isolator. Therefore a short on either output will trip something and protect the isolator (assuming the short isn't to the post on the isolator of course). I wouldn't use the big breaker at all. But if you're worried, here is another idea.
I have a Chevy and bought the factory battery cables for the auxiliary battery option. The positive cable has a fuseable link in it to protect against gross failures. It's cheaper than buying the 120 amp breaker. If you could locate a generic 100 amp fuseable link (they are common from the factory) you could use it to go from the alternator to the isolator.
For the isolator output to the camper a 30 amp cheap breaker is best. You don't want to go higher or it won't provide adequate protection.
Here's my theory on truck weight. I am more concerned with individual axle weight than the 6600 lbs Dodge quotes and the gross weight. The axles are where the wheel bearings, brakes, and tires take the brunt of the weight. The springs also absorb the load, which is why airbags are so nice. The frame strength helps with twisting and keeping everything rigid. So, as long as we maintain weight within the axle limits, we should not experience any problems. I plan to get the rig weighed, empty and loaded, soon. I will post that info once I have it. Keep in mind tires are important. LT-rated tires should be considered a must with a heavy camper. There is a lot of weight and side-load while driving with a camper, and the tires need to properly carry this load. P-rated tires on trucks used other than status symbols are just a problem waiting to happen. Also, I did install a Hellwig rear sway bar. It fit perfect and works great. The shocks are stock for now. I will look at upgrading those when I have more miles on the truck.
My concerns about truck weight are a little different than yours. Axle ratings should not be exceeded. To do so is to risk wheel bearing or axle failure.
Tire ratings should never be exceeded for obvious reasons.
However, the max GVWR is for whole vehicle. This is the weight the brakes are designed to stop reliably. I view this as a serious issue. In normal, day to day driving it may be no problem, but in a panic situation, or needing maximum brakes coming down a long mountain grade, you may be in trouble. I hope this never happens, but I think you are on thin ice when you go well over the vehicles max weight rating.
Long term the extra weight may cause excess frame flexing and breakage.
I'm only slightly over (6500lbs on max GVWR 6400lbs) and I don't like this. I actually have a 3/4 ton truck on order so I will have plenty of margin on the truck ratings. I don't think the 100lbs over poses any risk, but my wife is a worry wart, and it weighs heavily on her. And the bigger, heavier truck doesn't bother me beyond the payments.
I agree with both of you. The brakes etc. are better on a 3/4 ton and give the extra margin of safety and peace of mind. However you can push a 1/2 ton quite a lot and get away with it. I've done it, and got away with it just barely with some hairy moments. But that was an old tech truck and that Dodge is a much better vehicle. I'd never do it again though.
One area I won't skimp on is tires. ahollowell is correct about the LT tires however I'd take it one further and say that you should stick with 10-ply E rated tires unless your camper is light. Unfortunately you can't get those in wide sizes but it's more important to not have breakdowns.
Another pesky- pickup-pop-up problem prevented. I have had a problem with the canvas on my pop-up folding outward instead of inward (especially on windy days.) My answer to this problem was to attach small loops of fishing line to the corner and far end of the window seams that I cant reach because of the cabover bed. Next I took a 1/2 dowel and screwed a small cup hook into the end of the stick. Now when the top is about half way down, I hook the loops and pull the canvas inward. Works great so far. (Colored line makes the loops a lot more easy to see than the clear line.
I have a 93 10'1 Lance camper that has a leak in the rear compartment door that sits below the dining area. It is the only door that opens left to right instead of bottom to top. The water is entering between the door and the seal. I am not sure how to solve it. I was told by the dealer that a drip edge would help. Has anyone been down this road before? Thanks for any suggestions !!
I ordered a Chevy 2500 4x4 std cab longbed. This truck has a 3300 max payload. My load is about 2100 lbs including passengers.
LS model 6.0L V8 5spd Locking Differential AC, PDL, PW, CC Forged Aluminum Wheels Camper Mirrors Fog lights
MSRP $27786 GMS $24155
My current truck is a Chevy 1500 4x4 std cab longbed 4.8L and very similar equipment.
I don't know if I will be able to get my order through or not. It is very near the end of the model year (last date to order is Apr 7) and not many 3.4 ton orders get through. My dealer is the biggest dealer in the area, and they don't know if they can get an allocation or not. I'll know by the first week in April. 2 weeks. I'm concerned that next year Chevy will only offer the larger SD size 3/4 ton trucks, and I don't wan the larger size, just the capacity.
Except for color, transmission and a couple of options, this would be very similar to Vince's truck. But a lot lighter when loaded.
I have a 91 Lance and all my lower doors open left to right. I haven't had any leaks. I believe the only seal is foam weather striping around the perimeter of the frame. There must be a similar seal on yours, is it intact? Something must have changed to make it leak since it didn't always do that. How does water get down there anyway? That area is protected by the overhang and the truck bed (if loaded).
If the seal just isn't doing the job and it's in good shape, I'd put a little rain gutter above the door to direct the water to each side. I'm sure you can find suitable L shaped metal at a home store. That won't help the water hitting the door from wind blown rain though. For that I'd put a strip of the curved metal sometimes used on the bottom of exterior doors for the same reason.
Thanks for the information. Just a few more questions. Other than price, why did you go wit gas instead of diesel? I usually trade about every 2 years and have had Ford, GMC, Chevy and now Dodge. Each have had things I liked and didn't like. Any reason you decided on Chevy? Thanks.
The Dodge has more interior room and feels more solid than the Chevy. Chevy said they they wouldn't have a Quad cab when I was going to trade. I also had problems with the 4x4 actuators(sp?) on the Chevy and GMC. Didn't go with Ford because I don't really like the way they look. Seems everyone is trying to copy the Dodge front end. Chevy got a lot better MPG than the Dodge does. If I trade I'll probably go with another Dodge or the Ford 3/4 die sel. I had no major problems with any of them but I didn't keep any of them over 36000 miles.
I work for an EMS service and all of our ambulances are Ford diesels. (been with this system 15 yrs.) Other than the noise and smell I can't complain about these motors. There are at least 12 different people driving the same rig and we have way over 100,000 miles on them when the come off front line. The main problem is trying to keep the front-ends lined up.
A guy down the street is selling his 1989 Skamper 8 foot pop top slide in. Every thing works [3 burner stove ,furnace,and 3-way refridge] and it's very clean. The only reason he's getting rid of it is he just p/u a 10 foot Skamper. Asking 1700 for it. Now my real concern is will this be too much weight for my Tundra. Wet weight on the camper is 1205 lbs [on the i.d. plate]. I realize that if I had wanted to haul around a camper I should have gotten a 3\4 ton .At the time a camper was not a consideration and if it would be unsafe no big deal to blow it off. The only reason I'm considering it is because it seems a good deal but not at the risk of overloading the truck. Thanks for any help.
The door I am having a problem with is the door on the rear overhang and it is the largest outside door compartment on the truck camper. It optionally holds the generator.
The door gasket is a piece of rubber and appears to be intact. True, the door had been replaced because the camper got hit and I believe the door has leaked ever since. I couldn't remember if the old door leaked at all. The work was done by the dealer and I have called and talked with the service guy. He suggested using some foam gasket material but I am not sure how it would fit. He also made the same suggestion you did on the rain gutter. He said other people have done this. I don't know if this is something I have to make or Lance sells this. I am not sure if I want to change the camper design because something is wrong with the door. I think the door sits out further than the frame and therefore rain falls on the door edge and follows past the gasket. I love the camper and would like to keep it but this leak could mean an early demize if I don't solve this. Currently I have a piece of plastic covering the opening. Sorry for the long post, any suggestions would be appreciated.
I believe you are correct about the Dodge interior room. The cab is a little wider. The center fold-down console is huge. Front to rear the Chevy is bigger though, at least on an ext cab. A friend at work is looking to buy and said he pushed the seat all the way back in the Dodge and didn't have quite enough leg room. At the same time his son was squashed in the rear seat. They then went to the Chevy dealer and tried the same test. Both of them were comfortable. That pretty much sold him. I'm sure this is a common story, GM was smart to increase the back seat size since all the baby boomers need to haul their grown kids around now.
That sounds like a decent deal on the camper. I think the Tundra can handle that load after a little improvement. Toyota designed that truck for empty ride quality, not load capacity. At minimum you will need to add rear overload springs or even better, air bags. The lighter duty air bags are sufficient for that load. If you care to improve things even more you could add a rear stabilizer bar and new shocks. I'll bet it will be fine without though. The rest of the truck shouldn't have any problem. It is rated to tow 6000-7000 lbs if you have the V8, and the brakes are made for full GVWR loads so it should be fine. Go for it.
I misunderstood you. I thought the door was one of the bed access doors down low on the inside.
I would only add the rain gutter as a last resort because it wouldn't look right. The best solution is to get the door to mechanically fit correctly, then the seal can do it's job. Since the dealer did the work, they should fix it.
You may be right about the water hitting the top edge. But the rubber seal should still block the water. What if you only cover that very top edge with plastic and then shoot water at the rest of the door, does it still leak? It seems likely that water is running down to the bottom and getting in there. Is the seal being compressed correctly? Close the door on a piece of paper and see how easy it pulls out. Do that all around the door. Does the water have an easy path to run out of the bottom of the frame to the outside and not to the inside? If not, maybe a bead of silicon glue along the inside bottom of the frame would cause the water to run to the outside. Try adding some closed-cell stick-on foam weather stripping tape right on top of the rubber, at least for a test.
This is a very fixable problem. It'll just take some investigation and ingenuity. Don't get rid of a great camper for such a small thing. If you give up, take it to another RV repair place. Hopefully you will find that one guy who knows just what to do.
You have come to the right place. I am also new at this camper thing. I have found that the folks here give good information (much better than car or camper dealers) and are glad to help. To avoid a long post feel free to E mail me and I will be glad to share my limited knowledge.Good luck.olltroll@webtv.net
Thanks guys for the rapid responce. I'm gonna go for it. This is nice as it adds another use for the truck . Of course now I have a ton of questions but I'm sure alot of them have been answered already on this board so for the next few nights I'm gonna scroll through it and get a little educated. Thanks again.
You never answered the Mike's question about the load rating. What is the GVWR and axle ratings (door sticker) for the truck? Is there a sticker in the glove box which gives the maximum camper weight?
Thanks for some great advice. I will try some of this stuff now that the weather is starting to warm. This problem has been bugging me for a couple of years, the first year this happen I never noticed because I didn't use the camper that year. The second year I used rags to collect the water. This year I want to correct it. I should never had waited because it has done some damage. I noticed the floor inside has buckled a little which I think means water has gotten under the flooring. I never actually saw water inside but it must have went under the sheet flooring. This all started because I got rear ended in an accident and the entire rear of the camper got rebuilt. It seems it didn't go back as tight as it was. I agree it is a great camper and I don't want to get rid of it. I am hoping to get it fixed but the dealer is an hour away. Perhaps I should bring it to them to figure it out. I just don't want to bring it up there and wait months to get it back !!! What problems !!!
My truck is rated at 6400lbs. 2035lbs payload. 3750 front and rear axles. Rated to carry a 1340lb slide in camper.
As I mentioned earlier, a 1200lb camper, gear and supplies and two people equals 2100lbs. So, we are running at 6500lbs, or just over the trucks ratings.
No confirmation on my order for a 3/4 ton yet. They are hard to get and it may not go through. I don't even know if I can afford it now that my wife is getting early retirement from HP.
I really need to win the lottery so I can retire also.
Does the door leak when the camper is off the truck or only when it is on? Buffeting by air currents may be distorting the door if it only leaks while on the truck. Another trick is to use a piece of carpenter's chalk. Rub it on the door facing the gasket and then shut it gently. The chalk should come off all around the gasket. Good luck ... and stop that leak.
I have a magazine that says the weight of an ext cab V8 Tundra is 4480lbs. That would leave a payload of 1570lbs. But they say the GVWR is 6200 so who knows. With a 1200lb camper, 300lbs of people, and some gear you will be at the limit. Most likely you will go over a little but that is fine. Those ratings are somewhat subjective and you can safely go over a little. You will need something to pick up the rear end though or it will handle poorly and the headlights will be in the sky.
Had to go with a stake [?] bed tie downs up front and a more traditional anchor bolt to bumper configuration in the rear. Happijac hasn't fab. the mounting plate that goes between the cab and bed yet for this model. Naturally the distance between the bed tie downs and the anchor bolts attached to the camper are way too close so now I have to move them towards the rear more, so my turnbuckles will fit. A two hour job is gonna take two days. I'm gonna take your advice vince and go with the airlifts next . Thanks for the payload math.
Well that was quick, you already have the camper on and know all about tie downs. Isn't it amazing how slow the aftermarket parts producers are? I had the same problem with accessories for my Silverado and it had been out over a year. Luckily I could get the Happyjac parts but I had to go to a camper dealer for them.
Before you move those tie downs, there is another choice to consider. Several people here have frame mount tie downs and they are happy with them. The one problem with the Happijac system is that under abnormal loading the front brackets can bend back and dent the bed. This possibility drives some to the frame mounts. The one brand I'm aware of is http://www.torklift.com. Maybe other folks here will help out with info.
How is the truck handling the weight? Did you get the electrical all done? I assume that camper doesn't have its own battery. If not, do you have any plans to add one? It's important to have a dedicated one because it's quite easy to discharge the truck battery with lights, furnace etc. to the point where it won't turn over an engine. I'd say a second batt with isolation is mandatory. If you read the old posts then you know we've been through that topic a few times. Of course we could always do it again!
Where are you going to buy the air bags? I hope they have them for your truck by this time.
Hey guys, I am finally going to to the air bags for my truck, one question do they all have the same capacity or can you get heavy duty, light duty etc, I would like to get the heavyest capacity ones if possible.
garyt4 Go with the torklift tie downs if possible, I got them on my truck and I think they are great they are a little pricey but you can't get a better tie down then with frame mounts, I know about your problem with after market parts I have a 2000 Ford F350 these trucks have been out for almost two years and I still come across the problem of parts being produced for it. John
I just finished installing Firestone Ride-Rites on my 350, they are rated at 5000 lbs., yet the documentation you get says 40 lbs per PSI per installed pair and they're max inflated at 100, so that works out to 4000. You'll find you won't need that much anyway. From talking to many people over at Happy Campers and other sites, most people run 10-20 empty and 50-70 with their campers on, even the big heavy Bigfoot 3000's. If you're looking for a decent price, Campers Choice is really reasonable.
Vince4 I know what you mean when you 'dump' on the stake tiedowns. As soon as I put them into the holes on the bed rails I thought what a weak set up it was. I can def. see where they could twist the bed wall. Just got done e-mailing Torklift requesting specifics for my application. I'm not too confident about them being able to come through. It's like John and Vince4 say aftermarket parts are hard to come by for low production models. My buddy has a 3\4 ton Dodge that is loaded ,even has a frame mounted hitch up front, all he has to do is dial an 800# and it's del.to his front porch. Vince4 I'm not sure how I was going to do the electrical yet. Since I probably wont be gone for more than a couple of days I thought to just use one dedicated battery to run my interior lights and on the rare cold nights my heater fan.Then recharge it when I get home. I'm trying to keep it simple. It seems to ride pretty good. However I really babied it and then only around the block a few times. I did a total detail job on it and it does look pretty good for a 1989. I was tempted to sleep in it but I felt a little funny it being in the driveway. I also e-mailed airlift but haven't heard from them yet. I'm def. going to need those air bags or I'll be getting a lot of brights flashed at me. Thanks guys for the advice. Gary
I agree that the stake pocket mounts are weak but you misunderstood me. I was referring to the normal Happijac brackets that bolt to the front of the bed, between the bed and cab. They are strong and it's hard to bend them but not impossible.
The stake pocket mounts you have are okay for temporary use but you should get something better. Then you wouldn't need to move the camper eye bolts either.
Your battery idea is fine if you intend to use it for short trips. I guess you aren't required to wire up brake lights and such so you really don't need to do any electrical work. Does the camper have a place for a battery? If not then how would you carry one? If you decide that you want the battery to charge from the engine it's not difficult to connect.
It's funny about the 4000lb lifting ability of the Firestone air bags when they are advertised as 5000lb. I have the Air Lift bags and they are exactly the same way. I wonder if maybe Air Lift buys the bag from Firestone.
John, the bags come in two sizes for our application, 2500lb and 5000lb. They have some other models for lowered cars or other specialized applications. The two companies are as mentioned above. The Air Lift brand is sold at Camping World, Performance Products, and others. You can get the Firestones at JC Whitney and I'm not sure where else. Performance Products sells the 5000lb set for $258 but they tend to be overpriced. Hellwig sells the Firestones under their name, you can try http://www.heckethorn.com/ for a quote. Gary, Performance Products sells the 2500lb set for $196 just to give you a reference.
After posting I went to Jeg's website and noticed they no longer show the SD air bags for trucks on line, just the smaller bags for cars, but they still show them in the new catalog I got yesterday in the mail. Sorry for the error.
Thanks for the info rat. I did find the Super Duty bags on Jeg's for $200, they are under Sport Truck Accessories section. The Ride Control 2500lb bags are $167. Those are the best prices I've seen. I checked Jeg's price on a Optima battery I recently bought and it wasn't a good price. I guess they can't be good on everything.
My order was accepted today. The last day for any orders to go in for this year's build is 4/3/00 and since Anderson only orders on Tuesdays, today was the last day for them.
The factory is still quoting 8-14 weeks, but some guys on the other discussions have been getting trucks in as little as 4-5 weeks.
More waiting.
2000 Chevy 2500 4x4 Regular Cab Longbed LS AC, CC, PW, PDL, Upscale seats AM/FM w/CD 6.0L 5 spd 3.73 w/Locking Differential Heavy Duty Suspension Skid Plates Forged Aluminum Wheels Camper Mirrors Fog Lamps Dark Carmine Red w/Black Fender Flares Graphite interior
Well that's good news. And you didn't have to give up any options to get the order accepted. I guess you already gave up the rear slider etc. though.
You'll need those scissor steps for real now. Actually the 3 step size may be a little short, the 4 step is just right for mine. But mine goes up to the camper door so yours might work okay if you mount the bracket low on the bumper and use the bumper as the fourth step.
So no more worries about weight, only windows now. I know you wanted to order the aux battery option, are you going to put one in yourself? I forget how your camper is powered now, does it have an isolated battery?
We'll find out about the steps when the truck shows up. Hopefully before we leave on vacation in June. Otherwise, we still like our current truck.
I had to give up the aux battery. I think that's a mistake by the dealer, but not such a big deal. After all, I have your instructions on how to do it. My camper currently has an isolated battery, but I would like to move the battery out of the camper and gain the space. If we could move the water tank out we would be in heaven - spacewise.
I guess it is time to sell my El Camino. Know anyone who wants or needs a '72 EC 350HO(ZZ1), 4spd, 12 bolt, new interior with buckets and SS dash, SS hood, Rally Wheels. $10000 invested in parts - $5000 - - -?
Comments
http://users.erols.com/ahollow/
As far as the questions about my choice of circuit breaker, etc. I got my information from a local RV place and from Sure Power directly. They both recommended the #1602 isolator (up to 160 Amps) with a 120-Amp breaker. I guess maybe that is their way of making sure they are covered and they don't have me returning a fried isolator. I guess I'd rather have the bigger unit and know that I'm covered.
As to the air bags, I did install them on my old truck; it was just with only 200 miles on the new truck, I didn't want to be the one drilling the first holes. Installation through Camping World was only $72, so that wasn't too bad. The problem was all the stuff I bought in their store during the 2 hours it took to install the airbags. By the way, I agree with everyone else in here that airbags are definitely the way to go. With only 10 lbs in them, you don't even know they are there. With 60 lbs, I can haul 2400+ lbs, and still have a level and safe truck.
mictro, I would double-check on that 120-amp circuit breaker. Where in the line does it install? If you put that big a breaker between the isolator and your camper, even a direct short to ground probably won't trip a breaker that big. I've used 30-amp circuit breakers for years, and haven't popped one yet. Vince and stabbur are right, you don't want to go too large with a circuit breaker for these purposes.
. Gross weight the truck is 6600 lbs, so I am 420 lbs over. Is there that much difference between a 99 and my 00 Ram in regards to weight?
Your pictures look great, it's a nice rig. You did a good job documenting the battery. I have a similar setup with 2 under the hood and 1 in the camper, however I'm using the factory relay. It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts.
Those Firestone bags must lift better than the Air Lift brand most of us have. We run 55 to 85 psi on 3/4 ton trucks, and I see you only run 60 psi with less spring assist. Do you have a rear stabilizer bar? Have you replaced the factory shocks?
I have a Chevy and bought the factory battery cables for the auxiliary battery option. The positive cable has a fuseable link in it to protect against gross failures. It's cheaper than buying the 120 amp breaker. If you could locate a generic 100 amp fuseable link (they are common from the factory) you could use it to go from the alternator to the isolator.
For the isolator output to the camper a 30 amp cheap breaker is best. You don't want to go higher or it won't provide adequate protection.
Keep in mind tires are important. LT-rated tires should be considered a must with a heavy camper. There is a lot of weight and side-load while driving with a camper, and the tires need to properly carry this load. P-rated tires on trucks used other than status symbols are just a problem waiting to happen.
Also, I did install a Hellwig rear sway bar. It fit perfect and works great. The shocks are stock for now. I will look at upgrading those when I have more miles on the truck.
Tire ratings should never be exceeded for obvious reasons.
However, the max GVWR is for whole vehicle. This is the weight the brakes are designed to stop reliably. I view this as a serious issue. In normal, day to day driving it may be no problem, but in a panic situation, or needing maximum brakes coming down a long mountain grade, you may be in trouble. I hope this never happens, but I think you are on thin ice when you go well over the vehicles max weight rating.
Long term the extra weight may cause excess frame flexing and breakage.
I'm only slightly over (6500lbs on max GVWR 6400lbs) and I don't like this. I actually have a 3/4 ton truck on order so I will have plenty of margin on the truck ratings. I don't think the 100lbs over poses any risk, but my wife is a worry wart, and it weighs heavily on her. And the bigger, heavier truck doesn't bother me beyond the payments.
Mike L
One area I won't skimp on is tires. ahollowell is correct about the LT tires however I'd take it one further and say that you should stick with 10-ply E rated tires unless your camper is light. Unfortunately you can't get those in wide sizes but it's more important to not have breakdowns.
LS model
6.0L V8 5spd
Locking Differential
AC, PDL, PW, CC
Forged Aluminum Wheels
Camper Mirrors
Fog lights
MSRP $27786 GMS $24155
My current truck is a Chevy 1500 4x4 std cab longbed 4.8L and very similar equipment.
I don't know if I will be able to get my order through or not. It is very near the end of the model year (last date to order is Apr 7) and not many 3.4 ton orders get through. My dealer is the biggest dealer in the area, and they don't know if they can get an allocation or not. I'll know by the first week in April. 2 weeks. I'm concerned that next year Chevy will only offer the larger SD size 3/4 ton trucks, and I don't wan the larger size, just the capacity.
Except for color, transmission and a couple of options, this would be very similar to Vince's truck. But a lot lighter when loaded.
Mike L
If the seal just isn't doing the job and it's in good shape, I'd put a little rain gutter above the door to direct the water to each side. I'm sure you can find suitable L shaped metal at a home store. That won't help the water hitting the door from wind blown rain though. For that I'd put a strip of the curved metal sometimes used on the bottom of exterior doors for the same reason.
sel. I had no major problems with any of them but I didn't keep any of them over 36000 miles.
My popup weighs 1400lbs. With my wife, myself, and all of our food and supplies we just exceed the 2000 load capacity of our 1/2 ton truck.
You may need air lift or similar air bags to help the suspension, but you may be OK with the camper if you travel light (we don't).
Mike L
The door gasket is a piece of rubber and appears to be intact. True, the door had been replaced because the camper got hit and I believe the door has leaked ever since. I couldn't remember if the old door leaked at all. The work was done by the dealer and I have called and talked with the service guy. He suggested using some foam gasket material but I am not sure how it would fit. He also made the same suggestion you did on the rain gutter. He said other people have done this. I don't know if this is something I have to make or Lance sells this. I am not sure if I want to change the camper design because something is wrong with the door. I think the door sits out further than the frame and therefore rain falls on the door edge and follows past the gasket. I love the camper and would like to keep it but this leak could mean an early demize if I don't solve this. Currently I have a piece of plastic covering the opening. Sorry for the long post, any suggestions would be appreciated.
I would only add the rain gutter as a last resort because it wouldn't look right. The best solution is to get the door to mechanically fit correctly, then the seal can do it's job. Since the dealer did the work, they should fix it.
You may be right about the water hitting the top edge. But the rubber seal should still block the water. What if you only cover that very top edge with plastic and then shoot water at the rest of the door, does it still leak? It seems likely that water is running down to the bottom and getting in there. Is the seal being compressed correctly? Close the door on a piece of paper and see how easy it pulls out. Do that all around the door. Does the water have an easy path to run out of the bottom of the frame to the outside and not to the inside? If not, maybe a bead of silicon glue along the inside bottom of the frame would cause the water to run to the outside. Try adding some closed-cell stick-on foam weather stripping tape right on top of the rubber, at least for a test.
This is a very fixable problem. It'll just take some investigation and ingenuity. Don't get rid of a great camper for such a small thing. If you give up, take it to another RV repair place. Hopefully you will find that one guy who knows just what to do.
As I mentioned earlier, a 1200lb camper, gear and supplies and two people equals 2100lbs. So, we are running at 6500lbs, or just over the trucks ratings.
No confirmation on my order for a 3/4 ton yet. They are hard to get and it may not go through. I don't even know if I can afford it now that my wife is getting early retirement from HP.
I really need to win the lottery so I can retire also.
Mike L
Before you move those tie downs, there is another choice to consider. Several people here have frame mount tie downs and they are happy with them. The one problem with the Happijac system is that under abnormal loading the front brackets can bend back and dent the bed. This possibility drives some to the frame mounts. The one brand I'm aware of is http://www.torklift.com. Maybe other folks here will help out with info.
How is the truck handling the weight? Did you get the electrical all done? I assume that camper doesn't have its own battery. If not, do you have any plans to add one? It's important to have a dedicated one because it's quite easy to discharge the truck battery with lights, furnace etc. to the point where it won't turn over an engine. I'd say a second batt with isolation is mandatory. If you read the old posts then you know we've been through that topic a few times. Of course we could always do it again!
Where are you going to buy the air bags? I hope they have them for your truck by this time.
garyt4 Go with the torklift tie downs if possible, I got them on my truck and I think they are great they are a little pricey but you can't get a better tie down then with frame mounts, I know about your problem with after market parts I have a 2000 Ford F350 these trucks have been out for almost two years and I still come across the problem of parts being produced for it.
John
The stake pocket mounts you have are okay for temporary use but you should get something better. Then you wouldn't need to move the camper eye bolts either.
Your battery idea is fine if you intend to use it for short trips. I guess you aren't required to wire up brake lights and such so you really don't need to do any electrical work. Does the camper have a place for a battery? If not then how would you carry one? If you decide that you want the battery to charge from the engine it's not difficult to connect.
John, the bags come in two sizes for our application, 2500lb and 5000lb. They have some other models for lowered cars or other specialized applications. The two companies are as mentioned above. The Air Lift brand is sold at Camping World, Performance Products, and others. You can get the Firestones at JC Whitney and I'm not sure where else. Performance Products sells the 5000lb set for $258 but they tend to be overpriced. Hellwig sells the Firestones under their name, you can try http://www.heckethorn.com/ for a quote. Gary, Performance Products sells the 2500lb set for $196 just to give you a reference.
My order was accepted today. The last day for any orders to go in for this year's build is 4/3/00 and since Anderson only orders on Tuesdays, today was the last day for them.
The factory is still quoting 8-14 weeks, but some guys on the other discussions have been getting trucks in as little as 4-5 weeks.
More waiting.
2000 Chevy 2500 4x4
Regular Cab Longbed
LS
AC, CC, PW, PDL, Upscale seats
AM/FM w/CD
6.0L 5 spd
3.73 w/Locking Differential
Heavy Duty Suspension
Skid Plates
Forged Aluminum Wheels
Camper Mirrors
Fog Lamps
Dark Carmine Red w/Black Fender Flares
Graphite interior
MSRP $27768 GMS +3% pricing $24188
Mike L
You'll need those scissor steps for real now. Actually the 3 step size may be a little short, the 4 step is just right for mine. But mine goes up to the camper door so yours might work okay if you mount the bracket low on the bumper and use the bumper as the fourth step.
So no more worries about weight, only windows now. I know you wanted to order the aux battery option, are you going to put one in yourself? I forget how your camper is powered now, does it have an isolated battery?
I had to give up the aux battery. I think that's a mistake by the dealer, but not such a big deal. After all, I have your instructions on how to do it. My camper currently has an isolated battery, but I would like to move the battery out of the camper and gain the space. If we could move the water tank out we would be in heaven - spacewise.
I guess it is time to sell my El Camino. Know anyone who wants or needs a '72 EC 350HO(ZZ1), 4spd, 12 bolt, new interior with buckets and SS dash, SS hood, Rally Wheels. $10000 invested in parts - $5000 - - -?
Later,
Mike L