The truck did come with E rated tires. But like a dummy I replaced them with D rated ones. But the maximum capacity is only 200 lbs in favor of the E rated that came with the truck over what I have now.
There's not much you can do now but hope the tires are underrated. If you live in a cold climate then you should be okay. Heat is the problem so keep the pressure at max for sure and when driving in hotter weather keep freeway speed down to 55. It sounds like the only way to carry that camper and be well under the ratings is to have a dually.
In my old funky truck I bent the front wall of the bed (emerg stop) and put dips in the floor by having some cross boards to raise the camper height but I've never heard of the whole side tweaking down like yours. Hopefully it will stop where it is. You should get underneath and look at the bed mounting points just to check.
In case anyone is interested, I emailed Lance and asked them the weight of the 821 and got a reply back within a day.
Also, I've found a real good price for an 821 if anyone is interested (I was until I saw the weight It's at RV Sales and Service in La Vergne, TN (www.rvserviceandsales.com)
Dry weight without options is 2800. Wet weight without options is 3152 (wtr tank full, LP full). With AC, awning, electric jacks, generator, etc. (loaded), you add another 440 lbs.
1. Heavy off road use. Extreme twisting while rock climbing, etc. Not very likely. We've managed to get 1-2 wheels off the ground without distortion of anything. Severe shocks (a washout taken at 40mph?) could cause big problems. I think suspension failure would happen long before the bed would get deformed.
2. Localized heavy loading. Did you camper sit evenly on the bed of your camper, or did one of the rear corners carry most of the weight? Could there have been a 2 x 6 or similar under a rear corner to lift the camper and load that corner?
3. Truck has a bent frame or a missing bed mount. So one corner of the bed is essentially unsuported by the frame.
Overall, I'd say your camper is too heavy for you SRW 1 ton. Either a lighter camper, or Duals.
Your problem reminds of something Vince said awhile back - NEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING A SALESMAN TELLS YOU. He is interested in making a sale and a commision, and probably doesn't care if your truck can handle it or not. If he really believes what he is telling you, have him put it in writing on the sales contract: "This camper is fully acceptable on the listed truck (list the truck) despite the fact that the camper exceeds the manufacturers recommendations." See if he is willing to accept the liability for overloading the vehicle.
Sorry for the ranting, you must have touched a nerve.
In short, don't believe a salesman, do your own research and make up you own mind.
Check with your local medium duty truck dealers. The F450, 550 and 650 type trucks may have a heavier tire and whell combination. It may be on a 17 or 18 inch wheel but it will use the same bolt pattern so you should be ok. Worth a look anyway.
Before you completely panic fill the camper's water tank and your fuel tank full and re-weigh the combo, your rear axle weight won't go up as much as you think.
I too own a PSD powered F350 Super Duty. My truck is a supercab and ONLY weighs 7320 lbs with a full tank of fuel and one passenger.
I have been looking at tires to replace my 265/75-16 LRE Firestones. The ONLY tire with the same load rating is the BFG AT 295/75-16 LRD. Another option is a Goodyear G159LT 235/85-16 LRG (yes G). That tire is rated at 3705 lbs @ 110 psi. At that point your wheels become the weakest link in the chain.
I bought my truck to haul a slide-in camper, now I beginning to think more about another travel trailer (I used to own a 19' Airstream).
Actually I wasn't refering to E rated 265/75-16s. I was commenting on 16" tires capable of that much weight. Besides Michelin, Cooper also sells a couple different E rated 265s.
I noticed a 10' Alaskan in the paper. Must be fully self contained at 10'. It won't go down as far as ours does, but it will be a lot lower than yours. Still heavy, even the ad states it needs a 3/4 ton truck.
But keep looking! If I do get a popup it is only for off-road use and therefore must be small. If only 4Wheel had a real toilet I'd say it must be that brand. Phoenix makes one not much bigger with a toilet but who ever sees those around. I mean, is there anyone in this state who owns a Phoenix and doesn't drive a maroon truck and live in an old house?
Up Warm Springs Canyon to see Striped Butte. Then out to the Racetrack, over Hunter Mountain and up the Saline Valley.
Of course, we would have to stop in Bishop and get some Sheepherder's Bread at Eric Schatt's Bakery. Good stuff, but hard to compare to a Maid-Rite. It must rank below Maid-Rites on my list of good things to eat.
The more I get out and travel, the less I want to come back and work.
This weekend, up to the Dardenells with the BMW M/C club.
The local drought caused the Army Corps of Engineers to release water from the Ball Mountain Reservoir in Vermont for only one day this year instead of the usual two. We spent two nights at the Winhall Brook Army Corps campground and had two great runs on the West River on Saturday. Our slide-in was the source of hot water and cookstove for those in a tent and we parked alongside friends who arrived in a Road Trek. Our Sunlight Condor has a roof rack that will hold two canoes side by side but the lift mechanism is not strong enough to raise even one canoe plus the roof. We have an eight foot ladder carried in a rack attached to the jack brackets. We move the ladder to where it is needed after putting the bows of the canoes up on top. We then finish loading them and tying them down from the ladder. The exercise provided by putting the canoes up and down with every roof raise keeps us fit and out of trouble. Having a rack that easily holds two canoes helps when arranging the shuttle from the end of the trip back to where another vehicle has been left.
Early Sunday morning a couple asked if they could fill their water tank at our faucet since they did not wish to use the single faucet at the dump station. They were from Germany and in a motor home on a Mercedes chassis. It had been shipped from Germany to Baltimore and they were on their way back to load it on a freighter in Baltimore after an 11 month trip in the U.S. This was a beautifully made rig. 22 feet long, front engine turbo diesel, dual rear wheels, bus type front end. The large bed was raised in cabover style but was at the rear of the body over a large compartment accessed by a door from the side so that a motorcycle or bicycles could be easily loaded. The interior was of high quality with a separate shower stall, nice kitchen. No vinyl covered particle board, all solid wood with fine cabinets. It was clear that the intent of the design was to create a comfortable means of travel rather than a living room on wheels. The 4 seats looked like Recaro's. I would guess 7 to 7.5 feet wide, a fair rear overhang, and not the rig for a rough gravel road in the mountains. Of course if you have a motorcycle aboard......Also it must have cost a bundle! So for now I'm happy with our old Sunlight, especially since this is the second trip we have taken since repairing the leak in the black water tank and it seems to be holding.
I recommend Winhall Brook, Jamaica, Vt. to those who may be in the area. It is a first class campground.
I just ordered a 2002 F350 with a camper package. When I ordered it edmunds and kelly blue book said when ordering the camper package you got a trip computer but now I cant find any info on it. Does anyone know what I am talking about? I figure this is the place for this type of question. Any info will be appreciated.
Sounds like a good trip. Kind of a pain to lift the canoes every time though. I'm tring to think of an external jack/support system that would help but I can't come up with anything. I guess you just don't run back there for a quick Coke do you?
I've never heard of one being linked to a camper prep option. Usually these are just part of the top trim line of a car, and now truck I guess. They require so many sensors, wiring support, etc that I'd be surprised to see one added for such a low volume option.
I'm thinking of taking 6 weeks, but at 1-2 weeks would be returning to CA via Iowa to visit my dad.
I wondered when you were going to find your new 4 legged friend. Good luck finding the right one. As my daughter would say, have you checked the Humane Society? They always have a good selection of animals that will be put to sleep if you don't save one.
Dorothy (HP Retired, you know) keeps talking about going to LB, but she never makes the reservations.
For a while, I was berating GM for their lack of a "trip computer" option on the Silverado/Sierra or Tahoe/Yukon, and pointing out that Ford offered it on their F-series trucks. Then I found out that Ford's "trip computer" was little more than a trip odometer plus compass and temperature display - all of which is already available from GM. If you want a REAL "trip computer", take alook at the "Driver Information Center" available on the C3, Denali, and Escalade.
As for requiring additional sensors, etc., modern cars AND trucks typically already have all the sensors and wiring in place. All that would really need to be added is MAYBE an additional microprocessor (cheap, and there're already a bucketful in your vehicle), and a display plus controls (this would be the highest expense; I'm guessing GM's cost would be maybe $75 for a pre-fabbed module from Delco, Delphi, or somebody like that). Take a look at what's being added to the newest generation vehicles: new electronic doodads galore as STANDARD equipment. Electronics are cheap and geting cheaper. Frankly, I sometimes think that what "camping" means to the current Program Managers at Ford and GM is taking a blanket and spending the night out on the veranda of their time-share in Los Cabos!
Sorry, gotta go - the folks in the white coats say I need a "time out" and that it's time for me to take my little blue pills. :-)
The main thing required which isn't on any vehicle otherwise is a flow gauge for the fuel to calculate mpg. Other than that maybe an inside temp sensor and the rest is already there as you say. Personally I'm happy to not be reminded of the lousy mileage I'm getting. It's bad enough at the pump. Last time I filled up the pump stopped at $50 and it wasn't even full-up. Ouch. Not a unique story of course.
Along with the not being reminded of the milage - They do give miles remaining which is kinda nice when using GPS that gives distance to destination etc.
But at 10mpg even that isn't toooo hard to figure in your head. (:-)
One thing the Silverado LT doesn't have is Inside Temperature read out. Found a nice one at Radio Shack (approx 1" x 3" & black with inside/outside high/low - i just put the outside probe at the rear of the overhead) that velcros nicely on the overhead Panel just above the map lites that is apparently going to be used for the trip computer in the futhre.
Now that its starting to cool off--time to start thinkng about heat again. Anyone tried the portable gas heaters that use the 1 lb. throw-away tanks? Camping-World sells them for about $100.00.
WOW $100 for a propane heater? I bought a little colman catalytic heater that burns the 1# cylinders earlier this year and it cost $50. It is a nice heater puts out 3000 BTU's for 8 hours on one cylinder. It is also supposed to be safe in the sense that it will not light most materials on fire in case of accidental contact. I bought mine at Fred Meyer p here in Alaska. I am sure they are available at Kmart or any other store that carries outdoor equipment.
I tried to answer earlier but my message disappeared into the electronic haze. The trip computer in our 2001 Dodge 2500 Cummins has been worth its relatively small cost (It was part of an upgrade package). On a couple of occasions the compass has paid off in spades. The air temperature is perhaps the most useful feature during winter rain/icing conditions - not perfect since the road can be mighty cold with warm air above it - but a real help. We also get instantaneous miles per gallon, distance to empty, engine hours, and miles since reset. With the reminder to let up with the right foot milage improves. Just got 21.3mpg on a trip to Maine mostly at 50-60mph with a 17 foot canoe on a rack. With the Sunlight slide in on for a similar trip we got just under 16. It is possible to get over 700 miles on a tank of diesel in that truck without the camper and at moderate speeds, but I have yet to succeed in doing it - the formula requires lightly traveled roads (no bumper to bumper traffic or brisk passing) and moderate speed.
We can get a coke out of the frig without popping the top of the Sunlight. We also can use the toilet (which comes in handy sometimes like last week when we were stalled in a long check-in line and the urge came upon us). With only a bit of contortion to avoid the folding mechanism bars we have prepared and eaten lunch in it with the top down while avoiding bad weather - like a big snowstorm at Crater Lake. We can use the furnace but don't light the stove with the top down. One night while in line for the Alaska Ferry in Juneau we slept in it with the top down since there was no way to unload the canoe from the boat rack. The two of us tried head to foot sleeping on the "divan" but I gave up and went to the floor for a better night's sleep.
All of our trucks have a 'flow gauge' to measure the fuel consumed.
If you believe the fuel injection doesn't meter the fuel accurately enough to calculate mileage, think again. The computer knows exactly (within the system tolerances - +/-??? 1% ???) how much fuel the engine is using. That is where the trip computers get the consumption data from.
Just purchased my truck last Friday and took full advantage of the 2.9% financing for 5 years. Quick question . I ordered some BF Goodrich Mudders and weld wheels. The tires are load D and hold 3300 pounds and the wheels hold 3200. I am planning on purchasing a camper that will weigh around 2000 pounds loaded ( 8FT. lance Lite) think this tire and wheel combo will have any problems holding the weight?
The stock tires on a 2500HD are 245/75-16s and are rated for 3042 lbs @ 80 PSI. It sounds like you're looking at 285/75R16s which is rated for 3305 @ 65 PSI. I certainly don't see any potential problem. I plan to replace my 265/75R16s (3415 lbs @ 80 PSI) with 285s on my F350 and I'm not worried about weight capacity.
Be very careful of incorrect backspacing with your new wheels. You truck's stock wheels have about 5 inches of backspacing, Weld sells a wheel that will fit your truck but only has about 3 1/2 inches of backspacing. This wheel will physically fit but will cause many headaches in the long run.
As for an 8' Lance weighing 2000 lbs loaded, I suggest you visit Lance's website ( www.lancecampers.com ) and "build" your camper. 2600 lbs wet is more like it.
Be very careful of incorrect backspacing with your new wheels. You truck's stock wheels have about 5 inches of backspacing, Weld sells a wheel that will fit your truck but only has about 3 1/2 inches of backspacing. This wheel will physically fit but will cause many headaches in the long run.
Steve, I checked with the Weld Wheel dealer and he said the spacers are 3 5/8 inches . He didn't seem to know to much about the subject . I don't either. What kinds of problems are we talking here? Im buying the new Stone Crushers 16x8's.The dealer did say if I had a five inch spacer the rims would stick out to far . I want them to be even with the body . Help, 2500hd
1. Changed oil last night, at 10,000 miles total on a 6.0L. Had run Mobil 1 10W-30 for approx 4,000 miles of which half were towing the travel trailer. The Mobil 1 was really dark. No metal on the drain plug magnet. Just suprized at the darkness of the oil, almost coca-cola colored. Air filter good. Just musta run hot going over all those 10,000' passes....
2. The little round stickon rubber insulators on the overload spring ends on the rear axle have fallen off. Have yawl experienced this? Working on getting the dealer to warranty. Guess they have some sort of slip on insulators....
I am trying to find a source for getting a quad cab Tundra 4X4 modified to add a camper-type shell to bed that is tied together with cab so there is internal access between cab and bed. The goal is to get a hybrid vehicle with interior similar to Sequoia SUV but with utility of the pickup bed of the Tundra.
Just got back to Va. from picking up my pop up cab-over from the R C. Willett factory in Cedar Falls. Unit is very nice, everything seems to fit well (after minor rear door adjustment)and be good quality. Stayed in George Wythe state park there over night to check things out. If you are ever up that way check it out, very nice. The camper rode fine and handled well on my 3/4 ton GMC longbed regular cab,including secondary West Va. roads. The wide angle window in the rear door is an excellent option if you have a regular cab. With it and the stock mirrors there is no blind spot on anything 5' away from the truck. May try some clamp on mirror extensions. Have any of you guys tried them? While in Iowa I had to try a Maid Rite after the discussion on the group. It must be an acquired taste (with or without ketchup). It wasn't bad, just kind of plain.
I'll believe 'aquired taste' is possible. If you've ever tasted Vegemite from Australia, you'll have to agree!! Worst tasting thing I've ever put in my mouth, but the Aussies love it.
May have been the Maid Rite store you tried. My wife loved the Maid Rites from the first time.
My dad has always said the RC Willet camper he had was the best camper he ever had. No problems that he had to fix. Good luck with yours.
Off the subject - If you go to Las Vegas in the next 8 months, stop at the Venetian hotel and check out the "The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit put on by the Guggenheim Museum. The displays with 30' tall compound curve, mirrored walls; 30' tall poster of Ann Margaret, Marlon Brando; a mirrored road rising from the basement and flowing over your head on the main level; and 120 magnificent motorcycles.
We got in before it opened to the public because a friend of mine from Germany has a motorcycle in the exhibit. The Guggenheim flew Walter and his wife to Las Vegas, put them up at the Venetian and we got to tag along for the cost of the airline tickets. We spent 5 hours in the exhibits on Thursday and Friday. Sunday it opened to the public. Now it is $15/person.
Oh, they also have an exhibit of Picasso, Mattise, Chagal and more in the Guggenheim Heritage exhibits at the other end of the hotel. Unless you are really into modern art, stick with the motorcycles. The exhibits themselves are worth the price of admission.
My 97 GMC had a sliding rear window and I also had a slider located on my matching fiberglass topper. My topper dealer sold me a $20 canvas tube that fit between the sliders. Took about one minute to install. Could drive down the highway at 80 with no wind noise and never had a water leak. Much cheaper alternative compared to a custom install.
I took an Edmunds break and see there has been some activity here. Going back 20 posts or so, my comments.
MikeL - I agree that the injector "on" time could easily be summed to get fuel consumption rate. I hadn't thought of that.
oltroll - I have a Coleman portable heater. It is a radiant heater with a reflector. It works well if you are in front of it, even outside. I haven't used it in a tent but I'm sure it would heat things up nicely. It does get hot enough to burn fabric if too close.
2500hd - I have Weld Sidewinder wheels and BFG load range D tires. My camper is about 2500lb loaded and is no problem for the tires at all. The wheels do stick out a little, I didn't want this either but it seems the wheel companies make a one-size-fits-all product and the stores swear it is exactly what you need, it will fit great... I didn't measure the original wheel backspacing until after I bought the new ones, but I probably would have bought them anyway. I do have trouble though but it's not been proven to be related to the backspacing. The new tire/wheel combination introduced a wobble that I can feel and that makes the steering wheel oscillate a little at the right speed. All 4 tires were replaced and it didn't fix it. The wheels were measured and are supposedly perfect. So I still have some investigating to do to get this solved. I would get the store to promise that the wheels won't cause any problem so you can return them if they do.
farmguy2001 - my neighbor has a shell which was used by the police for their dogs. It doesn't have a front window. Around the hole is a hefty rubber seal that presses against the truck. They say it is water tight. I would think the shell dealer could help you out with the correct type of seal. Keep in mind that it's quite noisy back there so you still want to be able to close the truck slider.
buzzb - I agree, the wide angle window in the door is great. I think it is a required safety feature. What model camper did you get? Does it have a toilet & holding tanks? Hot water?
I have a sliding rear window in my Silverado (aftermarket - RC Laurence?) and a sliding front window in the camper. With a cheap boot from JC Whitney it is water and insect tight. I do get a slight wind whistle on the highway, I can hear if I listen for it. But the whistle is not intrusive.
I can crawl between the cab and the camper if I have to. Sometimes we pass food or other stuff between the camper and the cab.
Total cost was about $300-350 for both sliders and the boot.
The boot was listed in Whitney's for an older Ford truck. It is thicker at the top than at the bottom. It fit my new Silverado perfectly!!
I got the TC800. It is set up for a 8' bed, flush with the tailgate. It has the bed crossways over the cab, plenty of room in bed and VERY comfortable. It has a porta potty. I got a larger one than Willett supplies (model 555 if I remember right). It's a little low for us retirees but just right if set on the table platform when the table is down at night. I had the folks at the Willett factory install two solar panels to help in boondocking. Need to get the controller, meters etc installed myself. They have a new model out this year (TC 850?) with shower and holding tanks but then the dinette is shortened and the AC goes on the roof instead of in a back window as mine does. We preferred the full length dinette (for quick naps at rest areas without popping the top) and no obstruction (other than the low mounted solar panels) on the roof for off road use in the national forests. Had them hook the camper hot line to the isolation relay so truck extra battery and camper battery are isolated from starting battery. It looks like there is room for a second battery box in the camper battery compartment if I decide I need three batteries. I did get the hot water heater option with outside shower. I figure if I'm in a campground I'll use their shower, if in the woods outside is OK.
Comments
In my old funky truck I bent the front wall of the bed (emerg stop) and put dips in the floor by having some cross boards to raise the camper height but I've never heard of the whole side tweaking down like yours. Hopefully it will stop where it is. You should get underneath and look at the bed mounting points just to check.
In case anyone is interested, I emailed Lance and asked them the weight of the 821 and got a reply back within a day.
Also, I've found a real good price for an 821 if anyone is interested (I was until I saw the weight
Dry weight without options is 2800.
Wet weight without options is 3152 (wtr tank full, LP full).
With AC, awning, electric jacks, generator, etc. (loaded), you add another 440 lbs.
Anyone found any good prices on 820's?
Frank
1. Heavy off road use. Extreme twisting while rock climbing, etc. Not very likely. We've managed to get 1-2 wheels off the ground without distortion of anything. Severe shocks (a washout taken at 40mph?) could cause big problems. I think suspension failure would happen long before the bed would get deformed.
2. Localized heavy loading. Did you camper sit evenly on the bed of your camper, or did one of the rear corners carry most of the weight? Could there have been a 2 x 6 or similar under a rear corner to lift the camper and load that corner?
3. Truck has a bent frame or a missing bed mount. So one corner of the bed is essentially unsuported by the frame.
Overall, I'd say your camper is too heavy for you SRW 1 ton. Either a lighter camper, or Duals.
Your problem reminds of something Vince said awhile back - NEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING A SALESMAN TELLS YOU. He is interested in making a sale and a commision, and probably doesn't care if your truck can handle it or not. If he really believes what he is telling you, have him put it in writing on the sales contract: "This camper is fully acceptable on the listed truck (list the truck) despite the fact that the camper exceeds the manufacturers recommendations." See if he is willing to accept the liability for overloading the vehicle.
Sorry for the ranting, you must have touched a nerve.
In short, don't believe a salesman, do your own research and make up you own mind.
Mike L.
Before you completely panic fill the camper's water tank and your fuel tank full and re-weigh the combo, your rear axle weight won't go up as much as you think.
I too own a PSD powered F350 Super Duty. My truck is a supercab and ONLY weighs 7320 lbs with a full tank of fuel and one passenger.
I have been looking at tires to replace my 265/75-16 LRE Firestones. The ONLY tire with the same load rating is the BFG AT 295/75-16 LRD. Another option is a Goodyear G159LT 235/85-16 LRG (yes G). That tire is rated at 3705 lbs @ 110 psi. At that point your wheels become the weakest link in the chain.
I bought my truck to haul a slide-in camper, now I beginning to think more about another travel trailer (I used to own a 19' Airstream).
Good luck,
Steve
Besides Michelin, Cooper also sells a couple different E rated 265s.
$450??? Seems quite low, maybe a misprint.
(408)371-6063
Mike L
Either it's the end of the season, and no one is thinking about campers, or it's post-World Trade Center Stress Syndrome.
Mike L
Catch the Dempster Highway outside Dawson City and take it up to Inuvik. Midnight sun, 24 hour sun, empty, empty spaces.
Anyone interested? We don't mind traveling alone, but some folks would rather have company on a stretch of road like the Dempster.
Mike L
Up Warm Springs Canyon to see Striped Butte. Then out to the Racetrack, over Hunter Mountain and up the Saline Valley.
Of course, we would have to stop in Bishop and get some Sheepherder's Bread at Eric Schatt's Bakery. Good stuff, but hard to compare to a Maid-Rite. It must rank below Maid-Rites on my list of good things to eat.
The more I get out and travel, the less I want to come back and work.
This weekend, up to the Dardenells with the BMW M/C club.
Mike L
Early Sunday morning a couple asked if they could fill their water tank at our faucet since they did not wish to use the single faucet at the dump station. They were from Germany and in a motor home on a Mercedes chassis. It had been shipped from Germany to Baltimore and they were on their way back to load it on a freighter in Baltimore after an 11 month trip in the U.S. This was a beautifully made rig. 22 feet long, front engine turbo diesel, dual rear wheels, bus type front end. The large bed was raised in cabover style but was at the rear of the body over a large compartment accessed by a door from the side so that a motorcycle or bicycles could be easily loaded. The interior was of high quality with a separate shower stall, nice kitchen. No vinyl covered particle board, all solid wood with fine cabinets. It was clear that the intent of the design was to create a comfortable means of travel rather than a living room on wheels. The 4 seats looked like Recaro's. I would guess 7 to 7.5 feet wide, a fair rear overhang, and not the rig for a rough gravel road in the mountains. Of course if you have a motorcycle aboard......Also it must have cost a bundle! So for now I'm happy with our old Sunlight, especially since this is the second trip we have taken since repairing the leak in the black water tank and it seems to be holding.
I recommend Winhall Brook, Jamaica, Vt. to those who may be in the area. It is a first class campground.
Bob
Death Valley sounds tempting. I won't do it again with the big camper though. Plus I want to get a dog during that break. Hmm. I'll think about it.
Off to Little Basin this weekend. It's a company owned campground in the Redwoods. Way developed but nice, and free.
I wondered when you were going to find your new 4 legged friend. Good luck finding the right one. As my daughter would say, have you checked the Humane Society? They always have a good selection of animals that will be put to sleep if you don't save one.
Dorothy (HP Retired, you know) keeps talking about going to LB, but she never makes the reservations.
Later,
Mike L
Signed,
Fellow Dog Lover
location.
Haven't been back though since you were here.
Sorry 'bout not bringing the ketchup!!
See you next year are you saying??
Vince - Sure like the bright headlite change.
75v
Loren
As for requiring additional sensors, etc., modern cars AND trucks typically already have all the sensors and wiring in place. All that would really need to be added is MAYBE an additional microprocessor (cheap, and there're already a bucketful in your vehicle), and a display plus controls (this would be the highest expense; I'm guessing GM's cost would be maybe $75 for a pre-fabbed module from Delco, Delphi, or somebody like that). Take a look at what's being added to the newest generation vehicles: new electronic doodads galore as STANDARD equipment. Electronics are cheap and geting cheaper. Frankly, I sometimes think that what "camping" means to the current Program Managers at Ford and GM is taking a blanket and spending the night out on the veranda of their time-share in Los Cabos!
Sorry, gotta go - the folks in the white coats say I need a "time out" and that it's time for me to take my little blue pills. :-)
Dodge PU's have it. Course they had 4dr ExCab on the market and GM still put out the infamous 3 dr.
Goes along with their 26gal fuel tank i guess.
75v
But at 10mpg even that isn't toooo hard to figure in your head. (:-)
One thing the Silverado LT doesn't have is Inside Temperature read out. Found a nice one at Radio Shack (approx 1" x 3" & black with inside/outside high/low - i just put the outside probe at the rear of the overhead) that velcros nicely on the overhead Panel just above the map lites that is apparently going to be used for the trip computer in the futhre.
75v
We can get a coke out of the frig without popping the top of the Sunlight. We also can use the toilet (which comes in handy sometimes like last week when we were stalled in a long check-in line and the urge came upon us). With only a bit of contortion to avoid the folding mechanism bars we have prepared and eaten lunch in it with the top down while avoiding bad weather - like a big snowstorm at Crater Lake. We can use the furnace but don't light the stove with the top down. One night while in line for the Alaska Ferry in Juneau we slept in it with the top down since there was no way to unload the canoe from the boat rack. The two of us tried head to foot sleeping on the "divan" but I gave up and went to the floor for a better night's sleep.
If you believe the fuel injection doesn't meter the fuel accurately enough to calculate mileage, think again. The computer knows exactly (within the system tolerances - +/-??? 1% ???) how much fuel the engine is using. That is where the trip computers get the consumption data from.
Mike L
Be very careful of incorrect backspacing with your new wheels. You truck's stock wheels have about 5 inches of backspacing, Weld sells a wheel that will fit your truck but only has about 3 1/2 inches of backspacing. This wheel will physically fit but will cause many headaches in the long run.
As for an 8' Lance weighing 2000 lbs loaded, I suggest you visit Lance's website ( www.lancecampers.com ) and "build" your camper. 2600 lbs wet is more like it.
2500hd
Help,
2500hd
2. The little round stickon rubber insulators on the overload spring ends on the rear axle have fallen off. Have yawl experienced this? Working on getting the dealer to warranty. Guess they have some sort of slip on insulators....
The wide angle window in the rear door is an excellent option if you have a regular cab. With it and the stock mirrors there is no blind spot on anything 5' away from the truck. May try some clamp on mirror extensions. Have any of you guys tried them?
While in Iowa I had to try a Maid Rite after the discussion on the group. It must be an acquired taste (with or without ketchup). It wasn't bad, just kind of plain.
May have been the Maid Rite store you tried. My wife loved the Maid Rites from the first time.
My dad has always said the RC Willet camper he had was the best camper he ever had. No problems that he had to fix. Good luck with yours.
Mike L
Off the subject - If you go to Las Vegas in the next 8 months, stop at the Venetian hotel and check out the "The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit put on by the Guggenheim Museum. The displays with 30' tall compound curve, mirrored walls; 30' tall poster of Ann Margaret, Marlon Brando; a mirrored road rising from the basement and flowing over your head on the main level; and 120 magnificent motorcycles.
We got in before it opened to the public because a friend of mine from Germany has a motorcycle in the exhibit. The Guggenheim flew Walter and his wife to Las Vegas, put them up at the Venetian and we got to tag along for the cost of the airline tickets. We spent 5 hours in the exhibits on Thursday and Friday. Sunday it opened to the public. Now it is $15/person.
Oh, they also have an exhibit of Picasso, Mattise, Chagal and more in the Guggenheim Heritage exhibits at the other end of the hotel. Unless you are really into modern art, stick with the motorcycles. The exhibits themselves are worth the price of admission.
Mike L
MikeL - I agree that the injector "on" time could easily be summed to get fuel consumption rate. I hadn't thought of that.
oltroll - I have a Coleman portable heater. It is a radiant heater with a reflector. It works well if you are in front of it, even outside. I haven't used it in a tent but I'm sure it would heat things up nicely. It does get hot enough to burn fabric if too close.
2500hd - I have Weld Sidewinder wheels and BFG load range D tires. My camper is about 2500lb loaded and is no problem for the tires at all. The wheels do stick out a little, I didn't want this either but it seems the wheel companies make a one-size-fits-all product and the stores swear it is exactly what you need, it will fit great... I didn't measure the original wheel backspacing until after I bought the new ones, but I probably would have bought them anyway. I do have trouble though but it's not been proven to be related to the backspacing. The new tire/wheel combination introduced a wobble that I can feel and that makes the steering wheel oscillate a little at the right speed. All 4 tires were replaced and it didn't fix it. The wheels were measured and are supposedly perfect. So I still have some investigating to do to get this solved. I would get the store to promise that the wheels won't cause any problem so you can return them if they do.
farmguy2001 - my neighbor has a shell which was used by the police for their dogs. It doesn't have a front window. Around the hole is a hefty rubber seal that presses against the truck. They say it is water tight. I would think the shell dealer could help you out with the correct type of seal. Keep in mind that it's quite noisy back there so you still want to be able to close the truck slider.
buzzb - I agree, the wide angle window in the door is great. I think it is a required safety feature. What model camper did you get? Does it have a toilet & holding tanks? Hot water?
I can crawl between the cab and the camper if I have to. Sometimes we pass food or other stuff between the camper and the cab.
Total cost was about $300-350 for both sliders and the boot.
The boot was listed in Whitney's for an older Ford truck. It is thicker at the top than at the bottom. It fit my new Silverado perfectly!!
Mike L