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[RC] Truck/camper advice - Jonni JewellNina VAsiliev posted: >>>He found a regular camper, custom built, sitting on a Chevy Sliverado, both dating 1977. The camper, (I think the brand is Dreamer,) looks great but it hangs off the truck by a few feet and has a hitch extension. Total package: $3000.<<< If that is $3000 for just the camper, that sounds like WAY to much $$$ for a 1977 model. My question is would the camper fit on my truck? Would it add too much weight?<<< If your truck is a standard bed, then the camper will fit. In general, campers are designed for standard, 8' beds. You can buy campers built for short beds and such, but they would be indicated as such. It looks heavy and I think it's about 3500 lbs. (I didn't have my reading glasses when I stopped on the street to look at it.) Can I tow safely with an extended hitch?<<< There is a lot to consider when you tow with campers and extended hitches. We have a 9.5' camper, and an extended hitch. We pull a 4 horse steel trailer. I have load leveling hitch, and the truck is a dually. We added airbags to the truck, just as an added precaution, though our last truck did not have them,and worked well. The longer the hitch, the further away from the axle the tongue weight of the trailer gets. You will often get a lifting effect on the front of the truck with some extended hitches. With your 3/4 ton, personally, I'd look for either a smaller 8' camper, or the pop-ups as you have been looking for. Especially if your truck is not a dually. Many will say they have towed with a camper and a non-dually, but for me, I can feel the increased stability with the duallies. We don't get near the sway and rocking side to side that non-dually set ups get. Also, found it much more stable in high side winds. We love our camper, and have no urge to change to a LQ trailer set up (even if we DID have the money to do so). We have been camper owners now since about 1988 or so, with the first one being an older 8' model that we got for $75!!! I can put it on or off the truck alone, in about 30 min. We used to go camping and fishing without the horses a bunch in the Sierras, so having a camper was the perfect solution. Took the little boat, found a mountain lake, and caught trout. Here is a link that shows photos of my set up, and the extension hitch. http://community.webshots.com/album/14477263kZldcwvJVd Jonni ============================================================ One would think that logic would prevail. But then, if logic did prevail, men would ride sidesaddle. ~ Bob Morris ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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