DcN748
WA
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Joined: 07/17/2010
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Hey guys, great forum.
I'm looking for my first camper. I have found a few campers within reach of my location. My first inclination was to go as small/light as I possibly could. The ultimate plan is to have a TC up top, and pull a smaller flatbed trailer with a 4K+ lb Jeep on it. I have a '01 Chevy 2500 HD Gas 6.5' bed, Pic 1, Pic 2. I found one small, and light camper Pic (8', Fully S-Contained, web bath, nice inside, not insulated, 1500lbs). It would be nice when I was towing the Jeep at the same time. Then I found another camper thats a bit nicer with more room.. Pic (8'6", Fully S-Contained, insulated, 2400lbs).
Kinda new to this, but something is telling me I should keep the weight down, and just go with the bare minimum that I need to get by. Keep things safer. Then I think maybe I should go with the more comfortable camper since I would probably use it quite a bit without towing the jeep at all. I have a small family.
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NEOK
Oklahoma
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Joined: 08/08/2003
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I can't really advise you on what will fit your needs. We have a Bigfoot 15C9.5FS on a 2009 GMC 2500HD short bed. This camper is made specifically for short bed trucks, fully self contained, and well insulated. We have stayed in it with temperatures as high as the mid 90s using the A/C and as low a 9 degrees using the furnace or a very small electric heater. We have been able to maintain a comfortable temperature inside in both situations. The camper dry weight is about 2200 lbs. The Bigfoot 1500 series is designed for 1500 series trucks.
neok
2009 GMC 25000HD Short Bed 6.0 Gas Engine Crew Cab SLT 4x4
2008 Bigfoot 15C9.5FS
Torklifts, Fastguns, Superhitch & SuperTruss
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Itchey Feet
Wyoming
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Joined: 07/29/2005
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First -- do some measuring - check where the center of gravity is on each camper and where it will fall on the truck bed, if the camper overhangs then you will need a hitch extension. Will the campers fit the box, some are wider in the rear and hit the tail lights or inside of the box. You did not mention the engine or gear ratio you have and that may have some bearing on how much you can tow/haul on the highway or off road. Try and figure out what the niceties you will need in the camper, hard to add a shower, flush toilet more sleeping beds etc. after you buy but it can be done. They both look like nice campers if gotten @ a good price. JMHO
My feet are fine as long as they are traveling.
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rickjo
SW New Mexico
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Joined: 01/20/2007
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Your title on this post misled me at first. Why? Because insulation in NOT heavy. The heavier camper you are considering is heavier because it is more comfortable in other ways. Your towing needs will dictate whether you can use the heavier camper. Hitch extension, etc., as others have indicated.The fact that the heavier camper is insulated better will just let you use it in more weather extremes, like fall and spring, for example.
Rick
2004 F-350 4WD Crew Cab Dually w/ Airlift air bags, Luverne brush guard, side steps and splash guards.
2007 LanceMax 1181 loaded, wider aftermarket custom mattress (driver's side locker omitted).
"Leave the trail a little better than you found it."
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mkirsch
Rochester, NY
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Joined: 04/09/2004
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Those aren't the only two campers in the world, either...
You can keep looking and find something that better suits your needs.
2002 Chevy 3500 DRW 8.1L/Allison
2000 Palomino B1500
...and the reason why I need a DRW to haul a Palomino:
2004 United 7x14 tandem axle enclosed toy trailer
2011 PJ 8x20 7-ton deckover equipment trailer
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DcN748
WA
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Joined: 07/17/2010
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You're right, these aren't the only two, but after 3 weeks of looking, these are about the only two I've found that are even remotely close to what I need, and in my price range. I live in a remote area. The bigger camper is about 2 hours from me, and the smaller one is 5+ hours from me. Runing out and taking quick measurements on thse campers isn't possible. About the best I can do is research them on the net. I would not need a hitch extension with either one of these campers. As long as I stay at or below 8.5' long, I won't need one. Also, from what I have seen, as long as I stay at that length or shorter, the COG will be fine with my truck.
I guess I was looking for advice such as "get the bigger camper! You'll regret it if you don't, and your truck should be fine"  but I realise it's not just that easy.
Thanks guys.
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kohldad
Goose Creek, SC
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Joined: 07/20/2004
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What type of temperatures are you camping in where you are so worried about insulation? Since TCs are so small, good insulation isn't as important as you think.
My Lance 815 weighs in at 2,000# and I would consider it a light camper and not well insulated. However, I've had it out in 25* nights, kept it a comfy 70* insides, yet only used 10A/hrs from the battery. Was really surprised at how well it kept the heat in and the cold out.
Figuring a 4k jeep on a 1.5k trailer, you will need 550# of hitch weight. But because of leverage, the 550# will add about 625# on the rear axle. If you run a weight distribution hitch, which will be highly recommended in your situation, it will help.Not to mention that since you have a short bed truck, any 8' camper will put most of the weight over the rear axle.
First place to start is weigh your truck to see how much capacity you have left on each axle. If you have those numbers, then you can plug some numbers in my weight calculator to see how the different campers will affect your axle loads.
Just finished a 12-day trip gathering photos for next report.Photo Albums
2004.5 Ram 3500 4x4 Quad-Cab SRW CTD 6-spd
2004 Lance 815 (an upgrade from my prev 2005 35' fiver  )
DW (homemaker), 1 DD @ Clemson in Civil Eng, 1 DD @ Tech in Acct, 2 DFs (meow)
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DcN748
WA
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I'm not concerned about the lack of insulation, I was just pointing it out as a factor. I'm sure that the majority of the camping I would do would be in fair weather. The only extreme weather I might find is hunting or something, but then I also wouldn't have the family with me, so it would be fine.
I am leaning back towards the lighter/shorter camper now. The wet bath, is about all the wife is really wanting, and it definitely has that, and the interior is basically spotless.
I will look into the distribution hitch for sure. That's a borrowed trailer in my pics above. I will probably buy or build my own, which will be smaller and lighter.
Thanks for the info kohldad.
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Chuck and Di
Ontario, Canada
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Joined: 09/28/2008
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A couple other thoughts: The smaller one is considerably older and its 3 jack system will give you grey hair. Also front facing windows tend to make the bed area colder when the temperatures drop and they have a reputation of developing leaks. If you can live with those things (the jacks would be a deal breaker for me), I think you'll be happier with it.
As to the larger one - depending on layout, the extra 6" length won't make a lot of difference, while the extra 900 lbs certainly will. Even if your truck is up to the task, the extra weight will make driving less pleasant and fuel economy will suffer.
Interior layout is important to consider. I bought mine thinking about camping, but we also use it on road trips a lot. When travelling, a closet to hang up clothing would be nice, but we live with wrinkles and dig for rain jackets when necessary.
How about appliances? Besides working order considerations, the older one might be old enough to have a heater that needs no fan (a plus for boondocking). Good luck - you will enjoy either a lot more than a tent!
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Dome
Southwest Washington State
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Joined: 05/25/2007
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I would get the second camper, you will be more comfortable and resale will be better if you move to bigger and better. It's like building your Jeep, do it right the first time so you don't have to do it again. Your Truck will handle everything ok. Good luck with what ever you do. Here is what I have, I love the set up.
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