I've seen the SRW group that says "10 footer, no problem!" and those who say "popups only!" and frankly, I'm only convinced of two things at the moment:
1. Yes the truck is rated for a specific GVRW. Period.
2. Yes the truck can handle more than GVRW.
I've been in different industries and can tell you that '11, 500lbs' GVRW is a nice round number chosen for a reason. Whether or not that reason has more to do with lawyers than engineers is the real question I suppose, but that isn't what this post is about.
I'm being told by the manufacturer (designer supposedly) of the AF990 that it was designed to ride a 1 ton single rear wheel truck and that all I need do is install stable loads on the truck. I also see lots of posts by people who have big campers like the 990 on SRW trucks who seem to do fine with them. I also see MANY SRW trucks rolling up and down the roads around me with big campers on the back.
So my question is for those who actually do this, that is, those who actually have an SRW truck with a 4000lbs+ camper on the back (AF990 starts at 3010lbs which is under my slide in camper weight of 3370 according to my truck but I know options are going to add around 500lbs and putting water in the tank, propane etc will add another 500 lbs (or so anyway): how is it really? Any trouble? Concerns?
Basically, did you put that sucker on and go "oh ****!" or did you think "too easy"? Let me know if you are a first timer, or old hat too (someone who's never had a camper and sticks a 4000lbs camper on a dually might think 'oh ****' after all.
Thanks
2019 F350 Lariat FX4 DRW PS6.7
2019 AF990
I was comfortable with 8000 lbs on my F250 rear axle with 4500 lb rated rims, 4800 lb rated tires and suspension aids to limit sway and sag. Some will not be comfortable going past the manufacturer warranty sticker and others will load up more than I did. I think the AF990 can be used on a SRW truck, but you will not have reserve capacity to tow anything with tongue weight due to your heavy payload and you will be over sticker ratings (but not actual).
Chevy Sonic 1.8-Honda Passport C70B-Host Mammoth 11.5-Interstate Car Carrier 20-Joyner SandViper 250-Kawasaki Concours ZG1000-Paros 8' flatbed-Pelican Decker DLX 8.75-Ram 5500 HD
My deal was, had the truck already and that part of the equation wasn’t going to change. Bought a single slide AF because that or similar was what I was honed in on and it works just fine. My reaction was somewhere between “too easy” and “oh sht”.
IMO, new long bed srw HD pickup will handle a 990 just fine as long as you realize you need to do a little work to the rear suspension and don’t get sea sick easily! Lol.
Refering to the more pronounced rocking side to side of a srw vs a wider wheelbase. Not bad but not as stable.
I wouldn’t think twice about putting a 990 on a new F350 with a sway bar and some sort of suspension aide, springs, bags, timbrens etc.
All this said, I’m likely a bit more comfortable pushing a vehicle’s limits than a lot of people and I will admit a dually is ideal....for the camper.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold
I have been keeping an eye out for a DRW but prices have been out of my range for anything decent, maybe one of these days I will be able to travel further but for now I am happy as I mostly camp on the beach 30 miles away.
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/YtcKb5D.jpg?1)
* This post was edited 01/11/18 10:36am by mellow *
2002 F-350 7.3 Lariat 4x4 DRW ZF6
2008 Lance 1191 - 220w of solar - Bring on the sun!
The dually is MUCH more stable - no comparison.
1996 Bigfoot 2500 9.5 on a 2004 Dodge/Cummins dually
I had a Fleetwood Angler 9D which I am guessing was 1500 lbs lighter loaded (it had a dry weight of 1680 according to the sticker and little to no options -- not even a radio) and it squatted the truck 1" total and wasn't a problem at all to haul even offroad in rough terrain. I also pulled a 3500lbs sawmill behind it and loaded the back seat of the truck with a couple hundred pounds of gear and the camper too (and the mill).
![[image]](http://www.forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22463/IMG_20170408_065813618_HDR_281024x57629.jpg)
This was my setup then. I'll still need to pull the mill and can add more gear to it vs inside the truck/camper but I want more headroom in the overcab 'bedroom' and am a big guy (250lbs 6' tall) and need a bigger bathroom. I use the camper as a 'home' when I am out on milling jobs and bought the F350 so I could pull the mill into various offroad locations without much issue. Won't be changing the truck too soon but might in a couple years or 3 if it really doesn't work out.
Truck weight full of fuel:
Steer axle 5100
Drive axle 3200
With Bigfoot full of water and nothing else:
Steer axle 5500
Drive axle 6680
Loaded heavy for 2 weeks, heavy clothes, full of water:
Steer axle 5540
Drive axle 7120
Oh ****. RAWR is 7,000 and payload is 4018.
I drained water down to 1/3 tank and rescaled.
Steer axle 5520
Drive axle 7,000
I'm still over payload by 102# and GVWR by 220#.
It drives good. I added a Bigwig and really couldn't tell a lot of difference.
More attention needed regarding what I pack.
Edit add...rubber bed mat and 5/8" plywood under the mat.
* This post was edited 01/11/18 01:33pm by TxGearhead *
2018 Ram 3500 CC LB DRW 4X4 Cummins Aisin Laramie Pearl White
2018 Landmark Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4
2014 NauticStar 21 ShallowBay 150HP Yamaha
2016 GoDevil 18X44 35HP Surface Drive