8' camper, 6.5' truck bed?

dbhost

Well-known member
At least here in TX, 6.5' truck campers are few and far between, I mean VERY far between.

I have a line up on a lightweight, allegedly 1000lb dry 8ft pop up truck camper in mostly great shape, at an affordable price.

But my truck bed is 6.5 foot...

Other than departure angle, and potentially rock chipping / sandblasting my tailgate, what problems would there be in carrying an 8' camper in a 6.5ft box truck?
 

ripperj

Explorer
You should be fine as long as the CG is forward of the rear axle.

The long bed allows more of the camper weight to be carried by the front axle . With a short bed , most all the weight is over the rear axle. So bumps have more of an impact on handling. Also you will notice the front end getting light and heavy during acceleration and braking.

Plenty of 8’ campers on shortbed trucks, they handle ok, but definitely better on a longer bed.

I had an Alaskan 8’ cabover and a Northstar Adventure 8.5 on a 6.5’ Ram 2500 and at the time was happy. Certainly didn’t feel unsafe or anything. I was probably at least 600-900# over payload ready to camp.

I now have the Adventurer on a 3500 longbed and it’s much, much better, but you don’t know until you try it. I have about 1200# reserve payload left with the camper ready to go.


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The salt

ADVNTR
My old set up was just like this… 8’ camper in a short bed 3500 Ram. I didn’t have a payload issue, the unit just poked out a little. I left my gate down, slid it in and was 100% fine. It was not a pop up btw, not light weight either. Pictures for reference at Lake Powell, Lone Rock Beach ( when it had water).12DEFED0-0336-4AA3-89A5-060A4D18A393.jpeg
FA5D939F-63C6-4160-AA1B-2B5C74EFD5AA.jpeg
 

dbhost

Well-known member
My old set up was just like this… 8’ camper in a short bed 3500 Ram. I didn’t have a payload issue, the unit just poked out a little. I left my gate down, slid it in and was 100% fine. It was not a pop up btw, not light weight either. Pictures for reference at Lake Powell, Lone Rock Beach ( when it had water).View attachment 748236
View attachment 748237

So yeah, something similar to that, length wise, but a fairly light pop up. And on a 6.5ft box F150. The back of the camper do not extend over the taillights though. Kind of wonder if I need to relocate the license plate to meek LEO happy...

The water tank, gas bottle, fridge, etc... are in front of the axle. Behind is just, well, box, bench couch not a dinette, pantry, and a cabinet. So yeah, the bulk of the weight would be between the axles.

I hate to orphan the truck shell camper build, but long run a pop up slide in is what I wanted. More room for me and the dog...

There is no factory AC in this thing, and I am not sure I can add it. That would be a deal breaker for me though. I live, work and camp mostly in the south, no sense in a non AC camper trying to do summer fishing trips...
 

tacollie

Glamper
People do it all the time. My biggest concern would be doing it in a 1/2 ton. I think of you keep as much weight in front of the rear axle as you can and slow down on rougher roads you should be ok. It seems like when people have issues with bigger campers on lighter trucks it always involves speed off-road.

Our 6.5" camper is a shell and it was nearly 1000lbs without propane and a battery. Unless the sellers actually weighed the camper I would assume it's heavier than 1000lbs.
 

Nailhead

Well-known member
Here’s mine after the “ferry flight” back from Oregon:

48fd3d3e2940ca6fc6c88920898514a1.jpg


I think an 8’ bed and the improved weight distribution might have reduced the “Good Ship Lollypop” tippyness, but that’s nothing more than a hunch.


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dbhost

Well-known member
1,000 lbs? That does seem quiet light! Especially for an 8' foot. What is the camper?

Don't know the exact model name but it is a Sun Lite with the fold out couch instead of a dinette, there is no shower, toilet is a 5 gal port o potty which I don't really need as I already have one. I had the model name, Eagle 2 I THINK, and it lists 1130lbs wet so with full load of water and propane. That is more than fine. Subtract about 200lbs for water and propane and you've got 930lbs which is right about where the seller was saying it was. I plan on getting rid of the 3 way fridge in favor of my 12v compressor fridge so there should be some negligible weight savings there, might save me enough to carry that dutch oven for example.

I know a half ton truck isn't ideal for carrying a slide in camper, but it is what I have, and if you have seen truck prices lately, it what I am going to stay with..
 

Talljeeper

New member
I just bought an Outfitter 8 foot Caribou lite and had it installed on my 03 Sierra 1500 Hd with a 6.5 bed. My wife and I love it and the little bit of overhang has been no big deal. We wanted a little more room inside and are glad we went this route.
We have only been on the highway (1000 miles) with it so far.
No problems at all.
I love my old truck with 4WS and 4x4 and will not part with it.CAE6F152-9B23-4F81-9412-929CC486DF92.jpeg
 

ramblinChet

Well-known member
Sounds like you are creating unnecessary problems - just my observation.

Strike one - installing a camper on a 1/2 ton truck. Nearly all 1/2 tons and even a large number of 3/4 tons do not have enough payload and you will exceed GVWR.

Strike two - installing a camper designed for an 8.0' bed and now stuffing it into a 6.5' one.

I am just trying to be the voice of reason here since what you are doing has zero impact on me. My suggestion is you slow the process down, define your end goal, research and identify an ideal configuration, and proceed. If we exercise patience and sound judgement life becomes really easy and happy all the time ;)
 

Mickey Bitsko

Adventurer
Sounds like you are creating unnecessary problems - just my observation.

Strike one - installing a camper on a 1/2 ton truck. Nearly all 1/2 tons and even a large number of 3/4 tons do not have enough payload and you will exceed GVWR.

Strike two - installing a camper designed for an 8.0' bed and now stuffing it into a 6.5' one.

I am just trying to be the voice of reason here since what you are doing has zero impact on me. My suggestion is you slow the process down, define your end goal, research and identify an ideal configuration, and proceed. If we exercise patience and sound judgement life becomes really easy and happy all the time ;)
It's been said a million times, 'common sense and logic' is your friend
 

dbhost

Well-known member
Sounds like you are creating unnecessary problems - just my observation.

Strike one - installing a camper on a 1/2 ton truck. Nearly all 1/2 tons and even a large number of 3/4 tons do not have enough payload and you will exceed GVWR.

Strike two - installing a camper designed for an 8.0' bed and now stuffing it into a 6.5' one.

I am just trying to be the voice of reason here since what you are doing has zero impact on me. My suggestion is you slow the process down, define your end goal, research and identify an ideal configuration, and proceed. If we exercise patience and sound judgement life becomes really easy and happy all the time ;)

Fully loaded with my fat butt I will still be under gvwr...

Mfg listed / decal weight is 920lbs. Scale says 930 even. Concern was overhang not weight. I'm not ignoring weight in the slightest.

To quell any other inquiry. Upgrading to a different truck is not an option. I'd sooner stick with the truck shell camper rig.

Factory Curb Weight of the truck, 5575lbs,
Add 200lbs for the added weight of winch bumper minus factory bumper and fascia, winch, and 33x12.50/17LT load range E tires.So total curb weight 5775lbs. Per the owners manual that includes a full tank of gas / all fluids etc...

GVWR of 8200lbs.

That leaves 2425lbs. Subtract 325lbs for fat driver.

1130 lbs for camper wet weight (all water, full tank of propane).

Subtract 20lbs for difference in weight between 3 way fridge and 12v fridge

That leaves me roughly 900lbs for food, camp chairs, cookware, laptop and other misc crap.

My only weight splurge is 3 items. 10.25" cast iron skillet when my clad SS nesting stuff would work, cast iron simply cooks better. Cast iron double sided griddle. I COULD use an aluminum teflon one, but I am not willing to use teflon coated cookware at home, or camping. Not gonna happen. Lastly my 12" extra deep Dutch Oven. I believe it is an 8qt. And lid lifter. This doesn't go every trip, but when I know I am going to be baking more than what the Coleman Folding oven can handle, or I want to cook outside and keep heat out of the camper.

Unless it is an easy fix, I am also considering deleting the furnace instead of fixing it, and replacing with a Vevor diesel heater.

I have also changed up my recovery gear, gone with synthetics instead of like steel shackles, steel rope etc...

The discussion has been had elsewhere in this forum, but generally speaking, I am going to refuse to feel bad about going over GVWR, DOT / Highway patrol is not going to weigh me and cite me for being overweight. I am not a common carrier. I am not so dumb as to drive a loaded pickup truck of ANY capacity like a sports car.

So simply put, YES I am paying CLOSE attention to weight and the capacity of my truck, NO in no circumstances shy of some imbecile hitting me and totalling my truck do I intend on replacing this truck. Yes higher capacity truck would be nice, but I refuse to pay what they are selling these things for these days, even used they are getting stupid expensive, and I have had this pickup from about the time of my late wife and I having been dating about 2 months... through our entire relationship. Too many great memories in this truck. So nope, half ton it is. We have to deal with it. If all you are going to do is pooh pooh half tons, save your breath.

What weight is really there on this camper is majority wise in front of or directly above the axle centerline.

My concern wasn't with the say departure angle. If you draw a line from the bottom of the rear tire, and clear the rear bumper and Class 3 receiver hitch, there is at least 4" between that line, and the tailgate in the down position, so whacking the trailer hitch should be my first clue before I damage anything. My concer was more for support of the additional floor of the camper.
 
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Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
There should be a spot marked on the TCer that tells you where the center of gravity is for the camper. If that is only a little behind the rear axle then you are fine. If that is a lot behind the rear axle I would not use the camper as it removes so much weight from the front axle that you are asking for handling and mechanical problems.
 

Mickey Bitsko

Adventurer
I searched cog on TCS, 6,8,8'6, and found, generally, they are pretty standard distances from the front bulkhead, I have a 8'6 on f250 sb the cog ,iirc, is 39in, pretty much over the rear axle.
When traveling most weight is on the rear axle forward.
Also, the cog can be further back if you have black and Grey water tanks, full bath etc.
I have the crapper but not the glamper crapper pkg.
 

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