Grandby on a F150 supercab 6.5 bed

[100acrehuphalump]

X2

My Hawk, dry and empty from the factory, was just under 1400 pounds with the jacks removed. Fully loaded i'm over a ton.
While some seem to be happy with a 1/2 ton and a Hawk, I think with a Grandby, your winch etc. you will be way over your max payload (my sticker was in the glovebox).


If you go forward at least add load range E tires. In an overloaded condition tires are usually the first thing to go bad.
I'll never forget this ride:

I do plan on purchasing E rated load tires and Firestone Ride Rites and better shocks, as a start for suspension upgrades.
I am curious in that you state your Hawk empty weighs in at 1400 lbs. but they advertise the hawk dry weight at 895 lbs, is that with your added optional upgrades included?

 

[100acrehuphalump]

One thought is besides there only being a difference of 55 lbs btw the two campers, in the front of the Grandby is where they install the water tank and I'd be buying the rollover couch model, so I would store the batteries up front as well. I'm guessing that would place the COG well forward of the rear axel....? I'm also opting out of their hot water heater by incorporating my Eccotemp on demand system, which I'm sure would save some additional weight. Still not sold on Grandby vs Hawk. Just trying to figure out my best option for space but also safety. Thank you to everyone for your input so far. It is very helpful, indeed.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

I'm sure you will get a lot of differing, and good, opinions on this. Here's how I worked out my set up: Subtract your actual truck wet weight (probably around 5k lbs) from the GVWR and that should be roughly your hauling weight.
Given your brakes, engine and frame are designed to handle the GCWR, it should be no problem the haul a load near the GVWR. The shtick is your suspension won't like it. It should be pretty easy to modify your suspension to safely and reliable handle the load. Basically you'll need to increase the load rating capacity of your suspension via new springs, or helpers or airbags.

In the interest of the safety of your fellow motorists, if you'll be hauling like that regularly, it woud be a good idea to upgrade other areas like brakes just to build back in, the margin of error that was intended in the original design.

If you drive while exceeding the trucks original GVWR, it's not that you can't fix the truck to handle it. It's that it might be an opportunity for litigation, should an incident occur.

Regarding your concern about a camper hanging too far out the back. That's kindof a different story. The more weight you hang off past the rear axle, the lighter you make the front end. This can create serious safety issues regarding the ability to control the truck in certain conditions. Setting up the rear suspension to not sag in that situation won't change the dangerous nature of it. It's probably not that it can't be done, but that it needs to be done smartly.

Good luck.

I am planning on having a brake job done soon. Are there special brake systems available for my truck which would help with any margin of error created by adding a camper even if it is the hawk, or are regular brakes good enough? Thanks

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Does adding Ride Rites, shocks, and E rated load tires and possibly a spring assist increase the vehicles GVWR or does it just help with the suspension and handling?

 

[quickfarms]

I am planning on having a brake job done soon. Are there special brake systems available for my truck which would help with any margin of error created by adding a camper even if it is the hawk, or are regular brakes good enough? Thanks

Yes but it is a factory option.

Your idea may work on the pavement but off road things will probably break.

You are basing your truck information on the specs. You should get the build short for the truck to see if it is really a light, standard or heavy duty F-150. The heavy duty is actually a F-250 with F-150 badging.

You need to weigh the truck by axle and post the actual weight.

 

[brianjwilson]

If you don't mind knowing that the truck is a little over gross, I say go for it. The hawk would look and fit better, with slightly better weight distribution. But either way with good tires and shocks, and air bags or similar I bet it will be fine. If you do a couple upgrades and don't like it, then think about a bigger truck. I personally don't think a one ton is needed. I have met a ton of happy owners of tacomas with heavy loaded fleet campers on them with minimal mods too.

Here is my 06 f150 with 5.5' bed. I had bilstein shocks, 35" d rated tires, air bags and a hell wig rear sway bar. Also regeared and locked axles but it's not relevant. Carried a 7' hard side camper and did it very much well, even with camper cg behind the axle even towed a loaded 6x10 cargo trailer over the i80 pass at 8700' while passing many other truck campers.




Honestly the truck handled it way better than I expected. I was sideswiped with the camper at 60mph and run off of the road, no scary handling experience. The other driver took off. I stopped to check for damage, folded my mirror back out and took chase, caught up too. A damaged jack mount, tie down, scuffed wheel and tire was it. The minivan driver that hit me was not as lucky! The newer f150 is pretty over built in my opinion aside from soft tires and shocks to please the girls (Definitely replace both).

One factory to consider again is the weight distribution of the grandby though, with the appliances and propane further back. It also screws things up like towing and bike hauling with the overhang. Oh and of course more space usually just means more stuff!

 

[bob91yj]

From a different thread/forum, I "think" the OP plans to use this rig to travel to Alaska, from the US east coast. I suspect there are going to be some REALLY desolate stretches of road along the way. It's one thing to be a little overweight for a weekend trip where a tow truck can generally get to you if needed (lets face it, we aren't running Hammer's trails in full size trucks with campers...if we got there, a skilled tow truck driver can probably get there too), IMO it's a whole 'nother story if you're going to be travelling solo with long stretches between parts/repair facilities. I contend that packed for an extended voyage, the vehicle is going to be well above it's rated capacity. On a good day I can pack enough crap in a truck bed to exceed the capacity WITHOUT a camper in the bed!:sombrero:

I'm old, my doc says I'm fat and maybe I'm not as adventurous as I used to be, but for such a trip, I'd rather be over built than pushing the envelope...and knowing in the back of my head that I'm pushing it. It's more than just power/suspension/brakes...it's the whole package. Spin a rear tire and suddenly get traction with an overloaded 1/2 ton axle shaft and break it, you're screwed. Yeah, maybe a 3/4-1 ton would have broken in the same predicament, but I'll take odd's on the beefier axle none the less.

 

[rvsixer]

You are basing your truck information on the specs. You should get the build short for the truck to see if it is really a light, standard or heavy duty F-150.

The OP posted GVWR spec, clearly defines what duty level the F-150 is. Its a standard duty, 5.0L 4x4, not camper use qualified (per Ford, no camper sticker in glove box = not camper rated). Its going to be several hundred pounds overweight (maybe even a thousand with the recently posted Grandby weights) regardless of trim level/options.


Back to thread:
2012 GVWR/build duty/payload spec:
http://bit.ly/1I1OebC

2012 Ford RV & Towing Guide:
http://bit.ly/1I1N9k2

I'm one of those that went through the upgrade $$$ game on light/std duty half tons, and like so many others here thought/convinced myself wow this is great it works just dandy. Then one drive with a 3/4 ton (with the same camper), and all I could think of was all that wasted time and money on the 1/2 ton. The difference is night and day (mostly handling no more flexy frame, and especially the much larger and more effective brakes 75K on the original pads so far, the 3/4 ton barely knows its loaded up).

Personally I think its cheaper and easier in the long run to just to bite the bullet, sell the 1/2 ton before all that money gets spent on upgrades, and get a truck actually rated for the intended mission. Especially if you find yourself later having to defend your grossly overloaded condition to a court and or insurance adjuster.

 

[Just Jeff]

One thing I've noticed is that a lot of half-ton owners say it works fine for them, while almost every single post from a 3/4- or one-ton owner says they never understood the difference until they up-sized and now they wouldn't go back to a half-ton. One truck is designed to work with this payload, and you can make the other one work. Margin of safety is individual preference.

The primary reason I'm buying a truck is to put a FWC on it, and it won't be a daily driver, so I'm starting with a 3/4 ton. (I think I've found "the one"...test driving it tomorrow! Woohoo!!) I've done quite a bit of reading here and at WTW, and this is the decision that suits me best based on what I can afford, what I intend to get out of my equipment, and how I plan to use it. That's about the only way to look at this decision, IMO...everybody's planning factors are different. Above a certain level of safety, there's no right or wrong answer.

But in asking whether a Grandby is safe on a half-ton, I'd recommend calling the guys who sell the Grandby and asking them directly. They've been responsive to me over email, phone, and during a showroom tour...they'll give you some good info.

 

[rotti]

I do plan on purchasing E rated load tires and Firestone Ride Rites and better shocks, as a start for suspension upgrades.
I am curious in that you state your Hawk empty weighs in at 1400 lbs. but they advertise the hawk dry weight at 895 lbs, is that with your added optional upgrades included?

My Hawk is a 2012 and at least that year the factory labeled weight was "slightly" off.

740 pounds supposedly with 22 gallons of water plus propane. My heavy options were the usual AC/DC frig, furnace and a second battery.
After taking delivery of the camper I removed the jacks and went to the scales. I had weighed the truck previously empty. With no water, or propane or anything else loaded, my weight was 1,380 pounds. On a trip to Moab, two people, dog, fully loaded for two weeks, I stopped at a CAT scale and i was at 2,140 pounds.

My truck has just under a 3,000 pound payload capacity and personally I would rather have an excess of capacity than be substantially over. Its not just the suspension, its the frame, the full floating axle, engine, cooling, brakes, etc.

In your shoes, I would go with a Hawk (per your height: I think the roll over couch is the same length be it a Hawk or a Grandby), E rated tires and give it a try with your 150.
Your asking the right questions.
Good luck.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

I want to thank everybody for their input, it has been somewhat of a difficult decision for me but I believe I'm gonna go for the Hawk model. It's the one designed for my truck bed and if in the future, if I could ever afford a Aluminess bumper I'd still be able to get an after market bumper made for it. Plus there are the towing capabilities which would be greatly reduced by installing a Grandby.
I still plan on adding E rated tires, ride rites, and possibly a spring assist or sway bay system to help with the added weight of a loaded camper and truck. For now it's just myself and my dog so I can probably deal with the lesser amount of space which I probably would have just filled with more crap anyway. Thanks to everyone for your help in making this decision. Dan

 

[Pilotamis]

I want to thank everybody for their input, it has been somewhat of a difficult decision for me but I believe I'm gonna go for the Hawk model. It's the one designed for my truck bed and if in the future, if I could ever afford a Aluminess bumper I'd still be able to get an after market bumper made for it. Plus there are the towing capabilities which would be greatly reduced by installing a Grandby.
I still plan on adding E rated tires, ride rites, and possibly a spring assist or sway bay system to help with the added weight of a loaded camper and truck. For now it's just myself and my dog so I can probably deal with the lesser amount of space which I probably would have just filled with more crap anyway. Thanks to everyone for your help in making this decision. Dan

I'm in the same boat now. How do you feel about your decision?

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Get higher load rate tires, put an RAS on the rear, and pack light.

 

[sg1]

A very good friend has been traveling the Panamericana since 2016 with a 2014 F 150 single cab and a Granby. The Ford is, except for e rated tires and better shocks, completely stock. He didn't have a single technical problem with the truck so far and he definitely goes backcountry. I know because some trips we did together.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

I don't mind pushing the limits a little, but the Grandby Model might be a little heavy for that 2012 short bed truck, with much of the weight behind the rear axle. If it were the new Ford F-150 with the aluminum truck bed and the higher payload, it would not be as much as an issue. Can it be done with tire & rear suspension upgrades? Sure thing. Many have done it. But the Hawk Model would fit better, look better, and center of balance would be more over the rear axel. Just my 2 cents worth.