Slide-In Camper w/Boat????

[Dewey Leggett]

Does anyone out there have a camper on the back of their 1/2 ton truck AND pull their boat? I have a 1/2 ton Dodge 4X4 and I am thinking about taking one along on my trips. It would be a pop-up slide-in (like a Four Wheel, Palomino, Sunlite, etc.) to keep the weight down. In looking at the GAWR, GVWR, etc. on the truck and trying to determine how well it will work, I am confused. Any experience, ideas, suggestions, etc.? Thanks.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Should be fine...My buddy has an F-150 with a slide-in camper and pull his boat(Deep V 16 w/40) up to Lake Erie all the time. Of course it's only about three hours away..

TEE

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I looked at this along with a fully loaded conversion van. The pop in camper with a full size glass boat was a bit overload for a 1/2 ton. The CAMPER dealer, not the truck dealership recommended a 3/4 ton. That meant a lot. I figued the truck dealer would for the added sale, but the camper guy said that with the weight of the camper and the tongue weight of a bigger boat would wear out a 1/2 ton quickly. Also, get the largest engine you can swing and be sure your trailer has brakes. I also looked at those adjustable suspension kits to adjust depending on how much load you have. 1 setting for the truck empty, 1 for just the camper or just the boat, and another for the camper and boat. Expensive kits but the pop in camper wasn't cheap either. I was quoted $12k!!! Does that sound right? There NOT that big, why so much? It was new though. Let us know what you do Dewey. Like I said, I like the idea for traveling to tourneys, but also am looking at a big van with that "on the road" charging system we discussed last month.

 

[Greg Meyer]

My 2 cents... Get the 3/4ton or at a minimum the HD 1/2 from Chev/GM or the new 2004 Ford F-150 SuperCab (not the crew because of the real short bed). The new F-150 has a full 300hp on the 5.4 and a new transmission... don't know the Total Weight for the 150 but you would be pushing it with the camper and the boat... But, the new 150 is a great truck...

 

[Roy Cody]

I have a '93 1/2 ton F-150 Flare-Side, w/302 V-8.



I pulled a Nitro FS180. I had a 6 1/2 pop-up slide in that I used for a couple years. It was definately a load for my pickup. I installed 1500 lb overload coils on the rear to handle the extra weight.



The setup worked, but it would have been much safer with a 3/4 ton pickup.



RoyC

 

[fatrap]

I have a F150 4X4 Supercab with a 8 foot Jayco pop up camper and pull my 17 foot Nitro 170 with it. Pulled to South Dakota and back about a thousand miles round trip. I got about 8-10 mpg with my 4.6 litre engine. I put air lift bags to add an extra 1000 pounds of load. You don't use the overdrive.

I just returned from a trip to Vancover BC with just the camper. It did ok for all this. BUT !!! I wish I had the 5.4. with more torque. I would have opted for the F250 or the 2500 Chevy. This will be my future goal.

Fatrap