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My truck's payload is 1867 lbs. If I were to add a weight support system(which I know nothing about), does that increase my truck's payload? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I am hoping to add a truck camper at some point.
The problem is that you can add air bags which, according to their p.r., will increase the load your rear springs will take up to 5,000 lbs. But, they won't help your wheel bearings, axles and differential carry the extra weight. When you look at the underside of a 250 or 350, notice how large the differential case is compared to a 150 truck.
Unofficially, those air bags will increase the amount of weight you can carry without making your rear bumper touch the ground and the front tires rising off the ground. If you were only going a short distance, or only carrying a heavy load every now and then, you could probably do so without damaging you truck, but putting a truck camper that is substantially heavier than your payload says, probably will. Also, remember that your brakes are made to stop the weight given for the GVWR. Adding a camper that is heavier than that number not to mention being extremely top heavy, would seriously compromise your braking ability.
The problem is that you can add air bags which, according to their p.r., will increase the load your rear springs will take up to 5,000 lbs. But, they won't help your wheel bearings, axles and differential carry the extra weight. When you look at the underside of a 250 or 350, notice how large the differential case is compared to a 150 truck.
Unofficially, those air bags will increase the amount of weight you can carry without making your rear bumper touch the ground and the front tires rising off the ground. If you were only going a short distance, or only carrying a heavy load every now and then, you could probably do so without damaging you truck, but putting a truck camper that is substantially heavier than your payload says, probably will. Also, remember that your brakes are made to stop the weight given for the GVWR. Adding a camper that is heavier than that number not to mention being extremely top heavy, would seriously compromise your braking ability.
How much roughly would it be to add air bags and what not for support? If I was looking at a truck camper with a dry weight around 1300 lbs, along with the added support for the load, would this be ideal weight to carry a truck camper?
I can't answer your question about how much it would cost for air bags, but nobody could for "what not". So I'll just give you some discussion. I once added overload springs to my F250. They make more sense to me than airbags, because they only come into play when needed. If the right side needs support while turning left, the right overload spring gives support. If the left side needs extra support, the left overload gives it. Otherwise, they let the factory springs do their job.
As to the "what not," there's no reasonable way to make a 1/2-ton do the job of a 3/4-ton or 1-ton. You'd have to find the weak points -- suspension, all of it; wheels, tires, axles, hubs, etc. Then there's the brakes, the transmission, even the frame. If you wanted to give a 3/4-ton truck the capabilities of a 1-ton, that's not a difficult task, because most of the parts are the same anyway. In most cases it would amount to an extra leaf on the rear springs, HD wheels and tires. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way when starting with a 1/2-ton. They were never designed to carry big loads.
Trucks (and cars) do have an extra margin of safety designed into them. An axle designed to carry 5k pounds will not break in half if 5,500 pounds is placed on it. But at what point might it break? Your guess. Same can be said for the frame and everything else.
I did have a slide-in camper on a half-ton once. It squatted, and I tipped it over in a ditch once. (Likely would have happened with a much bigger truck too.) I don't know how heavy that camper was, but my guess was 1,000 pounds. It was obviously overloaded but worked "in a pinch".
Pickup campers really test the trucks. Their frontal area pushes a lot of air. If you're heading into a stiff wind, it'll give most pickups a real workout. If it's a cross wind, you'll fight it all the way, and if you corner a little too hard, look out, because they're top-heavy. That's why most savvy pickup camper owners prefer a 1-ton pickup for all but the smallest and lightest of campers.
If it's possible, that's what I'd recommend for you too -- a bigger truck (3/4 or 1 ton). It would be much safer and would fit the job better. If possible, just go for a 1-ton. Cost is about the same as for the 3/4 ton and it'll give you the option to get a heavier camper.
There are too many factors at play that could end up killing yourself, your passengers, or others on the road with you. Stay within the limitations set by the factory. While those are somewhat conservative, they ensure that you remain within the capabilities of the truck. As John and Wyo have said... there are many more factors that come into play aside from just the weight that the springs can handle.
In the driveline/suspension you have to ensure that your brakes, u-joints, springs, shocks, etc.. can handle the added weight. In the powertrain you have to ensure that your rear gearing, transmission, engine, etc.. can handle the added strain placed on them with extra weight and resistance of air against the camper. A 1/2 ton (assuming that's what you have) was never designed for this type of work. It's extremely dangerous to attempt it.
If you planned on just sitting still and never moving, maybe it would be ok. But as soon as you start moving your risk increases exponentially. It's cheaper and safer in the long run to step up to a 3/4 - 1 ton truck to handle that kind of payload.
A Ford F-150 with the heavy duty payload package will have over 3000 pounds payload, I kid you not. That’s more payload than a 250 diesel (the weight of the diesel engine robs lots of payload).
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Originally Posted by Irishtom29
A Ford F-150 with the heavy duty payload package will have over 3000 pounds payload, I kid you not. That’s more payload than a 250 diesel (the weight of the diesel engine robs lots of payload).
How much roughly would it be to add air bags and what not for support? If I was looking at a truck camper with a dry weight around 1300 lbs, along with the added support for the load, would this be ideal weight to carry a truck camper?
I'll answer your question, based on my experience. I have been (until Christmas) towing with a Ram 1500. The tongue/pin weight of trailers tends to push the rear of the truck down, much more than in a 3/4 ton. I had a suspension company install a custom set of airbag "helpers" alongside the springs with an automatic pump and air system (controlled from in the cab). The total cost was $1200.
As others have said, this doesn't increase the load capacity at all, it merely (in my case) keeps the headlights from pointing at the sky.
I would like to point out that your load capacity isn't determined by what's printed in your vehicle manual (or website). It's determined by subtracting the actual weight of your truck from its GVWR. If you haven't weighed it, you might be surprised by how little carrying capacity you actually have. You might want to take it to a truck stop weigh station and find out. In my case, my Ram 1500 QuadCab with 5.7L and tow package weighed 5800 lbs empty. My GVWR was 6700. This means my truck was only capable of carrying 900 lbs (exactly the same as my wife's Camry). Although it couldn't carry any more weight than our Toyota, it could pull substantially more -- tow capacity was 10,250 lbs. With an ultra light fifth wheel (pin weight 550 lbs) and some clever hitch welding, I was able to double tow our camper and boat without exceeding any of the limits. To make the rig in the pic below safe, I also re-wired stuff so that all 12 wheels' brakes were applied when I pushed the pedal in the cab. I also welded substantial beams underneath the camper's frame to help support the load on the rear area (otherwise a lightweight camper would sag and bend).
I really doubt you'll be able to safely load a camper that size on a half-ton, but without knowing the specs of your truck I couldn't say for certain.
. With an ultra light fifth wheel (pin weight 550 lbs) and some clever hitch welding, I was able to double tow our camper and boat without exceeding any of the limits.
I'd like to know what your 5er's weight is. Pin weight is usually 20% of the total weight. I seriously doubt that your 5er weighs in at only 2800 lbs.
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