Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!
I am in the research phase of RV'ing and looking for some answers/help. I am almost 100% going with 3/4 or 1 ton truck and slide in camper. I am planning of buying the truck brand new and have bought trucks in the past but not for campers. I know about weight and box sizes but I am looking for assistance with accessories. It can be from factory/dealer or after market place like amazon. I am strictly looking for truck accessories, manly chevy and ford. Example is the air bags for the rear suspension, are they really needed if you have a 1 ton. Thanks for any assistance you can provide.
Much depends on the size of the truck (slide-in) camper and the truck's capacity. Having weighed RVs for a few years we learned trucks with heavy campers are notoriously overloaded on their rear axles. Are you looking at single rear wheel (SRW) trucks or dual rear wheel trucks (DRW)? Do you know the axle ratings of the truck and the loaded weight of the camper? A one-ton SRW truck may not have enough capacity depending on the truck camper. Answers to these questions will help in answering other questions such as your inquiry about air bags.
Over several forums I have come to the conclusion that I would probably be better off with towing a small trailer. I am looking at either Chevy/Ford single rear wheel 4x4. I am starting to like the idea of having an open truck bed for tool box and bike. I just keep seeing videos on YouTube where someone pulling a trailer is fish tailing it all over the highway or having the hitch or something break and the trailer passes the tow vehicle on the highway.
Thanks
Over several forums I have come to the conclusion that I would probably be better off with towing a small trailer. I am looking at either Chevy/Ford single rear wheel 4x4. I am starting to like the idea of having an open truck bed for tool box and bike. I just keep seeing videos on YouTube where someone pulling a trailer is fish tailing it all over the highway or having the hitch or something break and the trailer passes the tow vehicle on the highway. Thanks
First, Howard's comments about DRW trucks are very important. Having done some research on the subject it takes a very small slide in camper to not overload - or cause rear end squat - on SRW trucks and that includes 3500HD trucks with SRW. Yes, even with DRW air bags are usually need for a level ride. At least for Class III trucks, i.e. 3500HDs / F-450's as so much of the camper weight is centered on the rear axle.
One has a lot of frontal (and sides) area with a truck camper. It can not be over emphasized how much more stable DRW truck are in this and towing applications.
On the other subject, trailer sway can be reduced somewhat with anti-sway friction brakes which are an add-on's for equalizing hitches. Other more expensive anti-sway hitches for "bumper pull" trailers are made by Hensley. These are in common use by Airstreams. However, the best cure for trailer sway, caused especially by passing semis in addition to wind gusts, is a fiver. A fifth wheel trailer, equal length to a tag or bumper pull trailer, is superior in all regards as to sway or trailer "wagging." That's not an opinion, it is geometry and leverage. The 5th wheel hitch point being just ahead of the rear axle of the truck simply reduces trailer sway issues because the arm length of the fulcrum is zero against the tow vehicle with a 5th wheel. Thus the truck keeps the trailer much straighter. I have much experience with both types of trailers to back up this comment.
Don't be afraid of TTs. I love mine and wouldn't go back to a TC. No need to move my "home" when I just want to sightsee a little.
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Winnebago TT 2101DS & 2020 Silverado LTZ Z71. 300 watts WindyNation solar w/MPPT, 2 Trojan T-125s. TALL flag pole. Prefer USFS, COE, BLM, USF&WS, NPS, TVA, state/county camps. 14 year Army vet-11B40 then 11A - old MOS 1542 & 1560.
