My truck has a short bed. I am interested in getting a slide in truck camper but am concerned with the small field of choices and the size differences compared with the long beds. Does anyone have any recommendations or advise?

I am tossing around the idea of trading my truck for a long bed, mainly for this reason but if its not that big of an issue then I will keep the truck I have.

What are your experiences with a camper on a short bed? Are the camper's really cramped?

Thanks,
Craig

 

I purchased a 8' camper for my short bed last year. It overhangs 2' but that is no big deal. It is an older Palamino and we really like it. It is a little small, but we spend most of our time outside when we are camping.

 

It really comes down to how many people are going to be in the camper and the length of time you go camping.

More people and / or long time = larger camper.

FYI - The specs for campers says you can put up to a 9' camper in a short box. Tons of room. Particularly if you have a camper with a slide out.

 

I like my LanceLite 845 (8.5', 2001, about 2600# loaded) but it's crowded with two adults. A couple of kids would make it unbearable. My suspension is pretty soft so I had to install air bags to get the truck back to level, even so there is a lot of sway. This, I think, is the maximum camper suitable for a shortbed truck. If you can, settle for simpler and smaller, such as a pop-up camper, and you will get better milage.

 

I have an 06 Quad 4x4 CTD 6spd. In Aug'07 I bought a Lance 861 8'8" that has a slider for the table on the right side (curb side). It is about 3500# when ready to go out. I had rear airbags, Rancho adjustable shocks, and the front stabilizer strut kits installed when I bought the camper. With 70-80# in the airbags, and the shocks maxed out for dampening, I can cruise down the freeway no problemo. The first weekend I had the camper we did 1600 miles to Utah and back to Cali in three days. We even hit a wind storm out by Mojave and never freaked out. Of course, you can tell the camper is on the truck, but it is really fun passing duramaxis going up a 6% at 70mph! Also, in Cali, with a trailer you are limited to 55mph - but a camper can legally travel the max. posted speed without watching for CHiPs. We are a family of four. Me and the wife, 11 year girl, 6 year old boy. The only time we are all in the camper is to eat (if it too cold outside), and to sleep. The boy goes in the upper bunk, the girl on the fold-down table, and me and the woman up top. With the Lance 861 being so tall, I can sit upright in the overhead bed without my head touching the ceiling (I am 6'1" with a long torso too). We did a 5 day trip at Christmas-time without hook-ups. We only had to add water once, and dump once. We may have been able to go longer without dumping, but when it is available, you should take use of the services. My truck gets 22mpg without the camper on the highway. With the camper the mpg's average 14-15. This is double what allot of motorhomes get on the highway. My truck is still bone-stock. I have really enjoyed being able to get into remote camp-grounds that truck-trailers and motorhomes will never see. I also like being able to drop the camper and use the truck for day trips. With the Lance Campers (and maybe others), you can camp in them off of the truck. The camper goes on/off the truck in 10-15 minutes. If you are the type of camper that wants a "mobile condo" then get a trailer. If you want to get off the paved-path and out of the "concrete campgrounds", then get a camper. Good luck with your decision.

 

Thanks guys, I feel much better after reading your posts. Those Lance campers sure look nice. I love my truck so I'm glad to hear campers are still an option with a short bed truck.

 

two great sites for researching truck campers are
natcoa.com and truckcampermagazine.com

 

MrKen,

Thanks for the links. I've been looking for some good sites but haven't found a lot. I appreciate it.

Craig

 

I have an Outfitter camper out of Longmont, CO. It has been a great rig. Mine fits flush in the bed with a queen sleeper over the cab and ample internal storage. It is one of the best made campers I have owned. The layout and the storage isnt bad either. The pop top makes it handy to get back in to a few of the more remote locations.

2500 quad cab 4x4, 6.7L, short bed, stock with the exception of a cold air intake. 16700 miles, no problems.

 

A lot of Truck and Slide In Camper information here, http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...s/forum/27.cfm

Campers can get heavy real fast. I have a three year old Lance 1130 (11 feet) no slide outs. Full of water, propane and stuff I was slightly overloaded in an '05 Chevy Duramax Long Bed Dually. I haven't had the camper on my Dodge yet and taken it to a scale. It will be close I imagine. IIRC the camper was close to 4'000 lbs. For the wife and I the camper is great, we can get to nice remote camping where I wouldn't go with a trailer. We have enough room and at 6'7" I can stand up in the camper.

There is a school of thought on the RV Net site that goes like this, most campers=dually.

Check the weight of the camper fully loaded with water and propane and add few hundred pounds for food and stuff. Then see what your truck is rated to haul.

Good Luck...Been There Done That...The only reason I have the long bed dually is the camper.

 

Add a rear sway bar or a bigger one if your truck has one already. Add air bags and I went with 19.5 wheels and tires but you shouldn't need too.

 

I have this same camper (Lance 861), Loaded out with everything for a weekend of camping its tipping the scales at 4100+... I have air bags on my Dually to level it out. Other than that its the perfect setup. (However a little more than I would put on a 2500)

Had the Lance 845 Prior to the 861 on my 2500 and it was a great camper. Little crowded for anything more than a couple adults and maybe a young (pre-teen) child. Had air bags on that rig also.

Short answer, there are alot of great campers out there for short bed trucks.

 

Be sure you have "E" load range tires. These take a lot of the "sway" out due to sidewall flex and cut tires on back roads. Don't ask me how I know.

 

On a stock 2500 quad cab, 6.7L, 17000 miles. This has been a very useful rig. It is perfect for a couple of people or two with a child