AF 1150... It's already hanging off the rear of the truck by 3-1/2' right?
I really would worry about the camper's structure with it hanging off another foot.
2002 Chevy 3500 DRW 8.1L/Allison
2000 Palomino B1500
...and the reason why I need a DRW to haul a Palomino:
2004 United 7x14 tandem axle enclosed toy trailer
2011 PJ 8x20 7-ton deckover equipment trailer
Sweet Tater wrote: Please forgive me for interupting the thread, but its kind of the same topic, how do you figure the COG on your camper and truck?
It's supposed to be specified by the manufacturer. You can find the information in the owner's manual or in a brochure. Sometimes it is even marked right on the camper itself.
They will commonly give you a measurement, either from the front wall of the camper, or from "the point where the camper contacts the rear of the truck bed."
You can't "figure" the COG mathematically unless you're a bloody genius and spend a few months calculating.
You could locate it by balancing the camper on a piece of pipe, but that's a lot of work.
rehoppe wrote: 2001 is old enough that you might find one in the scrap yard? Worth a phone call, maybe.
NRALIFR. ,,,, Nice G locker!
The Excursion uses a rear mounted tank, since the spare is inside the Ex. Mount the Spare tire to the front of the truck, then add an Excursion tank to the rear where the spare tire was. The Excursion tank is around 40 gallons. Moves that weight to the rear, but is protected, and you can get the Ex skid plate too!
My dad did that to a Ford Ranger. Used a Bronco II tank in the rear, carried the spare inside his canopy, and could drive from Port Orchard, WA to San Diego, CA without stopping for fuel!! (23 GAL Ranger tank and 28 Gal Bronco Tank).
It would be a lot less expensive than the aftermarket tanks, and gain as much if not more capacity!
Good Luck,
Garry
Garry K
Wife + 4 kids
Retired Military Family.... Alway's on the move....
2002 F350 CCSB 5.4 6spd 4x4 in AK
1966 Avion C-10 Truck Camper
mkirsch wrote: AF 1150... It's already hanging off the rear of the truck by 3-1/2' right?
I really would worry about the camper's structure with it hanging off another foot.
ok, that's the best point I've heard that I hadn't thought about. I'll ditch the idea.
I do like the Ford Excursion tank idea. Now where to put the spare? I'm thinking the camper roof rack, but boy, it's heavy and that's a long ways up on a flimsy ladder. Roof hoist?
Sweet Tater wrote: Please forgive me for interupting the thread, but its kind of the same topic, how do you figure the COG on your camper and truck?
Weigh your front and rear axles both empty and loaded. Then do a little basic math:
Total loaded weight - total empty weight = camper weight
(Loaded front axle - empty front axle) / camper weight * wheelbase = COG distance from rear axle.
If that number is positive, your camper's COG is ahead of the rear axle.
If that number is negative, your camper's COG is behind the rear axle.
If it's about 0, (i.e. no weight change on front axle), the COG is directly above the rear axle.
In layman's terms: The proportion of your camper's weight added to (or removed from) the front axle is the same proportion as the distance between the COG and the rear axle to the wheelbase.
mkirsch wrote: AF 1150... It's already hanging off the rear of the truck by 3-1/2' right?
I really would worry about the camper's structure with it hanging off another foot.
ok, that's the best point I've heard that I hadn't thought about. I'll ditch the idea.
I do like the Ford Excursion tank idea. Now where to put the spare? I'm thinking the camper roof rack, but boy, it's heavy and that's a long ways up on a flimsy ladder. Roof hoist?
I agree, that's a very good point made by mkirsch. Good catch, sir!
As to where to mount the spare, from a weight and balance standpoint the front bumper would probably be best. I put mine on the camper's rear bumper, and don't bother carrying it at all when I'm running around town without the camper. Putting it on top of the camper would get old real fast, and would just add to your top-heavy condition. And, I have the same reservations as you about the technical details about getting it up and down.
An additional comment regarding carrying a little extra weight off the front: My truck/camper actually rides better with my toolbox on the front than without. The stuff I carry in the box is more bulky than heavy. I estimate it adds about 200 lbs. to the front axle.
mkirsch wrote: AF 1150... It's already hanging off the rear of the truck by 3-1/2' right?
I really would worry about the camper's structure with it hanging off another foot.
ok, that's the best point I've heard that I hadn't thought about. I'll ditch the idea.
I do like the Ford Excursion tank idea. Now where to put the spare? I'm thinking the camper roof rack, but boy, it's heavy and that's a long ways up on a flimsy ladder. Roof hoist?
The other down side to the rear tank it puts all the fuel weight behind the rear axle . I use a front hitch for my spare .
COG can also be variable . The manufacturers don't usually specify whether their dimensions are with full or empty water and holding tanks . In some configurations this could change the COG considerably .
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