Northernford
PNW
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Joined: 03/25/2012
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As of now I don't have a camper yet but I really liked the Arctic Fox so thats why I am called Arcticford. Although I got thinking that I want to do maining boondocking. I started looking into Northern Lite's more and I really like the 8'5 q Lite camper. The cabover is very low and it isn't to heavy. Since I have a shortbed f350 diesel it would fit perfect yet down low. My main point is that I want to lift the truck to get bigger tires. One of my friends has an 8 inch lift of his and looks great, but he has a pop up camper. What would I need to do to the truck to make it handle the camper if I were to lift it 4 or 6 inches?
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Buzzcut1
Norcal
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Joined: 10/04/2010
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ArcticFord wrote:As of now I don't have a camper yet but I really liked the Arctic Fox so thats why I am called Arcticford. Although I got thinking that I want to do maining boondocking. I started looking into Northern Lite's more and I really like the 8'5 q Lite camper. The cabover is very low and it isn't to heavy. Since I have a shortbed f350 diesel it would fit perfect yet down low. My main point is that I want to lift the truck to get bigger tires. One of my friends has an 8 inch lift of his and looks great, but he has a pop up camper. What would I need to do to the truck to make it handle the camper if I were to lift it 4 or 6 inches?
don't go on cross slopes? seriously stick with a pop up if you are going for serious dirt with the center of gravity getting raised that much
03 F350 Diesel 4x4 Crew Cab long bed, 08 Lance 1055, Rancho 9000xl, Air Lift air Bags, Torqlift tiedowns,stable loads, super hitch, 48" super truss, Toyo 285/75R16 Opencountry HT
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JohnAM
Lake Goodwin Wa
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Joined: 01/26/2008
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So you want to lift the truck but does that mean you want to do serious off road? If so it is a tough compromise. What you want for offroad and what you want to carry a camper are opposites. For offroad you want a lot of flex in your suspension. But you need to maintain load capacity for your camper. For offroad you'd like to disconnect the front sway bar but for a camper you want a heavy duty one. If you just want a lift that can carry the camper that can be done but will limit suspension flex somewhat for offroad. Choose you lift carefully. Hopefully some of the guys on here that have done it will chime in.
06 Dodge 3500 CTD Quad DRW 4x4 6sp Man, TorkLift, Superhitch, Stableloads, KYB Monomax
11 Lance 1191
97 Lance 980 (Sold)
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Northernford
PNW
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Joined: 03/25/2012
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Thanks guys,
I am not a serious offroader. When I mean boondocking, I mean old logging roads or forest service roads that go way far back. I don't do rock crawling and my truck is my baby. I mainly want a hard side because I would feel safer in Alaska and just all around.
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ArcticDodge
Sammamish, WA
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Joined: 05/02/2005
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Nice User Name AF
2009 Komfort 256TS
2001 Dodge Ram 3500 QC 4x4 Cummins DRW
2005 Dodge Durango Limited AWD HEMI
2001 Sebring Convertible
1995 Miata M-Edition
2005 DRZ400
1 Wife  2 Boys UW & Bellevue College
1 Trixie (Bichon Frise)
Only 23 years to retirement!!!!
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JohnAM
Lake Goodwin Wa
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I take my dually and 11'6" Lance on forest service roads. You don't need a lift for that. If you still want to lift your truck and carry a camper I'd recommend upgrading the shocks and sway bars. Also make sure the lift you choose has an adequate load carrying rating for the camper you want to carry. My solution was to leave the dually relatively stock (only upgrades are stableloads and monomax shocks) but do offroad in a toad 09 Jeep Rubicon on 35s with a 3.5in lift. Both rigs are great for what they are intended to do.
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Northernford
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Arcticdodge: I honestly didn't know that someone had a username close to the one I choose. In all likely hood I will be changing it. Sorry about that.
JohnAm: I would tow a jeep but I want to camp way far off of the main road and not
In a park.
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JohnAM
Lake Goodwin Wa
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Somewhere like this?
You don't have to stay in a park just because you have a camper. They are quite capable of forest service roads and boondocking in remote places. You just have to watch the approach/departure angles on any dips you cross. A lift and smaller camper will certainly help with that. This pic is at the bottom of Shumaker grade in the Grande Ronde canyon.
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elkhornsun
Monterey
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Not a smart move in any aspect. Larger tires may look bad but they alter the gear ratio which is not a problem with all the lifted trucks that never have anything in the box but not a good idea with 3500 lbs. or more for the truck to handle.
Raising the truck affects the drive train components including U-joints which have to work harder even with only the weight of the truck much less a load. It affects handling, safety maneuvering, sway, and stopping distances with the trucks brakes even when empty much less with any kind of load.
The COG of the camper is already several feet above the bed which is what the engineers design for and raising it another 1/2 foot is not going in the right direction.
A 6" lift to have tires that are 35" diameter instead of 31-32" is going to give you an expensive truck in terms of higher cost for the mods and higher maintenance as things break or wear out prematurely like brakes, pitman arms, tie-roads, shocks, and tires for starters. Lifted trucks have these problems or defects even when they do not carry a substantial load in the box.
Stick with a popup or a cap if you want bigger tires. It looks silly anyways to have a cabover camper on a raised truck. A bit like a ponytail on a guy who is bald on top.
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sabconsulting
High Wycombe, UK
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If you want to carry a truck camper and don't intend to go beyond the odd forestry track then don't bother lifting it - you are paying a load of money to reduce the ability of your truck in any of the situations you really use it in, especially load carrying - just in order to make it look 'tougher'. If not actually needed it becomes just another 'bling' accessory that people apply to school-run / grocery getters (often 150/1500 series trucks) to make them look more exciting and adventurous.
Reminds me of a phrase my wife learned from skiing with the army - they could always tell the poor skiers before then even got going on the slopes - because they had all the newest flashiest designer gear in order to look the part - the phrase the army used was "all the gear and no idea" 
But image aside - you have a definite purpose for your truck - you want to be able to carry heavy stuff including the truck camper - you really don't want to regret having an expensive suspension modification that makes it handle badly when cornering or feel unstable resulting in you feeling less happy using it and thus using it less often.
Instead save the money for when you may need it for proper load-carrying accessories like uprated anti-sway bars, tyres with a higher load rating (as opposed to just big impressive looking ones), a good tie-down system, etc. You might even want a front receiver hitch mounted rack to carry stuff like generators.
Steve.
'07 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab diesel + '91 Shadow Cruiser - Sky Cruiser 1
'92 Suzuki Samurai 4x4 1.6
'09 Fiat Panda 1.2
'10 Citroen DS3 1.6 turbo
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