Lots of Stuff wrote: This quote from the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Q&A makes the rule very clear.
Question:
"(16)
How big can my pick-up camper or RV trailer be on my ½, ¾, or 1 tonne pickup be? Do I need brakes? Do I need a special driver’s license?
The camper, when loaded on to the pickup or when you tow a trailer behind the pickup, can not exceed the manufacturer “Gross Vehicle Weight Rating” (GVWR) or the “Gross Axle Weight Rating” (GAWR). The ratings can be found on the driver’s side door post."
Moral: don't load over your GVWR if you want to drive in British Columbia.
We've made several trips into BC with our over GVWR TC but now I know I'm pushing my luck.
Just like in the trailer chain thread, the Q&A page is not the law, even when written by "officials." Unless there is a specific law against hauling over GVWR, anything else saying not to do it is opinion and guidelines.
Lots of Stuff wrote: This quote from the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Q&A makes the rule very clear.
Question:
"(16)
How big can my pick-up camper or RV trailer be on my ½, ¾, or 1 tonne pickup be? Do I need brakes? Do I need a special driver’s license?
The camper, when loaded on to the pickup or when you tow a trailer behind the pickup, can not exceed the manufacturer “Gross Vehicle Weight Rating” (GVWR) or the “Gross Axle Weight Rating” (GAWR). The ratings can be found on the driver’s side door post."
Moral: don't load over your GVWR if you want to drive in British Columbia.
We've made several trips into BC with our over GVWR TC but now I know I'm pushing my luck.
Just like in the trailer chain thread, the Q&A page is not the law, even when written by "officials." Unless there is a specific law against hauling over GVWR, anything else saying not to do it is opinion and guidelines.
OK! But someone posted on the RVing in Canada and Alaska forum that had experience with a spot weight check. Those with over GVWR weights were not allowed to continue in an overweight condition.
We have decided to keep our over GVWR camper out of BC just in case. Don't want to be following my Lance on it's way to the border on the back of a tow truck.
mooring product wrote: The only difference between my year truck and the 05 are the breaks.
Actually, there is quite a bit of difference between a 2003 F250/350 and 2005 F250/350. To begin with, the frames were upgraded for '05, as well as changed to a completely different 4wd front suspension (coil springs and radius arms on the '05-up, versus leaf springs on the '04-down). Not to mention the 8800-vs-10,000 GVWR difference for the F250's, the 9900-vs-11,500 GVWR difference for the F350SRW's and the 11,500-vs-13,000 GVWR difference for the F350DRW's....
I want to avoid a breakdown on the road and this is doubly true with a camper loaded in the bed. There are a number of factors that go into the payload capacity of today's trucks. The 2011-2012 GM/Chevy trucks for example have what they claim is a 400% torsionally stiffer fully boxed frame for starters. With a stiffer framer there is less need for after market items like sway bars. Their diesel trucks have beefier engine components, heavier duty Allison transmission, and larger rear differential as well as integrated exhaust braking, larger disc brakes, and nearly double the torque output of a 2000 model truck.
A DRW 1-ton with a regular cab and a long box will provide the greatest load capacity without a doubt. It will also mean a "work" grade truck in terms of the trim level. The next step down is a crew cab with a long box in a DRW 1-ton which is going to be far and away the most expensive truck you can buy for hauling a camper around. You will also find them in short supply on dealers lots and special ordered trucks take out a lot of room for dealing.
It would have cost me at a minimum an extra $8,000 for a DRW with the same trim level, options, and diesel engine and for that I would have gained 2,000 lbs. payload at most. For my needs I did not want a DRW long box crew cab truck, not having the space for this large a truck or wanting to drive one on a daily basis and try to find parking places. For my purposes the extra $445 cost for a pair of SuperSprings for my truck was easily offset by what I saved upfront.
DRW is the easiest way to add load capacity at the wheels - simply use 4 wheels instead of 2 and you get approximately 80% more load capacity. Others will get the Rickson steel 19.5 wheels and add tires with a 4,000 lb. load rating. I replaced the stock tires on my 2500HD with Nitto Terra Grappler 285/70R17 tires and they are rated at 3750@80 (versus 3195 for the stock tires) which was all I needed for hauling the 845 camper.
Getting a 1-ton DRW with a long box will enable you to mount the widest range of large and very large and heavy campers. Even then most people will add air bags and sway bars and Rancho shocks and other suspension mods to improve handling with a very large camper to deal with the weight and the high COG.
I put a 3000 lb. Lance 845 into the back of my 2011 Silverado Duramax 2500HD 4WD short bed truck with its factory original shocks and tires, but with the addition of SuperSprings (to increase load capacity by 1500 lb.) and I drove it 250 miles to my house over mountain roads and on interstate highways. At no point did I feel like I needed anything more from the truck.
There is a profound tendency toward overkill. I see it with folks with bass boats that are capable of 55mph and lifted trucks with mud tires that are never going to be taken off the pavement.
There is a large gray area to my mind between a dedicated DRW long bed 1-ton with a 12' 5000 lb. camper and a 28' class C motorhome that will be no wider and no longer and the motorhome can be bought for half as much as the truck and camper combo.
When you are doing your shopping do not expect the manufacturer's posted weights for its campers to be accurate. I would add 15% to their advertised weights to get a truer picture of their "dry weights". Do appreciate that participants on the forums have all done their own thinking as to the best solution for their needs and we are all going to be protective of our decisions, right or wrong. There is a very human tendency when realizing that one has made an error to dig in ones heels and defend the actions taken all the more vigorously.
DRW is usually less than $1500 option cost over a SRW one-ton. Go to any of the 3 manufacturer's build & price websites and build 2 otherwise identical trucks, except one DRW and one SRW and you can easily see the very small price difference between the two trucks. It is not anywhere near $8000!
You have also repeated this erroneous cost information regarding 3/4-ton trucks versus one-ton SRW trucks. Again, the cost difference is very little, usually less than $1000, sometimes as little as $500.
Again, I would like to thank all of you for the great information, both posted here and in PM's. It all helps with my planning.
The other thing I would like to thank everyone for is being so civil with everyone's replies. It seems when I first joined, a post like this would turn into a huge argument. Thus, the reason I made the comment at the first, "Please, no weight police flaming a person for being honest."
Thanks again!!!!!
BobH
1999 Ford F-350 4x4 CC SRW Shortbox, V-10, 4:30 limited slip, Camper/Trailer Tow Package, Rancho RS9000X shocks, Bridgestone Dueler 265/75R16 ("E") A/T Revo
Camper - in the market
2004 Lowe 1860 SC Camo Roughneck w/ Yamaha 4-stroke 90/65HP Jet
woodhog,
I referred to Mike from Extreme Campers of Highpoint NC, recommendation to me of "Performance Friction" brake pads, in our earlier post. Mike was a NASCAR tech in the past. He said that PF pads were Nascar rated pads. We have been using them since, and have found them to be a noticable improvement, well worth the slight cost increase.
skipbee
2004 F350 Diesel CC SRW 19.5" Rickson W/T 4WD
2005 Lance 1121 well found.
12' Porta-Bote alongside
All that glisters is not gold. All who wander are not lost. See us on YouTube" Living the Lance Life" 3 of 4.
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