Longshore
California
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Well tomorrow my son and I are going to a dealer and will look at three Wolf Creek models. The light weight along with the interior design is open, kind of reminds me of the Cirrus 820, whice is 1000lbs heavier. I was really only looking at higher end units like Northern Lite or Lance, but getting in a few thousand cheaper is appealing too.
My tires are Michelin Defender load range E 10 ply. 165 70 18 I hope I don't have to replace them. If I did have to, what would be best? Would a larger tire be preferable?
* This post was
edited 11/17/20 09:12pm by Longshore *
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JIMNLIN
Oklahoma
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common mistake many new folks make is upgrading tires to carry more weight but not the OEM wheels with a lessor capacity. OEM wheels just barely cover the trucks RAWR numbers. Years back it was the other way around.
IMO the 165/70-18" must be a typo ??
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers
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Longshore
California
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Yeah sorry 265 70 18. Billtex mentioned I might want a 295?
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billtex
RI
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Longshore wrote:Yeah sorry 265 70 18. Billtex mentioned I might want a 295?
Those are likely load index 124 = 3535# ea.
If you move up to a 295-70-18 load index 129 = 4080# ea.
You will have to visit the scales and see if you need to upgrade tires.
Wheel rating should be stamped on the inside of the wheel. Some are hard to find.
OE steel wheels typically have greater load capacity then aluminum (cast) wheels.
Don’t buy anything yet. Wait until you load up and visit the scale. Let us know your weights (front/rear/total) and we can help you figure out next steps.
Be safe, Bill
2020 F350 CC LB
Eagle Cap 850
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JimK-NY
NY
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It seems that you are a first time TC buyer so I can warn you that weights get out of hand quickly. For example if you start with a Lance 850, Lance estimates the wet weight as 2835#. First that is the base unit and does not include options such as awnings. Almost all units are going to come with options that bump up the weight by several hundred pounds. Even tiedown brackets and a bed mat add a lot of weight. Next you need to consider the weight of heavy accessories. Unless you are going to have hook ups at almost all times, you will want to look at a generator, a second battery, and possibly solar panels. Maybe you want to consider a better foam mattress... they are also heavy. In any case the 2835# camper can easily grow to 3500#. Then there are all the other necessities: food, cooking and eating gear, a few tools, extra boots and clothing, bedding, laptop/camera gear, etc, etc. You may think I am exaggerating but count on 1000# for these items. My 2400# base weight camper jumped to 4400# and I have looked carefully and don't find much I can do to trim back on the weight. Sadly a short bed pickup greatly aggravates the weight issue.
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mkirsch
Rochester, NY
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Sorry, a short bed pickup does NOT greatly aggravate the weight issue at all.
A short bed truck does not have any less weight-carrying capacity than a long bed truck of the same type. E.g. a GMC 3500 SRW short bed and a GMC 3500 SRW long bed both use the same axles, springs, and tires, have the same gross axle ratings on the door sticker.
If anything the short bed pickup HELPS the weight carrying issue as it is LIGHTER than a long bed pickup of the same type.
The only thing it aggravates is the space available to carry the weight.
Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.
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JimK-NY
NY
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My long bed transfers several hundred pounds to the front axle. That helps considerably. Second a long bed allows selection of a longer camper. With a short bed all the weight is likely to be on the rear axle and if the center of gravity is not substantially in front of the rear axle, the rig is not going to handle well. Look what happens when a trailer is loaded with too much weight in the back. Keeping the weight forward is going to help with the ride.
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MORSNOW
Mountain Home, ID
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JimK-NY wrote:My long bed transfers several hundred pounds to the front axle. That helps considerably. Second a long bed allows selection of a longer camper. With a short bed all the weight is likely to be on the rear axle and if the center of gravity is not substantially in front of the rear axle, the rig is not going to handle well. Look what happens when a trailer is loaded with too much weight in the back. Keeping the weight forward is going to help with the ride.
Short bed campers have the weight centered over the axle also, it's not like they have the weight at the rear unless you put a long bed camper on a short bed truck.
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/RLy6sw5l.jpg)
2014 Wolf Creek 850SB
2012 GMC Sierra SLT 2500HD
7,220# Truck/10,400# Camper Fully Loaded
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billtex
RI
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Our SB camper COG on SB truck was an inch or two behind axle. Our SB camper COG on LB truck is 2” in front of axle and gives us a nice “trunk” in front of the bed. Love it! Couldn’t be happier.
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Longshore
California
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Well I think I'm going to get one of the Wolf Creek 850s I looked at today.
My GVWR is 11,500. My tare was 7,940. GAWR rear is 7,050 front is 5,600. They have one with an oven, kind of a must when the DW is along, and it comes in at 2,300 lbs dry. Interior height is 6'6'. They want 33,000 so I know they will take less. You guys think I should start at 28,000 and see their reaction? This will be a straight purchase.
* This post was
edited 11/19/20 04:39pm by Longshore *
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