My F250 single wheel is lifted 4 inches. Does anybody have any experience with trying to haul a Slide In Camper? I just bought the truck and feel I need to lower it back to stock to be able to safely haul the slide in camper. I have not bought the camper yet, but I want to go as large as I can.
Your comments?
T.

 

If your lift kit was installed properly, you can put a slider on the truck without issue, however, you might need to consider an air bag system to suppliment the existing leafs.
Many lift kits raise the truck cab and bed up off the existing frame, with spacers, without adversely affecting the rear suspension.

 

Slide in's raise the center of gravity considerably. It's even worse when you're lifted. You might get away with it but you might find you have to much sway to drive it comfortably.

A good sway bar setup and overloads or air bags will help, but getting it back down where it belongs will probably help more. There really isn't any way to tell until you try it.

 

I have 20+ years experience with truck campers.......I do NOT recommend putting one on a lifted truck for too many reasons to list in this short post.........all safety related.

I have seen 3 camper trucks lying on their sides in my time, all 3 were lifted 4x4s.

 

I thought the lift might be troublesome. My only thought was when I upgrade tires and wheels to go a little wider to give the truck a wider stance, but at this point, I have to see how much more than stock is the leaf spring set-up. Will have to look at a stock truck to see what it should look like.

Thanks for everyone comments.

T

 

other factor is how high you have to jack the camper to load it. my 05 f350 stock and my 81 8 foot scamper. i have about 7 inches of blocking under the legs just to be safe not to overextend the jacks. at the height needed to load it i don't really want to do it on a windy day. it sways like crazy til its on the truck

 

I watched a idiot neighbor try to load his camper on to his lifted Chevy...........Truck had at least a 6" lift, camper jacks were sitting on 2 sets of cinder blocks and jacks maxxed out in height. As he tried to back under it, he bumped the camper with the inside corner by the drivers side taillight, the camper probably had some dry rot near that jack........down it came, several thousand $$$ in body work to truck, and camper totaled.
If he had been at stock height, most likely this would never have happened.
The first time a lifted truck with camper has to perform a emergency maneuver at highway speed, or encounters a bad gust of wind on the side..........You will be having a lengthy conversation with your insurance agent.
Even at stock height, driving a truck with a camper requires skill and lots of attention.

 

The more I read the more I agree that stock is better.
T

 

As retired law enforcement I have seen my share of truck campers that rolled. Like Old93junk said, they were all lifted. Yes, you can get it on the truck, but the first time you have to do an emergency maneuver, you'll wish you hadn't. Even more important than wider tires would be stiffer sidewalls which comes with going up in rating, 'D' to an 'E' or 'F'. I am running 'G' rated tires on the truck you see below.

There is a truck camper forum that is just as excellent as this one is for Ford trucks. The main site is North American Truck Camper Owners Association and the forum site is NATCOA FORUM. (Click on the blue links) Look around there and you will learn a lot. I got my first truck camper around 1975 and thought I knew all there was to know. When I discovered the NATCOA forum, I found out how much I hadn't known.

But now I know everything!

 

Stock is definitely best....But get the airbags too......They REALLY make the difference on rough ground.......And good support on pavement too.

 

People get away with lifted trucks and slide in campers.................


But the law of averages is tailing them and WILL catch up to them when they least expect it.
If you have a nice truck and a nice camper, and wish to keep them that way.......go stock height.

 

In some states modified suspension is illegal, it may pass inspection but if you get in an accident your insurance does not have to cover it. Just another thing to think about.

 

WhiteEx, thanks. I appreciate the help.
T