Does anyone know where to look for or have some recomendations on an over the cab style camper, with bed, stove, etc.? I've a 2003 F250 with the 7.3.

Thanks!

 

Try Lancecamper.com

Rich

 

http://www.funroads.com/travel/truck...p-camper.jhtml


first hit that came up in a "pick up camper" google.

 

try a search on "slide-in" campers

 

Be very aware of the higher cab height and bed length on Ford SDs.

I recently purchased a 2006 F250 XLT crew cab 4x4, and shortly afterwards purchased a Sun-Lite 690 camper. The camper dealer said it'd fit my truck without any problems. Dealers will say anything for a sale, won't they? I left them my truck, and when I went back to get it, the camper was sitting on top of a 7" wood crate inside the truck bed, because the dealer said "Ford must have raised the roof line recently so we had to raise the camper." Turns out Ford last raised the roof line (3") in 1999. I said 7" is way too high and to bring it back down. I returned later and they had it sitting on a 4" platform. OK, I'll give it a try even tho it looks kinda silly, but any lower and it would hit the cab roof. I used it for almost two weeks, and it just didn't work. The camper rocked back and forth on the uneven soft wood crate they made, tweaking the rear bumper a bit, and pissing me off to no end. I yelled and screamed, so they gave me my money back.

Last week I drove up to Los Angeles (112 miles one way) to purchase a NorthStar 650 popup camper. Actually a much better camper. Dealer there was aware of the higher SD cab height, and told me it required a 3" platform. It also had a "half-wrap" which they assured me was no problem. But as they were backing up the truck to load the camper, the half-wrap was in the way. Had to drive back home and return another day after they cut off the half-wrap. Next time at the dealer's and the camper still had to be altered, but this time they did it while I waited. So far I'm happy with this camper, and it does fit the SD much better than the Sun-Lite camper.

Bottom line is, make sure the camper will fit a SD, and make sure the dealer and you are aware of the truck bed size and the cab height! Hope that helps.

 

I forgot to mention this site: NATCOA. Some good info. Also RV Net.

 

I have a Alpenlite ( www.wrv.com ) camper for my truck and love it. There's lots of different brands and sizes out there - just do an internet search. You can also check the slide-in forum over at www.irv2.com for lots of great info on truck campers.

The big thing to watch for is weight. Make sure you do the math carefully or you could end up with too much camper for your truck. If you care about Fords' weight limits, then you'll need to weigh your truck with full fuel and anticipate passenger load to find out how much payload capacity you REALLY have. Your GVWR (off the door jamb label) minus your actual truck weight gives you your real payload capacity. Then keep in mind that advertised camper weights are notoriously low and don't include all the gear you're going to carry in it. You'll probably be very disappointed in what you can carry in your truck if you wan to stay within Fords' limits.

If you don't mind going over the manufacturer's limits like most (all?) truck camper owners, then you'll probably want to mod your truck. The biggest handling improvement to my 2000 F350 dually was to add adjustable Rancho RS9000 shocks. They drastically dampen the sway you'll experience with the camper on your truck. I also added Firestone Ride-rite airbags to level the truck because it sinks a little too much once I load the camper. My truck handles my camper great and I am probably about 500 lbs over Fords' limits on most trips.

 

Good points on the weight limits. Even though the campers I mentioned in my previous thread are relatively small and light, the payload capacity is why I purchased a F250 instead of a F150 or other half ton.

I also looked at air bags, but opted for Timbrens instead. They're low tech and cheaper, but they seem to work well and I don't have to worry about them bursting.