Nissan Titan Forum banner

What?? Cant haul 9' "Lite" camper with my Titan??

4221 Views 20 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  DeadRiver
Had a sweet 9 ft Alpenlite camper all picked out today, then looked in my manual to make sure I could haul it.. NOT.... The camper weighs 2950#, and this is the smallest in the line.. WTF??
Now the question.. Could installing the air bladder spring supports that support up to 5000# work?
I need to be able to haul my boat or I would just get a trailer.. I really only need the camper to sleep in when I work every weekend at a hospital that is 1 1/2 hrs from home.. I am beginning to wonder what the heck a 1/2 ton truck is worth besides towing and hauling yard trimmings.. I can remember my dad hauling an old, heavy, 8 ft camper with his '69 Ford F-150... A bit squirrley at times, but nothing ever broke...

What say you all??

Thanks..
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
Are you trying to tow it with the bumper?
The Titan can haul that EASILY. Why do you say you can't haul that? Here is what people are towing http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-towing-hauling/24578-what-do-you-tow-lets-see-some-pics.html

tell us about your titan
I guess I didnt spell it out correctly.. This is a "slide in" camper, not a trailer... I am impressed with the "Towing" power my truck has, it pulls my boat like it isnt there.. Again, this is a camper that slides into the bed and hangs out the back about 3 ft...
Christof60 said:
I guess I didnt spell it out correctly.. This is a "slide in" camper, not a trailer... I am impressed with the "Towing" power my truck has, it pulls my boat like it isnt there.. Again, this is a camper that slides into the bed and hangs out the back about 3 ft...
Trying to find some old threads for you. Most all slide ins are made for 3/4ton trucks..stronger axles, suspensions and frames. Good luck.

http://www.titantalk.com/forums/tit...e-slide-camper.html?highlight=slide+in+camper

http://www.titantalk.com/forums/tit...g-slide-camper.html?highlight=slide+in+camper
Is this what you're talking about? It's ginormous! Your empty camper weighs 3k lbs and you wonder why your 1/2 ton (how many lbs is a ton again???) won't carry that behemoth in the bed?

I hate to ask...but what's the tongue weight of the boat you plan to tow behind this truck/camper combo?

Attachments

See less See more
Tongue wt of my boat is only 200#... I guess I am just surprised that my dad hauled that big ol' wood camper with an old ford f-150 that was a half ton.. But it also only got 8 mpg also, so I guess they were built a lot heavier.. See, I guess my question was (I knew the wt limit), if beefing up the springs with the air bladder system would allow me to haul it. Nissan does really brag about the beefy frame they have compared to the other truck mfg'ers... Just disappointed, this camper had built in generator, shower, the works.. Would have been great for camping..

Guess it will have to be a motorhome or trailer...

Oh, and the pic you have is similar, but I think that is at least an 11 ft camper, maybe a 13 ft'er.. The one I looked at was 9', but extended out the back to a total of 11 ft...
Would you listen to yourself?...

There are 3/4 ton trucks out there that aren't rated for 3000 lbs of payload.
Most 1/2 ton trucks have payload ratings in the 1500-1800 lb range, so the Titan is right about there.
I don't know about your dads truck, but my old F-100 (they didn't make a F-150 in 1969) would never have been able to haul that much weight around, let alone the hi CG factor that comes along with a slide-in camper.
I think you have your lines crossed and your dad had a F-250...

BTW...Have you checked the Titans rear axle weight rating?...I didn't think so, my 04' is rated for 3800 lbs.
loufish, you're still reading it wrong. He's looking for mods to allow the Titan to carry that beast. I'm thinking between the tornado intake and the "Nismo" sticker, he should be close.

Christof60, just giving you a hard time. The saddest part is you could have rolled into a dealer and told them to strap it on...and most of them would have. So in all good fun, I am grateful you looked in the manual and talked to us to put it in perspective. Drag the tow-behind trailer to the hospital and set up camp...unless you're one of those MD-types in which case you should just get your usual suite at the Four Seasons.
where ya from? they have a bed tent for the titan... if it's not too cold maybe it's an option, and a light one on both the wallet and truck.
loufish, you're still reading it wrong. He's looking for mods to allow the Titan to carry that beast. I'm thinking between the tornado intake and the "Nismo" sticker, he should be close.
now I got it (wink-wink)...I'd go with the NISMO sticker...
Many F150's had slide in campers in them, and many rolled down ditches because of the over load. It was never a good idea, but quite popular in the 70's. It really needs a 3/4 or 1 ton. Part of the problem, is the bed is just too short, thus placing the load too far back. The F150 got by, because it was likely a std cab, with an 8 foot bed, not a crew cab with a 5'6" bed.

Great truck you got, just not the right truck for a slide in camper, thouh some have done it. May want to discuss with PRGProducts for springs and sucjh. But remember, the legal limit never changes from the sticker by the Mfg. :)
loufish said:
Would you listen to yourself?...

There are 3/4 ton trucks out there that aren't rated for 3000 lbs of payload.
Most 1/2 ton trucks have payload ratings in the 1500-1800 lb range, so the Titan is right about there.
I don't know about your dads truck, but my old F-100 (they didn't make a F-150 in 1969) would never have been able to haul that much weight around, let alone the hi CG factor that comes along with a slide-in camper.
I think you have your lines crossed and your dad had a F-250...

BTW...Have you checked the Titans rear axle weight rating?...I didn't think so, my 04' is rated for 3800 lbs.
It must have been an f100 then, cause when he "upgraded", he then got an F250... But he definitely had a 1/2 ton, and I can remember him hauling loads of boulders that nearly had the front wheels off the ground.. Also, the wooden camper without the overloads on it made the tires rub, and man it would sway sometimes driving down the road with any wind.. Back in the good old days, when you could ride up top and enjoy one hell of a view... Just tough old trucks I guess... Now, without further flaming, what does the axle wt rating have to do with chinas tea?? If it wont haul a 2900 lb camper, why do you mention it?? Just curious...
SJY said:
unless you're one of those MD-types in which case you should just get your usual suite at the Four Seasons.
Hey man, I WORK for a living... ER RN, not MD.. And I have been paying $56/night (discounted) for a pretty shoddy room.... At $400/month, I figured I may as well buy something and tow it over and save some $$....

Trailer will keep me from taking boat if I decide to go camping etc... Maybe find a decent used motorhome.. How much beefier are the '08's??
Christof60 said:
...what does the axle wt rating have to do with chinas tea?? If it wont haul a 2900 lb camper, why do you mention it?? Just curious...
With a 3,800 Rating, certainly, nobody would consider putting a 2,900 load on it. The rear of the truck easiy weighs more than 1,000. I'll assume this is what he is inferring.

Axle weight Rating is referring to the Gross Weight, not Tare. So consider what the truck weighs on its own, and then you'll see the payload available, which was stated earlier. Our payload is nowhere near 2,900. It is roughly 1,400 to 1,800 depending on year and model (KC vs CC). We can tow that, but not carry that.

Our GMC 2500HD 4x4 at work, has a gross of 9,200, and an empty weight of roughly 6,000, so a payload of 3,200. You'll want a 1 ton to safely haul a 2,900 camper shell, once you look at the whole picture.

Don't forget weight of people, and luggage, an easy 1,200-1,400 for 4 people. So, then you're up to 4,100-4,300 possibly. That is not the market the Titan is in.

Front Axle Weight and Rear Axle Weight combined will often exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Do not exceed GVWR. Hope this helps. :)
See less See more
Christof60 said:
Hey man, I WORK for a living... ER RN, not MD.. And I have been paying $56/night (discounted) for a pretty shoddy room.... At $400/month, I figured I may as well buy something and tow it over and save some $$....

Trailer will keep me from taking boat if I decide to go camping etc... Maybe find a decent used motorhome.. How much beefier are the '08's??
You can try what this guy did. The other option is going with a lite camper like IMADOGMAN suggested. Those lite weight are usually more suited for off-road adventures too.
Now, without further flaming, what does the axle wt rating have to do with chinas tea?? If it wont haul a 2900 lb camper, why do you mention it?? Just curious...
Because it's one thing to try and add more spring to carry more then designed for, it's another to overload the axle...If I was considering hauling 3000 lbs, but then found out that I only have a rear end rated for 3800, I'm done, no questions about air bags, or add-a-leafs...Done.


I'm sorry, but for anyone to even consider hauling 3000 lbs in a 1/2 ton truck, to me, seems so ridiculous that I figure it must be a joke...
There are campers that are a lot lighter than 3000 lbs. I had a 1200 pounder on my old F-150.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Pickup truck Motor vehicle
See less See more
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top