The Nomadic Life

[bigbill]

We have some friends near Reno who have a slide-in camper in a Ram 3500 dually. A full fresh water tank makes the camper exceed the truck's payload limit. It makes one wonder who did the engineering for the camper. Dodge sells a Ram 4500, but it's just a chassis. My truck with two bikes, two people, and a generator is still less than the payload limit when the Jayco is on the ball.

[darkmother]

That is nuts! I'm not very well educated on pickup trucks, but that looks like a fairly new Dodge with a dual rear axle and a diesel engine. Is that trailer really overweight enough to break the frame rails? (clearly yes)

[PaMtbRider]

The payload for that particular truck is probably around 5000 pounds depending on options. The Eagle Cap camper dry weight is 5000 and close to 6500 fully loaded. Add in a 100 pound E-bike hanging way off the back, 2 passengers, a dog, and whatever else is in the cab of the truck and it is way over it's rating. Take it down a bumpy road for a few thousand miles in Mexico and that's what can happen.

Ram, like all other manufacturers advertise max payload that only applies to a truck nobody orders. A regular cab, 2 wheel drive, gas engine 3500 has a max payload in the 7800 pound range. The easiest way to determine the payload of a truck is the sticker on the door jamb that applies to that individual truck.

Link to article. https://www.thedrive.com/news/broken...ad-a-big-truck

[bigbill]

The payload for that particular truck is probably around 5000 pounds depending on options. The Eagle Cap camper dry weight is 5000 and close to 6500 fully loaded. Add in a 100 pound E-bike hanging way off the back, 2 passengers, a dog, and whatever else is in the cab of the truck and it is way over it's rating. Take it down a bumpy road for a few thousand miles in Mexico and that's what can happen.

Ram, like all other manufacturers advertise max payload that only applies to a truck nobody orders. A regular cab, 2 wheel drive, gas engine 3500 has a max payload in the 7800 pound range. The easiest way to determine the payload of a truck is the sticker on the door jamb that applies to that individual truck.

Link to article. https://www.thedrive.com/news/broken...ad-a-big-truck

Yup, payload is where the 7.3 gas Ford Super Duty trucks win out. I would probably have to order a regular cab dually although I've seen a Chevy 3500 as you describe and it was "only" $70K.

[Too Tall]

Amen. READ the door sticker people!!!!!

[AngryScientist]

17 grand? Pff, if that were my rig I would take the opportunity to get some tubular steel and fix that frame right and address the rest of the weak points.

I could easily see how a sleazy or uneducated car dealer could mislead a customer into thinking they had more available payload than they did, but the camper vendor surprises me. I know a few times I have rented trailers at u-haul, they require a VIN number of the tow vehicle and ensure you have enough available payload + margin before they will let you rent anything. It's ultimately the owner's responsibility, but I would think the camper vendor also has some culpability here.

[ides1056]

I am driving from SF to San Diego Thursday to look at and likely buy a 1995 Eurovan, totally restored, always garaged California resident. My son is joining me. If all goes well we will be heading North by the weekend. When I came out West five weeks ago I thought to figure things out on the fly. So far so good. With a van I can extend my stay past the sale of my mother’s condo and drive home when the weather improves with my bikes and gear.

Adventure.

[j44ke]

I am driving from SF to San Diego Thursday to look at and likely buy a 1995 Eurovan, totally restored, always garaged California resident. My son is joining me. If all goes well we will be heading North by the weekend. When I came out West five weeks ago I thought to figure things out on the fly. So far so good. With a van I can extend my stay past the sale of my mother’s condo and drive home when the weather improves with my bikes and gear.

Adventure.

That's exciting. You know we'll need photos if you get this. Be sure to pose wearing your Birkies - with or without wool socks, your choice.

[ides1056]

I left my Birkies back home. Will post photos.

[Too Tall]

Neat vehicle. Will for sure need a set of hedders and a interesting bumper sticker.

[72gmc]

1995 is about the same vintage as the Jetta I had. I enjoyed a few rallycross style courtesy rides in the dealership Eurovan. Optional sport wheels on it, of course.

[AngryScientist]

Sounds like a great lot of fun! Enjoy and post some pics along the way.

[ides1056]

This is the ad. There was a twenty minute video as well. The owner is a very fit firewoman and super particular about the care her vehicles receive. I am dealing with her mechanic. My mechanic liked what he saw and prefers the older motor: timing belt instead of two chains. I prefer a standard transmission.

The weather here is exciting: rain and wind for the next ten days. I am not obsessing about riding at the moment, and my neck- the one outstanding issue left after tipping out of a tree- is thanking me.

Riding a track bike for years in NYC instilled an operative principle: look where you want to go
and find an opening when obstacles appear. In-line marathon skating was the same: no brakes

[bigbill]

Last summer, I got the oil changed in Worland, Wyoming. The guy told me, "you probably need a new air filter even though the old one indicates that it's still good." There were no filters available anywhere within an hour's drive. I ordered one on Amazon, and it showed up right before we headed home so I put it off until we returned to AZ. I was overcome by events (OBE) and just now got to it. I wonder if it was hurting performance.

[Clyde]

I will change mine at 20k and post a pic. That is like nothing Ive ever seen.

[bigbill]

I will change mine at 20k and post a pic. That is like nothing Ive ever seen.

The engine side was spotless, but I had to vacuum out the airbox on the intake side. I spend quite a bit of time on dirt roads, so I think it will be every oil change going forward. I'm ordering a cabin air filter now.

[AngryScientist]

Wow, that is also worse than I have ever seen. On my truck I change the oil every 5k miles and do the filter every third oil change. They always look practically new and I feel wasteful throwing out a decent enough filter, but they're cheap and paper, so I just keep it up.

Side note: Have you changed your RD (that's rear differential in this application) fluid? I changed mine @ 30k and it was in pretty poor shape. I swapped to the proper Redline synthetic and will check in again @ 25k this time. If you tow a lot, which you do, check it sooner than later.

[bigbill]

I hooked up the trailer on the WD hitch with the new rubber shocks. Slightly less than an inch of sag. I have 35% oil life remaining, and the local dealer has a $99 full-service special. I'll get the rear diff changed then. Ford says 150K miles or 50K miles in extreme conditions.

[ides1056]

I put synthetic in my Toyota 4x4 diff and it failed- not to the manufacturer’s spec for a reason. I did not make that mistake twice. I’d rather pay through the nose for fluid than for hardware.

[Too Tall]

I put synthetic in my Toyota 4x4 diff and it failed- not to the manufacturer’s spec for a reason. I did not make that mistake twice. I’d rather pay through the nose for fluid than for hardware.

Wait what? I'm closing on 90K on my 2016 Tundra that use for towing. Planning on diff and trans fluids this winter. I hate hearing this. Sorry bub.