Ok, Im on my way to get some lunch today before heading back to my office and I pass the same camper dealership I pass everyday, only today as I am driving by I happen to see an 01-03 F150 supercrew 4x4 coming down the steep driveway of the dealership pulling what was at least a 35ft fifth wheel camper..there is a distinct possibility it was longer as this thing was huge...the truck was squatting to say the least...i didnt think an 01-03 supercrew f150 could pull a 5th wheel at all due to the short bed length and due to the weak frame back there compared to the newer models and the reg cab and ext cab models in the same year range... someone please enlighten me because I cannot believe that a camper dealer would sell someone a trailer that big knowing their truck was that undersized...

 

The problem with bed length isn't necessarily the weakness of the frame, its the length. Typically a gooseneck/5th wheel is mounted 10" in front of the rear axle. This tends to put a camper very close to the cab and can crunch it up real easy if you're not careful.


That trailer was WAY overloaded for that truck, either that or its the lightest 35' trailer out there. That trailer is 3/4 if not 1 ton territory. Alot of trailer dealers don't care what you drive as long as they make the sale. A few of the good ones won't make the sale if you have the wrong truck.

 

Salesman said as the truck/trailer was leaving: "Can you belive he bought that trailer for that truck!!! ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Sales manager responds: "Not our problem.... it's his now!"

Salesman: "I made another $200 SPIFF selling him a 5'er and having it installed too!"

Sales manager: "Which brake controller did you sell him?"

Salesman: "He didn't want one. He thought they were too complicated."

 

so is this kindof ignorant tower really as common as it seems? people with showing utter disregard to the safety of themselves, others, and their vehicles?

 

Which state was this in? I ask because I value my safety.

A guy in my neighborhood has a 2007+ (the new body style) GMC 2500Hd. From the looks of the huge badge on the side, it is a diesel with an Alison transmission. Anyhow, he has a 39' 5'er toy-hauler, which on its own is about the maximum his truck should be pulling (dry weight is over 12,500 pounds on his trailer) and then he couples up a pretty decent sized cargo trailer (I would guess about a 16-18' enclosed cargo trailer). I'm not sure how many toys he has to haul, but a 1-ton dually or even an F450 doesn't seem too unreasonable. He told me that loaded up for the trip his trailers alone weigh in at 22,000 pounds. That seems a bit extreme to me.

 

hey south.....i know what you mean...i am buy a new camper there and i saw that set up last week. they were waiting for the rails to come in to mount the hitch in the bed. that dang hitch cost $2700. and yes that guy there tried to sell me a 5er. well i asked him if he would garranty that it wont mess up my truck or hit the cab. he said "NO". so i passed on it. we are getting a 34ft quad bunkhouse, only 6100#s. we should be signing papers tomorrow, i hope. the owner is really a nice guy, but his one and only salesman dont know squat about TT. i answered about all my questions myself once i got in the camper to look around. i really hope he doesnt do my PDI. i think the owner does them all. anyway, i have been meaning to get by you new place out there, i drive by it everyday, just with both kids, it is hard to stop. and since i got moved to lincoln road, i have to spend more time here due to the increase business. but i will get in soon. i was about to get that name of the person for tint out at camper city, but wife said the camper will have to be my fathers day present so the tint is on hold again. man my black truck needs it though. well later!!!!!

 

Yup. I see crap like this all the time when I'm on the Interstate.

 

Lab, I just dont see how that can be legal...I knew that there was an issue with putting fifth wheel hitches in the beds of supercrew trucks b/c of how close the trailer gets to the cab when making sharp turns..way too easy to crumple the cab in my opinion, not a risk i would ever take...but to add to that the frame on the old body style trucks is just not built like the tank that the newer body style is...dont get me wrong i love my truck and i feel like it could pull a house down if i really needed it too, but i have never and will never be hooking up to a fifth wheel and definitely never pulling anything anywhere near that huge...i literally stopped on hwy 98 and stared at this insanely large trailer nearly picking the front end of the screw up as he tried to get it down the steep driveway...i pull trailers regularly, my 18 foot tandem axle flat trailer pulls like a dream, even with the tractor on it and then ive got my enclosed trailer that i keep all my DJ equipment in (sound and lighting gear) and its only a 6x10 with a ramp door on the back and a side door, but that little sucker gets heavy when its fully loaded, as it is most friday and saturday nights...i probably have it a bit overloaded but its not making my truck squat so im not stressing it -i dont think i could ever get it near heavy enough to give my truck any problems...im not sure how much that camper cost, you said you saw it there at the lot? was i close on the size estimate? and what sort of price tag does a rig like that have?

And im here at the store 9-5 mon thru friday, i normally only leave for about twenty minutes to grab lunch right around 2...but definitely stop by when ya get a chance...my truck is never out front (i park in the back b/c of lack of parking) so dont take that to mean Im not there if ya dont see it...

 

btw lab, if you want your windows done..i will give chris a call and it shouldnt be more than $60, if its just your front two like it is on mine...i have privacy glass..i havent gotten around to checking out your new truck yet but i assume you got privacy glass on the back as most come factory with it...it might actually be a little less than that...just let me know.

 

i am not sure of the exact length, but at least 30ft and i think that unit ran about $35K. i gave them the go ahead on mine and we are picking it up on tues the 10th. mine is 34ft quad bunkhouse and i got out the door with a lil neg from my popup at $24K, not bad if you ask me and i am getting a lower rate on the new one and less years to pay it off. so in my mind i am saving in the long run. as for tint, i have just the factory dark tint in the rear and i would want my front to match. so they do sunroofs too? i love to keep my shade open but that sun beating down is a killer so i mostly close it, but is the use then.....we will see if i might be able to pull that off with the trailer. doubt it but i will try....later....

 

yeah, chris can tint absolutely anything..hes been doing it for close to fifteen years at least...he does all the tint for camper city including any commercial and residential jobs, RVs, boats, and then all vehicles...sunroofs are pretty common because they dont really come very dark from the factory so its no big deal to go over them with another layer of film..when you every get around to stopping by the store you can check out my truck, ive got the factory dark tinted glass in the rear and Chris matched my fronts almost perfectly, the only way you can tell its not the same tint is from the inside b/c the factory tint gives the view from the window a different hue than the aftermarket tint..but its definitely a perfect match and i think it really cleans up the look of the truck to have all the windows match