Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli
Seattle
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Joined: 04/04/2008
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Where is your center of gravity sticker positioned when on the truck? My 9.5 S&S CG is about 6" in front of the rear axle hub center.
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burningman
Seattle, WA USA
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Joined: 04/26/2003
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I’d like to point out to the people who keep saying gas trucks have more payload that this truck’s front end weight is LESS when loaded with the camper than when empty.
It actually removes some weight from the front end.
That extra payload from a lighter engine up front does not increase your real world, useable payload.
Yeah, I know, the spec sheet says it does… but that’s not the whole story.
2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD SE
99 Ram 4x4 Dually Cummins
A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
4.10 gears, Gear Vendors overdrive, exhaust brake
Built auto, triple disc, billet shafts.
Kelderman Air Ride, Helwig sway bar.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Joined: 05/06/2013
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burningman wrote:I’d like to point out to the people who keep saying gas trucks have more payload that this truck’s front end weight is LESS when loaded with the camper than when empty.
It actually removes some weight from the front end.
That extra payload from a lighter engine up front does not increase your real world, useable payload.
Yeah, I know, the spec sheet says it does… but that’s not the whole story.
Like button for a true statement.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29
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ajriding
st clair
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Joined: 12/28/2004
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put up a pic.
I had a similar truck, but with long bed. Camper dry claimed 1800 lbs, so similar weights, but I also towed a trailer so actually had more weight on the truck.
Many trips across the nation, no issues at all.
The downfall is the weight, not that the truck can't handle it, but more weight means more stress on everything, so faster wear of components, but that is a universal fact with weights in in vehicles.
I moved to a trailer partly for this reason.
Check your engine block. If it is stamped with 53 then you got a lemon, otherwise that is a great engine, now the truck is junky, but the Cummins is great. The injector pump is the weak link. Put a gauge on the lift pump and never let the psi drop. An after market lift pump like FASS or Air Dog is best, but $700. If you starve the injector pump of fuel it will quickly fail. Parts $1,500 and labor close to $2k. I have taken the pump off and put back on so is not a big deal, but you will pay lots to a mechanic to do it.
The air bags take weight off the truck frame and put it on the truck axle, bypassing the trucks leaf springs somewhat (so the weight is shared). The frame can take the weight, the axles can, the tires can,(you said the wheels can?) but the suspension components will just get wear faster as will the wheel bearings.
I assume you put the bags on top of the leaf springs? Putting them inside of the leafs will cause a tippy issue with the TC that a trailer would not cause.
Exhaust brakes are a wonderful thing.
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trackmagic
Idaho
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Joined: 12/19/2021
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ajriding wrote:put up a pic.
I had a similar truck, but with long bed. Camper dry claimed 1800 lbs, so similar weights, but I also towed a trailer so actually had more weight on the truck.
Many trips across the nation, no issues at all.
The downfall is the weight, not that the truck can't handle it, but more weight means more stress on everything, so faster wear of components, but that is a universal fact with weights in in vehicles.
I moved to a trailer partly for this reason.
Check your engine block. If it is stamped with 53 then you got a lemon, otherwise that is a great engine, now the truck is junky, but the Cummins is great. The injector pump is the weak link. Put a gauge on the lift pump and never let the psi drop. An after market lift pump like FASS or Air Dog is best, but $700. If you starve the injector pump of fuel it will quickly fail. Parts $1,500 and labor close to $2k. I have taken the pump off and put back on so is not a big deal, but you will pay lots to a mechanic to do it.
The air bags take weight off the truck frame and put it on the truck axle, bypassing the trucks leaf springs somewhat (so the weight is shared). The frame can take the weight, the axles can, the tires can,(you said the wheels can?) but the suspension components will just get wear faster as will the wheel bearings.
I assume you put the bags on top of the leaf springs? Putting them inside of the leafs will cause a tippy issue with the TC that a trailer would not cause.
Exhaust brakes are a wonderful thing.
All good tips... I will look into it all tomorrow.
Photo is with the original tires before upgrade.
https://imgur.com/a/M32uINy
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/DnTEYIXl.jpg)
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/ALzCEVll.jpg)
* This post was
edited 12/22/21 10:37am by trackmagic *
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notsobigjoe
southeast
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Joined: 09/15/2016
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Post your pic here.
http://photoposting.is-great.net/?i=1
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trackmagic
Idaho
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Joined: 12/19/2021
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notsobigjoe wrote:Post your pic here.
http://photoposting.is-great.net/?i=1
Edited above with that link. I hope it works now.
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trackmagic
Idaho
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Joined: 12/19/2021
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ajriding wrote:put up a pic.
I had a similar truck, but with long bed. Camper dry claimed 1800 lbs, so similar weights, but I also towed a trailer so actually had more weight on the truck.
Many trips across the nation, no issues at all.
The downfall is the weight, not that the truck can't handle it, but more weight means more stress on everything, so faster wear of components, but that is a universal fact with weights in in vehicles.
I moved to a trailer partly for this reason.
Check your engine block. If it is stamped with 53 then you got a lemon, otherwise that is a great engine, now the truck is junky, but the Cummins is great. The injector pump is the weak link. Put a gauge on the lift pump and never let the psi drop. An after market lift pump like FASS or Air Dog is best, but $700. If you starve the injector pump of fuel it will quickly fail. Parts $1,500 and labor close to $2k. I have taken the pump off and put back on so is not a big deal, but you will pay lots to a mechanic to do it.
The air bags take weight off the truck frame and put it on the truck axle, bypassing the trucks leaf springs somewhat (so the weight is shared). The frame can take the weight, the axles can, the tires can,(you said the wheels can?) but the suspension components will just get wear faster as will the wheel bearings.
I assume you put the bags on top of the leaf springs? Putting them inside of the leafs will cause a tippy issue with the TC that a trailer would not cause.
Exhaust brakes are a wonderful thing.
From my quick research, it appears block 53 was manufactured 99-2001 or something. Are there still 2021 trucks being made where this is a concern? I will try to look at block number. Thanks
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Joined: 05/06/2013
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ajriding wrote:
Check your engine block. If it is stamped with 53 then you got a lemon, otherwise that is a great engine, now the truck is junky, but the Cummins is great. The injector pump is the weak link. Put a gauge on the lift pump and never let the psi drop. An after market lift pump like FASS or Air Dog is best, but $700. If you starve the injector pump of fuel it will quickly fail. Parts $1,500 and labor close to $2k. I have taken the pump off and put back on so is not a big deal, but you will pay lots to a mechanic to do it.
The air bags take weight off the truck frame and put it on the truck axle, bypassing the trucks leaf springs somewhat (so the weight is shared). The frame can take the weight, the axles can, the tires can,(you said the wheels can?) but the suspension components will just get wear faster as will the wheel bearings.
I assume you put the bags on top of the leaf springs? Putting them inside of the leafs will cause a tippy issue with the TC that a trailer would not cause.
Exhaust brakes are a wonderful thing.
The OP has a 2021, not a 2001....FWIW, your good advice ended with the 2nd Gen 24V trucks.
And he doesn't have leaf springs. And there's only 1 place for bags to go on his truck and that is outboard of the coil springs. (The reason the coil 2500s are inherently not as good as leafs for hauling a high c of g load like a TC is partly due to how soft the coils are and equally or moreso, that they are inboard of the frame rails.
But from my experience with these trucks and with leaf sprung trucks and TC's, a light to moderate weight camper like the OP has will haul just fine with the right upgrades.
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Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli
Seattle
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Joined: 04/04/2008
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Grit dog wrote:burningman wrote:I’d like to point out to the people who keep saying gas trucks have more payload that this truck’s front end weight is LESS when loaded with the camper than when empty.
It actually removes some weight from the front end.
That extra payload from a lighter engine up front does not increase your real world, useable payload.
Yeah, I know, the spec sheet says it does… but that’s not the whole story.
Like button for a true statement.
I would just clarify, if the front gets lighter, that weight did not disappear, It has merely shifted to and increased the weight on the rear wheels. If the CG sticker is behind the rear axle hub center, then it is a fulcrum lifting the front while pushing down behind the rear wheel.
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