I think I already know the answer but will ask the question anyway.

I have always wanted a truck camper. This camper is hard to come by on the east coast

Have a 5.7 L V8 2016 Double cab 8 foot  bed tundra SR with tow package and 10 ply cooper tires

Guy in town is selling a 2006 Grandby (8 foot pop up )  Four Wheel Camper rollover couch model. It is the one I prefer and FEC is as light as they come

My truck has a listed 1405 pound payload.

My driveway is fairly steep so not sure I can back a trailer RV up it without contacting the driveway. Slide in fixes this problem

I have inspected this camper and it is in nice shape.

I dont know what the base weight of the 2006 camper is but the 2023 base model with Roll over couch is 1200 lbs so I used that.

I added up the listed weights of the base model and all the options and add ons, me wife and dog and estimated weights for things not listed

I came up with 1000 pounds over gross weight for truck and that did not include many things like camp chairs, outside table, outside grill and burners, extra propane tank, air filter for my wifes asthma, installing AC unit, cloths, blankets, dog food, etc

I estimate that stuff to be another 400 pounds so 1400 pounds over payload capacity, basically double the listed limit

Guy selling had it in a 2018 same exact truck as mine and says it was no problem

I could add a leaf, add air bags and add sway bars in the back to beef up the suspension. ( he did)

When I started this I expected to be a few hundred pounds over not 1400 pounds over

I understand lots of people run over weight, some say no big deal Tundra is over built and beefing up the suspension takes care of the extra weight, some say no way

what do you guys say

is this risky or no big deal

my gut and engineering background tells me 1400 lbs over in a 7000 pound gross weight truck 20% over stated max vehicle weight and is probably at or past the design safety margin and is a really dumb idea

what do you guys think?

The problems are gonna be......your rear axle strength, braking effectiveness, suspension loading, and bed box strength when the camper is tied down. You better have good heavy duty frame mounted attachment points.

You have to control the weight....the air bags will help with sway/leveling, but the rear axle and brakes will still be getting a workout. Axle Gear ratio plays a part here too.

Now throw in some wind pushing it around while on the highway, or driving on a twisty and/or a bumpy road, and transmitting that load sway through the bed box, the frame, and the suspension.


Personally.....you'll have to decide for yourself what you want to do.

I suggest air bags, frame mounted attachment points and the Tork-lift fast gun tie-downs and see how it does.




 My current  set-up is a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 diesel with rear bags, and a Lance 815 camper. Probably sitting at 2300-2400lbs wet.

 I've had a Palomino Bronco 1500 pop up (about 2000lbs wet) ...and before that an older Lance camper that was close to 2700lbs wet.

I go on rough roads with it when camping, and sometimes tow a 4000lb Jeep on a trailer (about 6K lbs total ) out to the desert/mtns.

 I'm bagged, and have solid frame mounted attachment points, and tork lift fast gun tie-downs.

  This set up has been bullet proof for me. Money well spent.

I hate to say this, but I doubt any 1/2 ton truck is really designed to be able to handle a slide in camper.

Lots of people claim they run things and are okay with it, but are terribly over specs.

TBH, I don’t know anything about that camper or Toyota capabilities, but I do know that my F250 came with a disclosure that it is not prepped for a slide in camper

I have to say as engineers tend to design that 20% overbuilt in for contingencies.   It sounds like you are using all of the wiggle room for contingencies up.

I bought a regular cab 8’ bed F250 and would like a bed camper as well.    The only ones I see are huge that would need a dually and are made for double/extended cabs.  Few built for regular cabs.  I don’t want one that extends 3.5’ - 4’ beyond the bed.

yeah that 20% design safety margin, if it is even that much, is done because of variances in materials and workmanship and the extra forces exerted on sudden stops, emergency maneuvering, and other contingencies that rapidly make forces involved much more than usual.

My same truck says it can pull 10,500 pounds. No way does anybody ever come close to that weight in a trailer, that tow weight is at best very optimistic.

In fact at the required tongue weight of 10-15% of trailer weight, the upper end of that range exceeds the listed payload capability without anybody in the truck including a driver, which makes no sense at all.

But people seem to load their Tundras at 2 times their listed payload capacity and get away with it at least for a while. I have no way of knowing what consequences in durability that has assuming it doesn't acutely end in an accident.

Plus I need this truck to be a truck at times, so that means taking the camper on and off on a regular basis to camp for the weekend. I also had no idea what was involved to take it on and off until recently. I am thinking of a small trailer that I might be able to get up the driveway, but I will not know until I buy one and try it.

I thought about trading in the tundra for a Ram 3500, but damn those prices went sky high like everything else, so that is out of the question.

well coming with a disclaimer is interesting, usually that is because lawyers and lawyers get involved due to liabilities.

how did you mount to the frame, external to the bed?

This camper, lightest one made, has attachment points that are inside the bed, I don't know if frame attachment is even possible. It would have to be done under the bed. That is a good idea if it is possible, even though I am sure nobody does it for these campers, that still doesn't mitigate the stress on the axles, wheel bearings, brakes ( although i have the tow package so the brakes might be beefier, I will have to check ). As I stated in the above post, the OEM turn buckles are aluminum and are known to break and have the camper depart the truck. If i do this, it will be 5000 lb rated forged steel turn buckles.

At some point, with everything else and welding steel to the frame to allow the tie downs into at least something stronger than the bed steel, it becomes too much of a pain in the ass and expense to be worth it.

The turn buckles it comes with OEM are ALUMINUM and there are cases where the camper left the truck due to the aluminum turn buckles failing, and they are still OEM aluminum. Insanity.

I would say it is risky at best. Does the guy selling it still have the truck? If he does, could he load it on the truck so you could see how it rides?
ETA: I had a fully loaded (no slideouts, they weren't available then) 11.5' Lance overhead camper on a F-350 Dually with airbags and loved it. That's comparing apples and oranges though. I would like to trade my TT for another OVH camper, but it's not likely to happen anytime soon.

I wouldn't chance a truck camper with a half ton truck. 3/4 I'd be comfortable with, but I have a one ton that's going to get a camper next year, and we do a lot of offroading, so I like the extra buffer.

There are a lot of small pull behind campers with high ground clearance that have as much or more room than a slide-in.  A short one with high ground clearance will probably make your driveway.  

You can also leave it at the campground to go sight seeing vs stowing everything in the slide-in just to run out for a pack of hotdogs.

https://www.rv.com/archive/little-wonders-15-tiny-camping-trailers/

yeah I started looking for a small trailer camper with more than a 14 degree angle from the bottom of the tire to the bottom of the rear of the camper since my driveway is a 14 degree grade.

I looked at one this afternoon just a for miles away. 2013 White water 819 toy hauler. it will fit up the driveway. I really like it except for the soft spots in the floor ( wife has mold allergy ) and they have had it for 2 years and never got a new title. they have the title that was signed over to them 2 years ago. never got a new title or a registration.

Dont know what to think about that. also had a tarp over it, it was raining, so maybe the roof leaks or just protecting the room. I dont know

1/2 tons and slide ins just don't mix well.