I am looking for a truck camper to use when pulling horses. When hauling horses how does that affect your truck's payload? I have a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 6.6 bed, with a payload of 3500. When looking at the dry weight of a camper, what weight should I stay under? I was told to minus 1000lbs so that would mean a camper under 2500 pounds. First, is that accurate? There is a camper I would like to have that is 2900 pounds dry. When hauling horses do I need to subtract the horse trailer tongue weight? My towing limit is 14,800 and I'm hauling 6,000 with the trailer and horses. Thanks. I am so confused with all of this and certainly do not want to be unsafe. Thank you.
Posted 2016-02-10 10:34 PM (#166094 - in reply to #166093) Subject: RE: Horse trailer affect truck payload?
Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA
If your proposed camper weighs 2900# dry, you can easily expect the necessary fluids and gear to weigh an additional 500# or more. This will place you at or over your truck's max 3500# carrying capability. This will leave nothing for the trailer's tongue weight. You will need to find a camper, that when grossed out, weighs ~2K or less. This will give you some capacity to haul the trailer, which can have a tongue weight of 1K or so, when it's loaded. Adding suspension aids will not increase the capacity of the truck's rear axle or tire capacities.
Posted 2016-02-11 10:36 AM (#166101 - in reply to #166093) Subject: RE: Horse trailer affect truck payload?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 720
Rhetorical question here- what affect would a weight distribution hitch have in this scenario? As it can transfer a large amount of the weight to the front axle of the truck? I truly don't know, but as close as those numbers are, and with a BP carrying about 10% tongue weight anyway- might that shift make it all work?Would certainly add a ton of stability/safety to the equation as well.