Truck Camper Guide for Adventurer & Eagle Cap Campers

When purchasing a Truck Camper, there are a few important factors to consider:

How much weight can your truck handle?

There are four things to consider.

1. The payload capacity – sometimes this rating is posted in the glove box of your truck, if not, another way to determine payload capacity would be to weigh your truck, full of fuel, people and of course the dog and then subtract that weight from the (GVWR) posted on the door of your truck and that difference would equal your payload capacity (weight of camper you can carry). Example, your truck weighs 6800lbs and the GVWR on the door reads 9900lbs your payload would be 3100lbs (9900lbs-6800lbs=3100lbs).

2. GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) – is the maximum weight the manufacturer rates that truck to carry, including weight of the truck and all people. Cargo, fuel etc.

3. GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) – is the maximum rating the manufacturer rates the axles to carry. To determine these ratings on your truck with cargo (camper) weigh your truck again with just the front and then just the rear axle on the scales, this will give you your axle ratings on your truck with your camper. These ratings are usually posted on the driver’s side doorpost.

4. COG (Center of Gravity) – also known as Center of Balance is the point that the weight of your camper is balanced, ALP notes the COG on every camper with a large red arrow, this is determined as it is weighed and balanced as it goes out the door. Your camper COG should fall into the “Load Range” of your truck (see owners manual) for this measurment. See example below;

As you can see in this example the COG of this camper easily falls into the load range of this truck.

As the owner, it is your responsibility not to exceed the weight or COG specifications of your truck when purchasing a truck camper. Always think safety first before loading a camper on your truck. Please consult your dealer, who can help you select aftermarket items designed to aid in proper use of your truck and camper combination.