Payload

After surveying numerous attendees at the Truck Camper Adventure Rally, two things seem to bite truck camper newbies more often than not: underestimating the weight of the camper and underestimating the payload rating of the [read more]

Fresh off a 2022 redesign, the 2023 Toyota Tundra is an superb half-ton pickup with a number of endearing qualities, including a lush interior, a smooth ride, and a user-friendly “infotainment” system. Unfortunately, it’s the [read more]

You can’t go wrong going with the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500. Consumers have a plethora of powertain offerings including a 310-horsepower turbo four-cylinder, two V-8 engines, and a Duramax turbodiesel with 495 pound-feet of torque. [read more]

The Chevy Silverado 2500HD is an outstanding choice when it comes to hauling a large truck camper on a 3/4-ton pickup truck. Available in single, double, or four-door crew-cab body styles, heavy-duty Silverados can be [read more]

Looking for some inspiration on how to build your solar power system for your truck camper rig? Look no further. At a whopping 1,720 watts, Lance Wende, and his wife, Flo, have built what is [read more]

The Chevy Silverado 3500HD is an outstanding choice when it comes to hauling a large truck camper on a one-ton pickup truck. Available in single, double, or four-door crew-cab body styles, heavy-duty Silverados can be [read more]

Chevrolet just released details of its 2024 Silverado HD ZR2—the brand’s flagship heavy-duty off-roader—as well as the 2024 Silverado HD ZR2 Bison. Both the HD ZR2 and HD ZR2 Bison bring race-proven technologies and enhanced [read more]

Is the Eagle Cap 1165 truck camper too big and heavy for a one-ton dually? After surveying several Eagle Cap 1165 owners at last month’s Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally, the answer might surprise you. [read more]

The Ram 2500 heavy-duty lineup is a superb choice when it comes to hauling a truck camper on a 3/4-ton pickup truck. In 2023, the Ram 2500 HD offers an upgraded 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, [read more]

You’ve seen the photographs and read the article by now—the Pavel’s 2020 Ram 3500 buckled in two with a 2020 Eagle Cap 1165 mounted on back. The disaster occurred during a recent trip to Baja, [read more]

The Ram 3500 heavy-duty lineup is a superb choice when it comes to hauling a large truck camper on a one-ton pickup truck. In 2023, the Ram 3500 HD offers an upgraded 12.3-inch digital instrument [read more]

Michael Pavel, the proud owner of 2020 Ram 3500 dually and 2020 Eagle Cap 1165, was exploring Mexico’s Baja with his wife, when they noticed a loud, “creaking sound” coming from underneath their truck. According [read more]

Hellwig Product’s new Hitched and Haulin podcast, hosted by Mike Hallmark, features Michael Smith (Mello Mike) of Truck Camper Adventure (TCA), an online magazine focusing on overlanding and off-grid exploration in truck campers. In the [read more]

My, how time flies. It seems just like yesterday when FCA introduced the Jeep Gladiator in 2018. Sure, the off-road pickup lacks the requisite payload to haul a large, slide-in truck camper, but that’s okay. [read more]

The Ford Super Duty lineup is an outstanding choice when it comes to hauling a large truck camper on a one-ton pickup truck. In 2023, the Ford F350 Super Duty gets entirely new exterior and [read more]

The Ford Super Duty lineup is an outstanding choice when it comes to hauling a large truck camper on a 3/4-ton pickup truck. In 2023, the Ford F250 Super Duty gets entirely new exterior and [read more]

While the third generation Toyota Tacoma is getting a bit long in the tooth, the import remains a top seller among mid-size trucks. More than 248,000 were sold in 2021, more than double than the [read more]

The best selling vehicle in America for over 40 years, the Ford F150 is an outstanding choice when it comes to hauling a light truck camper on a half-ton pickup truck. But before you buy, [read more]

Chevrolet just announced that its 2024 Silverado 2500 and 3500 HD models will feature a number of powertrain, interior, and towing upgrades. Trucks impacted by the 2024 upgrades include the 2500HD and 3500HD models in [read more]

  If you own a Ford F-series truck, you might want to keep a closer eye on it. Carfax recently published a nationwide top 10 list of vehicles targeted for catalytic converter theft and Ford [read more]

Best in-class payload? When it comes to buying a Ford truck, think again. In news that hits close to home for many truck camper owners, the Ford Motor Co will pay $19.2 million to resolve [read more]

Remember when the payload rating of the 1/2-ton truck was only 1,000 pounds? Well, those days are long gone with the payload ratings of some half-ton trucks exceeding 3,000 pounds. This is good news for [read more]

Remember when the payload rating of the 3/4-ton truck was only 1,500 pounds? Well, those days are long gone with the payload rating of some 3/4-ton trucks exceeding 4,000 pounds in 2022. This is good [read more]

So you’re looking to buy a 1-ton truck to haul a large truck camper. You’ve come to the right place. When it comes to hauling a large truck camper, the one-ton truck is best because [read more]

Payload, payload, payload. When it comes to buying a truck to safely haul a truck camper nothing is more important than the payload rating of a truck. Unfortunately, too many shoppers focus on bed size, [read more]

In an earlier article I outlined the payload differences between the Chevy Silverado 2500 and 3500 HD, the primary differences being the leaf springs, tires, and rims. As needs change—like when choosing a larger, heavier [read more]

Ford continues to up the ante with its top-selling F-150 by offering three new technologies this summer, including an onboard payload scale that will help owners stay within the payload rating of their truck. In [read more]

After spending over a week thoroughly testing every system in our brand-new Bundutec Roadrunner truck camper, it was time to finally take the CAT Scale challenge. Getting your rig weighed tells you a lot. The [read more]

We recently received this email from reader Dean Herold of Dousman, Wisconsin about the “Truck Camper Loading Information” sticker that came with his truck… Mike, I own a 1992 Airstream Excella that weighs around 7,000 [read more]

The Ford Motor Company recently announced improvements to its F-Series Super Duty 2020 trucks to include new gas and diesel engines, an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission, chassis upgrades, exterior and interior design updates, and smart [read more]

Truck Camper Adventure is proud to present Mello Mike’s Truck Camper Musings and News, a quarterly editorial and news brief about truck camper life and happenings in the truck and truck camper industries. 1. A [read more]

KZ RV has suspended production of all Livin’ Lite brands until further notice. Livin’ Lite, headquartered in Shipshewana, Indiana, is the manufacturer of ultra lightweight truck campers, tent campers, travel trailers, and toy haulers. Livin’ Lite’s Camplite [read more]

The Ford Motor Company just announced that the 2019 F-150 Limited will be a lot more powerful thanks to the addition of Ford Raptor’s high-output 3.5L EcoBoost V-6 engine. The upgraded V-6 will still displace [read more]

After living in a truck camper full-time, we’ve come to appreciate the finer things in life like elbow room and storage space. In many truck campers being built today, these basics are lacking. Our camper [read more]

Ford officially announced the release of an all-new 3.0L Power Stroke turbo diesel V6 for the 2018 Ford F-150 pickup truck. The long-awaited diesel, engineered by the same team that built the 6.7L Power Stroke [read more]

Ford Motor Company just announced that their 2018 lineup of F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks will be more capable than ever—thanks to a newly upgraded 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel engine. “Super Duty customers expect the [read more]

You may have heard by now that truck campers are being turned away at the Mexico border. Is this true? Unfortunately, yes. But the reason appears to be a misunderstanding of Mexican law by Mexican [read more]

Is your truck camper rig sagging too much in the rear or in need of extra sway support? If the answer is, yes, then you’ll want to check out this article by Michael King who [read more]

Time sure flies. Its been 12 years since Ram re-reintroduced the Power Wagon, the company’s purpose-built, 3/4-ton off-road pickup, to the public. The truck enjoyed an uninterrupted run in popularity from 1946 to 1981, when [read more]

Ram Truck unveiled a new exterior color shade for its Laramie Longhorn line of pickup trucks at the recently completed Dallas Auto Show. The new color, dubbed “RV Match Walnut Brown,” will serve as the [read more]

The suspension system is vital to the ride and safety of your truck camper rig. The suspension includes not only your truck’s wheels and tires, but also your truck’s springs, shocks, and steering. All are [read more]

An enlightened man once said that, “only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.” This is a great proverb, especially when it comes to owning a [read more]

Would you be surprised if I told you that the recently released Lance 650 is the second best-selling truck camper in the Lance truck camper lineup? It’s true. I was able to confirm this with [read more]

Already own a three-quarter-ton pickup truck and can’t afford to buy a one-ton truck to haul a truck camper? Then you’ll want to take a look at this article by reader Michael King. Michael lays [read more]

Truck Camper Adventure recently received this email from Chris Heatherton about his 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500HD. His email provides serious food for thought for readers who are in the process of choosing a pickup truck [read more]

So, you’re thinking about buying a used truck camper to save money. Going this route certainly has merit. A five-year-old truck camper that went for $23,000 new can be bought for perhaps half that price [read more]

A reader recently emailed me this photograph of this truck and camper combo and to say I was shocked when I first saw it would be an understatement. This photo provides all of the evidence [read more]

We recently received this email about matching the right pickup truck with a 1997 Lance 3000 Squire Truck Camper. Hi, Mike! I’m just getting started with the truck/camper set up and after reading your informative [read more]