23 replies to this topic

[n7wrh]

If you could measure the floor from the front of the bed to the point the tailgate touches the bed.

 

Thank you for the help.  

 

Seems like you already have what you need but I'll confirm anyway that top bed rail clearance is indeed 80".

[HiCap]

I ordered a new GMC 2500 HD Sierra Reg Cab long bed.  I like the idea of having over 3,000 lbs. load capacity, no longer need to worry about overloading my 1/2-ton truck. I can mount my Hawk and close tailgate and have some room for storage between the camper and front of the bed.  The tailgate has a built in step so should be easy to enter the camper.

Saw some pictures of Hawk on 8 ft bed and it looks good.  The reason why I did not go to a crew cab long bed pickup is the extremely long wheelbase, would be very hard to turn around on off road situations.  

[Jon R]

A few less than obvious things to consider:

1) Not sure if a 2010 is the same, but on my 2021, the rear wall hangs about 3/16 inch lower than the wood skids that support the floor of the camper. In a conventional installation the rear wall is just aft of the bed floor and the rear wall hangs unsupported. You are going to locate the camper forward to be able to close the tailgate. If your rear wall hangs lower like on my Grandby you will need to put something under the skids to raise the camper 1/4 inch so the skids aren’t floating and all the weight isn’t on the front and rear walls.
2) There normally isn’t a lot of room for locating the tie down eye bolts between the front of the camper rear flares and the wheel well housings of the bed. That limits your options for locations that provide the desired tie down angles and provide a good location from a bed structure and backing plate installation standpoint. You are going to be reducing the distance between the flares and the wheel wells by moving the camper forward, potentially further limiting your bolt installation options. Make sure you’ll have adequate room for installing the bolts and backing plates.
3) The camper cg is going to be right over the axle or even slightly behind it even when the water tanks are full. While not ideal, this isn’t necessarily a problem because the camper is only about 1600 lbs loaded, but it’s something to be aware of in managing your loading of the truck.

Edited by Jon R, 15 March 2024 - 05:32 AM.

[HiCap]

When I moved the camper to my 2019 Ram pickup, I installed a 3/4 sheet of plywood on bottom because the bed walls were taller than my previous truck.

 

Good point on the location of the tie down eye bolt location, I will keep that a top priority.

 

The 2500 HD weight is around 7,000 lbs.  The payload for the truck is over 3,000 lbs.  I would think the weight of the Hawk would balance out the truck and give me a better ride and traction. 

 

The main reason I decided to go with a 3/4-ton truck was not to worry about overloading, and aftermarket air bags or adding heaver springs.  

 

Thank you for the suggestions, all good points to consider.