Another Newbie

[mfarr]

Hello All,
I stumbled across this forum looking for info on slide-ins. What a great resource this forum seems to be.

I just joined a surfcasting club which has beach property where you can fish and camp. I have a '99 chevy k1500, and I'm wondering if I REALLY need to upgrade my truck before I invest in a slide in. Is it cost prohibitive or silly to perform necessary suspension upgrades instead of buying a whole new truck, or, is thier something out there that will not kill my truck (or me), but still be reasonably comfortable for a couple of days on the beach?

Any feedback is appreciated.
Thanks,

[mfarr]

Hello All,
I stumbled across this forum looking for info on slide-ins. What a great resource this forum seems to be.

I just joined a surfcasting club which has beach property where you can fish and camp. I have a '99 chevy k1500, and I'm wondering if I REALLY need to upgrade my truck before I invest in a slide in. Is it cost prohibitive or silly to perform necessary suspension upgrades instead of buying a whole new truck, or, is thier something out there that will not kill my truck (or me), but still be reasonably comfortable for a couple of days on the beach?

Any feedback is appreciated.
Thanks,

["007"]

Hello mfarr to irv2 and the slidein forum.
Not sure if your looking for a new slide-in or an old one. I purchased an old one for my son who is a striper fisherman in these parts, for a $100. We had to do some work on it like running lights and brake lights to get it on the road.It was old but in good shape with no leaks and everything inside repairable to have a funtionable slide-in.
There are some that you have to look over pretty good because most old ones are put together with wood framing and we found some with ants and such that people tried to hide.
His truck had extra leaf springs added but it was to support the slide-in and not go over the weight carrying capacity. I'am sure someone can give you more info on your truck but if you found an old slide you maybe ok.
Good luck in your find enjoy the forums and post often.

[BigRedLancer]

It is all about the weight of the slide in. You should have a truck that is designed to handle the weight. Most "1500" model trucks are not designed to handle a camper. My first camper was a 8 1/2' cabover that I had on a F100 PU. The camper did not have a fridge, generator, or holding tanks. I had load range D tires to help with the weight. Although the camper did not have any options, it was way overweight for the truck.

My next camper was a 11 1/2' on a one ton dually truck. The camper had all of the options including air conditioning, generator and water tanks. Although the truck could handle the weight, I never felt comfortable with the brakes being able to stop the truck with all that weight. These things can be dangerous.

Good luck with your search.

[Don and Sarah]

There are a lot of campers out there and it takes some time to sort through all the different kinds,sizes and shapes. All trucks can haul a camper. But not all trucks can haul all campers. If you pick one with in the limits of your truck it will be fine. If you want a camper outside your truck limits then I suggest a new truck that can handle the camper. I would find a camper that you like and fits your needs now, also think the future are you going to want a bigger camper later. Then if the camper is not within your truck limit them it will be new truck time. For a 1500 the popup style is one of the best ways to go. For a couple of days on the beach, you should be able to find one that will suit your needs. Weight is the big issue! To steal a line from a movie "Choose wisely"

[Hemi]

mfarr,

With regard to search for a camper/truck combination, the following site has a number of camper/truck combinations:

http://duedall.fit.edu/yellow/trucks.htm

Iver (Hemi)

[Dave Z]

Modifying your truck is a nice way to improve the ride and handling but no matter what you do, your weight limits remain the same.

There are campers out there that can work well on 1/2 ton trucks. Do some searches and you'll find something I'm sure.