Bed size ?

[100amp]

Looking at getting a camper. Here the ?? Is a 8ft bed better than the 6ft 10in bed.

[Skip426]

Depending on the camper center of gravity , the shorter P/U bed may result in the weight being to far to the rear and lifting weight off the front axle , creating handling issues.

Short story , if the camper is designed for an eight foot box... that's where it belongs.

[laj]

i wouldn’t haul a camper on a sb. You have enough trouble getting any weight on the frt. axle. With mine i only get about 4,7% of total weight forward, or about 280lbs.

[100amp]

If the floor is 8ft in side do you have to have a 8ft bed,new at campers have alwas had trailers. So some help would be great.

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by 100amp

If the floor is 8ft in side do you have to have a 8ft bed,new at campers have alwas had trailers. So some help would be great.

It comes down to the manufacturers design specs.
Most campers ( those with an 8' interior floor in particular ) are designed for an eight foot box and there should be center of gravity info in any documents with the camper .
Shall we go back to basics .
How much does the camper weigh ?
What's the Cargo Carrying Capacity ( AKA. payload ) of your truck ?
How much of that CCC is available at the rear axle ?
Have you ever weighed your truck loaded for travel; family , pets etc. ( without the camper ) to know what CCC you have remaining ?
Particularly on the rear axle !
Because as " laj " has stated that's where 93/96% of the camper weight will go.

[laj]

This is just a thought, if you din’t have a p/u or a camper yet, buy the camper, or decide which one you want first. Unless you want/ need a p/u for everyday use buy the p/u that fits the camper you chose.

[KD4UPL]

There are far, far more campers available for an 8' bed truck. If you don't have a truck yet I would highly recommend getting a long bed 3500. If you want a really big truck camper then you will need a dually and they are also much, much easier to find with an 8' bed.
If you already have a short bed truck they you will just have to look at the camper manufacturer's information for that model to know if it will fit your bed. Some 8' campers could be used on a short bed, some could not. I don't know of any 9' or longer campers that are designed for a short bed.