Ford Camper Package?

[SDJeff]

I am a newbie who recently purchased a 2006 Hawk and am in the process of purchasing a truck to put it on. After much research and input from this forum (including reading old threads) I decided to go 3/4 ton and am considering pulling the trigger on a 2011 Ford F-250. I did not want to push payload capacity, especially since my girlfriend and I may bring lots of gear on some trips, including kayaks and I already have mods like rack, solar etc. I calculate at most we should have aprox 1700 lbs payload on our heaviest trips (including us), well within the F-250's payload range (aprox 2700lbs for my configuration with a "max" of 3970. My Hawk would be dedicated full time on this truck and I don't intend to ever tow. I would be also going off-road a lot.

Ford offers a "camper package" that is very cheap. It includes beefier springs, rear sway bar and a "camper certification". Ford also has an info sheet for "slide-in campers". At first, I thought I would just get the package b/c it is cheap, but it has been very hard to find the package combined with the offroad package on a supercab with short wheel base. Also, I am wondering if it is overkill, whether Ford really requires it and whether or not there might be insurance or other consequences might exist if it didn't get it. I know the info sheet/certification are CYA for Ford, but they seem to indicate you must have the "consumer information sheet" in your glovebox or else your truck doesn't "qualify" for a slide in camper. If not a "slide in" camper is "not recommended". I also get that payload is not monolithic and where it is placed creates center of gravity and other issues which the notice seems to focus on.

I know there was some prior discussions of similar issues that I think were brought up re Dodge from what I could find on the old threads. However, I am wondering about the following:

1) Am I understanding this correctly that per Ford, you must have the "camper package" and the "certificate" to have a "slide-in" camper?
2) Has anybody with a Ford seen any disclaimers or anything in their manual or other papers saying if you didn't have the "camper package" or "consumer information" sheet you were violating manufacturers reccs, voiding warranties or other consequences?
3) Has anybody who has tried to insure their camper (whether on a ford, 1/2 ton or whatever) gotten any grief from their insurer (I have State Farm) about whether the are violating manufacturer reccs or other issues?
4) Independent of the insurance/legal issues, is the camper package overkill? I suppose the rear sway bar might be nice (could add aftermarket) but do I really need the extra springs for the weight I am going to be carrying? Is there any argument that with a fairly light slide-in (Hawk compared to others on the market) the extra springs will actually make it too stiff and hard to articulate off-road?

Getting the package is cheap but it may mean ordering the truck from factory and the wait is tough when my Hawk is sitting in my garage. Thank you very much for any information or advice you can share.

Jeff

 

[DirtyDog]

to answer your 1 & 2 - no.

I wasn't even aware they had a "camper package". The heavier rear springs might be nice if you plan on keeping your camper on most of the time. The off-road package is pretty worthless IMO and you would do better just getting different shocks yourself.

So my somewhat uneducated opinion (since I am unaware of the camper package) is that I would prefer to have the camper package than the off road package.

Edit: the "camper package" may be tailored for most truck campers out there which are very heavy. It may be that the heavier springs are overkill for what you will be hauling. I'd ask the dealer for details on how much weight that camper package is designed for.

 

[Barko1]

I'll add my ignorance as well. I have a 99 F250 with airbags and the rear springs were sagged out from the PO towing a 5th wheel so I had to replace. My mechanic suggested staying with the stock springs rather than go heavier since I'm carrying maybe 1500# loaded, always have the camper on. I guess the heavier springs might not be bad if the camper is always on but it would be stiff empty. Insurance never asked a thing. I would imagine that if you were under max weight you are good.

 

[UglyScout]

It does seem funny to me that 'we' (light camper owners) are worried about the weight of our campers in fullsize trucks - when there are a million guys driving around with 2500-3500 pound way over weight slide ins and not thinking twice about it.

With that said - I'd get the camper package. And get any towing package or whatever option you need to check to get the upgraded transmission cooler. Even if you don't tow it will help your truck live a longer happier life.

 

[HERR42]

It does seem funny to me that 'we' (light camper owners) are worried about the weight of our campers in fullsize trucks - when there are a million guys driving around with 2500-3500 pound way over weight slide ins and not thinking twice about it.

With that said - I'd get the camper package. And get any towing package or whatever option you need to check to get the upgraded transmission cooler. Even if you don't tow it will help your truck live a longer happier life.



yes i think the most difficult part of this is deciphering the real meaning of the options. the devil is in the details. it is really rare to find a sales guy that really understands all the details. usually a experienced fleet guy will be the best choice for info.

i would rec dual alternators too.

 

[Marc]

I'd go with an F350, will only cost a little more and will handle what ever u throw at it. Untill recently I carried my ATC full time and had no problem with Ins. (Farmers)they just added the camper to my policy and were good to go.

marc

 

[kcowyo]

3) Has anybody who has tried to insure their camper (whether on a ford, 1/2 ton or whatever) gotten any grief from their insurer (I have State Farm) about whether the are violating manufacturer reccs or other issues?

I'm with State Farm too. Adding the camper was a simple rider, $26 a year with my auto insurance, no questions asked.

This reminds me though, I never heard back from them to see if the camper would be covered if say, it was off the truck on blocks in the yard and a tree fell on it... The agent thought that would be covered under my home-owners policy, but another agent at the office said it should be covered under my auto policy whether it was on the truck or not... gotta go call them back to clarify that -
.

 

[SDJeff]

I'm with State Farm too. Adding the camper was a simple rider, $26 a year with my auto insurance, no questions asked.

This reminds me though, I never heard back from them to see if the camper would be covered if say, it was off the truck on blocks in the yard and a tree fell on it... The agent thought that would be covered under my home-owners policy, but another agent at the office said it should be covered under my auto policy whether it was on the truck or not... gotta go call them back to clarify that -
.



Thanks for the replies so far. Kcowyo, my understanding with State Farm so far is that if the camper is off the truck and in the garage (where mine unfortunately is until I get my truck), it is covered under homeowners, but there is a contents limitation and it is only covered up to 1k. Good thing to check to be sure.

As far as Ford, the wording in their "slide in camper" document is pretty ugly. I don't see how it can be interpreted to say anything other than per Ford, a slide in camper isn't "recommended" unless you have their camper certificate (which it seems you can only get with the camper package). I think that is just CYA that really shouldn't apply to the lighter type of slide in's that we have, especially with a 3/4 ton truck, but I don't see any other way to interpret that sheet.

As a newbie, this forum has been extraordinarily helpful to me and I can't wait to start doing some mods and getting my Hawk out to some remote places. Thanks.

 

[HERR42]

Thanks for the replies so far. Kcowyo, my understanding with State Farm so far is that if the camper is off the truck and in the garage (where mine unfortunately is until I get my truck), it is covered under homeowners, but there is a contents limitation and it is only covered up to 1k. Good thing to check to be sure.

As far as Ford, the wording in their "slide in camper" document is pretty ugly. I don't see how it can be interpreted to say anything other than per Ford, a slide in camper isn't "recommended" unless you have their camper certificate (which it seems you can only get with the camper package). I think that is just CYA that really shouldn't apply to the lighter type of slide in's that we have, especially with a 3/4 ton truck, but I don't see any other way to interpret that sheet.

As a newbie, this forum has been extraordinarily helpful to me and I can't wait to start doing some mods and getting my Hawk out to some remote places. Thanks.


i dont believe this. can you give us a link or post this document you speak of?

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

We are putting campers on Ford trucks all the time.

We put Hawk Models on the Ford F-150 all the time too.

You won't have any problems putting a Hawk on a Ford F-250.

If you need to take the truck in for servicing down the road, just take the camper off.

They won't ever know you had a camper on the truck.

They will NOT be familiar with our camper tie downs and won't know the difference.





.

 

[Wango]

FWIW,
i have an F-250. Came with the off-road package, truck has overload springs, swaybar tranny cooler etc. The skidplates give me a little extra feel good while out and about but couldn't say if they offer too much protection.

My camper isn't as light as yours, but it hardly drops the bed when i put it in the truck. The PO had leveled the front end, so i did install stabil-loads(a product by torklift) to engage the overloads. No sag or sway.
Several friends have much larger/heavier campers and use them on stock trucks. Full size trucks can handle a great deal of abuse, made for it even.

With the rig and camper you speak of, i can see no problems at all.
i would of course take them off your hands if it will help you sleep at night.

Best of luck.

 

[SDJeff]

i dont believe this. can you give us a link or post this document you speak of?


Sure. The first place it came up was when I saw reference to the Ford "Camper package". It was only $160, but opened a can of worms. One of the features that comes with it per the Ford website is a "slide-in camper certification." I wondered what the heck that was and why a light camper would need to be certified. The dealer gave me a sheet (page 13) of a larger document I have not yet found on the web, but it is entitled Slide-In Campers. I have found 2 very similar versions on the web (one that looks like it was from 2007). Here are those links:
https://www.fleet.ford.ca/downloads/Towing/8_slidein_campers.pdf
https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/rv_trailer_towing/2008/08RVslideinAug07.pdf

They talk about how "Camper Package (Option Code 471) is "required" with F-250 etc super duty and slide-in camper. Talks about how all trucks that "qualify" for slide in campers have the Consumer Information sheet in the glovebox. "If vehicle does not qualify for consumer use, the Consumer Information Sheet states that the vehicle is not recommended for camper use". Seems to say the only way Ford agrees your truck is recommended for camper use is to have the camper certification. I asked the dealer if you can get the certification/Consumer Info Sheet approval without the camper package and the dealer said no. They showed me one of the forms, but they are not on the web. The are individually created for each truck with a vin number and a bar code. Maybe it was different in the past, I don't know.

Here is also a link to one of several Ford forums I just found discussing the same issue where somebody said they got the disclaimer in there glove box b/c they didn't get the camper package. http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/995734-camper-package-question-first-time-ford-owner.html I believe other similar threads about Dodge were on this forum a while back (part of why I was looking into Ford).

I just want to make clear, I wasn't ever really worried about real world performance. I am certainly not saying I don't think a F-250 can handle a Hawk or other ATC/FWC without the camper package. I think this is bogus and CYA/legalese by Ford (and maybe other manufacturers) and intended for much larger/heavier slide-in campers. Heck, I have seen trip reports by people like Sunman taking his Tundra on the White Rim trail and I realize lots of people with 1/2 tons do fine on serious off-road conditions. In fact, in my original post I was inquiring whether the camper package would be overkill/too much of an upgrade for the lighter weight of the Hawk and make the ride bad by over stiffening the frame. I merely wondered about other peoples experience with this (couldn't imagine I would be the first to notice), including if insurance companies had an issue, before I pulled the trigger on buying an expensive truck.

 

[HERR42]

i think that what ford is doing is:

1. saying that swaybars, overloads, and more alternator capacity are required in their opinion before you put a 20 foot tall lance 12 foot camper on the truck. i think they are being prudent. they HAVE to look at worst case scenario.

2. they are making sure you can identify a properly fitted vehicle by looking at the sticker.

no big deal

 

[esimmers]

Here's my issue concerning the Camper Package offered for the 2011 Ford F-250:

Question: Does the Camper Package (471) deteriorate ride quality like the Heavy-Service Front Suspension Package (67H)?

The 2011 Super Duty Pick-Up Order Guide (see extract below) shows that the Heavy-Service Front Suspension Package includes heavy-service front springs, a 1-up upgrade, and warns of deterioration of ride quality as a consequence. The Order Guide shows that the Camper Package includes extra heavy-service front springs, a 2-up upgrade. This makes it sound like the Camper Package has stiffer springs than even the Heavy-Service Front Suspension Package (2-up vs. 1-up).

I want to haul a camper part of the time but also will be using the truck a lot without the camper and don't want to have a rough ride with an empty bed.

Does anyone have experience with this issue or know how to get the correct answer from Ford?

CAMPER PACKAGE (471)
Availability:
• Optional on all Pickups
Not available with:
• 20" Wheels and Tires, Pickup Box Delete (66D), 3.31 Axle Ratio
(on 4x4 with 17" or 18" tires) or Heavy-Service Front Suspension
Package (67H)
Includes:
• Extra heavy-service front springs (4x2) (2 up upgrade above the
spring computer selected as a consequence of options chosen. Not
incl. if maximum springs have been computer selected as standard
equipment)
• Heavy-service front springs (4x4) (1 up upgrade above the spring
computer selected as a consequence of options chosen. Not incl. if
maximum springs have been computer selected as standard
equipment)
• Rear stabilizer bar (SRW only)
• Slide-in camper certification
• Rear auxiliary springs (F-250 only)
NOTE: Salesperson's Source Book or Ford RV Trailer Towing
Guide should be consulted for specific Trailer Towing or
camper limits and corresponding req. equipment, axle
ratios and model availability


HEAVY-SERVICE FRONT SUSPENSION PACKAGE (67H)
Availability:
• Optional on all pickups
Usage:
• Recommended only on vehicles which will permanently utilize
aftermarket equipment such as Heavy-Duty winches, brush guards
or other apparatus which loads the front axle to the specified Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
Not available with:
• Snow Plow Package (473), Camper Package (471) or Heavy-
Service Package for Pickup Box Delete (63R)
Includes:
• Heavy-service front springs (1 up upgrade above the spring
computer selected as a consequence of options chosen. Not incl. if
maximum springs have been computer selected as standard
equipment)
NOTE 1: May result in deterioration of ride quality.
NOTE 2: Vehicle ride height will increase w/the addition of this
package.

 

[esimmers]

Here's the response to my question from a local Ford salesman:

"In conferring with my fleet truck manager the answer is the Heavy Service Front Suspension Package has a much greater impact on ride quality in comparison to the
camper package, 471. This is due to the nature of package 67H design characteristic which benefits full time heavy application solely to the front axle and spring travel.
Were the camper package 471, evenly distributes the upgrade to both front and rear components, plus the nature of the upgrade itself is not as rigid. The camper package does produce a stiffer ride, as would be expected, but not to the point of being an uncomfortable unburdened ride."