Grandy on 6'5" Bed?

[LiveLifeNow]

I am thinking of putting a 2004 Hawk on a 2016 Chevy Silverado 2500HD truck with a 6'5" bed.

If I later decide to get a Grandy, will it fit on this 6'5' bed? Will there be handling or other problems if the Grandby is placed on this short bed?

Thanks.

 

[ACEBLACKDOG]

daughter has a Ranger on 6'5" Tacoma ....never an issue...many extended trips since 2008 including Baja ....3x ...

2500HD will never know it is there....

 

[EDR]

I had an 8' long Hallmark on my short bed 2500 Ram for a couple of years and as Ace mentioned, it didn't have an impact on the trucks handling and I never had an issue.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Member Smokecreek has a Grandby on a F150 that has a shorter bed. He might chime in and share his experiences with you. There are several threads on this topic, try doing a Google search on that topic for WTW.

 

[Rjensen219]

I am guilty of a 1989 Grandby on a 1500 Silverado with the 6-1/2 foot bed. I didn't have any handling issues and it just hangs over approximately 18 inches from the back of the bed-box. I was a little concerned about the floor possibly separating at the seem where you go through the door so I place a 3/4 sheet of plywood in the bed prior to loading the camper as a precaution for that possible flex. It is probably overkill and not needed but it makes me feel a little more prepared for those "I probably shouldn't do this" moments. Besides, the weight is extra weight is minimal and if you are in a pinch and need a sheet, you have one! The guys at FWC should be able to give you the engineers/expertise answer on whether you should or shouldn't. Me, if I shouldn't be doing it I will just add it to the long list of my "I probably shouldn't do this" moments.

The only thing I will say to watch for is if you intend on pulling a trailer is the tongue length. If I pull the boat with the long tongue there are no issues from the distance between the back of the camper and the bow so turning and backing are damage free. If I am using the ATV or kayak trailer that shorter tongue required a hitch extension. I picked up a 12" extension at Harbor Freight for 15 dollars and it cured that issue. The lights wiring was long enough but I did need to add about 4 links to the safety chain.

I hope this helps.

 

[Cayuse]

I have a Grandby on a Tundra with a 6.5' bed. Tailgate is off, I have four pressure treated 2x4's running lenghtwise to provide a bit of extra support as well as lift to clear the deeper bed sides of the Tundra.

For towing I bought an 18" extension that gets used for bike racks and some trailers but my regular off-road cargo trailer has a long enough tongue that I don't need to use the extension with it.

 

[Espresso]

I used to have a Grandby on a SB Ram 1500. I felt there was way too much weight behind the rear tires and while it was fine driving down the road, I wasn't sure what would happen if I had to make an emergency maneuver. I think you may be okay with a 3/4 ton truck, but if it were me, I would put an 8' camper on a LB truck. If I did put a Grandby on a SB, I would never tow anything with more tongue weight than a motorcycle trailer or a jet ski.