What's a 10' CO Weigh?

[Nailhead]

I think I might have been a little hasty in buying the 8'NCO I bought because I'm starting to have some misgivings about the amount of space inside. Sure enough, I found a 10' CO for sale locally, and I was wondering what a ballpark weight would be. I think it's from the '70's (they didn't specify).

 

[PackRat]

Here is an Alaskan spec sheet. However they are listed as "STANDARD" and I believe that all the "extras" you ordered would push up that weight.

 

[noteven]

My 1974 front dinette weighs 1700-1800lbs

 

[Nailhead]

Thank you both for the info!

 

[Moose Dog]

About 57 lbs/sq. ft according to Brian...my camper anyway

 

[PackRat]

Air Conditioning
AC or DC 'fridge
Oven
Toilet
Solar Panel/electronics


These all weight something that has to be added to the UNLOADED camper weight of your design. That is why Alaskan specs. do not address that. Too many variations of weight add-ons....that is up to the purchaser to insure they do not overload the rear axle and a 10 ft. does move the center of gravity towards the REAR axle.

However....it isn't the WEIGHT of the camper, be it loaded or unloaded that is the killer here....it is what the truck front and rear axle MAXIMUM weight allowances are...and ya just don't know that until you read the VIN tag and weight the truck with and without the camper and EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY in it.....

This usually isn't a problem for a one-ton, it probably isn't an issue for a 3/4 ton, but Alaskans and 1/2 ton PUs don't mix unless you have a stripped down 8 ft. NCO and have an 8 ft. bed on the truck.

Remember too, that eliminating the SAG on the rear end is cosmetic so-to-speak....if you have overloaded the axle, that axle is still overloaded and if you are also exceeding the GROSS VWR for both axles you'd better stay away from the mountains and be sure your brakes are up to snuff because you are exceeding the mfgers performance specs.

Not a lot of people complain about having "too much truck" with their camper and everything on board!

 

[Nailhead]

Air Conditioning
AC or DC 'fridge
Oven
Toilet
Solar Panel/electronics


These all weight something that has to be added to the UNLOADED camper weight of your design. That is why Alaskan specs. do not address that. Too many variations of weight add-ons....that is up to the purchaser to insure they do not overload the rear axle and a 10 ft. does move the center of gravity towards the REAR axle.

However....it isn't the WEIGHT of the camper, be it loaded or unloaded that is the killer here....it is what the truck front and rear axle MAXIMUM weight allowances are...and ya just don't know that until you read the VIN tag and weight the truck with and without the camper and EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY in it.....

This usually isn't a problem for a one-ton, it probably isn't an issue for a 3/4 ton, but Alaskans and 1/2 ton PUs don't mix unless you have a stripped down 8 ft. NCO and have an 8 ft. bed on the truck.

Remember too, that eliminating the SAG on the rear end is cosmetic so-to-speak....if you have overloaded the axle, that axle is still overloaded and if you are also exceeding the GROSS VWR for both axles you'd better stay away from the mountains and be sure your brakes are up to snuff because you are exceeding the mfgers performance specs.

Not a lot of people complain about having "too much truck" with their camper and everything on board!

Thank s for the info. I've got a 6K axle on the rear and a 3K up front, so weight is less a worry than a consideration here.

 

[PackRat]

Sounds like an 8 ft. CO or a 10 ft. NCO or even a 10 ft. CO would work for you unless you really over loaded it with boats, bikes, etc. If you check Craigslist diligently in SF, LA and Seattle you will find one of them and can probably still sell your 8 ft. NCO for what you have into it if it is I good or better condition.

I'm saying that based on the weights you mentioned being very close to the 3920 Front/6084 lbs my F250 VIN plate states are the maximum for each axle.

 

[Nailhead]

Sounds like an 8 ft. CO or a 10 ft. NCO or even a 10 ft. CO would work for you unless you really over loaded it with boats, bikes, etc. If you check Craigslist diligently in SF, LA and Seattle you will find one of them and can probably still sell your 8 ft. NCO for what you have into it if it is I good or better condition.

I'm saying that based on the weights you mentioned being very close to the 3920 Front/6084 lbs my F250 VIN plate states are the maximum for each axle.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I can’t really travel to retrieve an 8’ CO with my daily driver: it’s a Dodge PW Quad Cab with a ladder rack & crossover box. If I did find the motivation to remove these, the atrocious fuel economy would easily add $500+ to the price of a camper, and I’m not sure my truck would safely carry one. There’s one north of here I need to check on, and there’s that 10’ CO I found for sale, but that might turn out to be too long— too much of a good thing, if you will.

I’ve found I really overpaid for that 8’ NCO, so I don’t think I’ll be near breaking even on it in this lifetime, especially with the hail damaged roof skin, bad Pirelli seal, and leaking water tank. Call it a learning experience, I guess.

 

[PackRat]

Ouch!
I think you either have the 8' NCO and take a loss and let someone who wants a Project have it or fix it. Problem is you found it is just too SMALL in there for your needs. You need a bigger Alaskan but any camper big enough is possibly too much for your truck. If it does have a 3000 and 6000 capacity on the axels any of them should work unless your weight is ALL on the rear perhaps. I don't recall seeing if you have an 8' bed on the truck, but with those weight allowances and if...if....you have a 3/4 ton truck then it should be OK. I think you need to describe your truck in DETAIL as guessing and not getting a response isn't helping. A pic of the truck and a pic of the VIN tag showing weights helps tremendously.

Once others who have the same truck as you do see what you have they can suggest which way to go.

As it stands....your 8' Alaskan needs too much work apparently and cost you too much but what are you going to do? What is the goal here....find one to use this summer or work on one that you paid too much for that needs too much work and isn't big enough anyway?

One heck of a dilemma though.

 

[Nailhead]

Ouch!
I think you either have the 8' NCO and take a loss and let someone who wants a Project have it or fix it. Problem is you found it is just too SMALL in there for your needs. You need a bigger Alaskan but any camper big enough is possibly too much for your truck. If it does have a 3000 and 6000 capacity on the axels any of them should work unless your weight is ALL on the rear perhaps. I don't recall seeing if you have an 8' bed on the truck, but with those weight allowances and if...if....you have a 3/4 ton truck then it should be OK. I think you need to describe your truck in DETAIL as guessing and not getting a response isn't helping. A pic of the truck and a pic of the VIN tag showing weights helps tremendously.

Once others who have the same truck as you do see what you have they can suggest which way to go.

As it stands....your 8' Alaskan needs too much work apparently and cost you too much but what are you going to do? What is the goal here....find one to use this summer or work on one that you paid too much for that needs too much work and isn't big enough anyway?

One heck of a dilemma though.

I didn’t specify the truck the camper would be on, because up to this point I didn’t it was relevant to the discussion. The camper will be going on an IH 1310 4x4 dually, more than enough truck for any Alaskan model I’m aware of. The bed is whatever we want to weld up because it was formerly a wildland fire truck, and as such has a big steel flatbed.

The Dodge I mentioned is the only means I could conceivably utilize to fetch any camper that isn’t nearby because: 1. The IH is in Wheatland WY, right now needing a rear main seal, bed fabrication, and several interior components. 2. When it does become roadworthy, mounting the camper won’t be a simple slide-in procedure because of the mounting system envisioned, width of side boxes, etc. Mounting it in someone’s yard or curbside won’t be feasible, so the camper has to be brought to the IH, and my Dodge isn’t the right truck for that.

I bought the 8’ NCO more on a sentimental whim than good sense, and I realize that now. A CO just makes more sense from a space standpoint, and I have the capability to haul one, so I might as well. I’ll take a beating on the 8’ I already have, but so be it; no sense following one bad decision with another. I’m not going to let a dilemma form from one (pretty damn) stupid decision. Deadlines shouldn’t be too much of a factor, either, since I’ve set the deadline for completion at Memorial Day Weekend of next year.

I have a lot of patience for working on old trucks (and campers, it turns out), but NONE for computers and their arbitrary foibles, so you’re unlikely to see any pictures of anything from me until I can post them from Tapatalk. I save my energies for challenges that are enjoyable.