smokeywren

Yeah, his first post shows he has a 4x4 SuperCab. You won't see 4.6L and 3.55 axle ratios and more than 1,770 lbs for F-150 4x4 SuperCabs. Ignore the lines in the chart for other F-150s and look at the one line for 4x4 SuperCab.

E. Manuel

Yes, I know he has a Supercab, as he posted a photo of it. The reason I brought up the chart was because you mentioned 2003 F-150, not 2003 F-150 4x4 Supercab, so people who didn't know about the chart might think your post was applicable to 2003 F-150's in general. Also the 1,770 lbs base vehicle cargo weight rating is in addition to a 150 lb passenger at each available seating position.

G-Force

Not sure what you mean by normal, but mine is an 8 footer and the wet weight is some 1600 lbs.

smokeywren

The Lance 825 is a "normal" truck camper, and very popular..

https://www.lancecamper.com/truck-campers/825/

Wet Weight w/Std. Equipment 2155 Lbs. Load it up for camping and it will certainly be over 2,500, and probably approach 3,000 pounds.

But when I think of a truck camper, I remember back in the 1960s my parents struggling with a very heavy one that had an 8' floor plus another 2' that stuck out behind the rear bumper plus the overhang over the cab. They were trail riders, dragging a 2-horse trailer behind the camper. The camper and trailer overloaded their F-250. But Dad was a farmer so he was accustomed to towing overloaded. They eventually upgraded to a mini-motorhome, and then later to a Class A.

Flamingtaco

"Combined weight of occupants and cargo" in all Ford GVWR documentation I've ever viewed indicates otherwise.
The only concession you get with GVWR is all fluids are included, so full fuel and windshield washer tanks.

smokeywren

Then you haven't seen the chart for "maximum cargo weight with slide-in camper" in the Ford RV and Trailer Towing Guide. Headnote states: "Cargo Weight Rating shown in the chart is maximum allowable, assuming weight of … a passenger (150-lbs. per) at each available seating position...". That same headnote has been in every RV and Trailer Towing Guide for at least the last 22 years.

The chart includes wheelbase, GVWR, axle ratio and engine, so that should qualify it as "Ford GVWR documentation" you mentioned.

Quick Cal

Here's my sticker.

Quick Cal

So will this carry a 2,500 pound camper.

What gears do I have?

kbroderick

Your GVWR is 6250 pounds. To haul 2,500 pounds, your curb weight (including passenger(s) and cargo) would need to be below 3750 pounds (6250 - 2500), which it isn't. So no, you can't, not while staying within specs.Taking the truck to a scale, loaded for travel (sans camper) will give you the curb weight and let you figure out how much camper you can haul (GVWR - scale weight = available payload).

I'd take a wild guess and say that you'd be way outside of factory recommendations with that much weight in the back, especially if that's the unloaded weight of the camper (not much point in having a camper if you can't also bring along the supplies for the duration you'll be staying).

​​​​​​To answer the other question, your sticker shows an axle code of 27; if you look that up, it should tell you which gearset you have.

Flamingtaco

So, Ford lists a separate GVWR for having a camper top vs not, and goes about helping one calculate that value by using a different method.

Not confusing in the least.