Broken Frame on Ram 3500 Dually Hauling Truck Camper

4917 + 66 gallons of water (550.44) = 5467.44 I have my doubts if that dry weight even includes batteries mattresses and such... bet he has a genset too and that's optional... he's got stuff strapped to the roof and back... and we haven't added him, his passengers or his other stuff we cant see.

Id be shocked if he was under 6500lbs payload.
 
It's really on the owner for not checking the axle weights before embarking on an international trip. It even looks severely back-heavy. If the center of gravity was forward of the back axle, the middle of the truck would have folded downward when the frame broke.
 
Does the camper dealer have any responsibility in selling and installing the unit on this truck?

EDIT: A vehicle mfg. cannot be responsible for the suitability of aftermarket add-ons. I would think that the camper dealer would have a responsibility to make sure what they are selling AND installing is compatible with the vehicle. Imagine if someone was injured or killed?

And, of course, we are only speculating without knowing all of the facts.
 
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Does the camper dealer have any responsibility in selling and installing the unit on this truck?

The RV dealer will blame the Truck Dealer & the Truck Dealer will blame the RV Dealer.. You know one of those runaround schemes. I'm sure there was a no liability papers signed when purchased from both dealers to cover their rear. However, if taken to civil court it could fall back on one or both of the dealers if the judge decides in the buyers favor.
 
And to add more to the discussion. Ram did fully box the frame to the rear. All the 3/4 & 1 ton trucks up until recently were only fully boxed from the front to the back of the cab. At that point it was a c-channel frame to the rear.

It looks like Ram fully boxed the frame starting in 2019 so this truck was better than the last & still buckled.
 
All your points are valid.

In THEORY ... this truck camper could be VERY heavy:
- dry weight = 4917 lbs
- 66 gal water = 540 lbs
- 60 gal propane = 240 lbs
- 41 gal grey water = 336 lbs
- 41 gal black water = 336 lbs
- personal gear = 500 lbs ?
- motorcycle on rear = 300 lbs ?
Max weight in theory ... nearing 6700 lbs !!!
The theory is that one could have a full black tank, a full grey tank, a full fresh tank and full propane ... No smart RV person would do that, but in theory, that is the "max" of the liquids it could hold.

Even if he had NO liquids (only having personal gear and the m/c on the back) he's around 5700 lbs. I don't know any TC that runs with zero liquids; you either are full fresh and no grey/black on your way to the campsite, or you're near empty on the fresh tank and loaded on the grey/black on the way out.

Yeah - I think between 6200 - 6500 lbs is VERY realistic. And also well over any payload his rig was approved for.


Plus having the m/c on the back causes a rocking-couple motion that causes the frame to flex up/down (axle being the pivot) as the rig goes over road bumps and undulations. The rig is designed to have the bulk of the load over/ahead of the rear axle. I'll bet this thing was kind of light on the front end!

This guys is screwed, and honestly I don't blame Ram for denying coverage. If he wants to fight it, I'd demand a full, detailed weight be done before anything is removed.
That said, I would have to assume that there is a 1.5-2x, if not more safety factor in terms of the real payload rating and particularly the strength of the frame.

I’ve loaded my gen II ram (96) to full payload, and while I’ve driven very carefully, it has accelerated and brakes like there’s next to nothing there. I’ve seen many folks towing and hauling well over sticker rating, at their risk/peril.

I would not at first glance think that even the loded weight of the camper is going to do it. Be the primary rationale for denial of warranty, for sure… and they should if it is overweight.

I think you’re onto something with the motorcycle. Being fully loaded, then having a relatively far-distanced counterweight bobbing off the back seems like a pretty significant basis of trouble… safety factor for distributed loaded payload or not…
 
It happens to the Japanese utes in Australia too - they overload them, and then high speeds on outback roads snaps them. Not so common in NZ, we load them just as much, but off the beaten track is much slower going here and they hold out better.

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Even though the weight calculations assume much more propane capacity than the camper has by a factor of 4 (capacity is listed in pounds, not gallons), I'll bet the higher weight estimates are closer to correct. I suspect that rear axle was overloaded by 50%.

I worked at an RV lot in high school and summers in college. Primarily camper sales, rentals and repairs. I would never want a camper that size. If I needed that much room, I'd tow. Even without the weight, that much of a sail is asking to roll the rig with the slightest of crosswind gusts.
 
Does the camper dealer have any responsibility in selling and installing the unit on this truck?

EDIT: A vehicle mfg. cannot be responsible for the suitability of aftermarket add-ons. I would think that the camper dealer would have a responsibility to make sure what they are selling AND installing is compatible with the vehicle. Imagine if someone was injured or killed?

And, of course, we are only speculating without knowing all of the facts.

Should they tell him the truth - yes. Are they salesmen - yes.

Ultimately the responsibility for ensuring that that the truck is capable of carrying the load lies on the owner. I have little sympathy.
 
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