Slide in camper

[Thumbcocker]

I am looking at a slide in camper. My truck will handle the weight but my truck bed is a little short. Can I just lower the tailgate to make up the difference? Or will I ruin the tailgate. Truck is a 2003 Tundra.

[Hogtamer]

Add another support cable or homenade bracket on each side to be sure.

[Petrol & Powder]

How "short" is a little "short"?

If lowering the tailgate shifts the center of gravity too far to the rear, you may have different problems beyond just how strong the tailgate is.

[dangitgriff]

They make slide-ins for short beds.
Googler it up.

[frkelly74]

It is a can of worms. My experience was negative with a slide in camper. It was heavy and cramped for space and generally uncomfortable. We were extremely top heavy and I just don't recommend it. Tundras are pretty light aren't they?

[Thumbcocker]

More research shows I am a little light in the truck for a slide in. Thanks

[jmort]

This is what makes the most sense to me

https://capricamper.com/

[MaryB]

They do make ultra light slide ins for light duty trucks... have to do a little searching... or just convert an aluminum topper like I did in the 80's. Camped all over MN in that thing.

[rancher1913]

check out pinterest, they have lots of peoples do it your self campers for smaller trucks and some are very impressive

[rking22]

I had one in the late 90s that was about 8 inches longer than the bed on my Z71 shortbed. Was a good deal, I thought and was no issue on the lowered tailgate. Now, I am probably in the minority, but I came to dislike it after a few trips. It tied up my truck for any quick trip when camping. I could have jacked it up and left it, but that is a bunch of trouble. We tended to explore and not stay anywhere more than a couple days. I will never have another, at 60 years old I still prefer my hammock! Easy quick setup, light and takes up no room. I keep a basic camp in my truck al the time. Has proven very handy when an unexpected opportunity arose. Depends on how you camp weather you will even like one.

[Petrol & Powder]

........... Now, I am probably in the minority, but I came to dislike it after a few trips. It tied up my truck for any quick trip when camping. I could have jacked it up and left it, but that is a bunch of trouble. We tended to explore and not stay anywhere more than a couple days. .......

Your logic is sound.
The attributes that make a slide-in camper desirable are the same attributes that are occasionally negatives.

If you need a truck daily but only need a camper occasionally, the slide-in camper makes a lot of sense. You leave the camper jacked up at your home base and have full use of your truck. You don't need to maintain a separate set of tires, wheels and brakes while the unit is just sitting. You don't need to put license plates on it. You don't have the long truck & trailer combination when using it. When you want a camper, you install it on the truck.
However, most of those positive traits become negative ones when you install the camper. Once the camper is installed, the truck becomes tied up and dedicated to the camper.

That rig makes a lot of sense if you occasionally install the camper, drive to your camping location and park the rig until you're ready to leave. It makes less sense if you need use of your truck at the same time you need use of your camper.

Slide-in campers are excellent solutions but only in specific situations where you don't need use of the truck while camping.

[Elkins45]

I'm (at a glacially slow pace) making a slide in camper for my truck, but the only reason I'm doing it is because of a very specific need. I want to be able to camp but also tow my bass boat. If I weren't towing the boat I would absolutely get a small pull-behind rather than a truck camper.

[Screwbolts]

Do a search of Alaskin Camper. I have owned a 1973 8' cab over model . Look for them used and one may work with the short bed truck you own.

We all have different back grounds/tolerances and opinions, as for me, I have no use for any shortbed truck period. Now that doesn't mean that it isn't the greatest thing for you and that is OKay! Alaskin campers are and were also made for less than full size truck beds. they are out there used and of coarse new. it is my standard that a full size PU truck bed is 96 inches long.

Ken

Ken

[AlaskaMike]

I'll definitely second the recommendation on Alaskan Campers. The top slides down to lower the center of gravity while you're driving. Most pop-up style campers are terrible if you're camping in cold weather, but when I had my Alaskan I was comfortable in -30 deg F.

Regarding the tailgate, I have only had trucks with full length 8' beds, however I see 6' shortbeds all over the place with 8' long campers in them. The vast majority of the weight rests on the truck bed, and very little on the tailgate.

If you're worried that your Tundra is a little light for the type of campers you've been looking at, maybe a small trailer? A big part of the tow/haul ratings of pickups is in the braking ability. A trailer with its own brakes can help quite a bit vs. a camper sitting in the truck bed.

[Geezer in NH]

Most of the slide ins when we camped needed to be on a minimum 3/4 ton truck with a 1 ton preferred. I'd rather have a small 5th wheel as you can disconnect it easily and not worry about the top heavy problems.

[Elkins45]

This is what makes the most sense to me

https://capricamper.com/

If I were buying this is what I would go with, although it looks like they have had a pretty significant price increase in the last couple of years.

[osteodoc08]

Tow behind trailer with a of canoe. Unless you’re fishing tournaments, do you really need your bass boat?

How many nights and type of weather will you be encountering?

I have a feeling you’ll be over your payload rating, quick, fast and in a hurry with your plan.

[dverna]

If we forced two inmates into one, it would be called cruel and inhumane.

A small trailer might be a better option.

[Elkins45]

Tow behind trailer with a of canoe. Unless you’re fishing tournaments, do you really need your bass boat?

How many nights and type of weather will you be encountering?

I have a feeling you’ll be over your payload rating, quick, fast and in a hurry with your plan.

The boat is the reason for the trip. It’s aluminum and only weights 1300 pounds with the trailer.

[osteodoc08]

What’s your max payload? What do you and passengers weigh? Anything else your gonna carry in the truck goes against the payload. Campers look to be 1500-2000 pounds. Depending on model your payload could be 1150 for a 4wd crew to 1800 for a long bed single cab. You need to really look at your payload and what you’re gonna have with you.

[Elkins45]

I would be surprised if the thing I’m making tops 800 pounds and I have a 1600 pound payload. That’s a comfortable margin.

[dkf]

A 03' Tundra is not enough truck for most slide ins, even smaller ones. The payload capacity is not just what you have in the bed, it includes the weight of everything that you put into the truck. That includes the weight of people in the truck too. Towing something? The tonque weight goes against your payload capacity. There is reason why most people whom have slide ins go with a minimum of a 1 ton truck.