New Member Question -Did I buy the wrong camper??

Hello All!

Just signed up today although Ive been referring to a lot of you on here for a while for new info. Bought my 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road 4WD (Access cab 6ft bed) in August of 2020. By far the best vehicle I have ever owned and definitely most suited for my outdoorsy lifestyle...
Im wondering if you all could help me out. This is my first truck and I'm wondering now If I have made a mistake.

As of 2 days ago, I ordered a brand new 2021 Palomino SS-500 Pop up camper form my truck. Im super excited about it... except for the fact that Im just noticing a few people online saying it is not able to be mounted on my truck due to dimensions and weight. Im seeing conflicting info on this. It doesnt take much googling to see people with Palomino campers on their Tacomas! and I ordered the smallest model.

The dry weight of the camper is: 1,197lbs.
My truck's payload capacity is: 1,295lbs.
My truck's GVWR is: 5,600lbs

AND
Im about to increase the trucks payload capacity by at least 600lbs by adding some extra leaves to the suspension.
The salseman at the RV dealership said he just put one on a Tacoma the other day...

Do I have reason to be concerned here???

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld
A salesmans job is to SELL.
Can you cancel the order because you don't have a 1ton truck?

 

There’s more to Payload than just the ability to “carry” weight.
Stopping, maneuverability, and the added workload of applied to other parts.

As for being concerned. Well, I’m not you.
I probably wouldn’t be too concerned if I weren’t going to keep it mounted permanently.
I would add the helper springs, and drive a bit slower in windy conditions.

Again, I am not one to take advice from when it comes to towing or hauling.
I’m the type that works with what I got, and what I got isn’t always adequate.

“If there’s a will, there’s a way” - That’s me.

 

With the market the way it is, you will have no problem selling it if it does not work. Give it a try if it fits.

 

The Palomino website says the camper is designed for compact 1/2 ton trucks.

But the salesman did say, if it gets here and doesnt workout, I'll get my down payment back no questions.

 

And look at all those people who have done it!
The last picture of the red truck is the same year as mine. with the same camper I ordered. Looks like hes sagging a bit in the rear but Im going to get my suspension reinforced.

 

Might want to consider airbags as well.

 

Welcome to TW... I agree with @Georgia Native as far as putting air bags on. I have Firestone Ride Rite air bags on my truck and they’re rated up to 5k pounds.

 

From what Im hearing from a lot of people, I will probably go with the air bags instead of adding an extra leaf

or would it be best to do both I wonder?

 

Look into helper springs as well. I put a set of Hellwigs on last year and they fit my bill.

https://www.hellwigproducts.com/

 

I would do both. The stock springs are not much to speak of. Definately not able to handle the weight of the camper. New leafsprings would mitigate some of the load on the airbags and would be a good backup if an airbag failed. I have heard good things about Alcan being able to accommodate specific needs. Might be worth a call.

 

I stand corrected. According to the website, the 990s go up to 2000 lbs. Level load.

 

It doesn't work that way. Your trucks payload is 1295. And it always will be. It won't change just by adding springs or any other modification. All those things do is hide the fact that you're overloaded by keeping the truck level. There are some Tacoma's that will have 1500-2000 lbs of payload depending on the options and style. Those trucks will just barely handle this much weight and stay within the specs.

That is how these companies can get away with claiming they will work on a Tacoma. They will work on SOME Tacoma's. Good luck finding those unicorns. You've only got 100 lbs to work with here. By the time you put the driver and any passengers in the truck. Add food, water, propane, and other camping gear you're going to be overweight by 300-500 lbs.

There has probably never been a truck made that hasn't carried over the recommended weight from time to time. I've certainly done it. Going over by 200-300 lbs occasionally for a short trip probably won't make a huge difference. It is overworking a vehicle beyond it's design capabilities on a consistent basis that leads to premature parts failure. Obviously others have done it. I wouldn't, and I wouldn't want to buy their trucks in a few years on the used market.

 

I would cancel that. These trucks aren’t made to handle that much over payload.

A Tundra at minimum would be a much better choice. For something like a Palomino, I’d take a 2500 or equivalent. For Tacoma, stick to pop up wedge campers/lighter 4WC at max.

I have a wedge camper and it’s already a PITA to drive in head/side wind. I couldn’t imagine trying to drive straight in some utah side winds with that much surface area on the side on a truck so light.

 

No question you are at the upper threshold as far as weught, but it should be doable. You got a great truck. I have a 21 access cab to commute in and think it is great. I enjoy it much more than my doublecab. 2017 is also a great year. The kinks were worked out from the 2016s and it is before all the safety sense stuff. If you are willing to pack light and go slow, the camper should be fine. Maybe the dealer will let you give it a test drive.

 

Now I'm not sure what to do about it... I suppose I'll give it a try once the camper comes in and if it doesn't work out, I'll get a return on it.

But take a look at this article.
It says that Palomino designed the SS-500 Model specifically for compact trucks like the Tacoma.

My concern I guess is keeping the truck at max payload for for years to come.

https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/news/tcm-exclusive-2017-palomino-ss-500/

 

It is always a tradeoff. Carrying weight or towing will tax any vehicle. If I liked the camper more than the truck I would go for it. If I liked the truck more than the camper, I would find a lighter option. Good luck!

 

Be sure to have the ect mode on and put the truck into s4 or s5 when you test drive the camper.

 

It might be able to lug it around, but overloaded and top heavy on a truck that doesn't handle weight well, no thank you. Your truck, but it's other peoples lives that are in danger with an overloaded truck like that.