This photo came to us via our Facebook Group RV Crashes and Disasters. We cringed when we first saw it (and we still do). We wondered how far this truck camper could go before ending up in an accident.
Look how little weight there is on the front wheels. What would happen if the vehicle were to encounter a strong, sudden crosswind, or when it quickly swerved to avoid trouble? The RVer has used ratchet straps to help keep the RV from being uplifted off the rig as it rolls down the highway.
Have you ever observed a truck camper as poorly positioned as this?
What would you do?
If you were to see this RV at a gas station or rest stop, would you say something to the owner? Odds are that will not happen. So, instead, would you leave a comment below with your thoughts about this setup? Is the truck too small? The camper too big? Or is it just about how much weight the RVer placed in the rear of the rig?
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Put some skid rollers on the back plus some air bags to lift the rear axle and they’re good to go. I am amazed that the camper hasn’t bent the overloaded truck’s frame. But hey, got to get to that campsite. And the dealership said: “No problem”.
Long bed camper on short bed truck.
This owner obviously needs a heavier duty truck with a longer bed. I could be wrong, but it appears from the photo to be a short bed, perhaps on an F150. The owner needs, at a minimum to move up to an F250 with a long bed, or even an F350.
And they exist amongst us.
And I cringe too! Hopefully the owner is just unaware but the truck is GROSSLY (no pun intended) overloaded.
I’m sorry but I think I may have put a call in to the Highway Patrol. This is an accident waiting to happen and someone could die. You can’t fix stupid, and this time you really can’t laugh at them either.
The link to the FB group doesn’t work.
Hi, Marie. Hmmm, it worked for me when I proofed the post, and worked again just now. Here it is again: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvcrashes I haven’t heard of anyone else having a problem with that link, so I’m not sure what to tell you.🤔 If you still can’t get to it, let me know (with another comment or by email to diane(at)rvtravel.com) and I’ll ask someone else who knows more about this stuff than I do. Thank you for your patience in the meantime. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Weird. I get content unavailable.
Sorry, Marie. I’ve sent your comments to Kim, our IT dude, to see if he can figure out why you can’t get into that Facebook group. Have a good night. 😀 –Diane
Unreal!!! How anyone could think, by any stretch of the imagination, that this is even remotely safe!?!? Any police officer should immediately stop the inevitable accident that’s going to happen with that setup and how that poor truck hasn’t cracked in half, is beyond me!! And which RV Dealership sold this camper…so that I know to NEVER go there!
You can’t FIX STUPID!!!
He’s got a couple straps holding it down, no problem
The question is what holds the front end down?
Bubba just took some duct tape and baling wire and hung a few cement blocks under the front bumper…
With those ratchet straps on there that thing isn’t going anywhere ! lol
This person is suffering from a now common ailment called “dumbassidness”. This condition is seen almost everywhere nowadays.
Bob, we like the term dumbassery…lol
The salesman probably told them it would work just fine. 😁
Did the dealer add those straps and say, “Ahhh, you’re good to go”?
I’d compliment him for living this long….
I’ll bet he learned quickly that he needed to hit the brakes prior to trying to make a turn.
Thank you, RV Travel! 🙂 I wonder if the truck camper is being moved a short distance down (up?) the road and merely stopped for fuel at a convenient spot between the starting point and destination? Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
That was my thought, exactly. Maybe had to get moved, and didn’t have his “real” truck, yet. Obviously not his choice of setups to use it. Looks like if he went in the back door, he’d raise the front wheels off the ground!
I doubt this was concocted at a dealership, most likely a private used sale where anything goes.
For the safety of others I would definitely let police know about this. How could you not do that.
Later you find out an accident happened and people were seriously hurt.
Leveling that mess is going to be a challenge.
I don’t believe for a minute that someone is that stupid. The first LEO that saw this would immediately pull them over. Maybe this picture was photo shopped?
Just bought it and taking it home five (5) miles down the street very cautiously and slowly… I hope…🎊🥳🎉💀
Hopefully this guy isn’t going far. The truck is obviously overloaded and the placement of the unit is far from desirable. It appears to me the camper is built to be on a 8 ft long bed. This is a short bed truck. I don’t want to see him cruising down the same highway I’m on.
I’m a truck camper owner (Cirrus 820 on an F350 short bed) and I would report this to law enforcement. It’s incredibly dangerous to everyone else on the road and it gives truck camper owners a bad name. Not only is the truck vastly overloaded, but the center of gravity is way behind the rear axle. I bet you could just about lift the front of the truck by hand! In reality, a camper of that size needs a one-ton truck and possibly a dually to be safe. You might get by with a 3/4 ton with some suspension mods (but it might not be legal — mods don’t technically increase the truck’s GVWR). And I don’t think this is Photoshopped …
EXACTLY my thoughts.
That idiot needs to park until he can get a proper combination.
What he’s doing there is putting everyone he meets on the road at risk.
He’s eligible for the Darwin Award
We saw similar at a campsite and the trucks frame had broken between the cab and bed. Shockingly they drove it out the next morning.
If I saw this I’d ask him if he had a death wish and ask which direction he was going so I could avoid the wreck. That camper needs a long bed truck at least a f250 since it’s a ford, air ride suspension.
on the bright side, don’t need those entry steps to get in
Driver already knows…has an issue. Well aware of the camper and truck…but… doesn’t have the….the….sense that is common to correct the problem.
You can’t fix stupid…..
That’s a Ford Owner mentality lol/ Ram Owner
You’re cruisin’ for bruisin’, D J.😉 Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
If that rig made it more than a couple miles from this gas station, it’s just further proof that miracles do happen!
Large camper on small pickup. If I seen this I would call local law enforcement or the state police, not to be mean but to keep somebody from being killed. This unit should be put out of service until a larger truck is put underneath the camper. This would be a great inconvenience to the people that own the camper but it might save their life and others they would come in contact with.
Well, look closer. That’s a Northern Lite camper and a fairly new Ford, I think, truck. There are serious bucks there, so there have to be some serious extenuating circumstances for this situation to exist. $150,000 worth of gear held together with ratchet straps to go camping? I think not. From a safety point of view for fellow travelers, they need to be awake if they see it, and stay clear, but calling in Big Brother is real low on my list of priorities.
No way I’d be close behind that rig! Dangerous for everyone on the road. Liability of dealership an issue too.
That belongs on an extended bed truck.
DUH !!!!!! ITS A FREEKIN SHORTBED !!!!!!!!
I don’t know if this photo is real, photo-shopped or AI. Just remember, before everyone starts getting all excited, since the very first photo-shop apps appeared, literally uncountable numbers of false photos and videos appeared around the world. The reasons people manipulate photos and videos are many: power, pranksters, cons, political, etc., etc.
Never jump to conclusions without documentation. False ads, manipulated photos of people, places and activities are rampant. Years ago, an ironic movie “Wag the Dog” portended the future of visual manipulation. The worst part is that there is not enough warnings. Every social media site should have general warnings about this.
Accident looking for a place to happen. No matter if truck is too short or camper is too long. If this person isn’t stopped by an officer, that officer needs to take more notice. Maybe needs a refresher course on what should be allowed on the highway.
This does not belong on the roads.