I thought I wanted a camper

And then I started researching how much camper I could SAFELY pull. No simple answer here. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am looking at rigs with dry weights of less then 4000

 

Welcome aboard. There are many campers your truck can pull safely. Just do your research and you'll be fine. Here's one to ya

 

Less than 4000 Lbs. is where I’d start.
Anything thing more and I find it less than enjoyable to tow.
Other guys tow more, I prefer not to myself.

 

Yep 4000 LBS good bench mark.

 

I would say to stay under 4800

 

Check out the tacoma towing bible has a lot of good resources. My personal opinion is irrelevant really since I don't do it regularly except with 3/4 tons.

Personally I'd stick to 5000lbs wet and loaded. But I like having room to carry extra stuff I find during the trip. Friend of mine tows just fine for everything they do.

 

I tow a maybe 3300/3500 LB camper it's 17' with two axles that is a big plus. I can't urge this enough, brakes. This is one reason I like 4 brakes on my camper It does stop. At a 3000/3500 LB level you do not need fancy hitches and sway bars either.

 

Take a look at molded fiberglass campers. Casita and Scamp are two popular ones.

 

If you are less focused on a house on wheels and more on a dry, warm, comfortable place to sleep the weight won't be a problem.

 

Do you have pictures of your camper?

 

I want two axles and at or under 4000 lbs. Under would be better

 

We're looking at the Geo Pro 15TB (UVW 2483lbs.). BTW welcome

 

It's an old on 1990 and the Sunlines are no longer made but there are quite a few types of this size camper

 

A couple of suggestions and remarks.

You likely won't find a dual axle camper under 4000 lbs.
Ignore the empty or "dry" weight of the camper. Focus on the GROSS Loaded weight.
Look at Folding campers or Teardrops. These are generally easy to tow and within your weight capacity.

 

Couple of Colemans here is one.
Coleman 15BH

 

I've got an 18' StarCraft Mini Comet Extreme (ghey name, good trailer), Rpod makes an identical model under a different name as well.
It weighs about 3100 pounds empty, 3700 max weight. Tows great behind my 17' with 33's although I wouldn't want to tow any more. I average between 9 and 11mpg. I've towed over the steepest passes in Oregon up to 5500 feet, truck dips down all the way to 2nd gear at 5000rpms at the steepest portions to maintain 55mph, but in general 3rd gear at 4000rpm will take most hills. Flat ground is a breeze.

 

Following. I have been looking into this as well. I have been looking at getting something right around 4000lbs from my research. Also Load distribution hitch is key from what I hear.

 

I find it strange that most people seem to want to tow a fully furnished penthouse wherever they go, but if that's their flavor, go for it I guess. I'm so glad that I went the other way. The shorter and lighter it is, the more places you can drag it. And once I really did start taking mine off the beaten path, I don't think I'll ever again enjoy the crowded campgrounds at the local state park (ing lot). The novelty of "hey! I'm in a trailer!" wears off after a couple of years, it's the scenery that never gets old. So why limit yourself with a monster that will never see the outside of Yogi Bear's RV park?

I'd definitely try to keep it under 4000 pounds and less than 18 feet tongue to bumper. The Tacoma will happily pull trailers of that size over any hill, highway, or switchback. My little trailer just marked off it's 20th state this summer, and boy have we have been on some adventures.

 

I agree with you however different people have different needs in a camping setup. I have my truck setup for overlanding with 1-2 people. I am looking for a camper not to drag to the places I take my truck, but to hit some camp grounds with family and friends for a good time.

 

~4000 is a nice tow. Mines about 4400 when tanks full. No issues. Just set up with proper WD hitch and brake controller. Manual transmission here also.

Edit. My single axle tows good, but dual axle will always tow just a bit smoother/stable. Something to consider for long run.