8,800 GVW means that's the maximum allowed weight of the truck. If the slide in camper is 3400 lbs. that leaves only 5400 lbs. for your truck weight and your truck weighs more than that without a driver. The best way to find out what your truck weighs is to go to a feed store, quarry, metal recycling facility, or truck stop that has a drive on scale where you can weigh your truck with a full tank of fuel, you in the driver seat, and any other equipment you consider mandatory for your truck (i.e. tools, fluids, etc.) Most truck stop scales will also give you individual axle weights. The max axle loads are also located on your door sticker along with your GVW. GCVW means the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight of your truck and trailer. Assuming you haven't regeared your truck to compensate for your taller tires you have either 3.55's or 4.10's. The most the OBS 250's were rated for GCVW was 18,000 lbs. Since you have added taller tires you have effectively reduced your gearing numerically making your engine work harder than with the factory tire size. Since the camper already far exceeds your payload, hooking up a trailer and adding its tonque weight to an already overloaded rear axle and rear tires is dangerous. And adding airbags won't do a thing to correct the overload, it will simply level the truck out and make it LOOK safe.
Personally it fries my bacon when I hear about dealers pushing their products on someone and simply saying it's been done before with no problem, when they should be helping a customer figure out what is safe. Your going to be asking alot out of that truck and you will be putting a lot of extra stress on all of the major components and that's before you strap that 6000 lb trailer on. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but someone needs to say it. You either need more truck or less camper. Hope this helps you make an informed decision.
Last edited by ponyexpress94 : 07-04-2009 at 04:07 PM.