The owner of a 2020 RAM 3500, Mike Pavel, experienced a catastrophic frame failure while carrying a loaded Eagle Cap camper near Baja, California.

Pavel stated, “The frame just cracked in half. It was not overloaded.”

Despite this, Mopar, the manufacturer of the truck, denied Pavel’s warranty claim. They stated that the truck was carrying too much weight.

Pavel had the frame welded by a nearby mechanic then attempted to get the truck repaired.

Pavel said, “Mopar denied the claim stating that the truck was overloaded, which is incorrect. I now have a claim with my insurance company [and] they’re sending an adjuster today. “

Reno Dodge set an invoice for repairs over $17,000.” Pavel had believed that the truck, with a payload capacity of around 7,800 pounds, could handle the weight of the camper. The camper was close to 6,500 pounds when fully loaded.

Pavel stated, “I did a lot of research before buying the truck and the camper, and both the Ram dealer and the camper company where we bought it said it was the perfect truck.”

Payload Capacity

They said it should handle the load with no problem. I knew the payload capacity on the truck was about 7,800 pounds and the camper dry weight was close to 5,000 pounds, but fully loaded, probably about 6,500 pounds.”

It is worth noting that the actual payload capacity of the truck may be less. This truck is a crew cab 4×4 dually with a diesel engine. This model likely has a payload capacity closer to 5,850 pounds.

Pavel had driven the truck with the camper attached for approximately 25,000 miles before the frame failure occurred.

Eagle Cap Campers

An Eagle Cap camper is a type of recreational vehicle (RV) designed for use as living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.

Eagle Cap campers are typically mounted on a truck chassis. It can be positioned on a pickup truck or other suitable vehicle.

They come in a variety of sizes and styles, including hard-sided and pop-up models. They can also be equipped with a range of amenities such as sleeping quarters, kitchen facilities, and bathroom facilities.

Eagle Cap is a brand of truck campers manufactured by Adventure Manufacturing, a company based in La Grande, Oregon.