Truck fit guide / One-ton truck
Truck Bed Camper for Chevy Silverado 3500
The Silverado 3500 is overbuilt for any truck bed camper — the truck won't know the Kimbo is there.
Recommended Kimbo
Kimbo 8
From $42,990
Compatible generations
K2HD, T1HD
2015–2019, 2020+
Payload range
4,290–7,290 lb
Door-jamb sticker is the truth.
Tailgate rule
Needs 6.5'–8' bed
Bed length determines tailgate behavior.
How it fits
Why a Kimbo works on a Chevy Silverado 3500.
At one-ton class, the Silverado 3500 carries 4,290–7,290 lb of payload depending on configuration. Either Kimbo platform leaves you with at least 3,000+ lb of margin, which means the rig handles like an empty 3500 even fully loaded. That's the upside of buying way more truck than you need — the camper essentially disappears in the install math.
Bed length is the only real decision. 6.75' Standard Bed and 8' Long Bed are the two options for Crew Cab Silverado 3500. Both work for either Kimbo. The 8' Long Bed is the premium platform — most margin, supports future modifications cleanly, and the K8 distributes its mass beautifully across a longer bed. SRW (single-rear-wheel) is the typical configuration; DRW (dual-rear-wheel) works with our standard tie-down hardware and adds lateral stability.
Most Silverado 3500 owners shopping for a Kimbo are buying the truck for towing and adding the camper as a secondary use case. The Kimbo 8 is the more common choice on this class of truck — buyers stepping up to a 3500 are usually planning extended travel, and the K8's full systems (wet bath, queen bed, larger battery bank, generator bay) make better use of the truck's capability.
By generation
Year-by-year fit notes.
Truck-camper fit isn't one-size-fits-all across model years — frame, cab clearance, and suspension change between generations. Here's where each Chevy Silverado 3500 sits.
2015–2019
Chevy Silverado 3500 K2HD (2015–2019)
2020+
Chevy Silverado 3500 T1HD (2020+)
The math
Your payload margin, calculated.
Real numbers for a fully-provisioned Kimbo install on a Chevy Silverado 3500 at the middle of its payload range. Substitute your own door-jamb sticker for a precise calculation.
Calculating for
- Chevy Silverado 3500 payload (mid-range)+ 5,790 lb
- Kimbo 8 (base)− 980 lb
- Fresh water (4 gal)− 32 lb
- Propane (20 lb tank)− 30 lb
- Gear load− 100 lb
- 1 occupant in cab (200 lb)− 200 lb
Remaining margin
+4,448 lb
Calculated using the midpoint of the Chevy Silverado 3500's published payload range. Your specific truck's door-jamb sticker is what counts. Trim packages, options (sunroofs, larger wheels), and tow packages can swing this number by 200–500 lb in either direction.
The Kimbo team's pick
If we were buying a Chevy Silverado 3500…
If we were buying a Silverado 3500 for a Kimbo, we'd get a T1HD LT or LTZ SRW Crew Cab with the 8' Long Bed and the 6.6L Duramax diesel + Allison transmission. DRW only if you have a specific reason (sustained towing, dual-rear-wheel preference). High Country fits but the trim works against margin — mid-tier trims are the sweet spot.
Recommended platform
From $42,990
Kimbo 8
Full-size living. Wet bath, queen bed, extended off-grid systems.
- — 980 lb base
- — R10 insulation, four-season ready
- — Queen cabover bed + dedicated wet bath
- — Hand-riveted aluminum monocoque shell
Chevy Silverado 3500 questions
Chevy Silverado 3500-specific questions, answered.
Talk through your Chevy Silverado 3500.
Door-jamb sticker, intended use, modifications you're considering — bring it all by. We'll tell you honestly whether the rig will work the way you want it to.