Truck fit guide / One-ton truck
Truck Bed Camper for GMC Sierra 3500
The Sierra 3500 has so much payload margin that the only Kimbo decision is which lifestyle you want.
Recommended Kimbo
Kimbo 8
From $42,990
Compatible generations
K2HD, T1HD
2015–2019, 2020+
Payload range
4,290–7,290 lb
From your door-jamb sticker — cargo budget for your exact truck.
Tailgate rule
Needs 6.5'–8' bed
Bed length determines tailgate behavior.
How it fits
Why a Kimbo works on a GMC Sierra 3500.
The Sierra 3500 HD is the Silverado 3500 HD's mechanical twin, same Duramax/Allison drivetrain on diesel-equipped trucks, same frame, same bed. Both K2HD (2015–2019) and T1HD (2020+) generations carry 4,290–7,290 lb of payload depending on configuration. Either Kimbo platform leaves you with massive margin.
Bed length is the only real Kimbo decision on a 3500. 6.75' Standard Bed and 8' Long Bed are the two options for Crew Cab Sierra 3500. Both work for K6 and K8. The 8' Long Bed is the premium platform, most install margin, supports future modifications, and the K8 distributes its mass cleanly across a longer bed. SRW (single-rear-wheel) is typical; DRW (dual-rear-wheel) works with our standard tie-down hardware.
Trim selection is mostly a comfort/badge decision at this class, every Sierra 3500 trim has overwhelming payload for either Kimbo. Denali HD does have the trim-package payload reduction (sunroof, 22" wheels), but it's still well above either Kimbo's requirement. AT4 is our preferred enthusiast trim — off-road tuning without trim-package payload penalties.
Watch — Inside a Kimbo
Inside a Kimbo Camper — Full Walkaround Tour
Down2Mob Overland walks through a Kimbo 6 — 1.1M views. Exterior walkaround, interior tour, and the lightweight hand-riveted aluminum hard-side construction that makes the Kimbo work on midsize and full-size trucks alike.
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 GMC Sierra 3500 sits.
2015–2019
GMC Sierra 3500 K2HD (2015–2019)
2020+
GMC Sierra 3500 T1HD (2020+)
The math
Your payload margin, calculated.
Real numbers for a fully-provisioned Kimbo install on a GMC Sierra 3500 at the middle of its payload range. Substitute your own door-jamb sticker for a precise calculation.
Calculating for
- GMC Sierra 3500 payload (mid-range)+ 5,790 lb
- Kimbo 8 (typical load)− 1,446 lb
- Passengers (cab)− 340 lb
Remaining margin
+4,004 lb
Comfortable buffer
Calculated using the midpoint of the GMC Sierra 3500's published payload range and a typically-loaded Kimbo, plus cab passengers. The Kimbo 8 rides from 1,125 lb base dry to ~1,660 lb fully loaded (modules + water + propane + jacks + gear). Your specific truck's door-jamb sticker is the cargo budget that counts — trim packages, options, and tow packages can swing this by 200–500 lb — and your rear axle rating (GAWR) on the same label is the structural limit a slide-in actually pushes against. Travelling lighter, a higher-payload trim, and rear airbags add real margin.
Want to run your own door-jamb number — or check a different camper? Use the Truck Camper Payload Calculator.
The Kimbo team's pick
If we were buying a GMC Sierra 3500…
If we were buying a Sierra 3500 for a Kimbo, we'd get a T1HD SLT or AT4 SRW Crew Cab with the 8' Long Bed and the 6.6L Duramax diesel + Allison transmission. DRW only if you have a specific reason for it (sustained heavy towing). Skip Denali HD unless you've already ordered one.
Recommended platform
From $42,990
Kimbo 8
Full-size living. Wet bath, queen bed, extended off-grid systems.
- — 1,125 lb base
- — R10 insulation, four-season ready
- — Queen cabover bed + dedicated wet bath
- — Hand-riveted aluminum monocoque shell
GMC Sierra 3500 questions
GMC Sierra 3500-specific questions, answered.
Talk through your GMC Sierra 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.