Truck fit guide / Half-ton truck
Truck Bed Camper for Ram 1500
The Ram 1500 has the segment's smoothest empty ride — and one of its biggest payload swings between trims. Both Kimbos fit; trim selection matters.
Shopping for a Ram 1500 slide-in camper or Ram 1500 truck bed camper? Both Kimbo platforms fit on the Ram 1500 pickup (not the Ram Promaster cargo van) — 830 lb dry (K6) and 980 lb base (K8) sit comfortably within the Ram 1500's 1,800–2,300 lb payload range on steel-coil-spring trims.
Recommended Kimbo
Kimbo 6
From $27,990
Compatible generations
DS, DT
2009–2018, 2019+
Payload range
1,290–2,300 lb
Door-jamb sticker is the truth.
Tailgate rule
Both bed lengths fit
Bed length determines tailgate behavior.
How it fits
Why a Kimbo works on a Ram 1500.
The Ram 1500 occupies an unusual position in the half-ton segment. It's the only mainstream half-ton with a coil-spring rear suspension (since 2009), which gives the truck noticeably better empty-ride manners than its leaf-sprung competitors. That same coil suspension is what makes trim selection mattery for Kimbo buyers — air-suspension trims (Limited, Laramie Longhorn) trade payload for ride quality, and they trade it generously.
On a base **Tradesman or Big Horn** with steel coils, the Ram 1500 has plenty of payload for either Kimbo platform — typically 1,800–2,300 lb on Crew Cab configurations. On a **Limited** or **Laramie Longhorn** with the air suspension package, that drops to ~1,290–1,500 lb, which is uncomfortably tight even for the Kimbo 6 and below the comfortable range for Kimbo 8. The air bags also age — they're a known service item — and they don't love sustained heavy loads.
**Rebel** is interesting. Off-road suspension, no air-bags option, and a payload that lands in the 1,700–1,900 lb range. It's our preferred enthusiast Ram 1500 trim for a Kimbo. **TRX** (the supercharged Hellcat-engined Ram) is excluded — it's a desert-running truck with off-road shocks not tuned for sustained camper loading, and we don't currently support TRX installs.
**Bed length × cab configuration is the second axis that matters on a Ram 1500.** Modern DT (2019+) Ram 1500s ship in Quad Cab (6'4" bed only) and Crew Cab (with either a 5'7" Short Bed or 6'4" Standard Bed). DS-era (2009–2018) Ram 1500s also offered Regular Cab configurations with 6'4" or 8' beds (Ram dropped 1500 Regular Cab production after 2018, and the 8' bed is now exclusive to Ram 2500/3500). For Kimbo fit: the 5'7" Crew Cab Short Bed fits the Kimbo 6 with tailgate-down operation; the 6'4" Standard Bed across Quad Cab, Crew Cab, and DS-era Regular Cab works for both Kimbos and lets the K8 tailgate close cleanly; the rare 8' DS-era Regular Cab is the Kimbo-perfect Ram 1500 — most install margin and the cleanest tie-down geometry of any half-ton platform we install on.
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 Ram 1500 sits.
2009–2018
Ram 1500 DS (2009–2018)
2019+
Ram 1500 DT (2019+)
Specialty trims
Ram 1500 trim variants we cover.
Trim-specific fit guidance for Ram 1500 variants where the trim has real engineering implications — factory lift, wider track, lower payload, or limited bed configurations.
The math
Your payload margin, calculated.
Real numbers for a fully-provisioned Kimbo install on a Ram 1500 at the middle of its payload range. Substitute your own door-jamb sticker for a precise calculation.
Calculating for
- Ram 1500 payload (mid-range)+ 1,795 lb
- Kimbo 6 (base)− 830 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
+603 lb
Calculated using the midpoint of the Ram 1500'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 Ram 1500…
If we were buying a Ram 1500 for a Kimbo, we'd get a DT (2019+) Big Horn or Rebel Crew Cab with the 6'4" bed and steel coil-spring rear suspension. Skip Limited, Laramie Longhorn, and any factory air-suspension package — they look great but eat payload. Add aftermarket airbag overload assists for camper-load stability.
Recommended platform
From $27,990
Kimbo 6
The nimble original. Built for midsize and half-ton trucks.
- — 830 lb dry
- — R5 insulation, four-season ready
- — Full-size memory foam bed
- — Hand-riveted aluminum monocoque shell
Ram 1500 questions
Ram 1500-specific questions, answered.
Cross-shopping?
How Kimbo compares to the rest of the Ram 1500 camper market.
We've put together an honest comparison of Kimbo against the campers you're most likely cross-shopping — Four Wheel Campers, Scout, Go Fast Campers, Lance, and the rest. Real prices, real weights, and explicit recommendations for when something else is the right answer.
Talk through your Ram 1500.
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.