Truck fit guide / One-ton truck
Truck Bed Camper for Ram 3500
The Ram 3500 has so much payload that the only Kimbo decision is bed length and SRW vs DRW.
Recommended Kimbo
Kimbo 8
From $42,990
Compatible generations
DJ, DT
2010–2018, 2019+
Payload range
3,140–7,710 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 Ram 3500.
The Ram 3500 is one of the highest-payload trucks you can buy at a dealer — Tradesman 4×4 Crew Cab DRW configurations rate over 7,000 lb of payload. At one-ton class, the truck is so overbuilt for either Kimbo that you'll never know the camper is there. The DT generation (2019+) is the strongest current platform, with the 6.7L Cummins HO diesel and Aisin transmission combination available on Big Horn and higher trims.
Bed length matters more than trim selection on a 3500 Kimbo install. 6'4" Standard Bed works for Kimbo 6 (tailgate stays down) and meets the K8 minimum. 8' Long Bed is the premium Kimbo 8 platform, most install margin, supports future modifications, and the K8's mass distributes cleanly. SRW (single-rear-wheel) is the typical Kimbo configuration; DRW (dual-rear-wheel) works with our standard tie-down hardware.
Like the Ram 2500, the 3500 has coil-spring rear (one of two — there's a 3500-specific suspension variant on heavy-duty configurations). Same install advice: airbag overload assists for ride leveling under sustained load, even though the truck has the raw payload to handle either Kimbo without issue. Air-suspension trims (Limited, Laramie Longhorn) trade payload for ride quality and we recommend steel-coil-spring trims instead.
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 Ram 3500 sits.
2010–2018
Ram 3500 DJ (2010–2018)
2019+
Ram 3500 DT (2019+)
The math
Your payload margin, calculated.
Real numbers for a fully-provisioned Kimbo install on a Ram 3500 at the middle of its payload range. Substitute your own door-jamb sticker for a precise calculation.
Calculating for
- Ram 3500 payload (mid-range)+ 5,425 lb
- Kimbo 8 (typical load)− 1,446 lb
- Passengers (cab)− 340 lb
Remaining margin
+3,639 lb
Comfortable buffer
Calculated using the midpoint of the Ram 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 Ram 3500…
If we were buying a Ram 3500 for a Kimbo, we'd get a DT (2019+) Big Horn or Laramie SRW Crew Cab with the 8' Long Bed and the 6.7L Cummins diesel + Aisin transmission. DRW only if you have a specific reason for it (sustained heavy towing). Skip air suspension on every trim. Add aftermarket airbag overload assists.
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
Ram 3500 questions
Ram 3500-specific questions, answered.
Talk through your Ram 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.