I don't even know how to word this for a search, but haven't seen it on the forum before..........

I have a 9'10" Lance camper on my '02 2500, and am right up there on weight now. In a couple of years I plan to retire and move into about a 28' - 30' pull trailer and start snowbirding. (I know the 5'er tows better, etc. but want to keep my camper) Problem - I can't have any more tongue weight, so when moving from place to place with the seasons I'd hafta leave the camper and tow the trailer to it's new home, then go back for the camper. Repeat each season.

OK, my question - I've seen the "dollies" (??) that truckers use to hook up the rear trailer in a set of doubles and wonder if it'd be possible to work out a similar arrangement to support the tongue of the trailer. I realize backing up would probably be impossible, but I'm curious about the safety of such a thing, not to mention the legality. It'd be neat to have my cake and eat it too, but don't want to get killed doing it. :-)

Lar.

 

Even if you were able to come up with something like that you'd be beyond your Gross Combined Weight.

If that doesn't bother you than consider a Superhitch from Torklift.

With weight distributing bars you could pull a trailer with 1500 lbs tongue weight on a 3ft extension. And the trailer could weigh 15000lbs.

I pull a 25ft enclosed snowmobile trailer fully loaded to about 7500lbs behind my Lance 981 with no problems.

How much does your TT weigh? Tongue weight?

 

I don't know much about them or if I would use one, but this may help.

http://www.hitch-buddy.com/

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...pging/1/page/1

Sorry, I thought you meant a FW on the back. After re-reading, I think you meant a TT. I haven't seen anything for that application.

 

I'm confused. Why cann't you tow the trailer with the camper on? The camper doesn't affect your hitch weight, just your axle weight. For example I have an older 11ft camper for my truck and then I hook up a flat deck trailer with my jeep on it to the trailer hitch. Tows fine.

 

Tell the truth, I'm not even sure what the GCVW really is on my truck, and I'm not sure - yet - what a loaded 30 foot trailer will weigh. I do know that I'm already over GVW with the camper on board, and tho' I've beefed the suspension some, run airbags at 105 psi and gone to 19.5" load range G tires I hate to go higher. I don't have the trailer yet - it'll be a pre-retirement purchase - but I'd guess the tongue weight of a 30 footer with slideouts would be in the 600 - 800 lb range..??...which will definitely be on the rear axle. I have the big 3ft extended dual beam SuperHitch, tho' it's not mounted right now. (that thing's 100 lbs by itself ! ! !) I had the idea in mind of the dolly (what is the proper name for those, anyway ??) to get the weight off the truck for the seasonal trips, and leave the camper available for shorter trips during my stays. After reading this forum for several years, I'm sure the truck can pull that and much more, but what about stopping, legality, etc. ?? Seems like it works fine for a semi towing doubles......??

Here's a pic of my truck and toad on a recent trip out in the local desert. Nice combination:

www.tempics.homestead.com/files/jRigs2a.jpg

Lar.

 

ktpul, I finally looked over the attachments you sent, and got a grin out of them. That's pretty much what I had in mind, tho' the price tag scares me pretty bad, and I'm not sure how it'd hook up behind that camper of mine. Maybe something a little simpler ?? I also got a great chuckle out of some of the comments on that forum...some were pretty inane, and some of them made plenty of sense. Thank you much.

I think I'm going to hafta bite the bullet and make a double trip each year, but it's nice to dream. Some of those trips will be pretty long - I'm already planning a summer in B.C., Canada and the winter in Florida.

Lar.

 

When I had my 'ol '95 Fleetwood Caribou 11k, I towed an 8x12 flatdeck behind it for sleds in the winter and 4wheelers in summer. Usually had extra fuel & firewood on it too. Usually with the trailer loaded it weighed in around 2,200lbs. I had 210# on the tounge of the trailer, hooked to a 36" hitch extension....it towed so well, I was always looking to make sure it was still there.

 

That hitch extention Moose has is what my old man has too. he doesn't have any problems with it either. I know he has a class 5 reciever also. which has a better tongue wieght as I understand it.

 

105psi in your airbags?!?!? How heavy is your camper? Doesn't look all that heavy. My 1976 11ft is 1600# and I only need to put 15psi in my air bags, just enough to make the truck sit level, 20psi with the flatdeck trailer and jeep on.

Your door decal should give your GCVW and your camper should have a decal somewhere on it for its weight.

BC has some REALLY tough towing laws. I doubt that the tow dolly would be legal there. You would be less likely to get hassled towing the trailer with the camper on than you would with the dolly. As long as the trailer has its own brakes stopping will be atleast as good as with the camper on. I can actually stop better with the trailer and camper than just the camper alone due to the trailer brakes helping.

BTW the crazist towing setup I ever saw was an old crown vic pulling a converted truck box trailer that had a 5th wheel hitch in it that was in turn pulling a small 5th wheel! Looked hilarious!