8+ foot pick-up camper and towing

[square1]

What variables impact trailer towing with a slide in camper, specifically campers over 8' long in an 8' bed? Are there design differences that limit or enhance towing? Which factors, other than weight, need special consideration?

Found out today the offer on some property about an hour away was accepted. I'd like to load up the tractor to go there for the weekend on occasion so a truck camper makes sense. Of course longer campers have more creature comfort so striving to find the proper balance is a big part of the picture.

Do equalizer hitches provide a greater benefit when the tow vehicle is loaded than when empty? My tractor on the trailer doesn't tax the truck much, but thinking the added camper will make a considerable difference.

 

[Stimw]

I bought a new slide in pop-up camper for my 2004 Silverado 1500 6.5 bed 200 miles from home. It only weighed 950 lbs.
On the interstate at 70 mph mt truck would downshift on the simple grades at overpasses! There was so much wind resistance.
My truck normally has plenty of power.
I towed the 3500 lb Kia home 120 miles a month ago and could not tell it was back there until I looked in the mirror and then at first wondered why that guy was following so close!!
I sold the camper without ever using it.

 

[Deere Dude]

As long as the hitch don't have to be extended, I would do it. If you have a 10-11 foot camper the hitch would have to be extended and the usefulness would be very diminished.

I had a dooly with an old 10-1/2 truck camper and that was a handful already. The stinger was a 2'+ tube with a ball on the end for the trailer hitch to get past the camper so I never used it because it seemed weak.

 

[square1]

I sold the camper without ever using it.

That camper had a pretty good extension out the back. Did you get any info on towing with it installed on the truck?

 

[square1]

The stinger was a 2'+ tube with a ball on the end for the trailer hitch to get past the camper so I never used it because it seemed weak.

That just sounds a lot scary without ever seeing it!

 

[Stimw]

Here are pics of the rear. (I used that and front straps to bring it home) It fit even with the rear of the 6.5 bed.
I never tried to tow my 23' boat with it before selling it.
Some of the camping websites have PU Camper forums and I have seen pics of 2" tub extensions that didn't look very stable.

 

[aczlan]

I bought a new slide in pop-up camper for my 2004 Silverado 1500 6.5 bed 200 miles from home. It only weighed 950 lbs.
On the interstate at 70 mph mt truck would downshift on the simple grades at overpasses! There was so much wind resistance.
My truck normally has plenty of power.
I towed the 3500 lb Kia home 120 miles a month ago and could not tell it was back there until I looked in the mirror and then at first wondered why that guy was following so close!!
I sold the camper without ever using it.

If you had added a wind deflector to push the wind over the top of the camper (so that it didn't go up the windshield and under the camper) it probably would have hauled much easier.

On the question of towing with a long camper in, there is a company named supertruss who makes a hitch that is setup like two receiver tubes stacked on top of each other, then you install their hitch (which has two receivers stacked vertically on it) and chains to go from the end of the extension back to the corners of the hitch on the truck and it becomes much more stable.

Aaron Z

 

[square1]

Here are pics of the rear. (I used that and front straps to bring it home) It fit even with the rear of the 6.5 bed.
I never tried to tow my 23' boat with it before selling it.
Some of the camping websites have PU Camper forums and I have seen pics of 2" tub extensions that didn't look very stable.

Haha, it was the building in the back ground in the first pic I thought was an extension. Small phone screen & old eyes
I could imagine maybe a 14~16' aluminum boat trailered on an extended hitch, but not 3 1/2 tons of tractor & trailer.

 

[1stDeuce]

I'm running a 8.5' camper in a 6.5' box. The back of the camper overhangs the lowered tailgate by about an inch. I have towed lots of stuff with the camper in the truck, and the only issue I've had is not being able to use the tongue jack on some trailers...

I would generally say that if you don't NEED a hitch extension, you are better off without it. They put a lot of leverage (aka stress) on the hitch, and the farther back from the rear axle you're ball is, the more weight comes off the front. Also, you'll find that the tail wags the dog easier with a hitch extension... Weight dist hitches are not supposed to be used with extensions because of the stress they place on the hitch, and the stress that the extension will see. They usually have a fairly low limit on how much you can tow, and how much tongue weight you can have.

 

[lpigott]

Setup properly you will not have an issue. I have a short bed with a 8.5 and a proper hitch extension and have towed my 7500# boat hundreds of miles behind the camper without issue. Just be careful of the tongue weight with a tractor as you truck is at or near full load with just a camper.