Posted 2006-11-03 5:41 AM (#51043) Subject: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
I am considering selling my LQ trailer and buying a Fifth Wheel and a Bumper Pull. In Kentucky the law states you can not be longer than 70 feet, from front bumper to rear of last trailer. We camp alot, sometimes with horses, mostly with nothing, sometimes with pontoon. So this seems to me to be the best way to go about doing this. As far as weights go Fifth wheels I am looking at are 8000-9000lbs. Bumper pull is 2800-3400lbs. 2 horses and a pony 2800lbs. Looks like everything would be under 16K, I am probley pulling close to that now with a 14ft. shortwall, and I don't have near the camping setup now as I would have with the Fifth Wheel. Anybody doing this? I have seen a few of these on the road but have not talked with anyone that does it. I talked with the local hitch installer he said he put's hitches on fifth wheels alot, and it's kind of high to get done, and done right. Anyhoo, probley opened up a can of worms so all imput is appreciated.
Posted 2006-11-03 6:18 AM (#51044 - in reply to #51043) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by HWBar on 2006-11-03 5:41 AM
I am considering selling my LQ trailer and buying a Fifth Wheel and a Bumper Pull. In Kentucky the law states you can not be longer than 70 feet, from front bumper to rear of last trailer. We camp alot, sometimes with horses, mostly with nothing, sometimes with pontoon. So this seems to me to be the best way to go about doing this. As far as weights go Fifth wheels I am looking at are 8000-9000lbs. Bumper pull is 2800-3400lbs. 2 horses and a pony 2800lbs. Looks like everything would be under 16K, I am probley pulling close to that now with a 14ft. shortwall, and I don't have near the camping setup now as I would have with the Fifth Wheel. Anybody doing this? I have seen a few of these on the road but have not talked with anyone that does it. I talked with the local hitch installer he said he put's hitches on fifth wheels alot, and it's kind of high to get done, and done right. Anyhoo, probley opened up a can of worms so all imput is appreciated.
I'd look long and hard at that 70ft limit, it might squeeze you into a horse trailer that is too small and a travel trailer with the same problem.
Also, you've added up the trailer weights, but have you added up the weight of all the additional STUFF you'll just HAVE TO TAKE now that you can ?
Does the hitch have to be that expensive ?
I thought the rear bumper was usually about a 4 inch square steel tube that also serves as the sewer tube carrier. Seems I've seen ball mounts on those, something to insist on "fer free" when you go trailer shopping (-:
Posted 2006-11-03 8:15 AM (#51048 - in reply to #51043) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 500 Location: West TN
I was considering this as well. However, I found out that it would void my warranty on the camper. I have seen this done only a few times. I was concerned about the structural integrity of the camper frame to handle this type of load. I decided that it would be better off to stay safe and not take a chance on this configuration.
Posted 2006-11-03 9:06 AM (#51052 - in reply to #51043) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Veteran
Posts: 225 Location: Kansas City
Years ago we pull a boat behind our RV trailer. But boats were not supersized back then and there was little tongue weight.
I would suppose that if more than a few people think pulling a BP horse trailer is bad when hooked to a pickup that is "supposed" to tow, then hooking a BP to an RV trailer that is not "supposed" to tow would not be a good idea.
I am a strong proponent of BP horse trailers, but even to me this sounds like an accident waiting to happen.
Posted 2006-11-03 10:58 AM (#51064 - in reply to #51043) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Member
Posts: 9
Location: Norfolk, Nebraska
I have put many hitch tubes on the back of campers and most of them all have that square tube on the back but it is only 14 guage steel which is not very thick. Like i ay we do put them on butt we recomend to just pull a boat or jet sky.
Posted 2006-11-03 11:27 AM (#51065 - in reply to #51043) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Member
Posts: 43 Location: Cheyenne,Wy
The smaller 5th wheels do not have the frame to handle a horse trailer, let a lone the boats that they do pull. About once a year i see some one who lost their boat because the trailer frame failed. The people always try to blame the trailer companies, some of them even try to sue the trailer co. only to find out that the frames are only designed to carry the weight of the trailer nothing else, and the voided their warrenty in the prosses.
There are a few rv's that i know that can handle a 7k trailer safely Hitchhicker and Newmar. I know there are more these two companies are the only 2 i have worked with.
Posted 2006-11-04 12:18 PM (#51102 - in reply to #51043) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Veteran
Posts: 247 Location: NW
I used to have an older friend that did a rig like that - but only so he could make one trip from CO to WY each yr when he went up (& back) to be a camp host in the Tetons. He just had a little 2H straight load BP. The thought just scared the heck out of me, w/some of the passes he had to go over. 'Course, he thought nothing of booking it over Teton Pass w/a HUGE 5th wheel behind him either!! I guess I'm just not gutsy enought.....
Posted 2006-11-04 4:07 PM (#51113 - in reply to #51043) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Member
Posts: 5
Location: Sturgis, MI 49091
Hello I sell Campers and Horse Trailers. I would not recommend doing this. You May see small fishing boats behind the fifth wheels but not a Horse trailer with a moving load! This will be very Dangerous and I would not recommend this to anyone. A horse trailer has more tongue weight than a boat also! If You have any questions please feel free to contact me at anytime!
Posted 2006-11-07 10:49 AM (#51219 - in reply to #51043) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Veteran
Posts: 247 Location: NW
Haylett's huh? Know them well! Or at least I USED to! I lived in CW at one point too - last MI residence was out on Burr Oak Rd outside Bronson. Most of family still back that way!
Posted 2006-11-09 11:15 AM (#51302 - in reply to #51043) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455 Location: Texas
Why not just put a hitch on the back of your horse trailer? (Check length and weight requirements.) Then if you want to bring the boat, just hook it up, and still use the horse LQ. Unless bringing a horse trailer somewhere without horses in it really bothers you.
Posted 2006-11-09 6:01 PM (#51312 - in reply to #51302) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 379 Location: Columbia, TN
I think the reason most people do this is because they can buy a real nice camper for a lot less than a LQ horse trailer. I have pulled both horse trailers and 5th wheel campers and I would feel safer in a horse trailer at 85 than with a 5th wheel at 65. They are just not made nearly as well as a alum. horse trailer. They are a lot less stable. Just my 2 cents.
Posted 2006-11-09 6:57 PM (#51316 - in reply to #51312) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 524 Location: Lone Oak, Tx
We were camping one weekend out at Caprock Canyon in Texas and that night a fifthwheel camper came in right when we were going to bed. This area is supposed to be for horse campers only so I was thinking whats he doing camping here. Woke up next morning and they had horses in the corrals. I started talking to the guy and I asked him how he got the horses here. He showed me his camper and it had had 2 stalls built in to the fifthwheel in the back so he could carry horses in it. He said he had it custom made. I had never before seen something like this and have yet to see one since. I would not have believed it if I didn't see it. Had a slide out and everything. It was pretty nice. I didn't ask him about weight and such. So theres an option!
Posted 2006-11-10 7:36 AM (#51327 - in reply to #51316) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Regular
Posts: 76 Location: Holly Mi
maccwall,
I have often wondered about that type setup. I believe they call them toy haulers for quads,snowmobiles and motorcycles. why couldn't they make them for horses? seems like there would be more comforts for the human in that type trailer.
Posted 2006-11-10 8:00 AM (#51328 - in reply to #51043) Subject: RE: Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
Regular
Posts: 62 Location: Western Wisconsin
I think it goes back to the fact that campers are not built near as heavy structurally as a horse trailer. Hauling mini's or something like that would probably be fine, but you wouldn't catch me putting my Qh's in one.
Fifth Wheel and BP-Anyone?
I guess I'm just not gutsy enought.....
