Posted 2014-09-04 9:33 PM (#160648 - in reply to #138110) Subject: RE: Towing horses with camper on truck.
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Aubrey, Texas 76227
I would like your perspective. I have a '05 F350 CC DRW 4x4 diesel on which I intend to place a Northern Lite 9.5 Queen Classic TC (yet to be purchased) and then tow a Wrangler 3 horse steel stock trailer with two horses.
1. What tie downs do you use for your TC?
2. What mods have you made to your F350 for carrying the TC and towing? Are you using a hitch extension? Weight distributing hitch?
Every body I know is using GN's. But my wife and I also like to camp and boat. Thanks a ton for your insight.
Posted 2014-09-06 12:41 PM (#160670 - in reply to #138029) Subject: RE: Towing horses with camper on truck.
Regular
Posts: 97 Location: mancelona michigan
We have been there and done that.Ford 350DRW extended cab diesel.11.5 ' coachman with extended hitch that bolted to the truck frame and extended up under the camper bottom,and was bolted to it as well. Trailer was not for horses,it was a race boat trailer,3 axels , 28' long with an equipment box on the front to carry spare motor and blower,tools,ect. Trailer was only 8k#.55mph was tops unless cross wing and then less. went up hill very nice but you had to crawl downhill to keep the speed down. Brakes on all 3 trailer axels too.We pulled that for about 3 yrs and hated every minute. Finally ended up with a Kenworth W-900a,front drive axel,air ride and a 22' chassis mounted camper. ran that thing all over the country for 12 yrs with our 2 kids.All 3 coasts,mexico and canada before retireing from boat drags and relaxing with mules and donkeys! The KW was solid at any speed or terain.
Posted 2014-09-08 5:03 PM (#160687 - in reply to #138029) Subject: RE: Towing horses with camper on truck.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455 Location: Texas
I haul a 3-horse trailer behind my Chevy 2500HD pickup with a 8.5' pickup camper. I get along good, but my camper is pretty light, about 1300 lbs dry, maybe 1800 lbs loaded and ready to go, and I don't need a hitch extension due to the shorter length.
Being you haven't purchased the camper, yet, I'd look to see if you can get by with a shorter one.
Posted 2014-09-09 8:00 AM (#160698 - in reply to #138029) Subject: RE: Towing horses with camper on truck.
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Aubrey, Texas 76227
Folks:
Thanks for sharing. Generally helpful. Tell me what I am missing. The center of the ball on my hitch is exactly 9 feet six inches from the front wall of the bed. So a camper with a 9 foot 6 inch bed would have a rear wall sitting right over the ball and not extend beyond the ball (at least not by much if the camper does not have a rear bumper). My trailer has a surge break coupling that has effectively added seven inches to the length of the couple. I took the truck and wife to a local parking lot, dropped the tail gate (creating a 24 inch overhang off the bed), and then had my wife drive in tight circles. I stood on the tail gate, looked down, and watched for any overlap between the tail gate and any part of the trailer that would be high enough to actually hit a truck camper whose bottom was flush with the bed of the truck. There was no over lap no matter how tight the turn. I did not jack knife the trailer. I also took into account that the two rear jacks would hang lower and attached to the campers rear wall. Again, no over lap/impingement. I looked for an could not find a washout that would create a combination of a high angle of entry and exit. I could not find one. So I had the wife back onto a concrete ramp. Again, no impingement/overlap. What am I missing here?
Thanks in advance for your help! BTW - if the 9.6 Northern Lite will not work without a hitch extension, I will go with a Lance 835 or 850. Lance claims no overhang and no need for a hitch extension for these models. Finally, the target dry weight I am looking for on a camper is no more than 2,500 pounds (The Northern Lite 9.6 Lite has a dry weight under 2,000 pounds). Thanks !
Posted 2014-09-09 4:32 PM (#160705 - in reply to #160698) Subject: RE: Towing horses with camper on truck.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455 Location: Texas
Tanker Joe, it sounds like you've checked it out pretty well. I know if I left my tailgate down, the tongue jack would hit it, but that sounds like it's not the case for you.
The only thing I can see that you may have missed is the combination of driving through a depression while turning sharp. Such as backing through a ditch or something similar.
I know I have a nice little scratch in the paint on the front of my trailer and a matching little ding on the rear corner of my camper. To be honest, I don't even know when it happened other than it was sometime before my wife pointed it out to me and demanded to know what the hell I was doing wrong when it happened. Ha ha. Our driveway does not have a culvert and so it just kind of dips down through the ditch then onto the road. I often back the trailer in to avoid turning it around, and I assume the contact happened one of those times.
I know an extra foot on my 8.5' camper would not work for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for you.
If you have a sub-2000-lb camper, I do not see weight being an issue with a F-350 DRW.
I use belly bars for my tie-down points. Then I use chain with turn-buckles from the camper to the belly bars. I lose a little bit of ground clearance right near the center of the wheelbase with the belly bar, but it has never been a problem. And I take my pickup, camper, and trailer off-road quite a bit. There are better options than belly bars, but they also cost more money.
Posted 2014-09-11 8:04 PM (#160730 - in reply to #138029) Subject: RE: Towing horses with camper on truck.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 373 Location: Texas
Our previous rig was just about that exact set u. 2001 F350, dually, 4x4. 9.5' Shadow Cruiser camer, and the first trailer was a 4 horse 1994 Circle J, then we got a 2004 Trails West 3 horse. It was a suer set u, that we could get in to any campground we wanted, often getting some prime campsites due to smaller size, and easier to park. We added airbags to truck. The hitch had extension. 2.25" receiver, and the hitch was solid, NOT tubular. We had load leveling hitch. I'll see if I can find some photos and figure how to post them. We changed to a LQ as it was getting old climbing in and out of camper. But I do miss the ability to go places the LQ can not go
Posted 2014-09-13 4:18 PM (#160750 - in reply to #160705) Subject: RE: Towing horses with camper on truck.
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Aubrey, Texas 76227
Excellent perspective. I must admit that the ditch/wash out scenario gives me pause. The Northern Lite 9.6's appeal due to relatively light weight. I am leaning towards a Lance 850 now. I has a 8'11" floor length and Lance claims no overhang. I guess the bottom line is I am not having a hitch extension. My wife and I are back packers. The only time we are in the camper is to eat, hygiene, and sleep. Otherwise we are outside with our animals. Thanks again. Tanker Joe (120 is the way to go:)
Towing horses with camper on truck.
