Overhang and towing question

[Oswegatchie]

We are looking at pop up truck campers such as Alaskan, Hallmark, Northstar, and ATC. We want a wet bath of some kind and they all seem to have varying degrees of overhang (we have a 1 ton 8ft bed). We want to tow a horse trailer that has approx. a 2ft. tongue on it. How much overhang can we safely have without hitting it on tight turns with the trailer? Especially concerned about visiting fueling stations and some situations that could arise in them in tight quarters. Any experiences with this would be helpful.I have heard about a 1ft extension that may be available too? Not sure how this would effect the stability of the trailer, especially in high winds.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Turning radius is easy to determine with graph paper and taking some measurements on the trailer.

A hitch extension will reduce the tongue weight your truck will be able to handle.  The additional length will effect the departure angle of the truck; again you can figure this out with graph paper.

 -- Spiff

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Truck campers are pretty heavy.  Horse trailers are pretty heavy empty, and are REALLY heavy when you are transporting a couple of tons of horse in one.  (Let's see if that phrase triggers a DEA investigation. )

Somewhere on your truck, or via an online search, you need to determine the Gross Combined Weight Rating for your specific make, model, and year.  See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_combined_weight_rating

It would not surprise me at all if you needed a heavier truck - a 450 or 550 - to do what it is you are trying to do.

 

[Oswegatchie]

Truck campers are pretty heavy.  Horse trailers are pretty heavy empty, and are REALLY heavy when you are transporting a couple of tons of horse in one.  (Let's see if that phrase triggers a DEA investigation. )

Somewhere on your truck, or via an online search, you need to determine the Gross Combined Weight Rating for your specific make, model, and year.  See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_combined_weight_rating

It would not surprise me at all if you needed a heavier truck - a 450 or 550 - to do what it is you are trying to do.

The trailer weighs 3100 dry weight with nothing in it. The camper we are hoping to get will be around 1500-2000 wet weight. As for the contents of the trailer, unknown right now as to weight. We do have a 3500 GMC with 6.6 Duramax. We are trying to get a majority of the weight off the payload and onto the towing end of things.

 

[highdesertranger]

those extension drastically reduce your tongue weight carrying ability. do your homework. highdesertranger

 

[masterplumber]

Just from my experience towing with a 1 ton truck with a four wheel popup. You can generally get away with a 9' camper on an 8' bed as it doesn't really hang past the rear bumper, and the receiver hitch is usually at least to the edge of the bumper. anything more that that and you have to worry about the trailer and camper contacting each other when backing up in a tight turn, especially with a horse trailer as they generally have short tongues. As for extensions, I'd avoid them with your set up. I wouldn't want more than about 200 lbs of tongue weight on one. The only exception is if you have a true class V receiver, and fun a Torque Lift extension with an equalizer hitch. But that would still severely effect your departure angle.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

To be at a 1500-2000 lb wet weight on anything with a wet bath seems like wishful thinking. Low 2000's seems to be more realistic, heavier on the Alaskans.

Either way, sounds like you'll be asking a lot of your truck with that set up, even with a one ton. But you just have to play with the hard numbers and the specs for your vehicle to see where you come in at.

Are you gonna be carrying a horse(s) in the trailer or just using a horse trailer for storage because you already have one?

 

[Oswegatchie]

To be at a 1500-2000 lb wet weight on anything with a wet bath seems like wishful thinking. Low 2000's seems to be more realistic, heavier on the Alaskans.

Either way, sounds like you'll be asking a lot of your truck with that set up, even with a one ton.  But you just have to play with the hard numbers and the specs for your vehicle to see where you come in at.  

Are you gonna be carrying a horse(s) in the trailer or just using a horse trailer for storage because you already have one?

No horse. She got the trailer since she has access to horses nearby that she rides often. Just storage. Mainly bikes, dry goods, and extra water and fuel. I know it adds up quickly. We are still trying to go light, even with all the storage capacity that the trailer has. We don't want an AC unit or a furnace (thinking of going only with the Wave 3 we purchased recently). Mainly looking at Alaskans due to noise consideration in the canvas pop ups. Also their reputation for quality seems solid.

 

[Oswegatchie]

No horse. She got the trailer since she has access to horses nearby that she rides often. Just storage. Mainly bikes, dry goods, and extra water and fuel. I know it adds up quickly. We are still trying to go light, even with all the storage capacity that the trailer has. We don't want an AC unit or a furnace (thinking of going only with the Wave 3 we purchased recently). Mainly looking at Alaskans due to noise consideration in the canvas pop ups. Also their reputation for quality seems solid.

Also thinking cassette toilet with portable shower maybe? Maybe avoid the wet bath? I have to convince the other half about outside showering possibilities and the joy in it.

 

[highdesertranger]

if you don't use the horse trailer for horses anymore I would sell it and get a cargo trailer. a cargo trailer with a long tongue. highdesertranger

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

those extension drastically reduce your tongue weight carrying ability.  do your homework.  highdesertranger

HDR is certainly right about that.  Your truck PROBABLY came with a Class 3 receiver hitch.  People with truck campers who need to pull trailers often upgrade to Class 5 hitches.  These are significantly stronger and utilize a 2 1/2" receiver rather than a 2".  There are special extensions available specifically for them that are used by the truck camper crowd.

Here's a picture of one such, lifted from an article in Truck Camper Magazine:

 

[Oswegatchie]

if you don't use the horse trailer for horses anymore I would sell it and get a cargo trailer.  a cargo trailer with a long tongue.  highdesertranger

Actually we were looking at cargo trailers, then realized we had a horse trailer already. I think you may be right. Cargo trailers weigh considerably less and have a longer Tonge. Our trailer only has about 2 ft. to the actual trailer itself. Ughhh! More to sell! Do you want to buy it

 

[Oswegatchie]

HDR is certainly right about that.  Your truck PROBABLY came with a Class 3 receiver hitch.  People with truck campers who need to pull trailers often upgrade to Class 5 hitches.  These are significantly stronger and utilize a 2 1/2" receiver rather than a 2".  There are special extensions available specifically for them that are used by the truck camper crowd.

Here's a picture of one such, lifted from an article in Truck Camper Magazine:

Nice hitch. Wonder what it all costs? We are still newbies and hate to sink a lot of money into a setup that may change quickly once we begin actually living on the road and living the reality. Since we really want to go into deep backcountry eventually, and she will not do a van as of yet, I see no alternative to a truck camper. I tried to tell her a van could conceivably have more actual living space than a truck camper but she is not convinced. Yet. It seems to be 2 things: She wants an oven and wants a shower/bathroom inside.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

How about selling the horse trailer for a lighter cargo trailer with a longer tongue and then building a small shower in the trailer? Then you can get a lighter truck camper with more space inside with out having the shower in there. And the shower can have a larger water holding tank in the trailer.