Just got a truck camper for my F-350 and am trying to find out what people use – what types of hitch extensions, sway bars, air bags etc. – to pull a horse trailer with their truck camper. I have a 2-horse bumper-pull slant. Anybody? 
Thanks!
You mean like this: http://www.lancecamper.com/truck-campers/
We had good friends into racing MGs and they had one like this and then pulled a pretty good sized enclosed trailer with the race car and all it’s supporting gear (a pretty good load). They spent a fair amount on suspension modifications, including a full “air ride” system, as when they first tried to use it the tongue weight of the trailer combined with the weight of the camper dramatically lighted the front end of the truck, giving some “interesting” moments on their first trip.
The hitch point extended quite far back to clear the back end of the camper. When I first looked at it all I could think of was Archimedes moving planets!!! If the truck was empty it rode as rough as a cob, even with the air ride, because the springs were so stiff as required by the huge weight of the camper plus trailer tongue load.
So, yes, it can be done. It will require some good “engineering” to ensure that the truck is road safe.
Good luck in your project.
G.
[QUOTE=Guilherme;8754631]
They spent a fair amount on suspension modifications, including a full “air ride” system, as when they first tried to use it the tongue weight of the trailer combined with the weight of the camper dramatically lighted the front end of the truck, giving some “interesting” moments on their first trip.[/QUOTE]
I love weight distributing hitches because they solve this problem more effectively – in my experience – than any of the other suspension mods. They transfer tongue weight onto the frame of the truck and that keeps all 4 tires on the pavement. It’s a simple idea with profound consequences for safe driving. You’ll never regret using one. Airbags make the ride feel better, but I don’t think they live up to the hype. Or maybe after years of driving trucks with very stiff suspensions, I have lost the ability to care about the ride feel!
Enjoy your rig. I’ve towed many different campers and trailers over the years and my ideal set up is what you’ve got.
[QUOTE=Frog Pond;8755192]
I love weight distributing hitches because they solve this problem more effectively – in my experience – than any of the other suspension mods. They transfer tongue weight onto the frame of the truck and that keeps all 4 tires on the pavement. It’s a simple idea with profound consequences for safe driving. You’ll never regret using one. Airbags make the ride feel better, but I don’t think they live up to the hype. Or maybe after years of driving trucks with very stiff suspensions, I have lost the ability to care about the ride feel!
Enjoy your rig. I’ve towed many different campers and trailers over the years and my ideal set up is what you’ve got.[/QUOTE]
True enough, but not the whole physics of the thing.
The frame of the truck is has wheels mounted on it. It has a “center point” that the frame moves around as in moves longitudinally. If you add weight to one end of the frame and do nothing else then the frame will rotate around that center of motion. It’s like two kids on a tetter-totter. If the kids are equally sized it’s fun. If they not then it might not be.
Truck campers are also quite heavy, at least the ones with more amenities. Some go well above 3000 pounds, dry weight. Add water, clothes, food, people, etc. and you can break 4000 pounds real fast. Now add a few hundred pounds of tongue weight and what do you have?
Last, but not least, they significantly raise the CG of the truck. Some brands tout carbon fiber roofs, “retractable” roofs, etc. to minimize this issue. But my friend noted that in high winds the truck camper can present “handling challenges.” Maintaining speed control is very important and sudden maneuvers are to be avoided.
I’m sure this can be made to work. I’m not sure that it can be made to work well.
G.
[QUOTE=Guilherme;8755508]
True enough, but not the whole physics of the thing.
The frame of the truck is has wheels mounted on it. It has a “center point” that the frame moves around as in moves longitudinally. If you add weight to one end of the frame and do nothing else then the frame will rotate around that center of motion. It’s like two kids on a tetter-totter. If the kids are equally sized it’s fun. If they not then it might not be.
Truck campers are also quite heavy, at least the ones with more amenities. Some go well above 3000 pounds, dry weight. Add water, clothes, food, people, etc. and you can break 4000 pounds real fast. Now add a few hundred pounds of tongue weight and what do you have?
Last, but not least, they significantly raise the CG of the truck. Some brands tout carbon fiber roofs, “retractable” roofs, etc. to minimize this issue. But my friend noted that in high winds the truck camper can present “handling challenges.” Maintaining speed control is very important and sudden maneuvers are to be avoided.
I’m sure this can be made to work. I’m not sure that it can be made to work well.
G.[/QUOTE]
The center of gravity issues combined with what has to almost certainly be maxing out the payload of the truck would make me nervous about this.
Drastically stiffening the suspension to support the weight will almost certainly make those handling issues worse.
[QUOTE=Guilherme;8755508]
True enough, but not the whole physics of the thing.
The frame of the truck is has wheels mounted on it. It has a “center point” that the frame moves around as in moves longitudinally. If you add weight to one end of the frame and do nothing else then the frame will rotate around that center of motion. It’s like two kids on a tetter-totter. If the kids are equally sized it’s fun. If they not then it might not be.
Truck campers are also quite heavy, at least the ones with more amenities. Some go well above 3000 pounds, dry weight. Add water, clothes, food, people, etc. and you can break 4000 pounds real fast. Now add a few hundred pounds of tongue weight and what do you have?
Last, but not least, they significantly raise the CG of the truck. Some brands tout carbon fiber roofs, “retractable” roofs, etc. to minimize this issue. But my friend noted that in high winds the truck camper can present “handling challenges.” Maintaining speed control is very important and sudden maneuvers are to be avoided.
I’m sure this can be made to work. I’m not sure that it can be made to work well.
G.[/QUOTE]
SO well put. I definitely keep looking for the world’s lightest, most stripped down camper for all of these reasons. I’d also add that there are many road & weather conditions that I would avoid with a camper+truck+trailer set up . . . which is pretty impractical. Time to build-my-own under that fiberglass cap I’d been thinking of using as a goat shelter :lol:
Four wheel campers are very light and top of the line.
