Slide in camper/tow rig build (1 Viewer)

[Gumby]

He did a pretty good job with mine.

 

[Elbert]

do you have teh camper setup with heat? I don't recall reading that in the thread. If so what type of heater?

thanks

 

[Gumby]

nope. No heat. I pulled out all the heavy stuff I'd rarely use including the furnace, clean/black water tanks, sink, stove and bathroom. A small space heater will cook you out, I'm told. I have one of those in there if I need it.

 

[MARKTLC80]

Update -

The Dodge sucked. Traded it in on a 2010 Tundra. Spent a year putting the camper in the back of the Tundra and towing the pig. It didn't get as good gas mileage or have the raw torque of the Cummins, but it's way nicer and a whole lot more reliable. The Dodge had three major breakdowns on it's last trip alone. I don't need that ****.

The pain is putting the camper in the back of the Tundra all the time.

So I got a 5th wheel trailer to leave the camper on. It's a former travel trailer I picked up for $200.

But the one I got was too short for the camper and the pig so I extended the bed back 4' and moved the axles back to get them under the pig. I think I'll dovetail another 30" or so too.

I'm looking to upgrade the axles too. Up to a pair of 7000# jobs I'm looking at.

Hey Gumby, I used to own 2006 Tundra and my brother has 2007 Crew max and what we have noticed that by adding spring helper on the back will make your MPG go up by 1-2mpg's when towing larger loads. Unless you already have them, but looking at the photo it sits bit low. I used to tow 7000lbs generators with mine and I have noticed considerable improvement in gas millage also the truck was cornering much better. Just a thought.

 

[Gumby]

I'm running 5000 lb air bags in it now and it works great. It's no cummins dually, but it doesn't break down every 100 miles either. The bags are down to 10 lbs and the tires are down to 40 in the pic. When everything is at 80 it's a little higher in the back than level even with the loaded trailer on it.

I dropped the camper 3 inches into the frame to tighten up the gap on the front and lower it enough to fit in the shop. Put fenders on it today. Got the brakes all working right with the new dexter 8 lug hubs. New 16" rims and tires. Ran a rail along the upper deck to give be some tie down points, box in the deck and give the upper rails some support. Ran some bracing on the uprights too.

 

[Gumby]

Got a vin number on it this week. My truck was telling me I was getting 13.6 mpg hauling down to go wheeling last weekend.

I scaled it on the way home. 7750 over the rear axles. Total weight for the truck and trailer is 15000.

 

[Mace]

That's nice and light.

 

[Rubiconcruiser]

Unique and UN complicated. Thaks for the thread.

 

[Gumby]

That's nice and light.

What's your's weigh?

 

[Mace]

What's your's weigh?

Camper and truck were 11K and change (the camper alone is 4K). My old little 18' trailer and cruiser sit at about 7K.

I have not weighed the new goose yet, but I'm betting that I'll be in the 19K range for the whole kit-n-caboodle..


As soon as I get the camper on I'll get it weighed.

 

[Gumby]

Got it a vin a couple of weeks ago as a 8-10k trailer. TC plates in IL require a DOT inspection every year, a bunch of extras like flares, and $178/yr to renew. I reclassified it yesterday as an RV. No weight limit. No inspection and $58/yr.

Trailered it down to MO. For 10 days. It was pretty nice.

 

[Gumby]

New torsion axles from Gappy. 5000# should do the trick.

 

[Gumby]

 

[Gumby]

Keeps getting a little better.

Now with motorcycle attachment.

 

[Mace]

NICE!! I'm going to do something similar to mine. Perhaps just a rack on the very back tho.

 

[Gumby]

I thought a lot about a rack on a pair of receivers off the back. For this trip this will work. I will be staying in a hotel on the way out unless I want to unload the pig and the bike so I can get in the camper, but I didn't have time to build a rack. Also, it fit well and is pretty protected.

The wife is riding back from sd on her own, so its just for the trip out.

I built the front chock to bolt to my spare tire mount

 

[Rubiconcruiser]

Wel if that dont just beat allmhere we go and build all the trailers down to the nuts and bolts and along cones a camper, better than all of us, Nice job.

 

[Rubiconcruiser]

Wel if that dont just beat all here we go and build all the trailers down to the nuts and bolts and along cones a camper, better than all of us, sheesh. Nice job.