esimmers
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 15, 2010
- Messages
- 170
Mostly just to see if it can be done, I tried out my Hawk on my 5X8 utility trailer with a 3,500 axle. Here are some pictures.
The sides of the trailer are about 7 inches higher than my truck so I made a frame from 2x8s and joist hangers so the trailer would be supported from the bottom as well. There are bolts in the trailer bed to hold the camper down. I needed to add an eight-inch or so piece of chain to the turnbuckles to reach all the way to the trailer floor.
The front camper bumpers are about 15 inches back from the front of the trailer so there's a 2x4 brace holding the trailer in place.
Clearance for the cab overhang isn't too bad since I use a Softopper <www.softopper.com>. It's only in the most extreme cornering that there's and interference between the truck canopy and the camper overhang. In a pinch, all I'd have to do is to unclip the rear strap of the Softopper and tip it forward to clear any possible cornering interference.
I haven't weighed the tongue weight of the trailer with the camper on it. Fully loaded, the camper could weigh as much as 1800 pounds. The trailer itself weighs about 750 pounds. The center of gravity is clearly well forward of the trailer axle and the tongue weight is obviously more that the minimum 10-15% of total weight that always must be the tongue weight. My F-250 barely notices the tongue weight, whatever it is.
Like I said, I did this just to see if it would work. It clearly does but hauling a camping trailer is a completely different beast that putting a camper on a truck. Advantages and disadvantages either way.
Anyway, I thought you'd like to see what I did.
The sides of the trailer are about 7 inches higher than my truck so I made a frame from 2x8s and joist hangers so the trailer would be supported from the bottom as well. There are bolts in the trailer bed to hold the camper down. I needed to add an eight-inch or so piece of chain to the turnbuckles to reach all the way to the trailer floor.
The front camper bumpers are about 15 inches back from the front of the trailer so there's a 2x4 brace holding the trailer in place.
Clearance for the cab overhang isn't too bad since I use a Softopper <www.softopper.com>. It's only in the most extreme cornering that there's and interference between the truck canopy and the camper overhang. In a pinch, all I'd have to do is to unclip the rear strap of the Softopper and tip it forward to clear any possible cornering interference.
I haven't weighed the tongue weight of the trailer with the camper on it. Fully loaded, the camper could weigh as much as 1800 pounds. The trailer itself weighs about 750 pounds. The center of gravity is clearly well forward of the trailer axle and the tongue weight is obviously more that the minimum 10-15% of total weight that always must be the tongue weight. My F-250 barely notices the tongue weight, whatever it is.
Like I said, I did this just to see if it would work. It clearly does but hauling a camping trailer is a completely different beast that putting a camper on a truck. Advantages and disadvantages either way.
Anyway, I thought you'd like to see what I did.