Slide-in + towing
Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 4
From: Washington
And, I'm sure a local fabricator can build one to those specs. My hitch extension cost less than $200, and I could use my existing receiver. At a significant savings from the $1000 to buy and install the Super hitch/truss system. I'm also positive it could handle more weight than I have to throw at it.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 12,051
Likes: 1,549
From: Media PA
And, I'm sure a local fabricator can build one to those specs. My hitch extension cost less than $200, and I could use my existing receiver. At a significant savings from the $1000 to buy and install the Super hitch/truss system. I'm also positive it could handle more weight than I have to throw at it.
I understand your point but.........With a heavier trailer, like the OP's the leverage applied by any hitch extension will almost certainly exceed the rating and capacity of the existing factory receiver hitch. That would be my primary concern with the OP's setup in question. I know it's expensive but special situations like this are where a product like Torklift's SuperHitch and Truss really shine. They are designed and built to handle those types of leverage amplified loads whereas the factory receiver is not.
I think your less costly setup is a great solution for the kind of weights that you have been working with and you are staying within the capacity of the factory receiver hitch, but a heavier load should have the entire hitching system scaled up along with the weights and leverages involved.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,866
Likes: 84
From: Rainier OR
And, I'm sure a local fabricator can build one to those specs. My hitch extension cost less than $200, and I could use my existing receiver. At a significant savings from the $1000 to buy and install the Super hitch/truss system. I'm also positive it could handle more weight than I have to throw at it.
It is doable however, the RIGHT camper is out there, but it will have to be a light one with very little over hang. That's a heavy trailer to be pulling with an extention, but if the extention is under 2' I think it will be ok.
Thread Starter
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 35
Likes: 5
I created a thread out on rv.net forum and they also been providing some pretty good feedback. It's looking like with a bigwig sway bar, airbags, and maybe some tires with the right newer light tc I'll be pretty good.
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29136175.cfm
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29136175.cfm
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: Montana
I created a thread out on rv.net forum and they also been providing some pretty good feedback. It's looking like with a bigwig sway bar, airbags, and maybe some tires with the right newer light tc I'll be pretty good.
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/f...d/29136175.cfm
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/f...d/29136175.cfm
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 192
Likes: 52
We're also going the TC route after several years in a Class A. We ordered our truck with an eye towards just enough room in the cab, maximizing floor space in the camper with minimal overhang, and maximizing payload rating. Sticker on the door jamb gives a rating of 4478#.
Take off 800# for tongue weight of our trailer and Jeep and we're left with almost 3700# for us, the dog, and a camper loaded for an off-road weekend. We're looking at campers with dry weights of 2600# or less so we shouldn't have any issues.
Take off 800# for tongue weight of our trailer and Jeep and we're left with almost 3700# for us, the dog, and a camper loaded for an off-road weekend. We're looking at campers with dry weights of 2600# or less so we shouldn't have any issues.
New User
Joined: Dec 2016
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 35
Likes: 5
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 185
Likes: 2
From: Milwauke WI
We're also going the TC route after several years in a Class A. We ordered our truck with an eye towards just enough room in the cab, maximizing floor space in the camper with minimal overhang, and maximizing payload rating. Sticker on the door jamb gives a rating of 4478#.
Take off 800# for tongue weight of our trailer and Jeep and we're left with almost 3700# for us, the dog, and a camper loaded for an off-road weekend. We're looking at campers with dry weights of 2600# or less so we shouldn't have any issues.
Take off 800# for tongue weight of our trailer and Jeep and we're left with almost 3700# for us, the dog, and a camper loaded for an off-road weekend. We're looking at campers with dry weights of 2600# or less so we shouldn't have any issues.
Your F350 SuperCab with long box has a 158" wheelbase, depending on what you use for a ball mount, the ball for the tongue of the trailer will be about 60" behind the rear axle.
The 800 pounds of tongue weight, 60" behind the rear axle will lift up some weight off the front axle, and that transfer will be added to the rear axle.
This is the formula for how much transfer there will be:
60 / 158 = 38% (percent of transfer from front axle to rear axle)
38% x 800 = 304 pounds transferred from front axle to rear.
Add that to the tongue weight, and the rear axle will have...
800 + 304 = 1104 pounds added weight to rear axle.
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Putting an extension on the ball mount (to clear the overhang on a slide-in camper), will increase the distance from the tow ball to the rear axle, and putting that distance into the weight transfer formula, shows there would be even more weight transferred from the front axle to the rear axle.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 192
Likes: 52
Your front and rear Gross Axle Weight Rating GAWR is on the sticker on your driver's side B pillar. With a slide-in camper AND a bumper pull trailer WITHOUT a weight distributing hitch, you need to be paying attention to not exceeding the rear GAWR, as well as the Tow Vehicle overall GVR.
Your F350 SuperCab with long box has a 158" wheelbase, depending on what you use for a ball mount, the ball for the tongue of the trailer will be about 60" behind the rear axle.
The 800 pounds of tongue weight, 60" behind the rear axle will lift up some weight off the front axle, and that transfer will be added to the rear axle.
This is the formula for how much transfer there will be:
60 / 158 = 38% (percent of transfer from front axle to rear axle)
38% x 800 = 304 pounds transferred from front axle to rear.
Add that to the tongue weight, and the rear axle will have...
800 + 304 = 1104 pounds added weight to rear axle.
---
Putting an extension on the ball mount (to clear the overhang on a slide-in camper), will increase the distance from the tow ball to the rear axle, and putting that distance into the weight transfer formula, shows there would be even more weight transferred from the front axle to the rear axle.
Your F350 SuperCab with long box has a 158" wheelbase, depending on what you use for a ball mount, the ball for the tongue of the trailer will be about 60" behind the rear axle.
The 800 pounds of tongue weight, 60" behind the rear axle will lift up some weight off the front axle, and that transfer will be added to the rear axle.
This is the formula for how much transfer there will be:
60 / 158 = 38% (percent of transfer from front axle to rear axle)
38% x 800 = 304 pounds transferred from front axle to rear.
Add that to the tongue weight, and the rear axle will have...
800 + 304 = 1104 pounds added weight to rear axle.
---
Putting an extension on the ball mount (to clear the overhang on a slide-in camper), will increase the distance from the tow ball to the rear axle, and putting that distance into the weight transfer formula, shows there would be even more weight transferred from the front axle to the rear axle.
The dimensions have changed a bit for the 2017 SD. The wheelbase for the SuperCab w/ long box is 164.2" and the rear overhang is 52". That reduces the percentage in your calculation. The GAWR for the rear axle is 7230#.
That 800# tongue weight is my working estimate and is higher than the actual weight in order to build in a margin. The trailer and Jeep combined actually weigh around 6500#.
Also, we are specifically looking at a camper with minimal overhang so that a hitch extension won't be necessary. These campers also have their water tanks forward of the rear axle. That will help to counteract the effects of the hitch weight.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,509
Likes: 662
From: Sioux Falls Area
Using those numbers above, for every 100lbs of hitch weight, 32 lbs is transferred from the front axle to the rear. So if your hitch weight is 650lbs, the rear axle is carrying 865 lbs (the 650 from the trailer, plus 206 transferred from the front)
Adding a 1 foot extension to the hitch bumps that up to 39 lbs per hundred on the hitch. So at 650, the rear axle is carrying 903 lbs and the front gets lighter by 250.
Adding a 2 foot extension bumps it to 46 lbs per hundred on the hitch.
So at 650, the rear is now carrying 950.
I'd keep an eye on your RAWR if you plan to use an extension. Figure out your loaded weight of the camper, and add 1,000 to that for the hitch weight if you need a 2ft extension.
Me... I'd talk to a welding shop and ask about extending the tongue before using an extension. I can't even imagine how the weight hanging off the back of the truck that far would affect vehicle dynamics. I can see sway being an issue, but I could be wrong.
I'd get a smaller camper before an extension.
Adding a 1 foot extension to the hitch bumps that up to 39 lbs per hundred on the hitch. So at 650, the rear axle is carrying 903 lbs and the front gets lighter by 250.
Adding a 2 foot extension bumps it to 46 lbs per hundred on the hitch.
So at 650, the rear is now carrying 950.
I'd keep an eye on your RAWR if you plan to use an extension. Figure out your loaded weight of the camper, and add 1,000 to that for the hitch weight if you need a 2ft extension.
Me... I'd talk to a welding shop and ask about extending the tongue before using an extension. I can't even imagine how the weight hanging off the back of the truck that far would affect vehicle dynamics. I can see sway being an issue, but I could be wrong.
I'd get a smaller camper before an extension.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 192
Likes: 52
Again, looking at a camper with minimal overhang so no extension will be used. Even if I did plan for 1000# of effective weight for the trailer, that leaves us nearly 3500# since our payload rating is 4478#. The rear GAWR is 7230#, more than enough for what we're talking about here.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,509
Likes: 662
From: Sioux Falls Area
Strictly speaking, a good share of that 4400 lbs is going to be on the front axle and it is going to be hard to get that weight up front.
Looking at the tech data, the empty rear weight is about 2750. So you can put that 4400 on the rear axle without going over RAWR, but you might be over GVWR.
It's just something to be aware of, that's all. If you bought a 3500 lbs camper and then load up a trailer with an extension, you could easily put too much on the rear axle.
Looking at the tech data, the empty rear weight is about 2750. So you can put that 4400 on the rear axle without going over RAWR, but you might be over GVWR.
It's just something to be aware of, that's all. If you bought a 3500 lbs camper and then load up a trailer with an extension, you could easily put too much on the rear axle.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 192
Likes: 52
Strictly speaking, a good share of that 4400 lbs is going to be on the front axle and it is going to be hard to get that weight up front.
Looking at the tech data, the empty rear weight is about 2750. So you can put that 4400 on the rear axle without going over RAWR, but you might be over GVWR.
It's just something to be aware of, that's all. If you bought a 3500 lbs camper and then load up a trailer with an extension, you could easily put too much on the rear axle.
Looking at the tech data, the empty rear weight is about 2750. So you can put that 4400 on the rear axle without going over RAWR, but you might be over GVWR.
It's just something to be aware of, that's all. If you bought a 3500 lbs camper and then load up a trailer with an extension, you could easily put too much on the rear axle.
With the dry weight of the campers we're looking at we won't exceed either the GVWR (11,500#) or the rear GAWR (7230#). There won't be a hitch extension so there won't be any additional leverage effect from the hitch load sitting further behind the rear axle. All factors have been taken into account and calculated multiple times, I'm kind of maniacal when it comes to researching things like this.
I think there is some great information in this thread for anyone just starting out the planning process. This one thread could have saved me months of research earlier this year. I hope the OP got all the info he needed to make a well informed decision.