I have always towed with a short box and never had a problem. I do however have a sliding fifth wheel hitch should the need to jacknife occur. My current setup will cut to about 75~80 degrees without contacting the cab and doesn't have an extended pin box. My hitch is set so the pin is 2.5" ahead of the rear axle. If you have the room for a CC with an 8' box they do have they advantages, I just like the fact I can park mine in my garage and it is easy to handle in parking lots when compared to the 8' box. Here is a link of what we are towing...

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/Zinc001/DSC00015.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/Zinc001/DSC00018.jpg

 

OK, now I'm a tad concerned.... We're looking at perhaps getting a trailer, not sure yet if a travel trailer or 5er or if we're going to get one at all. We went to a local RV dealer and they have a used 37' TT that would suit our needs. I am guessing from the discussion here that this thing would be a cast iron bear to tow??? It would be set up as a seasonal most of the time but if we decide to go anywhere I would be towing it. That's one reason I got a F-350 instead of a F-250, I wanted to be able to tow just about anything....

 

A 37' foot bumper hitch is a hand full no matter what kind of truck you have.If this is your first camper try something in the 24-26 foot range.A camper this size can be towed easily by a 250 .also chances are after a year or so you will decide you like something better .If you budget allows it ,try for the fifth wheel there is no comparison when towing . I went thru three travel trailers and two 5vers before I found exactly what i wanted.

 

same here but I went thru one travel trailer. 1994 wilderness 24ft. Everytime I had tractor trailers go by I gripped that wheel. Then when I had them on both sides of me just sucked the trailer right in and trailer wouldnt stop swaying. Then I bought the fifth wheel 2003 cougar 30ft. No comparison. Now i'm passing the tractor trailers. i have the hitch and sway bars & mounts and friction bar for sale for a travel trailer.

 

I have towed pop-ups and boats before, just never anything that big. I need something with room for three kids and most "bunkhouse" style trailers are 30+ feet. This one is a 2001 in pretty good shape for $15K, cheap enough that if we find we don't really care for "camping"(I'm just getting too old for sleeping on the ground any more) I won't be taking a big hit selling it. Believe me, I saw a really nice brand new 5er that was 40' but I'm not spending $50K.......

 

i spent $28,000 for mine brand new. wasnt that bad. but the cabinets are cheap in it. and a couple other things.

 

If you are going to learn how to tow anyways, but the biggest trailer that you can find. You'll be forced to learn fast

I learned how to tow on my trailer that I picked up this year. Gooseneck, triple axle, 36 feet, 10'8 tall. You learn fast. Plus I tow with a shortbox dually, and i had some issues with clearance (read new back window).

Go big or go home, thats what I always say.

 

Have you considered looking on E-bay for a camper,seems to me $15,000 is too much for a six yr old travel trailer.Camping season is nearly over so if you will be patient and look around you shuold be able to get a camper for about any budget .In my area( southeasten Kentucky) A person can get into a very nice trailer for around 7-10,000.
If interested I can E-mail you the web-sites of several reputable dealers in this area.also if you dont mind doing some repair work I have a customer that will sell you a late model fix-er upper at some very good buys.

 

The 5th wheel I've looked at close to Memphis is a 29' Jayco with slideout. It is a 1999 model that is real clean. It doesn't have bunks, so we're probably making out the table. There is a 29' Prowler bunkhouse here in Bartlett that the owner is asking $7000 for. It is a 1996. I would prefer a 5th wheel. Both are throwing in all of the hitch stuff.

Neither can be pulled with my c1500 piece of junk, so I'm looking for a PSD!

 

Over the past few years campers have become a hobby for me,I have picked up on some things that maybe will be helpful to you.I have owned several in the last few years so I've learned a little about them.



First go to nada.com .

As you navigate around the site you can find a book price for most campers.This is useful about giving you some idea as to what they are worth.If you find one and the owner is above book valve,try to get him to lower his price to at least book price.

If they wont lower their price I wouldnt reccomend a purchase because there are to many campers around that you can purchase at or below book price.

Regardless of its condition campers over about six or seven years old dont tend to hold their value well.Also the banks in my area will not carry a camper over 5 years of age so finding a buyer with cash in hand can sometimes be a problem for a seller.

If you find a camper you are interested in ,here is a few things to look for.

1 .Does it have any odd odors inside ,a musky or damp smell is a sign of a roof leak.check the inside corners of the cabinets and the interior ceiling corners for "soft spots"these are a sign of leakage .if you find even a small spot ,beware ,you could have more damage that you cannot see.

2 .Get a ladder and look at the roof If it is even and smooth you're okay,is the a/c sitting level or does it appear to be sinking into the roof.this is also a sign of roof problems.

3.Check under the floor around the outside edges of the camper{check from underneath}.if the roof is leaking it will show up there.

4. look at the date on the tires.if they are over seven years old (regardless of how good they look) they shoukd be replaced.

5. Make they seller hook the camper up to electric and demonstrate that everthing works..



Sorry for this being so long but the list is endless and I hate to see people buy something that will be problematic.If you need any other help please ask.

It has been my experience that there are two kind of camper roofs,,those that leak,,and those that will leak

 

I have a 20 ft 5th wheel, tow with a 2008 Sport Super Ranger with 4L, std, 2x4 with lock dif. Hitch is slider off full size PU and was hard to install as bolts run too close over frame, could be easier if with 2" wider floor plates so L brackets fit better.
No problem towing or braking (with brake controller) with center over axle which is 1/2 way in 6 ft box. haven't yet had to use slider adjustment as turns and clears fine.
This PU so easy to fit in today's small parking spaces too.