First off, let me say hi to everyone and this is a great forum. waytogo Im glad I finally got off my ass and registered. Hopefully you can help me out on this one. I recently completed my offroad truck build (with the help of members of the sister forum CK5.com. It will not be street legal, nor would it be practical on the street, so I will be trailering it everywhere. I also have a couple dirtbikes and was looking to purchase a toy hauler for camping etc. Now for the question. I am looking to tow 2 very heavy loads and only one tow rig. I know that wont work...but I want to be able to bring the toys and travel trailer (toyhauler)...and my offroad truck. How do I do this feasibly...or is there a way? The only way Im thinking is that I have to buy an RV and then I can just tow one trailer with my offroad truck on that. Im going nuts trying to figure it all out. I dont have money flowing out my ears, so I dont really wanna throw down a hundred grand for an RV. Ive seen/heard about people putting a truck camper on the front of a gooseneck hauler, but I need more sleeping room than that. Possibly fabricating a 24' travel trailer (all but the frame) onto the front of a 40' gooseneck car hauler...or something like that. Is this possible? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Sorry this is so long. p.s. Anyone know the maximum tow rating of my truck by chance?
My dad and I have talked about a similar situation, only with our snowmobiles. Legally, you can pull two trailers as long as the semi is a gooseneck, the semi and pull trailer can not both be hitch pull. Now, with this, you then have to start figuring out what everything weighs and what you can pull. The difference we have is our 4 sled enclosed trailer weighs 6500lbs, about 1500lbs less than my K5 and trailer combo weighs. Then you have to start figuring out what your toy hauler options are. My neighbor has a 3 axle RV trailer that weighs 12000lbs loaded with camping stuff, obviously too heavy. THe next thing would be to figure out what the smallest toy hauler weighs that is still a 5th wheel connection to be legal pulling another trailer. But, you can't have the rear trailer heavier than the front trailer, so you're looking at twice the weight being pulled that your trail rig/trailer combo weighs. That begins to become a lot. I don't know what your GCWR on your pickup is exactly, I'm sure a Ford guy will post soon with it for you but I'd imagine you can tow somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-14K by the book..??.. DISCLAIMER: Check to make sure it's legal for a light truck to pull two trailers and you might want to look into fines and what not of being over the manufacturer's GCWR. My dad used to pull two trailers years ago with a '76 C30 but he hasn't done it in 10 yrs and I have never done it so I don't know if it's still legal or not. But, I think it is. Also, remember that you will be a sore thumb for the commercial cops and so on with two trailers which would make it even more important to try and not get over the GCWR. You'll just have to play around with what everything does/would weigh.
Thanks for the insight. Im starting to think this is a lost cause. Im leaning toward just buying a nice 5th wheel toy hauler for the small toys, and build a seperate flatbed trailer for the K5. I guess when I go wheelin, I will hope someone else has a place for me to sleep or I will bring a tent. When yer on a budget, I guess u cant have it all. If any Ford guys want to chime in and tell me what is towable for a 5th wheel, feel free. Im looking at Buying the Keystone Raptor 3310. Hopefully its not too heavy.
you should figure out how to put a camper on the front of a really long gooseneck and then use the back half or so to strap down the k5 and quads or whatever you are taking
That is exactly what I want to do...here is a link to some pictures of a guy on here that has that setup http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1288849#post1288849
ita not a bad idea you have about fabricating a toy hauler onto a trailer frame. here is the deal though... FLEX. to use a frame long enough to get a full size and the toy hauler you are looking at a 40 footer. a 40 foot trailer flexes a lot more than the trailer frame the Toy Hauler is on from the factory. how about this idea.... bring in AZ you are lucky. you can legaly haul doubles. the first trailer HAS to be a 5th wheel or goose neck. then a class 4 or higher hitch on the back of that trailer is all ya need to put another trailer behind you. legality... just dont go to california and acouple other states and you will be fine. also look at the laws as there is a legal length limit. you will need a NICE brake controller as well. i have a 32 foot Gn with 10 feet of storage space up front. im using a conex box or shipping container. they come standard in 20, 30 and 40 foot sizes. mine was cut down to size. my next trailer might just be a modifed semi trailer meant to haul the 40 foot size. they are much lighter, but sit higher. an axle swap, hitch makeover and some smaller rims will get it sitting where i want it. then i have 40 feet to do what i want with. enough space for some home made living quarters and a full size truck with some quads or bikes... a lot of work though. Grant
Why don't you just go with a big enclosed cargo trailer? I've seen guys put bunk beds in the front and mount a fridge, micro, and heater inside and still have enough room for a BIG Land Cruiser. Another option is to mount a plain door blank to the side. Now you have a bed that folds up nearly flush to the side so you don't lose any storage. Wire the trailer up for 110V and make a plug on the exterior. That way you can plug in if staying in a park or bring along a small generator. The Raptors are about the most expensive toy haulers on the market. Nice rigs, but expensive. I got my 32' Vortex 5th for a little more than half of the price of a Raptor. My trailer weighs 12k empty, 14.5k loaded and it squats the truck just to where the factory overloads touch the stops. Your truck would handle the Raptor just fine.
Thanks for all the replies on this. Ive been out of town over the holidays with no access to the internet. Hope everyone had a good turkey day. As much as I like the idea of pulling a tandem trailer (5th wheel and the K5 trailer behind that, the weight will be way over what my truck can pull. I pretty much have gave up on the idea of bringing my a 5th wheel with my Blazer. I will just sleep in a friend's or whatever when Im wheelin. Also, oddly enough, Ive found the Raptor to be very well priced (can pick an '05 model up out of state for just over $30k). Is that a high price? What are other good ones? It needs to be at least 30', have one or more sliders, and a partition wall between the living space and the storage garage in the back. Thanks.
Check out The Next Level by Holiday Rambler. I have a friend with one and he can put his CJ-7 on 1-ton axles in the back with 2 quads. They are a little pricey (around $50k I think) they are definetly top of the line.
All of the 5th wheels in my area are in the $40-$50K price range (with the Raptor and Warrior at the top). I paid $30k otd for my Vortex. That's a good deal on a Raptor.
I'm in about your same boat. This is what interests me the most. If you made it just a little longer, you could throw some dirtbikes on. From the Stappin'Cabin thread on PBB (www.pirate4x4.com) in the tow rigs section.
