Adding receiver hitch to popup camper for motorcycle hauling

[corsair23]

water is heavy.. why would you want to always haul it around?

Because it is no longer water, it is ballast

Not unlike a plane that transfers fuel from tank to tank to maintain CG...Although fuel for a plane is much more critical than water for a trailer

Tim, I'm liking the idea more and more of making your own frame and swapping the camper body over to it...I even know a guy that could fab that up for you if you don't have the time or energy to do it yourself

Heck, go double axle on it with brakes and the whole nine yards. You might need Dave's help though once you figure out the frame length to determine where the axles and camper need to sit so it all balances out. But, starting from scratch you can set it up for whatever weight you plan to put up front, or out back

 

[Corbet]

What would be even cooler would be more essential cargo attached to a movable tray, beneath the camper. 2 batteries, 2 propanes, jack, the spare tire, generator.. all on a movable slide supported by two tracks inside the frame rails, and a big lead screw that moves it as far forward as under the tongue deck (also for access), and as far back as right next to the axle. Probably 200 pounds of stuff you wanted to carry anyway. So instead of a pump with 2 tanks of water, it's just a motor turning a threaded shaft.. and you could have some type of auto/manual/off switch to control the thing.

Another good idea if space is available. Just moving a pair of big batteries is a lot of weight. But if they or it is already located on the tongue you'd have to find something else heavy to have on an adjustable system.

 

[60wag]

Wouldn't it be easier to just mount the axle on some slides - something like the semi trailers. Then you could load the trailer, measure tongue weight and move the axle as needed. Now strain gauges in the coupler, a controller and an electric actuator are a given. Also you'd need enough body lift so that the fenders wouldn't limit axle movement.

 

[Beater]

tim, take this as a complement.

your brain is a dangerous place.

 

[nakman]

Ha! thanks, John. I think we could knock this out in a Saturday, just need some angle and a mess of old roller blade wheels.


but yeah Bruce, maybe moving the axle is simpler, and it gets to the same point. How would one secure it in place, the spring hangers attached to a movable channel, with pins or something that slipped through the frame every 3" or so? How much travel would you actually need anyway, on say, a 14' long trailer body (excluding tongue, 10' camper + 4' deck).

 

[Red_Chili]

You'd want to move the axle two feet or more. Might be involved but if you jack up the trailer it would be easier. Or use electric camper jack motors maybe... dunno.

It would be cool to be able to do it when underway, such as when you discover maybe your seat-of-the-pants guesstimate was off a bit... right after you clean your shorts due to an unanticipated sway event.

 

[subzali]

You'd want to move the axle two feet or more. Might be involved but if you jack up the trailer it would be easier. Or use electric camper jack motors maybe... dunno.

It would be cool to be able to do it when underway, such as when you discover maybe your seat-of-the-pants guesstimate was off a bit... right after you clean your shorts due to an unanticipated sway event.

Is a 100 series going to do the tail-wagging dance as bad as a lifted 4runner?

 

[60wag]

I'll bet some of the solid modeler whizzes here could whip up a model with mass built into the components and design the adjustable axle assembly. I just got through the first lesson in Creo (ProE), so I'm still on the basics. BTW, SolidWorks and Inventor are WAY better than Creo ...... if you have a choice.

 

[Corbet]

Does the axle need to be centered in the wheel wells of the trailer. They don't look very big from you picture but I'm not there.

If the axle is set on a "slider" you simply lock the trailer brake and use the tow rig to move the camper on top of it. Then lock it in place with what ever system you choose.

 

[Red_Chili]

Is a 100 series going to do the tail-wagging dance as bad as a lifted 4runner?

No, the 4Runner with the drop hitch from hell will expose any trailer loading mis-steps in a millisecond...

But... any misloaded trailer can be a safety hazard.

 

[nakman]

Hold everything, the search is over! http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3044196252.html

 

[60wag]

I was a bit skeptical until I saw the roof mounted spoiler. Go for it!

 

[Corbet]

Pictures for the record:

 

[nakman]

"Just walk away...."

 

[rover67]

no way, I could dig a cheap diesel.....

 

[rover67]

i guess the 8.2 diesels don't have such a great rep.

 

[nakman]

No way, the business exists!! http://denver.craigslist.org/rvs/3173765625.html

I hate it when she's right...

 

[nakman]

so only took 2 months, but got it done. the guy was a pleasure to deal with, let me customize it however I wanted. I ultimately went for a new axle, new rims, rear receiver, 42" deck, and the Lock & Roll hitch. Pretty happy with it, and the test run this past weekend went well. those trailer tires are 30x9.50 r15.

 

[nakman]

I did notice the added weight going over the passes though, and got about 10mpg all weekend. Guess that's the tradeoff with bringing a lot of stuff with you. It's a little low on the tongue side, but a new rear bumper on the 100 should raise that an inch or two, if that's not enough I can always lift a little more, or go air bags or something. Or just not worry about it.

 

[Air Randy]

Flip your receiver hitch tongue over so instead of dropping down it goes up. That is usually good for moving the tongue up a couple of inches.