Towing AR240 and Camper with an Extension

[CDENsomnia]

I am doing some investigation as I am considering purchasing a truck camper. This way we have our camper and can tow the boat with my Super Duty and not need two vehicles...

I have done a lot of looking at it appears that the Super Duty Class V hitch isn't really rated at the true ratings of a class V. The same goes for the GM class V they use. Now you may be thinking..."You don't need a class V to tow our boats. Well that is true however when you have a truck camper you have to put a hitch extension on so the boat can reach the hitch with the overhang of the truck camper. This is why you need an extra strong receiver (Class V). I am only going to be extending by about 24 inches but I am told to be on the safe side you need the class V hitch. I have also read some scary stories about using the OEM class V with an extension.

My question to the smart people of this board...do you think that I really need to replace my Class V OEM hitch on my superduty. I didn't think my AR240 had all that much tongue weight (maybe 500-600lbs). With the extension on I think you could compare it to maybe 800-900lbs tongue weight due to being shifted out 24 inches. My hitch is rated at like 1200lbs tongue weight.

Anyone have thoughts or experience I can draw on here?

 

[motorboater]

Have you seen this? http://www.visualsc.com/hitch_calc.htm

 

[PEARCE]

It's not necessarily the dead weight of the boat trailer on the hitch, it's the bouncing and pounding the the whole rig takes as it's going down the road. I have a feeling that the Ford hitch on your truck would probably be okay. I think Ford has over engineered at least that part of the truck since they are always in the heavy towing wars and bragging right battles.

 

[HawkTX]

If you don't get the answer you are looking for I would post this question on RV.net. There is a plethora of knowledge on that forum about these very topics.

 

[CDENsomnia]

Yep I saw the calculator. I played with the numbers but something isn't calculating right...I have been trolling the RV.net forums trying to find a consensus but it seems there are a lot of differing opinions on the subject. I figured posting here would be good since we have some pretty good knowledge around this community.

 

[Boat Crazy]

Hopefully @maboat will see this topic. I think he had a similar setup with a class IV hitch. I think he only extended out a foot to 1 1/2 foot though. @CDENsomnia Does your hitch have the 2 inch or 2 & 1/2 inch tubing?

 

[CDENsomnia]

Hopefully @maboat will see this topic. I think he had a similar setup with a class IV hitch. I think he only extended out a foot to 1 1/2 foot though. @CDENsomnia Does your hitch have the 2 inch or 2 & 1/2 inch tubing?

My class V is a 2.5 inch/ The capacities printed on the hitch are 800lb tongue weight and 8000lbs.

 

[Boat Crazy]

Hitch Extension for Towing a Boat on a Truck with an In-Bed Truck Camper
Question:

Putting an 8 1/2 ft camper on a short bed truck 6 1/2 ft bed Need 2 feet extension to pull a trailer behind truck. I have at least 500 lb tounge weight, can I get an extension that can handle this heavy tounge wt? Thanks

asked by: Rod


Expert Reply:

There is a Titan hitch extender that should work for you, but would require a Titan hitch be installed on your truck to handle a tongue weight loaded that far from the hitch. It is Reese part # RP45292. You can use it as a 34 inch extension or cut it down to be a 24 inch extension. At the 24 inch length, you will have a towing capacity of 6,000 pounds with a tongue weight capacity of 600 pounds. If you need more capacity than that, you can use a weight distribution system and your capacities would be bumped up to 8,000 and 800 pounds for total weight and tongue weight respectively.

If you do not already have a Titan hitch for your truck, you need to get one. Remember, you can only tow as much as the lowest rated component of your towing system.

expert reply by: Patrick B



Taken from E-trailer web site: I highlighted the 600 lb. tongue weight. There may be other hitch extensions that could exceed the 600 lb. tongue weight.

 

[HawkTX]

Yep I saw the calculator. I played with the numbers but something isn't calculating right...I have been trolling the RV.net forums trying to find a consensus but it seems there are a lot of differing opinions on the subject. I figured posting here would be good since we have some pretty good knowledge around this community.

That is true on RV.net. You can get 20 different answers sometimes and they all swear they are right.

 

[maboat]

Hopefully @maboat will see this topic. I think he had a similar setup with a class IV hitch. I think he only extended out a foot to 1 1/2 foot though.

WOW EXCELLENT MEMORY. Yes I had this setup for several years

It was an 8.5' camper on a shortbed with class IV hitch. I initially purchased a 24" hitch extension but soon discovered the 18" worked fine because of the long fold-away tongue on the trailer. I even picked up a 12" extension which mostly worked except in extreme tight turns the boat would pinch the camper ladder.

It's been a while but I think my hitch was rated at 1000 lbs and was told the 24" extension cuts that in half to 500lbs. The 18" (shorter lever) should give a margin of safety over the 24". I knew the boat trailer was close to 500 but not exactly sure. This is the reason I also got a tongue weight scale to measure tongue weight


I always made sure my tongue weight was not over 500 and had no problems

 

[maboat]

My class V is a 2.5 inch/ The capacities printed on the hitch are 800lb tongue weight and 8000lbs.

I think those numbers are for a ball mounted on the bumper. The frame-mounted class-V hitch should be more like 1,200lbs tongue and 12,000lbs trailer

 

[CDENsomnia]

Thanks @maboat! Good to know someone around here has done it. I am guessing I might be able to shorten the extension as well but at this point just trying to make sure I am going to be safe with the Class V hitch thats on my truck.

I think Ford called it a Class V but looking at the capacities printed on the receiver itself, it sure doesn't look like a Class V. I also was looking at how beefy the hitch was over a standard 2 inch Class IV and it definitely seems much stronger in terms of the gauge of steel they used and just the shear size. Would hate to spend the money and time on one of those aftermarket receivers when I don't necessarily need to. BUT, I want to be safe. Would hate to see the receiver rip off the truck!

 

[maboat]

There's no way your Class-V hitch is maxed at 8,000 gross/800 tongue. My Class-IV hitch is good for 10,000 gross and 1,000 tongue (without extension).


The boat+trailer is under 500lbs tongue weight as shipped from the factory. But as you load it up with stuff, the tongue gets heavier. Sometimes you can shift weight towards the back of the boat to reduce the tongue weight. For example, the anchor is normally stored in the bow, but for towing with the camper you may want to stash the anchor in the back of the boat.

You should definitely get a tongue scale. I got mine here:
http://www.sherlinedirect.com/index...category_id=13&CFID=40247481&CFTOKEN=95552938

 

[CDENsomnia]

Here is the ford label. I am with you though. How do you call this a Class V receiver when the capacities don't reflect that class?

 

[maboat]

Here is the ford label. I am with you though. How do you call this a Class V receiver when the capacities don't reflect that class?

Can't argue with that picture. Damn that's a disappointment. Glad I got a Ram

 

[Boat Crazy]

Here is the ford label. I am with you though. How do you call this a Class V receiver when the capacities don't reflect that class?

Checked my hitch on the Ford F350. It says the same as above.

 

[CDENsomnia]

Checked my hitch on the Ford F350. It says the same as above.

Clearly Ford dropped the ball here...class V my @ss. I still think I will be ok but definitely need to determine my tongue weight before I do anything.

 

[maboat]

Clearly Ford dropped the ball here...class V my @ss. I still think I will be ok but definitely need to determine my tongue weight before I do anything.

Yep

 

[Bruce]

Why not extend the trailer tongue? Seems like it would be the more stable option.

 

[CDENsomnia]

Why not extend the trailer tongue? Seems like it would be the more stable option.

I thought about that. In looking at the tongue I am not sure its the easiest thing to do and probably not very cost effective since I would have to extend the surge brake lines and lights. Seems like it would be easier just to get a different Class V hitch on my superduty.