Forum Discussion

Bobalooie's avatar
Bobalooie
Explorer
Jul 22, 2019

Class C and Horse Trailers

We are looking at purchasing a Bigfoot MH29SL. It has a Class IV hitch, but that longer back end on it.

Can it tow a couple of horses with a three-horse trailer?? The hitch is rated 12000lbs and 1200lb hitch weight... but what about that long back end on the motorhome?
  • If the motorhome is your on a E450 your 12000 is kilograms not pounds the motorhomeis built in Canada. That would mean the hitch would be 5442 lbs and a hitch weight of 544lbs. The numbers fall in line with my E450. Your biggest problem would be overloading the rear tires. I had a two horse side by side with two quarter horses and weight 4500lbs at the scale. I would run with all tanks empty and never more than 3/4 of a tank of gas. And was 300lbs under GRAW . Good luck
  • Thanks for the info. Perhaps we should be looking at a diesel pusher. Would there be any issues on a 40 footer as well?
  • Two horses plus the trailer would probably weigh somewhere in the rough neighborhood of 5000 pounds, or perhaps more. Obviously it depends on the size of the horses, among other things. I'm guessing with two horses in a three horse trailer the tongue weight is going to be relatively on the high side (greater than 10%), and with the leverage from the rear overhang on the motorhome you're quite possibly adding 1000 pounds or so of weight to the rear axle. I suspect it would result in exceeding the rear GAWR, the GVWR, and/or the GCWR, and possibly all three; even if they aren't exceeded, you'd be very very near the limits, and that's probably not what you want for long-distance towing.

    Note that some motorhomes have reduced tongue weight limits (compared to the trailer weight limits) due to the frame extensions and their construction. Partly, too, this is because many people use them for towing cars four down or on a dolly, both of which have little to no tongue weight.

    (Backing a shortish trailer behind a longish vehicle with a long rear overhang is not exactly the easiest trailer handling job in the world, as well...though I guess a three horse trailer isn't super short.)
  • Simple answer. No! You'll be way overweight. With that rear overhang, in a 29' Class C E-450 you'll be like a piece of spaghetti going down the road. At least for a little while. Your horses probably won't like it either. I'm thinking more like an F-350 dually.

    Chum lee
  • Does it have a custom hitch?
    I’ve never heard of a class C with a hitch rated more than 7500 lbs, most are 5000 lbs.
    For the overhang, 1200 lbs at the length would be a lot behind the axle and you also have to figure the GVW of the MH.
    More than I would tow.
  • ppine wrote:
    What is your rig rated for?


    The motor home has a 12000lb hitch. Question is about the long overhang...