I just bought a 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 diesel megacab. My wife & I were thinking we wanted to buy a nice camper trailer and that's why we got a big diesel truck. However, I also just bought a 17' smoker craft fishing boat and created an unanticipated dilemma. I thought I would just use the boat for local fishing trips and that we would still want a big comfortable camper for longer sightseeing and vacation trips. Now my wife is thinking she may want to get a truck camper, so we can camp and fish some of the reservoirs in the region. I have owned a small 16' camper trailer, she doesn't have any RVing experience, so we are still rookies. 1) can a person get a truck camper or camping trailer that can safely pull a boat that's approximately 2,000 lbs.2) should we invest in a nice truck camper when we might not like the cramped quarters compared to a bigger camper trailer? Any advice whatsoever would be greatly appreciated! Rearing to Go :)

Yes you will be able to pull the trailer, when properly equipped.You might wish to buy a cheap, +/- $1,000 camper and try it on for size. I bought a couple and had each for about a year. Just to test the waters if that type of RV would work for me.Good Luck

Get Torklift Superhitch and the correct length SuperTruss extension and you will be good to pull the boat.Length of the extension depends on the size camper you get.

GLC, You will enjoy a camper that slides into the back of your pickup. We have done the camper thing along with our water toys now for several years. Yes there are times that we don't take the water toys and just opt for the camping and hiking. But the fact that we can all ride togeather in one vehicle and yet take the boat or jet skis on our camping adventure is payment in full. I would say that 90% of the time we end up towing our entertainment along with us. Dan

I see no problem as long as you are properly setup for this so first I recommend going to Truck Camper University and scroll down abou 2/3 to Towing/ Extended Hitches and exploring the threads in that section. Second you should seek out the opinions and experiences of others,And there are plenty here lol, and consider them also. Last get out and enjoy doing those things. Good Luck.

Some states and Canadian provinces allow double towing as long as the lead trailer is a fifth wheel, I do not believe Washington does. We have a similar truck, it is more than enough to haul a slide in plus tow a small boat. Be sure not to exceed the posted payload when loaded with all your gear.

Pulling a boat with truck camper | Good Sam Community

36 Replies

_DJ_1
Explorer II
Feb 18, 2014
Another vote for Super Hitch. Handles all my toys and combos.
Artum_Snowbird
Explorer
Feb 18, 2014
When I bought my Double Eagle 16.5 I ordered it with a trailer that was designed for a 16-18 foot boat, and also the trailer was ordered with a swing-a-way hitch. The front three feet of the trailer tongue can be swung back to allow parking in a shorter space.

The tongue becomes a little longer, and I do not need any kind of hitch extension to run the boat behind my 9'6 camper as it is now.

I like the fact that the actual swing point is still up tight with just a normal ball hitch into the receiver.

Mike
Redsky
Explorer
Feb 18, 2014
DRW or SRW with 19.5 rims and tires will provide the load capacity for a 3k lbs. boat and 4450 camper. You have roughly 350 + 4450 + 3000 (for the truck) for 7800 lbs. and the 19.5 wheels will each support 4400 for a total load capacity of 8800 lbs., and provide a 1000 lb margin.

The hitch strength needed depends on the weight of the boat and the length of the extension. A 48" extension is going to put 4x as much torque on the receiver as will a 12" extension. A 6000 lb. boat is going to apply double the force of a 3000 lb. boat. For a 3,000 lb. boat and trailer load and a 18" extension the Superhitch is overkill.

My factory hitch is rated for a tongue weight of up to 1500 lbs. and a tow load of up to 13,000 lbs. and a 3,000 lb. boat is well within its capabilities even with a modest extension.
campn4walleye
Explorer
Feb 13, 2014
See our signature. Our boat weighs about 3k lbs and our TC weighs about 4450 wet. With this much weight a dually is needed. You didn't say if you had a DRW or SRW. Loads of folks tow a boat with their truck/TC. That's exactly why we went with a TC. We use the TC off the truck 90% of the time. When researching TCs, if that's your intent, make sure the TC is made for that purpose.

The Torklift hitch is a top notch product for the money and peace of mind.
805gregg
Explorer
Feb 12, 2014
Or buy a Porta Bote and hang in on the pass side jacks, and have a boat with you always
macdale4
Explorer
Feb 12, 2014
I had a 11' Lance and pulled a 25 1/2ft boat with no problems. I used the torklift hitch with a 42" super truss. I did have to pump up the air bags some.
vanderjw
Explorer
Feb 07, 2014
Guys, The solution here IS the Superhitch with an extension. You can pull a lot of weight with any hitch, but when somthing bad happens someome gets sued. Put on a Superhitch and forget about it, NO worries. I do have a superhitch and I am a cheerleader. I pull my 28 ft boat with my TC on the back and it works great.
Tarkin75
Explorer
Feb 07, 2014
I have an 8' Pastime camper on my F150, and pull a ~2700 lb boat and trailer combination using a simple 12" extension. The fancy extensions would be nicer as the boat might be back even farther from the camper overhang since I just have a 6.5' bed, but it works well for me so far.

Later
C
eagle777
Explorer
Feb 06, 2014
started out with six pac and pulling a bass boat with the OEM hitch was no problem but when I upgraded to a adventure 86 I also upgraded to the torklift super hitch with a 38 in extension. I would recommend the super hitch upgrade as wouldn't trust the oem hitch with an extension, pricey yes, but worth it as that hitch and extension are built to take the load.
Jeepers92
Explorer
Feb 05, 2014
Check your speciations on the mega-cab. I have a Dodge DRW long bed. I pull a small 15' bass boat and a 24' pontoon dual axel. Factory hitch with no problems. I use a 15" extension with the small boat, none with the pontoon.