Heavy duty hitch extension??

[8wj2r5w]

I have a Mega Cab dually Ram that I use to tow a 15K race trailer. I want to get a camper for the truck, but the highest capacity hitch/extension setup I can find is the Torklift. Their extension is only rated at 12K and worse, only 1200 lbs tongue weight. My trailer is over 2000 lbs tongue weight. Has anyone on here had anything custom built to tow heavy trailers? Thanks!

[NRALIFR]

OP, how long is your race trailer? How long is the bed on a Mega Cab dually Ram, and what’s the overall length bumper to bumper?

If you’re determined to keep your current truck (totally get that, btw) then due to the >2K tongue weight, you would probably be best served by sticking with a truck camper with no or minimal overhang beyond the rear bumper, and using NO hitch extension.

If you decide to extend the tongue of the trailer, be aware that some TC’s that are longer than the truck bed drop down quite a bit behind the rear bumper. Mine is a good example of that. You can’t see the truck bumper at all from the rear, and an extended tongue would very likely contact the camper bumper at times.

Now about that Automated Safety Hitch System. Yes, it looks “crazy”, and “an expensive pile of things that can go wrong”. That’s what’s usually said about it at first glance by those who have never seen one. But, if you’d take the time to read the mfgr’s web site, and watch a few of the videos, you’d see that this is no shade-tree contraption.

While it does lengthen the total combination, and may therefore be unsuitable if you need to stay under 65’, here’s a few of the fine points:

It can pull Gooseneck Trailers, 5th Wheel RVs, Travel Trailers & Bumper Pull Trailers.

It attaches to the truck with a three-point system.

It doesn’t pivot side to side. The axle steers in a turn.

It has its own hydraulic brakes.

They are no more unsafe or ill-conceived than the semi-trailer dollys used to tow doubles. Unlike the dollys though, they DON’T add a pivot point.

While they aren’t common, I have seen them being used. The owners always like them.

But, that’s all I’m going to say about them. I don’t intend to turn the topic into a discussion of this product. I just hate to see it dismissed so quickly.

:):)

[SpeakEasy]

I can't show you the math, but I can tell you that extending your hitch length has an enormous effect on tongue weight. Think of a lever and the leverage effect. I think the physics of it is sort of the reverse of a weight-distribution system.

I'm sure some of the engineers on this forum can jump in here and explain mathematically what it is that I'm referring to.

-Speak

[ticki2]

Get to the scales with your present truck and trailer loaded , that will tell you how much capacity you have left on the rear axle and tires . You are probably limited to a small camper with no overhand so no extension hitch .

[deltabravo]

I had an Arctic Fox 811 and on one trip I towed 10k worth of 8.5x20 trailer with a Jeep in it.
It was not a pleasant experience. I will never tow that much again while hauling a camper unless I had a heavier truck... F450 or better.

[rlw999]

PastorCharlie wrote:
Install a larger receiver on truck with 3" opening and custom build an extension the length needed out of HD square tubing. Brace it on both sided from rear to truck hitch in triangles to prevent any movement sideways.

If needed use bridge strap on top of extension tube to increase load capacity.

That sounds a little light for a 2000 tongue weight when even the heavy duty Torklift extender that he found (which is a dual-receiver extender, the heavy duty Torklift hitch has 2 receivers, one on top of the other) is only rated for 1200 lbs. I know you said to use a "bridge strap", but it's not clear where he'd anchor it once the TC is on the truck.

[BradW]

Two words: Super C

[3_tons]

PastorCharlie wrote:
Install a larger receiver on truck with 3" opening and custom build an extension the length needed out of HD square tubing. Brace it on both sided from rear to truck hitch in triangles to prevent any movement sideways.

If needed use bridge strap on top of extension tube to increase load capacity.

Might work, but who’s gonna certify its abilities??...No certification means no confidence...

[PastorCharlie]

Install a larger receiver on truck with 3" opening and custom build an extension the length needed out of HD square tubing. Brace it on both sided from rear to truck hitch in triangles to prevent any movement sideways.

If needed use bridge strap on top of extension tube to increase load capacity.

[8wj2r5w]

TxGearhead wrote:
If you're hauling a "race" trailer you've likely seen a toter. Only brand I can think of of the top of my head is Haulmark.
Buying a used one with about the same size or bigger than a cabover wouldn't be that much more $ than what you have in your truck and a new camper.

This isn't a money thing for me. I don't want to drive around with 75+ feet. I love my truck and trailer setup currently. I don't need anything more than a camper as far as living quarters.

[TxGearhead]

If you're hauling a "race" trailer you've likely seen a toter. Only brand I can think of of the top of my head is Haulmark.
Buying a used one with about the same size or bigger than a cabover wouldn't be that much more $ than what you have in your truck and a new camper.

[rlw999]

NRALIFR wrote:
I think if I was wanting to haul a truck camper and tow a trailer with that much tongue weight, I’d be looking at this:

Automated Safety Hitch

:):)

That looks like an expensive pile of things that can go wrong (plus another axle+tires to maintain). It's probably great when it works, but I sure wouldn't want to count on it.

[Geo_Boy]

NRALIFR wrote:
I think if I was wanting to haul a truck camper and tow a trailer with that much tongue weight, I’d be looking at this:

Automated Safety Hitch

:):)

That is a great solution.

[Grit_dog]

Yikes, you can get a receiver that’s good for over 2klbs tongue weight.
But unless you have a short, shortbed camper, most “shortbed” campers are 8’-9’ long.
My 8’-9” previous camper on a Mega cab took 2’ long hitch extension to get a fairly short tongued trailer hooked up.

Not questioning your entire setup,but 2klb + tongue weight is ALOT with a decent size camper even with a 1 ton dually.

[JRscooby]

oops

[JRscooby]

8wj2r5w wrote:

8wj2r5w wrote:

jimh425 wrote:
Another option is to extend the trailer tongue under the TC and don’t use an extension.

Hmm, interesting, I didn't think of that. I'd have to find a shop willing to do it.

Woah, that thing is crazy lol. My trailer is bumper pull, and this would also make me setup longer than the legal length limit of 65'. That's pretty cool though....

Why does the OA length need to grow?
One issue I see is the vertical clearance. As the drive drops in a low spot will the tongue hit bottom of camper?