Where to put my ATV

[joelw]

Hello all! I am new to the forums. I have looked a lot but have not found a thread dedicated to pulling a TT and hauling an ATV in a shortbed pickup. I have a 2005 Ford Crew Cab with 5.5' bed and a 09 Jayco 22FB. I am running an weight distribution hitch but I can barely get my tailgate open to access the back without hitting the jack when hooked up and facing straight. My original thought was to haul my Can am Max Machine(95"long) in the back with the tailgate down while hooked up but I realize now that that is not going to happen without some serious modification. I am wondering if anyone else pulls a TT with the tailgate down, and how they get the extra hitch length. I fear running a hitch extender will put too much stress on the hitch, but I am not sure about that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[boosTT]

I have experience doing what you plan on, as I said in an earlier post. Your payload/ability to carry an atv is limited at best. Can you do it? Yes. Should you. No.

The atv is going to be sticking way out. There is going to be a ton of weight on the rear axle. You are going to need to adjust your WD depending on if you have the atv loaded or are just towing the camper.

With my setup, I'm right at my max payload- maybe even 50 lbs over, depending on what else is in the cab. The weight of the atv is forward of the rear axle. I added rear air bags and have an WD hitch and sway bar. It tows good, but I can feel the rear end shutter. I truly believe my setup is hurting my trucks rear end. My camper is lighter and smaller then yours and the same is true of my atv. My truck bed is also longer then yours.

Honestly, I think it will tow fine- until something fails.

[2012Coleman]

jaycocreek wrote:

Well then send a PM to jaycocreek. 99.9% of folks on here are not going to give you what you are looking for.

Really, I mean really?

And your experience doing what the opp asked is what?

Yes - really... One thing I don't have experience with is seeing the critters in the trees while towing at night.

[hedge]

Just because people do it doesn't make it right. I really don't care what people do with their own equipment but where it becomes a problem is when they are travelling the same public roads I am. I don't want someone that seems to think the rules don't apply to them having an incident with their overloaded equipment and causing injury or death to an innocent third party.

I also can't stand the argument of I'm fine because I only do it a few times a year. If you do it even once a year then you need to equip yourself appropriately.

It's the wild west here, some of the combinations I see are just plain stupid, I really wish law enforcement would start doing more about it.

You also commented about truck campers being over, this is true but also consider the %overload. 400lbs overweight of a payload of 4000lbs is quite different than being 400lbs overweight on a payload of 1500lbs

[jaycocreek]

Some good info here for a Can Am in a short bed truck.

Can Am in short bed truck

[PAThwacker]

here is the typical hybrid camper atv experience for a short bed or SUV owner.

I would go that route if i was into ATV regardless of tow vehicle. U get the camping experience, tents, superslide, and can tote an ATV, side by side, heck pig roaster on the front of it.

[PAThwacker]

Industry already acknoldges the needs of short beds, and sub par camper/atv issue.

They have been making hybrid 21ft superslide htt with front deck. Keeps the atv smell out of the living space. Im sure a popup is still being made for the same reason.

[jaycocreek]

Well then send a PM to jaycocreek. 99.9% of folks on here are not going to give you what you are looking for.

Really, I mean really?

And your experience doing what the opp asked is what?

This poor old .1% of the population has a lot of experience doing just that. May I suggest you travel on over to the truck camper section and tell that moderator what your opinion of him is, being 3-400 lbs overweight... Be sure and tell him the vast experience you have towing or hauling.

[2012Coleman]

joelw wrote:
With reply to everyone who has warned me about the safety of doing this, I would like to say that:
I am not looking for affirmation. I am looking for people with real world experience hauling a big atv in the short bed truck while pulling a trailer. I am not looking for safety information. I do know that I will be what I consider slightly overloaded. I will not haul above the bed rack, so you can get off my back on that. I will not be white knuckling doing 55-65 down the straight highway with little to no elevation. I don't know how many of you have ever been to North Dakota, but we really don't have hills here :). I would usually post a reply to each of your comments, but I am looking for information, not a pissing match. Thanks!

Well then send a PM to jaycocreek. 99.9% of folks on here are not going to give you what you are looking for. Good luck to you.

[MeandMyLabs]

I personally feel your best bet is to build a ramp raising the front of the ATV high enough to close your tailgate. After pulling a light TT similar to yours with a F150 and a 650 Kawasaki ATV in the back for 1000's of miles, it can be done. Will you be at your limits or a little over? Probably, but it is very doable. The only difference between what you are talking about and my previous setup is that I had a 6.5' box and was able to strap up the tailgate with ATV sitting flat.

Yes, as many have said, a TH would be better but what you are talking about can be safely done without problems IMHO.

[S_more_campers]

jaycocreek wrote:

My Dad was a Ford guy in the age when that beauty was new, that's a fine piece of equipment.

For the OP

If the ATV is the problem for your truck / trailer combo, then rethink your bike. It's the least expensive route. A 400cc 4wd atv will provide more than enough trouble/fun and it'll weigh 600 Lbs soaking wet, allowing for 200 more Lbs of tongue weight. A sport model 2wd ATV will weigh substantially less.

A fiver tailgate will provide the gap necessary for the tongue jack and support the rear axle of the atv.

To those who tow over axle capacity:

All the verbiage about weights and capacity really boils down to the capacity of the axle's bearings. Having seen many of these fail I can only say it's a bad deal. The risk of having severe failure and causing an accident are real, the police will identify that you're vehicle was overloaded and you'll be charged accordingly, you're insurance company may walk away leaving you to foot the entire bill. Accountants are building everything in this age - do not believe that there is anything in 'reserve'. Rated capacity is an on/off switch, not a suggested limit.

[joelw]

With reply to everyone who has warned me about the safety of doing this, I would like to say that:
I am not looking for affirmation. I am looking for people with real world experience hauling a big atv in the short bed truck while pulling a trailer. I am not looking for safety information. I do know that I will be what I consider slightly overloaded. I will not haul above the bed rack, so you can get off my back on that. I will not be white knuckling doing 55-65 down the straight highway with little to no elevation. I don't know how many of you have ever been to North Dakota, but we really don't have hills here :). I would usually post a reply to each of your comments, but I am looking for information, not a pissing match. Thanks!

[jaycocreek]

Were loading a Grizzly 700 in the truck right now and then we're hooking onto a 24ft Security travel trailer and headed up Bear and Turkey hunting. I'll take a picture and bring it back tonight to post.:B

In the mean time to keep the weight police happy, tell me how unsafe this F-250 is with an 8ft Lance camper on it full of water and propane and hauling a 2000 lb trailer with a Rhino and a Grizzly....10 ply tires/Helwig springs and a fresh 390 ford.

How bad are you guys going to beat me up doing this with a '76 3/4 truck?

[nevadanick]

I'm with Jaycocreek on this. How many have real experiance ?

[JJBIRISH]

joelw wrote:

JJBIRISH wrote:
Typical modern day Rv’er…

wants to take 2 pounds of baloney but,
is only willing to pay for the 1 pound bag…

I don't know if you read any of the rest of the thread. I am not an RV'r. I am a pickup owner who purchased a travel trailer for at the most 6 weekends a year. Maybe one or 2 of these will be with an ATV. Your comment is extremely rude and not well thought out. Its not that I am not willing to pay for this. Its unnecessary to purchase a heavy duty truck or a toy hauler to bring my atv twice a year.

Yes I have read the thread and many others just like it in the past…

“Its not that I am not willing to pay for this. Its unnecessary to purchase a heavy duty truck or a toy hauler to bring my atv twice a year. “

this is unbelievably all too common today… you post and ask a question but are not willing to accept the good advice that has been given… you have already ruled out an acceptable TV, an acceptable trailer. Or loading ramps made for the job that may or may not be acceptable…

you are looking for affirmation not information… someone to affirm that your limited use justifies throwing all other caution to the wind, someone to affirm that being unsafe just every once in a while might be OK… or someone to affirm which poor idea is better than the next poor idea…
its not a question of which options are better when there are none, that you haven’t already discounted… so yes you are unwilling to pay the freight to do this…

OK you are not a RV’er for whatever that is worth, I am not trying to be rude, the thread is a common scenario and most of the time when it comes up it is from someone looking to solve thousands of dollars in deficiencies for 80 bucks out of pocket and forget the rest… you have even been given advice on how to do that (maybe not all good advice)…

The best advice you have been given for your problem is have a buddy drive and take the toys, and you take the trailer…