tow hitch extension??

upnover

upnover

Grumpy, decrepit Old Man
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Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Morganton NC
My son Josh has a 3/4 ton Chevy truck that he tows with. Looking for a slide in and they are hard to find for that size bed (6.5'). He has a normal 16' trailer with dexter 5 ton axles(Mobil home type) and a Toyota truck.
My question is, if he bought a 8' slide in and used a hitch extension, would he be OK?
Looking for real world experiences please, or first hand knowledge
 
I would be very cautious of the overall weight of the setup and how/where its placed on the truck. Possibly look for a camper with a longer front overhang to help put more weight up front. Some nice extensions Ive seen pics of (on pbb) have 2 or 3 mounts and tension chains going to the frame rails for lateral support.
 
I would also replace the factory hitch with a true ClassV like the Reese Titan or something.. That's a lot of leverage to be adding to the factory hitch.
 
I agree with yager and rich, It's just not worth it. Those extensions puts a lot of stress especially side to side. Chip it's a gamble at best and I think the tail will be wagging the dog! The camper will make it a handful in a crosswind then add a trailer all on a single tired truck. Your son is one of your prized possesion, I wouldn't risk it.
 
Your Hot Dog Guy! said:
I agree with yager and rich, It's just not worth it. Those extensions puts a lot of stress especially side to side. Chip it's a gamble at best and I think the tail will be wagging the dog! The camper will make it a handful in a crosswind then add a trailer all on a single tired truck. Your son is one of your prized possesion, I wouldn't risk it.
Click to expand...

sorry this is not true..

if you look at the link I posted above these are made just for that reason and have been used for years..

CNC members help a club member install one and after seeing it and having him use it I would use it in a heartbeat and not think twice.

you replace the stock hitch on truck with one that has 2 receiver slots in it then you use the bars posted in link above with chains for extra support.. the system is expensive but works perfect.
 
No firsthand experience here either, but I feel compelled to reply... :flipoff2:

I've got a buddy with a slide-in camper in his 3/4t Ford. It's sweet... but he's at like 6300# on the rear axle, and that's without an extension. He added air bags to help with the ride height. But, figure a couple hundred bucks for bags, $6-700 for the Torklift setup, plus having to hunt around for a camper that fits and is light enough not to put your tires over... you're getting close money-wise to selling that truck and buying a long box dually.
 
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