Hauler talk---spitballing a little here but looking for opinions

[benjy]

Another thing to think about. Occasionally we will leave at 5-6am to make it to Moab for the first trail run of the day, because I don't like driving at night. It is quite a pain to take the whole setup to the staging area, drop the camper, pull the tow rig out of the way, then unload the rig. And when you're ready to head out in the afternoon, load up the rig, hook up the camper again, and then go drive and setup camp.

However, this is by far the best way to haul around a rig after camp is setup. If we go into town for dinner, we just leave the jeep on the flatbed and park in a normal parking spot.

 

[benjy]

Kami had an interesting idea this morning. What if we pulled a Prueitt and added another DRW axle? I'm sure it would be gobs of work, but maybe easier than stretching the wheelbase, especially if the new axle was only a dummy axle and went behind the current drive axle. I'm not sure how I would setup the leafs for the new rear axle, but seems possible...?

 

[ricsrx]

Love toters. Always wanted one when I was competing. Only problem was I'd have to drive it to every trail I did unless I had a street legal rig and that's not the case most of the time.

Because i am hauling one street legal and one not, my 82 would have to pull Hunters truck to the trail. and that is why i need a 4 seater as my street legal crawler for getting around town..

 

[Hickey]

I've had this same idea before. It's called a Tag axle, ad they are a pretty simple setup. You would use a trailer axle mounted on a wishbone type swing arm with airbags. This would allow you to raise the axle and decrease drag and spring rate. A single wheel trailer axle would increase your weight rating as much as 5500 lbs. The tag axle would move your center of gravity a bunch. Look at some of the cement mix trucks for an example.

Kami had an interesting idea this morning. What if we pulled a Prueitt and added another DRW axle? I'm sure it would be gobs of work, but maybe easier than stretching the wheelbase, especially if the new axle was only a dummy axle and went behind the current drive axle. I'm not sure how I would setup the leafs for the new rear axle, but seems possible...?

 

[mbryson]

I copied a version that Sprueitt and ChestonScout did some years ago. I wanted to eat my cake and have it too. I wanted a tow rig that could be multipurpose, a way to haul my junk in case it broke, and a warm and dry place to stay without breaking the bank like a hotel room would. I ended up with a big flat bed trailer, small pop up camper on the deck with the truck, and a tow rig. Not perfect but, it works well enough.

LT.

That is a good solution. I'm just not willing to deal with a tent trailer esp. that high off the ground (setting up and whatnot). I've had one. It worked awesome for me while I towed it with my XJ. Now that I've had a hardside, that's what's going to work for me.

I'm looking at the towrig as I do a trailer to haul my Jeep. It's a little bigger investment than a $2k flatbed trailer, but similar in price to my 26' flatbed trailer. Additionally, I can assign value by having my hardside trailer available. It seems like the hauler truck would be a better investment for me and my purposes/preferences than other things I've had. (I REALLY liked the 26' flatbed I had---SERIOUSLY considered turning it into an enclosed toy hauler trailer---there's a custom trailer place in SLC that will make you an RV---they would have taken my trailer as a starting point and built from there--heavier than your average toy hauler, but I'm hauling a 4500 lb Jeep---just couldn't justify the cost to build the trailer vs. expected usage)

 

[1adam12]

I wish I was in the market. I think this is perfect for you
www.ksl.com/?nid=678&ad=24278738&cat=99&lpid=26

 

[mbryson]

I wish I was in the market. I think this is perfect for you
www.ksl.com/?nid=678&ad=24278738&cat=99&lpid=26

That'd work extremely well. That's right up Cheston's alley
I know I can get away with a pickup chassis, but don't know that the wife will go for a med. duty. Honestly, it's likely the best tool for the job and that's why the F*rds have more appeal. I can buy a "truck" (F450-550) and not have to overly justify it to the wife. She'd HATE that one (but it'd work for me)

 

[Chevycrew]

With the right hitch/tongue design you could jack knife the combo to unload the crawler without unhooking a camp trailer.

 

[1adam12]

There was a good deal on a newer f550 on there to but it was only a single cab.

 

[mombobuggy]

A four wheel drive 2 ton fire truck would be a neat place to start, Some of them are Crewcabs.

 

[mombobuggy]

With the right hitch/tongue design you could jack knife the combo to unload the crawler without unhooking a camp trailer.

Smart,