Piggyback?

[waywardfool]

Anybody pulling short wheelbase (CJ5 in my case) along with a popup camper on a flatbed trailer?

I figure it will work, but the back of the camper will hang off the tail end a couple feet (22+' flatbed), and be awful tongue-heavy.

Other than that, will it work? Would be nice to hear real-world experience from somebody that does it.

[rockcrawln]

What are you towing with?

[YellowSub1962]

Cragrat did this for a couple years for TDS (almost 450 miles roundtrip). He's got a Zuk with a full exo. He turned the pop-up sideways at the front of the trailer and put the Zuk behind it. I think you're asking for trouble doing it you way though...way too much tongue weight, you gotta figure out how to keep the vehicle over the axle(s). just my .02


:usa:

[4x4not]

Are you asking about putting the popup and the CJ ON the flatbed, or the CJ on the flatbed, and the popup behind that?

[waywardfool]

What are you towing with?

F250 gasser longbed std cab (will probably go to diesel in the fall. 3/4 or 1 ton SRW)

[waywardfool]

I think you're asking for trouble doing it you way though...way too much tongue weight, you gotta figure out how to keep the vehicle over the axle(s). just my .02

Yep, I pretty well agree. I ran the CJ up on the trailer this morning, all the way forward. It was so heavy on the tongue, there's no way a popup would offset it enough to make it safe. If I do try this, it will have to be a longer trailer, maybe gooseneck.

Thanks for the response.

[waywardfool]

Are you asking about putting the popup and the CJ ON the flatbed, or the CJ on the flatbed, and the popup behind that?

Both CJ and popup camper riding on same trailer. Double tows legal here only if 1st trailer is g/n.

Thanks,

[rockcrawln]

We run 2 jeeps on a 22' bumper pull trailer behind a f-350 drw. I estimate there is probably about #3000 of toung weight. The truck squats a little but its not bad. Try is and see how the truck looks. If the back end squats too much then you know you have a problem. How far are you pulling and on what kind of terrain?

[thecarman]

I estimate there is probably about #3000 of toung weight.

:eek: What kind of hitch and ball-mount do you have that can stand up to that kind of tongue weight?

The truck squats a little but its not bad.

If this is true, and you really have 3000 lbs of tonge weight, you must have some killer rear spring packs, a weight distributing hitch, and/or added airbags.

[mbryson]

Anybody pulling short wheelbase (CJ5 in my case) along with a popup camper on a flatbed trailer?

I figure it will work, but the back of the camper will hang off the tail end a couple feet (22+' flatbed), and be awful tongue-heavy.

Other than that, will it work? Would be nice to hear real-world experience from somebody that does it.


I've looked into this pretty hard. If you put the pop up on the FRONT of the trailer and can still get some tongue weight with the vehicle towards the tongue (that'll depend on where your axle sits), you should should be fine. That combo won't fit on my 16 ft. trailer for some reason :confused: .

[waywardfool]

If you put the pop up on the FRONT of the trailer and can still get some tongue weight with the vehicle towards the tongue (that'll depend on where your axle sits), you should should be fine.

Hmmm I'll have to try that. I have a military M101 trailer that should approximate the weight of a small popup, can see how it balances.

Last summer, I saw a trailer, it was like a car transport carrier truck, but held two cars, one over the other, on a tag-along trailer. Guy had two shorttrack race cars on it. And a few years ago, there was a father-son team on the professional fishing circuit that had a double-decker hydraulic trailer. Hmmmmmm. Be cheaper to buy a big toyhauler. :(

[randii]

I have seen this at Sierra Trek, with an 18' trailer and the pop-up propane tanks pulled from the tongue.
* Put the pop-up on first, with the tongue facing the back of the main trailer and the pop-up wheels all the way forward on the main trailer deck.
* Drive your 4x4 on facing the tow ball, and the bumper up just short of the front wall of the pop-up
* Ballast your camper water tanks to get a good balance, and be careful not to jack-knife the overhanging ass-end of the pop-up into your tailgate.

...or this weekend I saw a guy load a military trailer onto his flatbed trailer by backing the Jeep on, and then standing the trailer up on its tailgate with the Jeep's winch. Slick! :cool2:

Randii

[CragRat]

Cragrat did this for a couple years for TDS (almost 450 miles roundtrip). He's got a Zuk with a full exo. He turned the pop-up sideways at the front of the trailer and put the Zuk behind it. I think you're asking for trouble doing it you way though...way too much tongue weight, you gotta figure out how to keep the vehicle over the axle(s). just my .02


:usa:
And a few trips to Johnson Valley ... I had an 18' trailer, pop-up in front facing the back, Samurai facing front.
One time, at TDS ... sandrail on the front and Samurai on the back!
I was a bit front heavy ...

[jmhinescj]

I to have been looking very hard at doing this...is there any other reason than legality or trouble backing up why you wouldn't just pull them double (truck pulling carhauler pulling popup)?

[pcorssmit]

What about backing the Jeep on, then loading the popup behind that (maybe with the tongue under the Jeep)?

Pete