Travel trailer and 2 crawler trailer

Damuddog

Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Location
Sylva, NC
I’m all over the place trying to figure out how to tow a trailer big enough for 2 TJ based crawlers and having a camper or motor home. Class C’s don’t seem to have the towing capability and even a lot of class A’s don’t. I can’t afford the big boys that do. I want to use the camper also when we aren’t wheeling. My current truck is a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 with the 6.2 liter motor. It has plenty of power for my 24’ loadtrail trailer and 1 TJ crawler. Wife wants her own now so I’m needing a bigger trailer. We have toyed with keeping this truck to tow a travel trailer and getting a 1-ton truck to haul the 2 crawlers. We also thought about building a crawler hauler with a slide-in camper up front and gooseneck trailer. That’s a big trailer though. Plus the slide-in would be cramped with the wife and 2 kids. Thoughts?


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I can’t afford the big boys that do



Then that's going to make things incredibly difficult to do without both of you driving something.

Your problem is certainly not a unique one. Several people here have solved it different ways

@shawn and @trailhugger have successfully managed to wheel 2 TJ's, while bringing the kids along for several years now
 
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3500 drw, 8-9ft slide in and a 28ft bumper pull or a 36-40 ft goose with a slide in on the front. Either way will be a heavy setup. A slide in can be a little cramped but the newer ones have decent room.
 
Ton truck long bed possibly a dully, slide in truck camper (you can get them with slide outs) and a 32’+ bumper pull. That’s about the only way to do it with one truck.


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If you go slide in, I’d definitely push for the dually. I pull a 34’ behind a SRW and use a weight distribution hitch setup. I wouldn’t add anymore weight on the rear of my SRW setup.
 
I am so surprised that the class C aftermarket hasn’t come up with a frame strengthening fix for this issue. It seems like a lot of people would jump on it. I saw a bunch of people hauling way more than they should when I went to Easter Jeep Safari. I’m just afraid of the insurance companies if something ever went wrong. They would blame me even if it wasn’t my fault.


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I am so surprised that the class C aftermarket hasn’t come up with a frame strengthening fix for this issue. It seems like a lot of people would jump on it. I saw a bunch of people hauling way more than they should when I went to Easter Jeep Safari. I’m just afraid of the insurance companies if something ever went wrong. They would blame me even if it wasn’t my fault.


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How long are each of your rigs?
 
Only have the one now. 106” wheel base


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So how long is it from furthest point front to back? I ask because my buggy is 12ft front of front tires to rear of rear tires and my buddies is 12ft-4ish inches. So both of ours can fit with a little room between the tires on a 26ft trailer. So depending on the length you may not need as long of a trailer as you think to haul two.
 
So how long is it from furthest point front to back? I ask because my buggy is 12ft front of front tires to rear of rear tires and my buddies is 12ft-4ish inches. So both of ours can fit with a little room between the tires on a 26ft trailer. So depending on the length you may not need as long of a trailer as you think to haul two.

12’5” tire to tire. I have a front stinger that may or may not play into loading. I will need the new rig to confirm.


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I know it sounds a little redneck, but the cheapest way to get what you want is a school bus. Its a little bit of work but you can make a camper out of the bus and that chassis will tow 2 rigs easy. It wont be a speed demon, but its hard to beat bang-for-buck.

I also think this would be an awesome way to go also.......

Int 4700. 26+ft of mobile wheeling in a box! - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

They both require a little bit of work though....
 
I know it sounds a little redneck, but the cheapest way to get what you want is a school bus. Its a little bit of work but you can make a camper out of the bus and that chassis will tow 2 rigs easy. It wont be a speed demon, but its hard to beat bang-for-buck.

I also think this would be an awesome way to go also.......

Int 4700. 26+ft of mobile wheeling in a box! - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

They both require a little bit of work though....

The wife and I were just talking about a similar truck and how to fit 2 rigs inside and then pull a camper. The box truck build that is.


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Can you your wife comfrtoably tow he camper? If so I say you have her haul that, you buy a dually and a 26’+ GN trailer and haul both rigs.

Obviously this is more fuel, but even with a dually+slide in+ 2 rig trailer you will be down in low single digit mpg.

The two separate towing vehicles will be in the 10ish mpg range and when you get there you have a nice camper with more room, and you can easily unhook the truck from the camper and have a nice ride into town if needed.

If you do decide on 1 rig to tow all of it in one shot, dually without a doubt. Preferably an F450 or 4500 platform in the Chevy or Dodge. It can be done. But man the dual will suck, and if you ever need a tow with all of that you’ll need a second mortgage!
 
What’s your budget?

The 1500 isn’t realistically going to handle a slide in camper plus a 2-car trailer, so your going to need something else most likely.

If you look around, you can find toters/motorcoaches/super C RVs for a reasonable price, comparable or less than a new 1 ton truck and slide in camper.

Also, if you look around for an older Class A with a tag axle, many are rated to pull 15k + and can be reasonably priced. I’m looking at a Class A diesel pusher right now that is rated at 15k from the factory and it’s very reasonably priced. The only downfall is it doesn’t have dedicated bunks for the kids; some do but not this one. It’s no toter rated for 30k towing, but for the limited towing miles I’ll put on it, I think it will be fine.
 
you can find toters/motorcoaches/super C RVs for a reasonable price, comparable or less than a new 1 ton truck and slide in camper.

Don't forget the gooseneck.

You buy a new F450 ($100k) and NICE slide in with slide outs, and a gooseneck long enough, by the time you pay to have the crane set the slide-out on it, you could buy a Renegade to do the work :cool:

I'm just bitching because the price of decent trucks have shot higher than the cost of my first house :shaking: That renegade is just a lottery win vehicle (which reminds me...need to run across the street and buy some tickets)
 
Realistically, you're looking at a 40ft trailer and a class a license to pull two Jeeps and a slide in on a flatbed. The camper is going to take up 12ft of bed (more if it's a rear door vs side door), plus 26ft for two rigs that are basically touching. The trailer is going to weigh 17-18k, and you'll have to pull the camper off to put it on the truck if you plan on taking it anywhere that's not Harlan/Windrock/etc.

Also, if you look around for an older Class A with a tag axle, many are rated to pull 15k + and can be reasonably priced. I’m looking at a Class A diesel pusher right now that is rated at 15k from the factory and it’s very reasonably priced. The only downfall is it doesn’t have dedicated bunks for the kids; some do but not this one. It’s no toter rated for 30k towing, but for the limited towing miles I’ll put on it, I think it will be fine.

A 40-45ft bus with a 26-30ft flatbed is over legal length for an RV. It would have to be tagged/titled as a commercial class A truck.
 
What’s your budget?

The 1500 isn’t realistically going to handle a slide in camper plus a 2-car trailer, so your going to need something else most likely.

If you look around, you can find toters/motorcoaches/super C RVs for a reasonable price, comparable or less than a new 1 ton truck and slide in camper.

Also, if you look around for an older Class A with a tag axle, many are rated to pull 15k + and can be reasonably priced. I’m looking at a Class A diesel pusher right now that is rated at 15k from the factory and it’s very reasonably priced. The only downfall is it doesn’t have dedicated bunks for the kids; some do but not this one. It’s no toter rated for 30k towing, but for the limited towing miles I’ll put on it, I think it will be fine.

x2... here is a super C for example: 2004 super c

If you are ok with getting Class A's, you could pick up a cheap HD truck and pull whatever you want.
 
what about a wedge style 3 car gooseneck trailer behind a dually? could put a popup or small travel trailer and two rigs on it?
 
If you were determined, you could probably find a GN trailer long enough to goth both rigs and put a moderately sized travel trailer shell on the front. But that still requires a long ass GN trailer, a travel trailer/camper, and a different truck.


There really isn’t a cheap option. About the cheapest would be to buy a used U haul truck and convert it to a camper with a garage, then tow your existing trailer with one of the rigs on it and one inside the U haul.


For something already completed, some Super C RVs have garages but most are 10-12’. Finding one big enough for a TJ may be a tall order but may be a good option.
 
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