Alternate 5er mount - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-31-2007, 02:29 PM   #1
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We're looking for a smaller trailer for winter use and plan to travel to Florida for awhile and then to New England. Being on the road for 6 months, a 13-17' unit is just too small for us and something like a Bigfoot is out of the question as they are far too expensive. I can't justify over $40K for a travel trailer. For that amount it's going to be a big gas hog motorhome and toad.

I have a truck that will pull anything but another large fifthwheel is not right for us now.

Now for the question. I want to keep the shell on my 4wd diesel pickup so I was wondering if anyone had made a bumper pull arrangement for a Scamp fifth wheel? That trailer would provide enough room for the actual camping time we will have while on the road and the rest of the stuff can be in the bed of the truck, out of the weather. If this is dreamland, please help me with an alternative.

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Terry
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Old 08-31-2007, 02:34 PM   #2
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I had heard about such a thing on a rig someone was selling a while back and when I was at the Scamp factory I asked about it.
They said some guy did it but it was really ugly.

I didn't think that was a very good answer. But that's all there is.

My guess is it could work but it probably would be very scary to use.

I still think there should be some sort of dolly thing like in the "Long long trailer" movie with Lucy and Desi.

The only one I've seen costs more than the trailer. Way overdone I think.
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Old 08-31-2007, 04:47 PM   #3
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Quote:
We're looking for a smaller trailer for winter use and plan to travel to Florida for awhile and then to New England. Being on the road for 6 months, a 13-17' unit is just too small for us and something like a Bigfoot is out of the question as they are far too expensive. I can't justify over $40K for a travel trailer. For that amount it's going to be a big gas hog motorhome and toad.

I have a truck that will pull anything but another large fifthwheel is not right for us now.

Now for the question. I want to keep the shell on my 4wd diesel pickup so I was wondering if anyone had made a bumper pull arrangement for a Scamp fifth wheel? That trailer would provide enough room for the actual camping time we will have while on the road and the rest of the stuff can be in the bed of the truck, out of the weather. If this is dreamland, please help me with an alternative.

Thanks,
Terry
I have seen one being pulled that way..... (but it was going fast in the opposite direction ) It was hanging on the back of a Ford 4X4 that was tall. So, I imagine it is possible. Besides, tongue weight of a Scamp 5th Wheel isn't much different than a loaded car trailer or a big sticky is it? Prob would be an Rube Goldberg looking feller tho. But don't let that stop you. Larry
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Old 08-31-2007, 05:16 PM   #4
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Indeed, someone has made just such an adapter for the Scamp 19' and the trailer w/removable adapter was on EBay for sale, according to recent Yahoo Scampers posts.
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Old 08-31-2007, 07:55 PM   #5
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5th wheel hitch pup dolly
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Old 08-31-2007, 07:57 PM   #6
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You might take a look at the EggCamper 17' trailer. It has additional interior height and width that I understand makes a tremendous difference in the feel of roominess. The bright interior also adds to the spacious feel.
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Old 08-31-2007, 08:53 PM   #7
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Here is another one called the Tow Buddy and has 5th Wheel or Gooseneck applications.

Tow Buddy
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Old 09-01-2007, 06:48 AM   #8
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Using a tow dolly to haul a 5th wheel (non-commercial use) is illegal in a number of states. Make certain you know what states you plan on towing before making the EXPENSIVE decision to try this (ask me how I know )

Also, you may wish to read this topic: Possible to convert Scamp 5th wheel?

Frederick, I think the company in your reference, is out of business.. but their website is still up!

As far as the Scamp gooseneck to regular tow hitch... I shudder to think of what my insurance company would say if this was my rig and I was involved in an accident and ANYONE was hurt.
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Old 09-01-2007, 10:38 AM   #9
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yes it has been done by a fellow in Colarado. By simply extending the ball up [from the bumper] and bracing it . In my opinion this was quite crude but it worked for him as he passed me twice in on day at around 90 miles per hr He had a 1 ton Dodge dullie diesil. and the other one remains to be seen yet and is supposed to be at our Clear Lake meet next week. I believe this one will be quite practicle as he planed on going the other way by extending the frame out and using another ball receptical and going up from there to the original hitch. The plan was to make this removable. If all went well we will see this at clear lake. I see you are at Lanesboro Mn we have a meet there also the next week and this unit may be there.also anyway drop by either one or both.
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Old 09-01-2007, 11:25 AM   #10
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I understand the desire to find a solution in a size range for which there are few choices, but these dollies and hitch rigs seem like a very bad answer.

The Bics device is essentially the same as a dolly for an A-train truck... mis-applied to quite different tugs and trailers than a legitimate A-train. As already mentioned, it's illegal in many places, as I think it should be. I'm not a qualified commercial truck driver, most of us are not, and this rig seems unlikely to pass commercial standards of performance.

The Hitch Buddy is like a C-train converter... again mis-applied to inappropriate tow vehicles. It is also not available in a size which would make any sense for a Scamp.

Any combination of this sort of hardware and the trailer will be bulky, awkward, and less safe than a trailer which is simply built to the right size and designed for tag towing (not a hitch over a truck axle). I would give up the moulded fiberglass construction long before resorting to this stuff.

Just carrying the Scamp 19' on a hitch on the back of the truck seems to have some options, all bad.
To match the hitch and coupler heights:
  1. extend the ball platform vertically to the Scamp coupler height - the ball mount is now a tall pole under enormous bending stress
  2. extend the Scamp coupler mounting vertically down to the truck ball mount height - a large structure is required on the trailer
In both cases, the front of the Scamp interferes with the back of the truck in even a moderate turn, just like a conventional fifth-wheel mounted far to close to the truck cab.

To allow turning clearance:
  1. extend the ball mount back - the hundreds of pounds of hitch weight is too far back from the truck axle
  2. extend the Scamp coupler forward in a tongue - careful structural design is required (this may be a workable alternative)
A whole bunch of structure could make a Scamp 19' into strange 22' conventional trailer with an unnecessarily elevated front bedroom (a combination of the option 2 alternatives above) but it seems pointless to me.

Lyndon, I would appreciate seeing photos of the rigs which you mentioned... although I suspect that they will best fit in Pete Dumbleton's collection of bizarre and frightening towing rigs! I would like to see a sound and practical solution, if anyone builds it.
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Old 09-01-2007, 10:10 PM   #11
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I have seen one Scamp 5er where the tow vehicle had an "L" shaped bracket plugged into its hitch receiver ans a ball planted on the top of the "L."

I don't think this is a good idea. The receiver weight on a Scamp 5er might be well within the rated range of the truck, but the long riser would also act like a huge lever that would exaggerate the stresses on the hitch and truck well beyond safe limits.

So, unless you plan on jacking your truck up a couple feet, I don't think a direct-to-hitch solution would work for you. Perhaps one of these "dolly" things might?

--Peter
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Old 09-02-2007, 04:32 AM   #12
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Lyndon, I would appreciate seeing photos of the rigs which you mentioned... although I suspect that they will best fit in Pete Dumbleton's collection of bizarre and frightening towing rigs! I would like to see a sound and practical solution, if anyone builds it

Yes I will surly take a picture of this mod and see that you get it
This is being done by a former truck driver who is not just a nut and I believe that it will be practical for thier needs and wants, If anyone can do it Frank can. They pulled a 16 foot for many years and the toung on this mod will be just a foot or so longer than the 16 The tripod on the Colorado Dodge Dully is long gone as they have moved up to a three axel stick [or maybe down] By the way we dubbed this guy as BUBBA.
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:37 AM   #13
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Yes Frank did it an says it pulls fine He now has his topper on the truck and a 19 foot pull behind trailer with room for stuff under the bedroom.
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Old 09-18-2007, 07:17 AM   #14
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Terry, I did extensive research on exactly the issue you have questions about when I had a Scamp 5th wheel, and for exactly the same reasons. I loved the trailer, but I use the bed of my truck.

The long and the short of it is, I sold the trailer. I'd suggest you give a call to the factory at Backus and let them explain to you why a hitch extender shouldn't be added on to their fifth wheel. It has been done, and I've seen a couple in person, and Lyndon's photo shows one way to do it, but it's not a good idea.

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Old 09-18-2007, 07:35 AM   #15
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I gave it some modest thought, but never got beyond the 'thinkin' stage. What killed it for me was thinking about the hitch weight. The Scamp 19 is listed as having a hitch weight of 400lbs. Now - despite what it written on the back of my hitch - the manual of my tow vehicle (a Dodge Ram Van 1500) lists a MAX hitch weight of 350lbs.

To REALLY do this right - you'd also have to move the axle forward to better balance the trailer and bring the hitch weight more in line with the usual "10-15% of the weight of the trailer" figure. Doing THAT would make the relocation of the hitch seem trivial. I suppose you COULD get around that by loading a LOT of weight in the back to counterbalance the trailer - but that seems like a loosing game to me.

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Old 09-18-2007, 02:04 PM   #16
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[quote]
Attachment 10119

Thanks, Lyndon.
Quote:
... says it pulls fine He now has his topper on the truck and a 19 foot pull behind trailer with room for stuff under the bedroom.
Exactly. This is not an alternate way to tow a "fifth wheel" trailer, it's a strangely constructed conventional trailer. If the space under the bedroom is filled with heavy stuff, it's one with an unreasonable tongue weight. Seems almost pointless to me... but it's not my trailer to wreck.
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Old 09-18-2007, 02:10 PM   #17
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I shudder to think what kind of lawsuit a person could get involved in if there was an accident (even if not the Scamp ower's fault) and some smart lawyer got in touch with Scamp and heard what they had to say about this "Modification." It would NOT be worth losing everything owned, or hope to own just to drive around with a canopy on the bed of a truck

There's an old saying "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."
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Old 09-18-2007, 02:46 PM   #18
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90 Miles per hour???
That's just nuts. There is no reason to go that fast without a trailer, with a trailer...... I just hope someone catches a video of the outcome.

I'm sorry but there are limits to everything. 90 mph with a trailer is just inviting death.
And with a Rube Goldfarb hitch? Just nuts.

I hope this guy stays far away from me.
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:47 PM   #19
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Pete, ditto! Pete
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