smaller trailer

[ladonna i.]

Hi...we have a 13' Burro and need more room to haul stuff in order to "clean up" the inside...we bought a fiberglass Remora Aero box and are trying to figure out a way to haul it..it's made to plug into a 2 " hitch receiver but there is no way the Burro bumper is hardy enough to do that...so we are looking at smaller trailers? to attach to the Burro...looked at double hitch, Idaho hauler (too much!), etc....has anyone out there done anything like this?

[cpaharley2008]

if the bumper is not strong enough for a hitch, what are you going to tow with? If you have to strengthen the frame might as well do the bumper and use the box, towing another tailer is redundant!!

[Francesca Knowles]

This is called "double towing", it's illegal in many States, and in some others that do allow it the permission is restricted to fifth-wheel type trailers as the first tow.

I do agree with your decision not to attempt a receiver on the Burro- not just due to frame weakness, but also because I think that much weight so far back on such a small trailer would result in serious handling/sway problems.

You don't say what your tow vehicle is, but I think the only way you'll be able to use your receiver-mounted box is by way of a double receiver adapter that allows you to carry the box and tow the trailer at the same time. ( see one at this link)

You'd probably need at least four hundred pounds of weight-bearing capacity at the tug's hitch for such an arrangement to work.

Francesca

[renewableart]

take the Burro down to a welding shop have them weld a 2in bar under the frame extending it out the back to set your box on, but be aware to much weight on the back will take from your hitch weight and make it hard to tow.

i have a hammer, nails and duck tape i can fix it.

danny

[Gene Masse]

What's your TV? Does it have a lot of space to put stuff? We have a Chrysler Town & Country with stow-n-go seats. Since there are only two of us we can put all rear seats down into the floor. That frees a lot of space for "stuff". The newer T&C's have a great towing package and they have increased the horsepower of their motors.

[Mouse]

What are you carrying?

Could it be put in a roof top box?

[ladonna i.]

we tow with a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee...we travel with 3 dogs, so they're occupying the back, we also carry bicycle and kayak/canoe gear so that's in the back and on the top...the aero box would be way too tall to be on the top..I'm not having any success inserting a photo..but it's can be seen at letsgoaero.com...it's a large fiberglass egg that inserts into a 2" hitch, wt.=150 lbs. and it has a large capacity Sport Utility Cargo Trailers, Small Camping Trailers, Enclosed Cargo Carriers/Boxes, Hitch Racks - Let's Go Aero - Sport Utility Trailers, Camping Trailers, Cargo Carriers, Hitch & Bicycle Racks, Luggage Boxes we've considered fabricating a swivel wheel type trailer that would be an extension of the Burro frame...we're just brainstorming for now as we can fit everything in for now...we'd just like a little more foot room and not have to move everything in and out all the time

[Steve L.]

Yakima (or Thule) roof rack and rocket box type cargo carrier. Lockable, streamlined, relatively easy to access. Usually you can offset a bike or two to one side leaving room for the box.

I like to think I travel in a style that I call "wretched excess" but I believe you're beating me hands down. Bikes, kayaks, dogs (3!) Yikes!

[ladonna i.]

oh well...we've already purchased the aero box so we plan to use it! we don't think of it as wretched excess', we're active people, love traveling with our dogs...so we just go for it....love life to the fullest

[ladonna i.]

thanks for the link to the double receiver...the tongue on the Burro is way too short to accomodate the Aero egg between the Burro and the Cherokee

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by ladonna i.

thanks for the link to the double receiver...the tongue on the Burro is way too short to accomodate the Aero egg between the Burro and the Cherokee

Yeah, but if I was heading down this road (so to speak), that's the way I would go. You're fabricating either way, add to the front so you don't screw up tongue weight. The cherokee shouldn't care about a few extra pounds up there. Actually, if I was doing it, I would lengthen the frame and put it on the burro.

If you're set on using that, you don't have many options.

[ladonna i.]

we've thought about lengthening the frame too..we're just in the planning phases and just wanted to pick some brains...we're very safely conscious so we wouldn't do something to jeopardize our travels or those around us...we do have a receiver hitch on the burro, as we used it to pick up a motorcycle in new mexico 2 hears ago but we do not want to use the size of trailer we used then...we want something smaller, easy to back (ie swivel wheels) ,etc. we had one state park ranger in Az. ask us about the "double trailer" but no one else blinked an eye at our set up

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jared J

The cherokee shouldn't care about a few extra pounds up there.

The carrier on the back of the tug is not "a few" extra pounds - it is substantial load on a long lever arm (significantly further back than a normal tow ball position), and any reasonable mounting hardware will push the trailer's tongue weight further back as well. This is a Grand Cherokee; it might be different for a truck with twelve feet of wheelbase.

Originally Posted by Jared J

Actually, if I was doing it, I would lengthen the frame and put it on the burro.

I think that's a much better idea.

[Bob Miller]

I'd be on the phone to th AAA or to any state you wanted to travel in with your double tow idea. Most will turn thumbs down on anything but a 5th wheel in the middle. And don't trust the Local, County or State officers to know, check with the DMV. You would be in a real pickle 200 miles from a state line and got told to take if off the road right then and there

If you read up on swivel wheel trailers you will find that they need close to 60% of the toal trailer weight on the hitch, that would put your Burros tongue weight at about -200 lbs. There is a "Heilite" single wheel camping trailer on eBay right now you can check out with about 100 pictures.

Bottom line, get a bigger trailer.

[Karalyn]

I tried to "clean up" the inside of my 16' Scamp too. On my Scamp I had a 2" hitch welded on at the factory. I bought a 2X5 ft rack for the back of the scamp at Camping World and put a box with dishes, hoses, electrical cords, etc on the rack. I made only one trip with that set up as the trailer was swaying all over the road. I was NOT happy as the trailer was set up to haul things like this on the back. It did not work for me. Hoping you have better luck than I did. I have a rack to sell if anyone wants it. LOL

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

The carrier on the back of the tug is not "a few" extra pounds - it is substantial load on a long lever arm (significantly further back than a normal tow ball position), and any reasonable mounting hardware will push the trailer's tongue weight further back as well. This is a Grand Cherokee; it might be different for a truck with twelve feet of wheelbase.

Agreed, but I've had several hundred pounds on a rack behind my little subaru (with no trailer). Reasonably packed, I still think they could pull a 13' scamp, although I would still much prefer to lengthen the trailer frame and throw it in front. The trailer will have to take some of the weight then, and it won't take away from tongue weight.

What tongue weight can a grand take?

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Jared J

What tongue weight can a grand take?

Well, now- that's a good question.

The O.P. has a 2005 Grand Cherokee- no model specified. According to this link and depending on the model, tongue weight limit might be as high as 720 pounds!

But read the fine print in those specs:
Tongue weight must come right off the top of the
maximum payload for all models: 1100 pounds.

And since the tug's already towing a trailer (250 lb. tongue?) and carrying two adults, three dogs, bicycles, at least one kayak and perhaps a kitchen sink or two I'm wondering if they're not already barely inside the payload limit.

Francesca

[Bob Miller]

Going back to the Tail Waggin' the Dog.

For every 100 lbs you put on the rear of the trailer frame you will have to put at least another 75 on the tongue to balance things out meaning, without any math involved, that you will have to add about 200 lbs for every 100 lbs of extra carrying capacity on the back. Sounds like one would get to the axle & tire limits in short order.

And wasn't there a Casita that had the frame shear off just in front of the coach????

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by ladonna i.

... we've considered fabricating a swivel wheel type trailer that would be an extension of the Burro frame...

Originally Posted by ladonna i.

...we're very safely conscious so we wouldn't do something to jeopardize our travels or those around us...

I believe that a rearward extension of the trailer of a size sufficient to be useful is incompatible with safety. Even though much of the weight is not carried by the trailer when a "swivel wheel" unit is used, all of the mass is still added and acts like a big horizontal pendulum which the trailer must control, because that unit is riding on castered wheels.

A swivel/caster wheel dolly is very different from a typical tag axle. A storage box on the back and a real tag axle right behind the main axle would be much better... but I don't think anyone is likely to do that.

I realize that these devices are used successfully, but normally that is on a much larger trailer (in proportion to the caster-supported load, or directly on a motor vehicle with the stability of widely separated front and rear axles.

There have been previous discussions in FiberglassRV of these devices - search in the forum for "swivel wheel" to find at least some.

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Going back to the Tail Waggin' the Dog.

For every 100 lbs you put on the rear of the trailer frame you will have to put at least another 75 on the tongue to balance things out meaning, without any math involved, that you will have to add about 200 lbs for every 100 lbs of extra carrying capacity on the back. Sounds like one would get to the axle & tire limits in short order.

And wasn't there a Casita that had the frame shear off just in front of the coach????

That's why you would have to put it on the front.

What does a casita have to do with a burro? Modify the frame correctly, and it's a non-issue. Every model of tow vehicle on here has been rolled, doesn't mean you should worry about it.

The big question is what their max tongue weight can be and what it already is.

I'm with brian, I would be paranoid about the stresses a swivel setup would put on the camper, especially being so short already. I really think the only solution is to lengthen the front frame, tongue weight allowing.