Might be overthinking.

[rMetzger]

Howdy! Getting a truck camper for Shiny. Its footprint is 6’6” so, my 5’7” bed will require tailgate-down to carry.

If I’m also towing the travel trailer, I’m going to need an extended drawbar (1&1/2-2ft) to clear the tailgate. The travel trailer’s tongue weight is estimated @370lb. Would the leverage exceed the effective tongue-weight rating of the factory hitch?

Seems like it would, right?
If so, whose aftermarket hitch would y’all recommend?

 

[bcbender]

I'm not sure what the weight of your truck camper is but seem to me that a slide in camper and a tow behind camper may be stretching the capability of a 1500 just a tad. Just my $0.02.....

As for extended hitches, I have my reservations about it but my friend does it with his Jeep behind his 3500 by using a double hitch that utilizes the OEM receiver on the top and a Class V receiver below the OEM with a H style slide in double extension, He then has turn buckles that stabilize it (triangulate) back to the custom camper tie down bars at the corners of his bumper where the truck camper ties down... Seems to work but not my flavor.

 

[rMetzger]

I'm not sure what the weight of your truck camper is but seem to me that a slide in camper and a tow behind camper may be stretching the capability of a 1500 just a tad. Just my $0.02.....

As for extended hitches, I have my reservations about it but my friend does it with his Jeep behind his 3500 by using a double hitch that utilizes the OEM receiver on the top and a Class V receiver below the OEM with a H style slide in double extension, He then has turn buckles that stabilize it (triangulate) back to the custom camper tie down bars at the corners of his bumper where the truck camper ties down... Seems to work but not my flavor.

 

[rMetzger]

You might be right. I looked up the spec and this particular camper (“made for half-ton”) is 1561 dry.

trailer dry appx 3500gross appx 4450

I’ll still be appx 3000lb below the overall GCW, though.

if all else fails, I’ll just use Tiny instead of Shiny.

 

[Ozymandias]

If you use an extension i highly recommend a weight distribution hitch.

 

[rMetzger]

Ordered a 600/6000 WDH from e-trailer. Took a framing square and measured the tailgate's overhang @ 15" They had a 14" stem that's good for 650/6500 when used w/WD. Next size up was 18", which I didn't want, in order to minimize the ugliness of the geometry. They have numerous weight-distributing setups to allow the stem to work nicer. Also have appt at U-Haul to go from the factory Class IV to a Class V. I might be a few hundred pounds bed-heavy bec. of the camper, but the overall GCW should still have decent road manners.

Theoretically.

 

[AH64ID]

I’ll guarantee you exceed RAWR and payload long before you get even close to GCWR. Only way to get to GCWR is 10% tongue weight, zero payload, and only a 150lb driver.

I wouldn’t consider what you are talking about with a 1500.

 

[rMetzger]

I’ll guarantee you exceed RAWR and payload long before you get even close to GCWR. Only way to get to GCWR is 10% tongue weight, zero payload, and only a 150lb driver.

I wouldn’t consider what you are talking about with a 1500.

Like I said up above, if all else fails, I'll use Tiny (the 98 2500), instead of Shiny.... then I'll be very underloaded, but, the rig will still have very good road manners.

 

[AH64ID]

I wouldn’t call that very underloaded on a 2500.