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3 axle bumper pull RV recommendations


KWT660HDT

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I’ve been giving some thought to switching from pulling a fifth wheel rv to a bumper pull setup so I can carry a jeep on the truck without being super long.

problem is I can’t find many rv’s that go up to three axles for bumper-pull though I have seen pics from fellow forum members with some of these but I didn’t notice the brand

I currently have a 45’ XLR ‘toolhauler’ and I love that rigid frame and triple axle setup when I go off road it is so stable compared to two axle trailers

 

 

 

 

2013 KW T660

485HP, 18 speed & locking tandems

2015 XLR 45' Toy-hauler

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On 9/6/2018 at 8:49 PM, beemergary said:

Doesn't look like much of a tongue for all that weight in video.

 

Looks are deceiving in pictures. The A-Frame tongue is 2" x 8" x 3/8" wall box tube and protrudes 5 ft. Out from the box, which gives it the maximum turning radius for tight turns. The main frame has a 12" heavy duty I-beam on top. This TT weighs 24,500 loaded and the Bigfoot hydraulic leveling system lifts it off the ground without flexing. It has 3 Moryde 9K "IS" disc brake axles. This one is priced at $225K from NH.

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As I am looking through the forum trying to get information, and I am wondering how common is it to pull a TT with a HDT?  I am considering getting a HDT and RV in the next year.  I am looking at similar of putting a wrangler on the bed, and was looking at a picture I saw on here of the jeep up at a 45 degree angle.  As I would be getting started I would be looking more at camp grounds with some boondocking.  From what I've learned so far a HDT is going to be almost close to the length of my supercab f-150 with 8 foot bed.  Might have read wrong, but the HDT shouldn't be more than a few feet longer, just wider than what I'm used to.  Would I be right in guessing that you still use a WD hitch, or can you get a heavy duty hitch to not need it?

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Most folks are pulling fifth wheels I'd say as there are way more decent trailer options for an HDT if you go that route.

You won't need a weight distributing hitch for a TT I don't think but you may want to look at a hitch receiver on the HDT with an integrated air suspension - depending how heavy your trailer is and how much load you have on the truck - it would be easy to demolish a standard light weight TT pulling it behind a lightly loaded HDT.

 I'm leaning towards a pintle hitch as I am frequently off road and they hold up better for that than a ball hitch supposedly

having the jeep at an angle makes it easier to keep everything at 65' or less which is the way to go if you don't want to worry about being ticketed and/or towed. most states and Canada limit RV's to 65' overall length HDT or not. 

2013 KW T660

485HP, 18 speed & locking tandems

2015 XLR 45' Toy-hauler

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There are a few rather large "TT's" here, most notably the Dixons, at 48' and over 30k#.   You can find a picture of their rig in their signature in the National Rally section.

KW T-680, POPEMOBILE
Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN
Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row
Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer.
contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net

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Dollytrolley Freightshaker has a 40k tt hitch that is receiver / pintel for various trailers scattered in our junk piles in the west.....

Our 30 ft light (10k) toybox is simply a nothiingburger except when making the tight u-turn at the burger joints......

Dollytrolley is really a rat-rod-HDT that has TWO beds.....one short 12 ft flat bed and a 20 ft Morgan cargo box and did I mention that the hitches move a bit depending on the bed that is installed that day.....

Most days the cargo is installed and various horse related "gems"  are hauled and they weigh a fair amount and then the extended hitch location with a fair hitch load tends to actually make the air suspension function as intended...... fairly nice loaded......

I do need to run the old spreadsheet weight & balance some days when the "junk" a bit intense....

With the tandems the best ride is when they are well loaded but with the long load arms and aft hitch location I sometimes need to adjust front cargo weights to keep some weights on the front axle weights reasonable......

 

Tt trailer rigs are old school and tend to load or overload many LGT rigs however HDT'$ are fairly imune to aft hitch loads most of the time......

One thing to consider with aft hitch location is what effects occure when you HAVE to steer around a object at highway speeds .....bad luck but twice in the last two years we have had to steer around rocks falling into our Lane on two Lane roads...... pucker-up and drive time........to survive these swerves you better be loaded in balance......

Perhaps if I could get Dollymamma to camp in Kansas we would encounter fewer rock-falls but in the horse trail ride world the roads seem to have rocks in my Lane at times so..... Just slow down and steer.........

Tt hitch works OK on a HDT but it's best to pay attention still ......

Drive on......(Hitch-Itch........)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

97 Freightshaker Century Cummins M11-370 / 1350 /10 spd / 3:08 /tandem/ 20ft Garage/ 30 ft Curtis Dune toybox with a removable horse-haul-module to transport Dolly-The-Painthorse to horse camps and trail heads all over the Western U S

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I have pulled my 30ft 9000-10000lbs Roughneck with my  wee Kenworth. 1400lbs on the tongue. I use my AirSafe hitch. 

Best feature is the rig is 2 feet shorter than my toyhauler. 11’4” vs 13’6”.

2nd best feature is the way it bends in the middle like a bunk logger so it corners very tight. 

3rd is the truck is heavier than the trailer so trailer shall behave itself.

4th best feature is don’t need no weight bars etc.

Best feature of pintles besides articulation is hitching by yourself - reverse in till you smash into the hitch, set the brakes and get out and hook up. No need for cameras and such...

AirSafe hitches can have a pintle if you want.

 

"Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. 

 

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air safe receiver hitches are pretty nice but max out at 3,000 # of tongue weight. I'm thinking I'll be around 30k # of trailer so tongue weight will be over 3k for sure. 

I hope I won't need an air hitch for this to work....I figure the weight of the vehicle, platform  and 4K or so tongue weight will be enough to get the suspension reacting adequately on the brutal roads we have up here in Canuckland. 

 

 

 

 

 

2013 KW T660

485HP, 18 speed & locking tandems

2015 XLR 45' Toy-hauler

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fnMLSAUl.jpg

Here is a picture of an M2 Freightliner pulling a 33' box TT with a 5 ' tongue.  It has 3,400 lbs. Of tongue weight with a 30K 2 5/16 ball hitch. It's on a custom made Air Safe hitch designed for 30K @ 3,500 lbs. Of tongue weight. Air Safe is now in the process of building a new even larger capacity one due to the demand of people wanting a large TT instead of a 5er so that they can utilize their truck for their individual uses. This FL has an 11' Knapheide KUVCC service body . It also has 2 custom rear tool boxes and a custom box for the rear ramps on the PS. It is 25' OAL without the 3" square hitch shank plugged in which adds 1 more ft. Total OAL hooked up is 64'. FL GVWR is 36,500#,  GCVWR is 72,000#. Air ride autoleveling suspension, no WD needed. Will be at HDT rally in Hutchinson in October, suggest that you come. Steve will be there with his "King of TT's"  48' Rig as well. Hope to see you there. BTW, I have a brand new 30K Torklift rigid mount receiver and 2 5/16" ball hitch for a Freightliner chassis if you don't want to get an Air Safe and end up with a FL.

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Yup the KW is tandem. 

This is purely conceptual at this point but I am thinking I would extend the frame 6-8' past the rearmost axle...so 2 tons cantilevered 6-8'  plus an overbuilt deck and a full size vehicle (could be a Colorado ZR2 or 4 door jeep) should do the job. That will be well over 10,000 lbs.

Might still not be enough to protect the TT without an air receiver hitch but the suspension will be getting some exercise

2013 KW T660

485HP, 18 speed & locking tandems

2015 XLR 45' Toy-hauler

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53 minutes ago, lockmup68 said:

PARRFormance here on the forum does exactly that with Jeep and TT. There is also a KW with a rollback that pulls an airstream that recently posted on one of the facebook groups. 

Works perfectly, I am heading back to Windrock ORV for more wheeling the week before Thanksgiving.

Way better than the truck camper and Jeep loaded on a goose-neck trailer, pulled by a Dodge Ram 2500 

SRW with a mildly built Cummins.

I am around 64' feet total length.

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2006 Volvo VNL 780, " Arvey"  Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift

2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

2010 Forest River Coachman Freedom Express 280RLS

Jackalopee

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6 minutes ago, Parrformance said:

Works perfectly, I am heading back to Windrock ORV for more wheeling the week before Thanksgiving.

Way better than the truck camper and Jeep loaded on a goose-neck trailer, pulled by a Dodge Ram 2500 

SRW with a mildly built Cummins.

I am around 64' feet total length.

fBlO4w2l.jpg

Waaaay better and a whole lot safer. Really nice setup and looks just like what the OP had in mind.

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4 hours ago, KWT660HDT said:

Yup the KW is tandem. 

 That will be well over 10,000 lbs.

Might still not be enough to protect the TT without an air receiver hitch but the suspension will be getting some exercise

Yep.  Some, but that is why the majority of us use an air-hitch.

Rocky & Sheri Rhoades
'01 Volvo 770
2016 DRV Mobile Suites, Houston
HERO Makers Ministry

 

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Thanks guys for the great input.  Lots of nice rigs here. Digging the stretched Pete 359 with the roll back ramp looks like he's carrying 600 gallons of fuel that would be pretty sweet going to Alaska. 2-1/2 tons of fuel is great for smoothing out the ride...

MoSKP9 - I'd love to go to Hutchinson but I won't be able to make it there this year. From Calgary it's 20 hours driving one way to get there and October is bad for me.

lockmup68 - looks like you might be an inch or two over 65' lol . Have you run into any issues outside your home state? 

HERO Maker - Thanks for not saying it's inevitable lol now I can keep deluding myself. I've had a few air pinboxes over the years and they're awesome when they're aired up perfect it's keeping them that way that's been a pain. With the air hitch on the truck at least we can hook it up to truck air with a regulator and overpressure release valve to keep it just right

Parrformance - is that a hydraulic tilt bed you have or do you use ramps to get the jeep up there

2013 KW T660

485HP, 18 speed & locking tandems

2015 XLR 45' Toy-hauler

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