Pulling a bumper pull travel trailer - Diesel Forum

joerendon · 03-28-2008, 06:55 PM

See truck in sig. Question is, will I have any trouble pulling a bumper pull travel trailer (24 ft) with a lifted truck? Will stabilizer bars work, or do I pull without them?

joshb159 · 03-29-2008, 12:11 AM

You'll be fine with just 2' of lift. If it's a low slung trailer you might need a sizeable drop for the hitch head (I think most people call them Hi-Lo shanks). Stabilizers will work as long as you get the head low enough so the trailer is towed level. Then just the normal set up procedure for a WD system.

joerendon · 04-01-2008, 08:17 PM

Thanks for the response. So, I don't really need the stabilizer bars to tow the trailer?

joshb159 · 04-01-2008, 09:13 PM

I guess there needs to be some clarification here... Equalizers are the spring bars that transfer weight off the hitch. Stabilizers are meant to keep sway from happening (friction type). Most new designs (reese dual cam, etc) are one in the same (equalizing while stabilizing without the added friction piece). Do you need equalizers/stabilizers? How heavy is the trailer? How much stuff are you going to pack into it? How much misc. junk is going to be in the bed of the truck? What is the Load Rating on your tires? Or you could give it a test drive and see what happens. I'd be inclined to throw some sort of equalizing at least. Makes for a smoother less bouncy ride.

joerendon · 04-05-2008, 05:01 PM

Gotcha. Truck will not be loaded, and I have plenty of carrying capacity on the tires. Not sure what is weight of trailer, but it will be empty. I am just hauling it about 175 miles from San Antonio to a deer camp near Bracketville. As long as I take it easy, I think I shouldn't have any problems.

Thanks for the comments.

Greenie · 04-05-2008, 06:45 PM

24 feet should be a light trailer - no need of weight distribution on the hitch, you probably won't even know it's back there.

MDarrough · 04-06-2008, 10:15 PM

I agree 100%.
I used to tow a 28ft TT with my '01 that had an 8" lift. No equalizer. No problemo.

Mark

marksuttonjr · 04-07-2008, 05:31 PM

I always use weight distribution bars and a stabilizer bar if I am gonna tow a large bumper pull trailer any distance over a few miles. Are they needed? Maybe, maybe not, but the truck drives soo much better with them.

DirtFarmer · 04-08-2008, 07:43 AM

I have a 24 ft TT and I just hook it up and plug in the lights/brakes. Never used any equalizer, etc and no problems with sway, etc. I think you'll be fine.

joerendon · 04-10-2008, 06:09 PM

Thanks to all for your responses.

Copper · 04-11-2008, 01:07 AM

The "lift" doesn't really make much difference, per se, but the bigger tires gear you up, and the wider sidewalls make for more "squirm", which can amplify sway. If the trailer's light enough you can stay within your tongue weight ratings without an equalizer, you should be in pretty good shape, assuming you're sprung pretty stiff. Lift kits can vary - some are sprung pretty soft for flex, so if you get much sag, you might need the equalizers to level everything out and keep your geometry correct. They also keep your front tires a little more firmly planted (BP's lever the front of the vehicle up a certain amount, so you end up with LESS weight on the front axle than when empty, but probably not much in your case), and that can be important with big tires, also.

TXiceman · 04-11-2008, 10:08 PM

First thing to do is to loose the lift and go back to stock heights. Towing anything is basically unstable and the lift makes the truck less stable due to the higher center of gravity.

Next use a weight distributing hitch with sway control. With your truck (at stock height) and the 24' TT, a friction type will most likely do fine. A Reese Dual Cam would be a better hitch.

Ken

Btravelen · 04-12-2008, 10:09 PM

You aren't really going to 'bumper pull' a 24ft travel trailer, are you? What you 'can' do and what you 'should' do are obviously at odds. 'Tag' trailers are highly susceptible to sway. If you're not going far or very fast, you can probably get away with it. 12- 15% tongue weight will help maintain stability.

A weight distributing hitch is not too expensive. What is your aversion to using one?

joerendon · 04-19-2008, 06:20 PM

There is no aversion to one. I am doing this as a favor. I thought that I would not be able to use the "sway bars" or equalizer or whatever since I am lifted. From what I have seen, the "sway bar" plugs into the hitch receptacle, then the trailer locks onto the ball that is part of the anti sway equalizer assembly. Again, since I am lifted, I didn't think the geometry would let me use the anti-sway bars

dslfumes · 04-20-2008, 04:23 PM

I pulled my 30 ft Jayco loaded at about 8300 lbs from Anchorage, Alaska down to Beaumont, Texas......with a 6" lift and 37" tires.(no, I didn't regear! 3.73!!) I used a 12" drop shank to mount my ball platform on and hooked the trailer up like you would on a regular truck.
Ran about 80-90mph the whole way. Truck didn't feel "unstable" or "unsafe" as someone previously said, even on hairpin mountain roads and gravel highways, or in high wind areas of Wyoming. Sorry but I get pissed when people assume that just because you lift your truck that it becomes a useless vehicle.