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10-14-2020, 09:55 AM | #1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Navarre, Florida
Posts: 199
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Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
I'm looking to get a camper trailer and will be pulling it with the Cheyenne. I'd like to get some opinions from the board on my plan and what I'm missing and/or need before executing.
Truck specifics: 71 C10 SWB Rebuilt 350 Rebuilt TH350C Rebuilt 3.42 Limited Slip 12 Bolt Front Power Discs Rear Factory Leafs Receiver Hitch is rated at 1,000/10,000 The trailers we are looking at would be at max about 4,000, and maybe 4,500 fully loaded with all of our glamping gear. The trailers at the upper end of this range, from about 3,500 and up all have electric brakes. Tongue weights run up to about 400. Length would be 17 feet or under. Is this advisable? Would I need to run a weight distro hitch? Would the SWB be overcome under braking? |
10-14-2020, 10:07 AM | #2 |
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Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Trenton,Ontario & South Carolina
Posts: 755
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
Trailer brakes would be a great idea,Weight distributing may not be required,I have towed a lot of trailers,and trailer brakes are a must,travelling down hills,emergency situations,and just driving with the idiots around you,
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10-14-2020, 10:14 AM | #3 |
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: East TN.
Posts: 371
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
I think your truck will handle what you described with no problems at all !! Trailer brakes are a must though. Your truck would stop it all but situations arise when trailer brakes are a life saver. Not to mention keeping your trucks brakes in better shape longer..
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1972 k10 Custom 10 Deluxe, short bed 4x4, 454, 4 speed (Sold) 1985 K30 Dump Truck 1986 Jeep CJ-7 1955 2 door 210 post |
10-14-2020, 10:24 AM | #4 |
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Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Navarre, Florida
Posts: 199
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
One thing I'm worried about is trailer sway. Where the trailer begins swaying out of control and jack-knifing with the tow rig. I'm guessing it would be more prevalent with the SWB vs. a LWB.
What causes that, and how do I avoid it? |
10-14-2020, 10:46 AM | #5 |
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Sedalia Mo.
Posts: 1,131
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
A few trailers that I have had trouble with them swaying back and forth (trying to get out of control) were ones with short tongues AND being pulled by a short wheel base vehicle (like a Jeep pulling a small home made short truck bed trailer). Good Shocks on both the rig and trailer make a big difference too! I also tend to run the air pressure in the tires on the higher side to avoid tire bounce that can get rhythmic.
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He who is without oil shall throw the first rod. Compressions 8.7:1 1972 C10 1976 C10 (parts truck) 1985 K20 |
10-14-2020, 10:49 AM | #6 |
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Edmonton Alberta
Posts: 1,373
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
Something with a torsion bar hitch might eliminate trailer sway. YOu have power discs on the front so I think you are fine.
But: what do you think your swb weighs? I think less than 4000 lbs, probably. If you are pulling something heavier than the truck then electric trailer brakes are a must.
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DAVE Edmonton, Alberta 1959 Apache 1967 K20 1968 C20 1970 C10 1972 GMC 2500 1981 C10 |
10-14-2020, 11:14 AM | #7 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Wisconsin & Arizona
Posts: 4,846
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
Trailer sway is generally the result of too little tongue weight. An absolute minimum tongue weight is 10% of the loaded trailer weight. 15% would be better. A weight distributing hitch may also help overall control.
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Jim |
10-14-2020, 01:31 PM | #8 | |
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 201
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
Quote:
An excellent brake controller is the Austrailian RedArc. Can be manual, proportional or fixed at whatever setting you like. It also fits nicely in the spot directly under the wiper switch. I believe the early trucks had accessories in this position, maybe a choke or something like that. Whatever the case, it was a perfect location that looks completely natural in the dash bezel of my '71 C20.
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1971 C20 Custom Deluxe, HT383, 4L80E, 3.73 Locker, 4 Wheel Discs |
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10-14-2020, 11:54 PM | #9 |
Who Changed This?
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 10,496
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
I have an equalized load trailer hitch for the 26' travel trailer that I have. I haven't put the stabilizer on it yet, but the one time I got in a bad cross wind in the Antelope Valley (California), it got pretty hairy. I just held the steering straight and let the wind whistle. That trailer is 26' with dual wheels, so really pretty stable. I didn't want to get into micro-managing the sway, but I'll be having the anti-sway kit welded on when I take the trailer in for some warranty work. I'm also looking at installing a rear stabilizer bar. I've been around this truck for 40 years, and the only time I've experienced pucker factor is after I had the Firestone Trans-Force tires installed awhile back. Even with 10 psi more in the rear tires, I get a lot of oversteer- enough that the wife even commented on my driving (like that's anything new!). That was without the trailer, btw.
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~Steven '70 Chevy 3/4T Longhorn CST 402/400/3.56 Custom Camper Simi Valley, CA |
10-15-2020, 10:36 AM | #10 |
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Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Catskill Mountains,NY
Posts: 8,533
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
I've been towing campers for 40 years. Anything over 3500 will have brakes. I use the Reese dual cam sway control its acts as a sway/ weight distributing hitch . The friction type in my opinion dont work well. If you get some sway it's best to keep your foot on the gas and manually hit the trailer brakes . The drag will usually straighten the rig out but even the most experienced operator can run into trouble watched a freinds rig roll on its side coming back from South Carolina. No one got hurt but the tow vehicle and rig were totalled.
Also keep an eye on the weight you put in the rig most people just throw stuff in and go not realizing that they are overloaded.
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Mark 72 c20 custom camper Husky edition, 66 SS396 Chevelle 1964 Hawk, 63 Avanti,62 lark 1969 AMX , 1968 c20 stepside ,85 K20 1977 Suburban sold 68 anniversary. |
10-15-2020, 01:39 PM | #11 | |
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Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Navarre, Florida
Posts: 199
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
Quote:
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10-15-2020, 03:29 PM | #12 |
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Farmington NM
Posts: 112
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
My fresh water tank is in the front of the trailer and the waste water tanks are in the back of the trailer so a weight distributing hitch is a must have
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10-15-2020, 04:40 PM | #13 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Northern Nevada
Posts: 7,263
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
Quote:
My guess is 4K or lower is a good place to be. I owned a few Fun Finders my old 4.7 Tundra could pull, the dry weight on those is 3800ish. Agree and stabilizer bar makes a difference too. Just know weight distribution bars will leave A BIG MARK if you're careless and especially ALWAYS slack on their chains on & off - jack that sucker up until that happens. Imagine 800 LBs. behind a pipe striking your foot, for example. I know four guys who have been injured, and I'm one of them. Dumb luck no residuals to whine about, I forgot my shoes and ended up buying one's with a 3/4" thick tongue for the trip. Never felt that kind of pain before, not recommended
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Tony 71 Custom Deluxe, SWB, 2WD, 402, A/C. I developed an assembly kit for restoring the (a) truck from the ground up. My build thread, and more on the assembly kit https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=730025 Last edited by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402; 10-15-2020 at 05:01 PM. |
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10-15-2020, 07:28 PM | #14 |
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Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: hickory, ky
Posts: 1,291
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
Just wondering, by you using the g word," glamping", are you looking for a vintage trailer to pull? If so, here are a couple of things to consider. Most, but not all, were single axle rigs and they get heavy in a hurry. Back in the day, camper manufacturers were not worried about selling a camper you could tow with whatever you pulled up in. Most people bought a heavy truck to pull a heavy camper. I pulled my Scotty ,(1100 lbs), all over the place with the 72 and it really never knew it was back there. A mid size say, Shasta Air Flyte will weigh in at 2100 fully loaded or there abouts. When you get much heavier than that, I'm afraid you will have to adjust your driving habits to blend in with traffic. Another thing we do and did, is take the parallel roads to the busy highways where we can to avoid semis and jackrabbit drivers on cell phones. Idiots are on every road, sorry I don't have a cure for that. With that said, proper brakes, hitches, and bags if needed are all good ideas. Happy camping.
PS, we love Navarre, we have stayed at the campground there several times over the last 15 years, even almost bought a 2nd home in a subdivision back behind Wal Mart during the housing crash of '08.
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:My build thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=807535 1972 K10 swb/1968 Camaro 350/4spd 1955 210 2 dr sedan/1998 RCSB Z71 Last edited by tutone; 10-15-2020 at 07:34 PM. Reason: added |
10-16-2020, 09:54 AM | #15 | |
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Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Navarre, Florida
Posts: 199
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Re: Looking to Buy a Camper Trailer
Quote:
Funny though - we rented a house directly behind Walmart from 08 to 09 when we first got the the area. Then bought near Hwy 87 in 09. |
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