Question:
I have a small van (Chevy Astro) that is equipped to tow 3,000 lbs. I would
like to pull a small trailer for short trip and am considering buying a used
cabover camper and mounting it on a flat bed trailer or a trailer made from a
long-bed pickup. Has anyone ever done this? I've seen a few such setups on the
road, so I know it is possible. What were some of the issues I will have to
deal with, especially in terms of towing? Please bear in mind that this for
purely economical reasons - I cannot afford to buy a larger van or truck.
Answer:
-This will almost certainly end up heavier for the interior room you get
than a comparable trailer of lightweight design. The pickup bed method
would be particularly heavy, and with the center of gravity so high and
the narrow track, the least stable alternative.
-The stabilty of a slide in truck camper is based on the combined weights of
the truck and the camper. If you put a camper on a box that came from a
pickup truck, even if it has part of the frame, the center of gravity of the
two will be higher than when on the regular truck. i.e. most of the mass is
in the truck and low down. So you will end up with a much less stable
trailer. My gut feeling is that it wouldnt take much to blow it over. Slide
in campers are marginal anyway, so you would have a modified marginal unit.
My advice is to not do it, unless you put it on a trailer with a wide axle.
like a vehicle trailer.
