Add length to tongue

[Mbates]

We enjoy a 2001 Coleman Utah and recently picked up an old golf cart that we would like to bring camping with us. Despite memory of the old ads showing a car parked on the roof (HA!) it would be ..unwise to transport it on the ABS roof.

I have seen newer popups with a deck area in front for hauling an ATV, could I have such a structure added to mine? The attached photo is what I want to end up with.

Has anyone done this? Any advice or ideas to transport it? The cart weighs just under 700lbs.

I can't legally pull two trailers and it would take up ALL of my pickup bed if I carry it there.

Thanks guys

[nightriderrv]

I sure a good metal fabricator could take of that with no problem at all but it will add more tongue weight to have to make sure the hitch will hold or might need to go to a higher class hitch.

I like that set up in the picture

[Mbates]

The hitch is a Ranch Hand bumper. It's capable of a lot more weight than the rest of my truck is lol.

Tow rig is a half ton Dodge 4x4, won't win any races but it doesn't even notice the Utah behind it on the highway.

Seems like the entire trailer will need to have more ground clearance if I add that much length...

[dstinch]

You will need bigger axel or two for the extra weight. I would look for a flat bed trailer say 24feet and cut the tongue and axels off yours and slide camper on front and put cart on back. Have done that years ago with a cab over camper and motorcycles.

Don

[wonderer1]

another idea if it will fit, is put the golf cart in the pickups bed. see harbor frieght for ramps.

[wa8yxm]

Well, you are worried about parking the golf car on the roof breaking the roof....Question, would it be possible for a fabricator to built a rack over the roof, this would be 1-2 Inches over the roof, consisting of "U" channels slightly wider than the Golf Car tires and spaced so the golf car could run right into the channel.

Of course you would also need ramps and tie downs.

And you will most likely SERIOUSLY overload the trailer if you do this.

Likewise if you extend the tong.

Trailers often do not have a whole lot of cargo carrying capacity.

[Mbates]

Wonderer1, it will 'fit' in the pickup bed and I may have to do that for now but that has a few challenges of it's own...

1) I would have to leave the tailgate down and that makes a trailer jack/tailgate hit quite likely. A longer hitch would help but not by much.
2) While I could certainly thin out the list, the truck bed is already pretty packed when we load up. I would like to keep it available for 'stuff' if possible.
3) My truck bed is high enough off the ground that I need 10' ramps. It's just too steep with standard folding ramps and the cart can't climb it. Hoping to find terrain at the CG that makes this easier is perhaps a bit optimistic, park rangers give little to no slack for leaving the roadway to take advantage of a ditch. Been there with the four wheeler and it did not go over well.

Still, that is so far my safest and least complicated fix...

[Mbates]

Wa8yxm, the idea of a roof rack has consumed me since we got the camper. The trailer structure on the Coleman is quite stout with heavy-gauge steel underneath, the key would be to have the rack mounted to the frame instead of camper box.

I could fashion a roof rack that is attached to the trailer frame, I could probably even figure a way for it to pivot away for opening the camper, but I don't think it would be wise to put 700lbs that high up in the air. I can see that making for a very scary trip down the road.

Still, perhaps I could move the pickup bed stuff to that rack and find a better way to get the cart in and out of the bed... Hmm.

Thanks for the thought!

[JohnBoyToo]

Have you considered trading in your popup for a toy hauler ?

Many less unknowns to worry about... safety, overloading, potential drastic handling, etc... etc....

[Mbates]

Johnnyboytoo, that's blasphemy!

...but yes I have lol

We like the PU, it keeps 'camping' alive but gives a comfy place to retreat to at night. It's easy to store, cheap on gas to tow, and the kids love it.

[NITEHAWK]

Take the tailgate off and mount the 10' ramps on or under the trailer. Buy one of the mesh fabric tailgates.

[wa8yxm]

As I said, my main concern is the cargo carrying capacity, I know the tires on the small trailers I had were not but up to the trailer empty, so putting any amount of weight on it woudl be a problem

If you do go with the roof rack option,, You could put risers on the ront and back and pin them Kind of hard to describe without a photo but basically two pieces that fit together like a receiver and hitch adapter with a pin, in fact that's exactly the kind of pin I'd use.

I like the idea of putting the golf cart in the pick up better, Use a common cargo pod on the camper. Way lighter and easier to load.

[Mbates]

PU is about 2600lbs, Cart is 700lbs and additional structure would be under 300lbs.

3600lbs isn't terrible, I don't it is think anyway. We never go very far and I don't drive over 60mph towing. Weight isn't my main concern, stability and ease of use is.

I wouldn't put any sort of carrier directly on the roof, it's just ABS plastic and I don't want to introduce sag.

[wonderer1]

if cost is not an issue. pick up a car carrier trailer and mount the pu on the front of it with the golf cart behind. similar to dstinch idea