I'm planning a turkey hunting trip in late April. I have not done any towing with my truck as yet and don't expect to do a lot later, but a friend offered his small "bubble" type trailer. It's small, with room for 2 to sleep. Probably around 14 feet long. Nice small trailer for 2.

Since I don't plan to tow often and this is such a small trailer, am I ok to just use a ball mounted on the bumper?

Hunt4Fun

 

Just ask your friend what size ball his trailer takes and have fun.
Little trailers are squirrelly backing up, so take your time in reverse. Other than that you won't even know it's there.

 

It sounds like a Casita or Scamp.

If it's the 13 footer you're probably OK. If it's the 16' or 17' model, you should reconsider.

I have a 17' Casita and would never use the bumper for towing. The tongue weight on mine is about 350 pounds dry. See sig.

How far are you towing? Does it have electric brakes?

 

Thanks for the replies.

No it doesn't have electric brakes. I'm towing it for a two hour drive is all.

 

Usually the stock bumper is rated for 500# of tongue weight. As far as having brakes, check your state requirements are. If everything checks out , happy camping.

 

The bumper hitch should be rated for 500 lbs tongue weight and 5,000 lbs trailer weight. Should be stamped somewhere near the hole for the ball.

Lucky thing you have a 4x2. If you had an ORP or FX4, the bumper height could have been a problem.

Check the trailer lights ahead of time to make sure they're compatible with your truck. If not, you could find a male and female connector and wire up your own adapter.

Just remember the trailer is back there, especially when going over bumps... Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt and everything else messed up.

 

Thanks again for the help guys! I'm planning to take it for a test drive in the next week or so.

Just gotta get a turkey this year!

Yummy!

Hunt4Fun

 

I think you will be okay so go for it and have a fun trip.

 

What do the turkeys there eat? The turkeys here eat some pretty nasty stuff which means I'll never eat another wild turkey so long as I live!

 

Typical Indiana farmland where I hunt. They hit the nuts, beans, corn, acorns and I'm sure their share of grubs.

Was fortunate to get one two years ago. Had it for Mother's day. My mother was certainly impressed. Good eating. Exactly, and I mean exactly like the flavor of a domestic bird. Some people said that they can be drier meat so we cooked it in a roasting bag which kept the juices in. I went to cut the breast meat off of the bone and it fell off. Tender!

The dark meat on Indiana wild birds can be tougher. My bird was young enough that it wasn't a problem. A big old tom of 3 years is more of a working bird and his legs will make good soup.

 

Thanks to all who replied about my little Burro trailer. I've had it out twice now and both times it worked like a champ. Hauled it down to southern Indiana last Friday without a problem. Great time. No turkey yet, but the camping was great.

I might consider getting a hitch just to lower things. The trailer doesn't have a refrig so the slight angle up is not a problem in that regard, but things tend to settle and move to the back of the trailer since it's inclined.

 

Hunt4Fun, there is a cheap alternative that may be just what you need. I used to think they were a joke and good for nothing but, if someone is towing a small trailer and all they want to do is get the ball lower than the bumper will allow then, that's what this would be for.

It is a fake hitch receiver. It is just the square tube and some safety chain loops on a plate that bolts to the underside of your bumper. This would be no stronger than towing with the bumper(because that's what you're doing) but, it would allow you to drop the ball as needed.

The advantage to these is they cost, around $30 instead of a $90 to $180 hitch that may or may not be a tough install.

Here is JC Whitney( I have seen cheaper)
Couldn't get it to come up, search on their site "box hitch" it's at the bottom of the results.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/

 

Raoul,

Nice find. Looks interesting. I'll read more about it and let you know.

Thanks!

Hunt4Fun

 

I seen something simaler to what Raoul is talking about on a few trucks around here it is like a L braket bolted to the bumper it looks stupid I think but it gets the job done for a small trailer so far I only seen them on Chevy's the 74 to 87 style.