One thing that I definitely miss about my old motorhome was the ability to tow a small car behind to use once the rig was parked. Lately I've seen more than one Dually travelling down the road, towing a 5th-wheel ramp-type trailer with 4 full-size automobiles loaded - one of which was fully over the truck bed. For the record, the former dinghy that I towed behind the motorhome was a Geo-Metro convertible. It probably weighed less than 1,250 lbs. This got me to thinking - which, in itself, is a dangerous thing! With the advent lately of a lot of small hybrid cars, has anyone seen a ramp system that would permit ramping & winching a small car up over the truck bed (---I have a hard-shell tonneau cover on the bed) and securing it in place for travel??? To keep the center of gravity low, I would probably leave the rear of the ramp down close to the top of the tailgate, with provision to raise the ramp (---hydraulic?) so that the tonneau cover could be opened. I'd love to carry the Saab convertible - but that damn thing is heavy as lead! In any event, it sure would be nice to park the trailer, unload the runabout, and leave the big rig idle while we ran around at 40-50 mpg. The OEM Dually has the rear axle capacity residual (+/- 2,500 lbs) with the AS hooked up - so it's just a matter of figuring out how to make it all work. A fully custom ramp-type bed would be the most logical solution to keep the center of gravity low - since the rear end of the ramp would be at the height of the rear bumper. You would have to enclose the forward underside of the ramp to restore your lost storage. Hmmmm - two side doors just behind the cab would even beat a tonneau cover!!!
If you really want to go that route, why not find a retired flatbed wrecker?
That's what it's beginning to look like - but the idea of a fixed, wedge-shaped bed with no hydraulics or other mechanics (---other that a winch) is appealing - and probably a lot lighter. I'm getting all excited thinking about it! Just a simple aluminum wedge with side doors replacing the existing bed. I think that I've already seem some stock car carriers set up this way.
All of the car hauling trailers that I've seen had car(s) on the bottom level, (even with one up high) which would provide "ballast". I wonder if a single car that high would get the center of gravity a bit too high?
Is a high center of gravity going to handle differently on a T.V. than on a fifth wheel/gooseneck trailer?
I don't know the answers, but I think it's worth considering.
As someone that has operated that type of vehicle before, I can tell you that an automobile that high off the ground will make the truck feel very top-heavy. If, of course, I am thinking the same thing you are considering.
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Terry You repair things with tools. You fix things with a hammer.
AIR#2611
A friend of mine made ramps for his Formula racer (small, open-wheeled car) and winched it up over the bed/cab of his big diesel pickup. I have seen several people do that with those type of cars, but never a bigger/heavier one.
Susan
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"Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?"
1984 310 Limited Motor Home "The Rockin' A"
1974 31' Excella (soon-to-be carhauler)
1974 20' Argosy Motor Home
Tell us more...in a different thread if we're highjacking this one. Sounds interesting.
How long a wait? Where made? cost? Pass crash tests?
Inquiring minds want to know...
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