How To Put a Truck Camper On a Trailer (Helpful Guide)
Not everyone wants to invest in, drive or tow a large RV or travel trailer. They like to keep things simple and inexpensive. Going small allows one to go to those campgrounds that do not accommodate large RVs or travel trailers and creates a smaller footprint.
This is a project you can do yourself or with a bunch of friends. All you have to do is use the right tie-downs for security and the truck camper should stay in place. Just place the camper on the trailer and secure it. The key would be to have the camper & trailer well under your tow limit.
To learn more about doing this project, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about in case you and your friends are thinking of doing the exact same thing. It is an interesting project to take up if you like the lack of space.
How do You Haul a Truck Camper on a Trailer?
The quick and easiest method would be to use a forklift. That is if you have access to one. The forklift would get the camper close to the right spot and then you and some friends could maneuver the camper the rest of the way.
Another option would be to use a winch. Attach the winch to the wheeled dolly the camper is sitting on and then pull both up onto your trailer. The drawback to this option would be the slope at the beginning of the trailer.
Once up on the trailer, you and a bunch of friends could slide it off the dolly and put it in its final spot. But these two methods depend a lot on the size of the trailer. Another method that would be easy to use would be an overhead lift system.
Just attach the chains to the camper, lift it up, and then back the trailer underneath the camper. Once in the right position, lower the camper and then secure it. There would be a few more steps involved like getting the chains out from underneath the camper and other minor details you can figure out.
How To Get a Truck Camper on a Trailer
The first step is to make sure the trailer is large and strong enough to hold the camper. This may take some measuring and careful planning. Or you can go with the overkill and buy a flatbed trailer and not have to worry about fit and strength.
One man did this and gave himself room for his Jeep on the trailer. The next step would be to make sure you have the right tie-downs and hooks to hold the camper to the trailer.
Once on the trailer, security is going to be your next biggest challenge. There are about three methods you can use to get the truck camper on a trailer. Smaller trailers will take a bit more work to make sure all secondary issues can be addressed properly and correctly.
This project will depend a lot on what type of camper you buy. There are different models and some come with plumbing, etc., and some don’t. You will have to make arrangements for holding tanks, plumbing and electrical wiring, etc., if you get a full-service camper.
That means that the trailer can be modified to hold those arrangements. Putting a camper on a trailer depends a lot on the camper and trailer’s design.
Mounting Truck Camper on Trailer
This will depend on the style of the trailer. One person welded a pick-up bed to his trailer and then installed the camper into the bed. Or he bought the camper already inside the bed and welded both to the trailer frame.
The security for the camper is done for you by the walls of the pick-up bed. But you still may need some tie-downs to make sure the camper does not go anywhere. Other owners have used ratchet straps and welded steel rods to the trailer frame.
They just hooked up the straps to the camper and the rods and wound the straps tight enough to hold the camper in place at any speed. This may be the quickest way to secure your camper.
If the camper is a cab-over design, you have to have some sort of leveling or holding jacks to support the cab-over section. You do not want the camper to tip or have a vulnerable spot the wind can exploit.
Sometimes the gooseneck provides that needed support. How you mount your trailer will depend on the trailer’s design. Some people put walls on the trailer to help secure the camper. You have a limited amount of freedom when mounting a camper.
Make sure to know the laws first so you do not get fined or penalized.
Truck Camper on a Flatbed Trailer
This is done more often than you think unless you live in hunting states like Colorado. This is where you see a lot of these DIY designs. Plus, it is not hard to get the camper on the flatbed as you do not have walls to contend with.
One man used 2 forklifts to get his old camper off and his new one on his trailer. Then he just tied it down in place and the camper road fine. The advantage of using a flatbed is that you are sacrificing space for room to carry your toys.
Without the excess weight of appliances, holding tanks, etc., you should meet the tow weight limit on your tow vehicle with ease. Another advantage is that the flatbed trailer can hold a lot of weight giving you some room to use a larger truck camper.
You will have a lot of flexibility with the type of toys you bring with you as well. The key will be to make sure the camper is the same width between the wheel wells as the trailer bed.
Slide-in Camper on a Utility Trailer
This has been done many times. One owner built a 2 x 4 support system to handle the cab-over section as well as the overhang on both sides. Those supports offered some good storage space making sure you do not miss out on any equipment you will need.
Then another owner used a trailer that came with walls. He just slid the camper in like he would if he were loading a truck bed. Then he used tie-downs or other security measures to secure the camper.
There are innumerable utility trailers and campers you can use. The key would be if the trailer has the weight capacity to hold the camper. If it doesn’t, then you either scrap the idea or upgrade to a stronger trailer.
Or you can turn the truck bed into a trailer. The bed provides the strength and the walls needed for properly securing the camper in place. When you want to do this project, your only real limitation would be the practicality and functionality of the design.
Some people have even put a small container on a utility trailer and turned the container into a nice camper. You have lots of options as long as you meet all weight limits and security regulations.
Slide-in Camper on Gooseneck Trailer
This option has been done many times, just like all the other truck camper and trailer options. If you do it right, you can use the gooseneck to support the cab-over section of the camper and still have a little room for front-end storage.
Plus, you have placement options. If the camper is a bit on the heavy side, you can move it back a little to save on tongue weight. or you can move it forward and have room for a car, toy, or boat.
Gooseneck trailers do hold a lot of weight and as long as your tow vehicle can tow the weight, you have lots of room for equipment, supplies, bikes, and so on. The key would be to mount the right hitch inside your pick-up’s bed.
Just make sure to have a good tie-down system to hold everything in place. You certainly do not want anything flying off and hitting the cars behind you.
Some Final Words
While you may think that this is a wild and crazy way to think or you consider yourself pushing the envelope, putting a truck camper on a trailer is not a new idea. Many people have done it before you with a lot of success.
Also, it is a very economical way to go camping. Travel trailers can cost a lot of money, more than the trailer and camper combined. If you like camping, this is a very good way to see the country while not spending a lot to do it. Plus, you can design your own set-up to make it more comfortable for you.
