towing with truck camper

Does anyone here tow with a truck camper on the back? We just bought a Fleetwood Elkhorn truck slide in camper and are planning on taking the Hobie 16 with us on all kinds of trips...BUT we have to figure out a resolution on hauling the mast and stuff. We can either put the mast in top of the camper or set up a rig on the trailer...What have you all done?

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1981 H16.
1993 Macgregor 26S

I've kicked around getting a camper for my pickup. The mast is somewhat of an issue. You can slide the boat and the mast as far back as you dare, and also a taller mast crutch will help as well. Have an extension made for the tounge of your trailer, or if it is the style that bolts together replace the tounge entirely to get the needed clearance.

Make sure you have enough clearance between the mast and RV/Camper/Truck Cap so as when you drive through a "dip" the mast doesn't hit the top of RV/Camper/Truck Cap. My new Ford w/cap is taller the my old GMC w/cap was and when I tried the first time to back-up onto my lawn I "beat" the mast on my new cap ... the mast rotater scratched the cap and I could have bent the mast ... luckly I stopped.

So I've had to move/reconfigure my trailer mast step location on the trailer tongue.

If you have a "Trailex trailer" they will sell you a new aluminum mast step ... really nice people to deal with. Had to help my friend do that for his new Toyota truck w/cap several years ago

Harry

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

I traveled for several years with a popup camper on a pickup.

I did two things differently.

First off I got what I call a "stinger" which is basically an 18 inch extension that goes between the trailer hitch and the receiver, moving the ball/trailer/boat/mast back away from the rear bumper, and the rear of the camper.

Given the minimal tongue weight on most cat trailers, this works very well.

Then I also extended the front mast support upwards.

That cured most of my problems till I changed to a Motor home.

Now I use the stinger, and the taller mast support AND move the mast back on the trailer.

As Harry noted, be sure that you allow for the forward movement of the mast when going thru a dip.

All this leads me to a question of my own. Where is the best point to support the mast in relation to the union of the aluminum to the Comp tip?

Forward of the junction? AT the junction, or behind the junction.
the Petticoat junction????

if you have a preferred point of supporting the mast in relation to the junction, what is your logic/justification for your preference?

Stephen

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If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, maybe it is time to water your own lawn.

With the 16 I had one of those cradles from Hobie that went on the rear crossbar. I liked putting the joint of the comptip to the mast just forward of that cradle. I didn't like the idea of the comptip "dangling" on its own. My thinking was that the flopping down the road would eventually loosen the joint, and having it secured as close to that coupling will reduce that flexing a bit. A warranted worry? Probably not. You still have alot of mast hanging off the back of the boat which worries me that other people not paying attention won't see it.

My new trailer is about 20 1/2 ft long, I wish I would have made it a few feet longer just to keep more of the mast inboard of the trailer.

I'm a "dangler" I dont like cinching down line on the comptip track for fear it'll eventually break it. I have the luxury of fore and aft choice so I tie the mast to my rear mast stand right at the joint, directly above the hound.

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Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

I'll share some of my thoughts, and hope that Matt M may weigh in with the "Factory Opinion"

I worry about supporting it right at the joint with the thought that you put the point of greatest stress and impact from the jarring of the bumps in the road right on the weakest point of the mast.

I don't like to "dangle" because then the weight of the entire comp tip is "working" the joint.

I prefer to place the mast support about a foot behind the "joint" whenever possible, with the thought that it relieves most of the working load on the joint itself. Then I use a bungee rather than a rope to secure it to the support

In my perfect world, I would design and engineer a rear mast support that supported the mast about a foot in front of, and a foot behind, the joint between the aluminum and the comp tip and tie it down at the front point and merely bungee it at the rear support

But then, I have a tendancy to over think and then over engineer these things.

Quite frankly, for several reasons, I liked it a lot better when we didn't have comp tips. Just another reason I think all lawyers should be strung up by the short hairs.

Stephen

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If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, maybe it is time to water your own lawn.

Great point/s but epoxy is some tough stuff...I'll take my chances and let you know.


I'll second the motion. All in favor say "Aye"

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Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

I have one of those "mast caddies" ... I wrap the mast in a "hand towel" and have it located with only 1'-2' sticking out behind the hulls. The towel is because the comptip is tapered and the "mast caddie" was designed origonally for the all-aluminum metal mast that's not tapered. And it protects the comptip track a little bit. Ive never had a problem w/ my comp-tip and it is one of the early ones, 88' or 89' I believe. I was/am more worried of some one running into my mast if it stuck out too far. Saw that years ago ... fortunately no damage to the mast ... but the car's radiator was toast ... antifreeze everywhere ... luckly the cops didn't right a ticket for violating the "overhang" law as the mast was sticking out 10' (the length of the comptip).

Stephen; did you notice I've painted my comptip "white" for UV protection ... It was starting to get "furry"!!! Now it is real easy to find my boat on the beach!!!

Harry

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

My trailer has a weird fold down steel mast cradle in the rear and a tall mast stand in front. It also has a square pipe that has a seperate square pipe that slides into and is pined in and an L angle on top- with a piece of wood in the end, the top of the removable square pipehas a small crank that secures the boat to the trailer via the mast step- has anyone seen one of these?-I usually just use straps to tie the boat on.

I always tie a large red flag, (red work rag), to the end of my mast when trailering, even when going a short distance, and I have my mast just barely past my rudders. So people following me see the red flag and don't hit my rudders when they pass. I usually only have to trailer about 4 miles from the storage area to the lake, that is why I do not take my rudders off.

John G.

Back to the dangle or no dangle issue. I read the blurb from the factory that comes with the comp-tip which specifically states if you support at the comp-tip you should wrap it with at least 1 1/2" of foam to prevent damage to the track.

John G, we're going to get together and sail this summer, right?

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Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

To John Eaton,
I hope I get to sail this summer, our second baby boy is due May 23! That will make it 2 boys that will be 4 years and 19 days in age difference.
I will just have to see, If you are up this way toward Stockton Lake let me know ahead of time and I will try to make it. You have my email so give me a hollar.
John G.

I tow my H17 behind a 30 ft motorhome (12 ft high) and solved the mast issue by installing a 18" hitch extension with a couple of turn buckles to stiffen it up. The mast sticks out about a foot past the rudders with plenty of room up front for turns and dips..

Years ago (1990) I had a 11.5 foot truck camper. I put a 3 foot extension (2" x 2" x 1/4" wall) in the hitch and the ball on that. I never had any problem towing the 16 with the mast on the trailer. I pulled it and my aluminum boat many many miles.

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1989 Hobie 18 Worlds Boat, Magnum Wings & Spinnaker
1987 Hobie Holder 20 #273

dale.vanlopik"at"att"dot"net

I looked into the issue of towing my boat behind my pickup-camper but ,with the addition of the bob, the mast for my Hobie-18 is 29 feet long, 11 feet longer than the boat itself, so even a 4 foot hitch extension isn't enough. To solve the problem I ended up extending the tongue of my trailer. It makes for an awfully long trailer but it works great.

Some may be concerned with maintaining tongue weight, but that isn't really an issue for a couple of reasons. First of all you're adding weight to the tongue with the extension itself, which helps maintain the 10-15%. Secondly 10-15% trailer weight on the tongue is not so much to make sure there is weight on the hitch, but is to insure that the center of mass is well in front of the axle for stability. By extending the tongue you're actually moving the center of mass forward even more, so it's not a problem.