Should Pop-up Camper Be Level Front-to-back While Towing

lcprice3 New Member

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Hey everyone. Taking the camper out for the first time since we got it this weekend. After a sudden revelation, I thought I'd see if we ended up level in tow configuration, since by default, I bought the pretty standard 2-1/2 drop mount. Well it turns out, that's about 4 inches short of a level camper. I guess because the hitch is factory and tucked up 'into' the bumper on the vehicle is part of my problem. Calling around locally, I can't find a 1-1/4" receiver with a 6" drop. Etrailer has a reasonably priced one, but no way it'll get here in time without paying 150% more on shipping than I would for the item itself. So, is it going to cause many problems, aside from a hit to gas mileage, to tow this thing for about 4 hours with the tongue sitting about 4" too high? I've attached a picture, and the angle doesn't seem too bad to me. Any chance of the thing building air pressure beneath it, making it lighter and wanting to sway on me?

IMAG0270 by lcprice3, on Flickr

Thanks!
Lee

joet Well-Known Member

Doesn't look that bad to me. You will not me going fast enough to get any lift., and the TV will block a lot of air, you will actually end up with a vacuum behind the TV
stefbauer New Member

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Congrats on the camper!
In my opinion.... you are fine....

1) You don't look "that" far off... I would get the drop hitch at some point... but I think you will be fine for now.
2) Keep it at/under 65 (which you should anyway)

I don't expect you will get any "lift", just load the trailer evenly. I would think based on the AC location you already have a slightly higher weight in the front (which with the angle is not necessarily a bad thing).

lcprice3 New Member

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Thanks guys. I wasn't suggesting that the thing might take off or anything (although that would make for an interesting trip), but I wasn't sure about any amount of air that slipped beneath the TV and built up under the camper, causing slight 'change' in weight on the tires. I understand that it's a fine balance between trailer 'weight' and tongue weight to keep things in check back there. And I do plan on ordering the correct mount from etrailer.com, but $10 standard shipping is much easier to swallow than $40 expedited.
David in MI New Member

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I'm with the others. This wouldn't scare me to take off with. If anything load to the front of the trailer and back of the TV as the incline will tend to shift weight to the trailer axel and off the tongue.
Ramsport59 New Member

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By time you load the truck down, it will bring the hitch height down level.
Just my 2 cents

Rick

RangerBill New Member

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I agree with the others. Just be careful with driveways, entrances to parking areas, etc. where you may be crossing any kind of drainage ditch or depression. You could end up scraping the rear bumper of your PUP.
gusbell New Member

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Agree. Put your heavier items in the rear of the TV like water jugs and coolers and I bet your very close to level prior to leaving the driveway.
What year Jayco is that? It is a very nice looking pup!
TheWunders Parkville, Maryland

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Our local Walmart has an assortment of drop bar sizes.
I think it looks fine, off a little maybe. I agree that if your not already loaded you should do that first.
You said there is a 4" difference between the front of the trailer to the ground and the back of the trailer and ground, and that the hitch is already a 2 1/2" drop?

Why a 6" drop? Wouldn't it only take a 4" drop to add two additional inches?

If you lower the front by 2", the back will raise by 2" and there is the 4" to level the ride.
This is only true if the distance from hitch to the axle is the same as the distance from the back bumper to the axle. (sorry, it's the geek in me)
In this example, it's probably close enough.
hammer1234 New Member

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Mine looks a bit like that unloaded...dealer where I bought the pop-up from said that it looked OK. Seemed like it was stable at 60 MPH but I didn't hit any significant bumps or dips in the road. Still wondering whether I should go with another inch of drop (only have 1" at this point) but I'll wait to see how the pop-up and TV look when I go camping next week.
It's best to have it as close to level as possible. I'd get it all loaded and then measure to see if you need more drop.
hammer1234 New Member

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Here's a picture from today. Just brought the pop-up back from the shop, needed new wheels and had the bearings repacked. Wallet's a bit lighter but it's good to know the pop-up is road-worthy...
This is unloaded...the pop-up should be closer to level once we're packed.
RotnMom Am I there yet?

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EEK! The photo didn't come thru....
grim509 Member

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Keep in mind, it's not just about the trailer being level, it's also about weight distribution in the trailer. Our first trip in our NTU pup, the pup was level once we loaded our TV up. Going down the highway, we got some pretty good sway going. It was because I had too much weight in the back of the pup. Next trip, moved everything to front of pup, still level, no sway since!
You should have about 60% of your weight of your PUP in front of the axel. The little bit of rise in your set up shouldn't be a problem, though. If it concerns you, check every auto parts store, from NAPA, Autozone, Advance, and hardware stores as well as wal-mart, home depot or lowes. Surely one would have it. If you live in a rural area without the box stores, a tractor supply store or farmer supply store would likely have the drawbar with the proper drop for you.
RonB New Member

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Lee:
Doesn't look that bad from your photo, but you say you are 4" out of level. I was in that category and was able to get it within 1-2" with a deeper drop insert - it will vary a little with load. From a control aspect, a lot depends on the weight of your trailer, and tongue weight ratio to overall weight.
If you cannot find a drop hitch that fits your needs at the usual places, try farm supply stores, WalMart and others. A lot of farm and suburban supply stores have a pretty good supply of hitches and inserts. Keep in mind that if the rear-end is hanging a little low in the driveway, it could cause a drag at some service stations and intersections. On some rigs dragging can cause under carriage damage to plumbing and such.

Ronb