SlingShot in a Standard Toy Hauler (5th wheel or conventional)

    @chavey2 you might try contacting @Capt SlingThing about customizing one of their trailers for you. I did and almost pulled the trigger, just opted for a different solution. They can Extend and it and add Camper type window's, insulation, cabinets, etc.. for you as well as AC and whatever else you can think of. I would assume it would come in close to the price you're looking at for a toy hauler.
    Just food for thought :whistling:

    Other tricks to help with loading low profile vehicles is:
    raise the front of the trailer as high as practical
    use sloped terrain, steep driveways, ditches
    use a curb to elevate the rear ramp
    use planks under ramp- I've seen pros at car auctions do as many as 3 layers of planks under ramp where they use planks to make steps so that you initially drive front up onto one plank, then 2 and then onto ramp (rear wheel also in our case)
    Drive the rear wheels of tow vehicle onto a plank over even maintenance ramps
    Explain what you are after to the sales people, they'll probably stretch the truth for a potential sale but ask if you can try first before buying. I'll bet they come up with some novel ways to make it work.

    Yep, thanks all.


    Yes, original request was based upon wanting to go camping and take the SS.

    • Looked at driving SS and towing a small camper. Cost of hitch and a small enough camper was in the $2-4K range. But I don't want to "rough" it too much. No tents - I've been doing that for a while now and hate the set up and ESPECIALLY the tear down and clean up after.
    • Looked at Class A/B/C RVs and an open trailer to haul the SS - again, way out of my price range. And surprisingly, most small class Cs can only tow 3500 lbs which would be right at the limit for a SS on open trailer. Don't want a big Class A because it's just 2 of us now. I don't want a camper that can sleep 10+ people. (I saw a Class A at the RV show last year that said: "Entertains 6, Feeds 4, Sleeps 2" - that's my kind of camper!)
    • Looked and emailed Capt Van and ATG. LOVE their trailer. But by the time it was all decked out to my specs, the pricing would be WAY up there again. Prob over the price of a small new Toy Hauler too as the base price was right at the entry point to my entire budget for completed trailer.
    • MOST Toy Haulers are big monstrosities to carry dirt bikes, dune buggies, ATVs, etc, pulled by a 5th wheel SuperDuty/F350/Diesel/etc that I just don't have (or want).
    • The smaller conventional Toy Haulers can be towed by a normal 1/2T truck. I was looking at used ones mostly as the price can be 1/2 within just 3 yrs old or so. But that's where the deck height is a problem. Most of them are close to waist height, so even at 32" ABG, that calculates to a 14 ft ramp. Yes, you can lift the tongue, put boards or race ramps out there, etc
      • Which is what I was trying to find out: How people did this?
    • Last option is to find a conventional cargo /car hauler trailer and convert it into a camper. I can do allot of the work myself, saving money and just doing it as I need (adding electrical, plumbing, cabinets, etc). I have found a great video of a guy who has done just that (there are lots that have done it, but this guy did exactly what I am looking at doing), so I've got a local trailer dealer giving me a quote on a 8.5x20 cargo, 7' roof height, 2x5000lb axles, etc. and adding 24x40 emergency exit windows on each side. My planned budget is $12-15K to complete so that's right in range.


    So looks like you're leaning more towards the direction I ended up in. I paid $7k for a new 14' auto width trailer and used @MACAWS method of adding stuff to it to my liking. I could have added an RV door, windows, Different Electrical, AC/Etc to it. About All I did did was have them insulate and panel the roof and add additional interior/Exterior Lighting. The rest I did. Flooring, Painting, Etc. I'm still lacking the Shelving/Cabinets etc, but I plan on doing the same thing you're thinking of: Hauling the Trailer/Sling wherever and using it as a camper should I not be near a hotel somewhere. So far, haven't made it to the camping part... we always end up near a hotel... imagine that :whistling: . Up to now, we've used it during the day as protection from the elements and then put stuff away and head to a hotel somewhere. We'll spend the night eventually :P . There's plenty of room and capacity for adding some other amenities as needed but for now, I typically haul a a canopy, some chairs, a table, and a small box of camping gear: lights, stove, etc.. and the trailer becomes sort our little rest area protected from the elements. My 1/2 ton GMC has an ARE Camper shell which is also also Lighted and Insulated as well as It has a Bedrug in it. Basically, that's our bed. Somewhere in those trailer postings are pictures of my setup, but you really should take a look at @MACAWS. Anything's possible if you have the time and the know how to do it.
    Good Luck!

    Quote from jorgebri60

    So looks like you're leaning more towards the direction I ended up in. I paid $7k for a new 14' auto width trailer and used @MACAWS method of adding stuff to it to my liking. I could have added an RV door, windows, Different Electrical, AC/Etc to it. About All I did did was have them insulate and panel the roof and add additional interior/Exterior Lighting. The rest I did. Flooring, Painting, Etc. I'm still lacking the Shelving/Cabinets etc, but I plan on doing the same thing you're thinking of: Hauling the Trailer/Sling wherever and using it as a camper should I not be near a hotel somewhere. So far, haven't made it to the camping part... we always end up near a hotel... imagine that :whistling: . Up to now, we've used it during the day as protection from the elements and then put stuff away and head to a hotel somewhere. We'll spend the night eventually :P . There's plenty of room and capacity for adding some other amenities as needed but for now, I typically haul a a canopy, some chairs, a table, and a small box of camping gear: lights, stove, etc.. and the trailer becomes sort our little rest area protected from the elements. My 1/2 ton GMC has an ARE Camper shell which is also also Lighted and Insulated as well as It has a Bedrug in it. Basically, that's our bed. Somewhere in those trailer postings are pictures of my setup, but you really should take a look at @MACAWS. Anything's possible if you have the time and the know how to do it.
    Good Luck!

    Thanks for your compliments. I am now looking into adding an AC unit and an AC power panel so that I can use the trailer for trips where I can camp rather than go to a hotel. AC will make it comfortable I have a really nice air mattress with built in air pump and as long as I pick a campground with Showers I am all set. No need to cook just take the sling find a place to eat.

    The more people I meet

    The more I love my Dog!

    I don't really agree on trailering behind another trailer... I know... people do it all the time, but I've been behind, not one, but 2 trailers behind trailers where for whatever reason the rear most trailer (in this case it would be the slingshot) get crazy and something bad happened. In one case, the trailer plain tore off the leading trailer, in the last case, the dune buggy that was in the back trailer broke off and rolled end over end in front of me. I literally stopped freeway traffic so that no one would run into it...so ... NAH... not for me.

    Thanks All,


    Yep, Macaw's trailer is one of the things I've been looking at. Heck, that's where I found out about Race Ramps!


    And I'm going to give a GREAT shout out Capt Van and SlingThings. He and I have been discussing/emailing back and forth about my desires and requirements. I don't know which way I will go yet, but I certainly appreciate all the help he has provided.


    But I'm still back to my original question: HOW IN THE HECK DID YOU GET A SLINGSHOT INTO A 32" ABOVEGROUND TRAILER?


    :D

    Quote from jorgebri60

    @chavey2 you might try contacting @Capt SlingThing about customizing one of their trailers for you. I did and almost pulled the trigger, just opted for a different solution. They can Extend and it and add Camper type window's, insulation, cabinets, etc.. for you as well as AC and whatever else you can think of. I would assume it would come in close to the price you're looking at for a toy hauler.
    Just food for thought :whistling:

    Thanks for the kind words Jorge I remember talking to you glad you found what worked for you.

    Quote from jorgebri60

    I don't really agree on trailering behind another trailer... I know... people do it all the time, but I've been behind, not one, but 2 trailers behind trailers where for whatever reason the rear most trailer (in this case it would be the slingshot) get crazy and something bad happened. In one case, the trailer plain tore off the leading trailer, in the last case, the dune buggy that was in the back trailer broke off and rolled end over end in front of me. I literally stopped freeway traffic so that no one would run into it...so ... NAH... not for me.

    I kind of agree double towing can be tricky but the customers we have doing it are happy. I don't know that I would recommend it for the novice tower thought. We even have a couple 14' Caves out there behind 5rs

    Ramps, Ramps, Ramps baby!!! LOL Thanks for the kind words. Whether you (or anyone) buy from me or not, I enjoy helping any way I can.


    PS Race Ramps build a quality product. We used to use then but now design and build our own all aluminum ramps in-house.


    Here is one we built, a 16' V-Nose set up as a SlingThing Cave