Upgrading my camper

The wife wants to be able to pull over and jump in a camper quickly in the event of a heavy rain. What we have now is a Mini Mate which is a pop-up. And speaking from experience with a Mini Mate what she wants to do isn't happening. So we're off to look at a Runaway camper this weekend. I need to see one up close and personal. Looking at videos isn't enough. I want to measure tongue wt. and physical dimensions. Then come back home, do some figuring and see if this is a possible option given the weight and size. Knowing it's bigger I'm looking at electric brakes. As far as my hitch, it's mounted on the 2 inch by 1/4 inch square tube steel trike frame which should handle the camper. So we will see what we come up with.

Going from this..



To this.. either the 4x8 or possibly 6x8. Not much difference in weight.

Nice!! :clapping:

Brakes added might be a good idea. I know I can pull my Tag A Long trailer fully loaded with 350 lbs of cargo and the bike doesn't even know it is back there. But the Runaway camper is much larger and will have much more wind resistance and overall weight.

I'd be worried more about wind resistance with the taller trailer. But I've never tried it.

I've seen a gl1800 pulling a runaway but not sure whether it was the 4 or 6 ft wide. Not worried so much about wind resistance head on. The throttle will take care of that. More concerned about cross winds especially in the plains states. They pushed us around big time through Kansas and Oklahoma. Maybe toss a drag anchor out back.
We really like the 6 wide but I'd need to mount a wide angle cam back of the camper to see what"s going on behind us. I think it's doable but that's me. I think everything is doable. We'll see. Lots of things to take into consideration. Nothings carved in stone. Need to see one up close then decide what to do.

:good:

I'll post more info on the Runaway tomorrow after we've checked it out.

If and when we make the move to something bigger probably around June this year, I'll be listing the Mini Mate w/spare tire including an awning and add-a-room plus tongue mounted cooler for sale. Only 2 yrs. old. Always garage kept when not in use. So if your thinking about going this route keep us in mind. PM me for more info.

OK Back with info. The tongue wt. on the 6x8 Runaway is 90lbs. I'd like it down to around 70lbs. I think I can put a carrier on the rear hitch of the camper for a deep cycle battery and 12v cooler which would lighten the load on the tongue. Not sure how much difference it would make but it would be some. And I understand I don't want it too light as it could fishtail going down the road. Still some things to work out but the "Boss" says she wants it. So I'll keep everyone posted as things take shape. The Mini Mate may get listed sooner than later.

Notes about reduced gas mileage and cross winds when towing tall trailers.

I pulled a teardrop (48W X 96L X 60T) with my 1500 about 600 miles last summer and averaged about 30mpg. Trailer weight about 750lbs. Cross winds were light, but I could tell when they hit me.

Will I do it again? Sure! Just be aware of the possible effects of cross winds.

With the high Cd for that camper I would imagine the fuel economy would have me installing a fuel cell so as not to be stopping every 75 miles.

It looks like that's a 1.8L wing, but I want to share my story for comparison. Towing a 2' x 4' x7' rectangulsr cargo box tent trailer, 400 to 450 lbs. No electric brakes behind a 1.6L volkswagen trike (55hp max).
No trouble starting or stopping ( disc brake rears), or keeping up with traffic...until I get in the mountains on the freeway. I'm pretty sure it is the wind resistance that keeps me from climbing a hill at 70 on the freeway. If I draft a semi close enough there is no problem, but neither the trucker or I am happy with that scenario. If you have more horsepower on tap you shouldn't have difficulty. Side winds were never much of a problem after you get used to them ( he he !)
I would be happier with a teardrop shape as I'm sure it would solve my aerodynamics issues.

OK We bought a Runaway camper Range Runner. 6ft x 8ft. Around 900 lbs empty. Towed it home about 90 miles highway and mt. roads. No problem. Can't see behind or around it so am adding a wireless backup cam. This is going to be our full time on the road home when the wife retires, about 18 months. In the mean time we'll outfit it to suit our needs and camp week ends. Here are some pics.

Nice rig! Now that is camping in comfort! :good:

Yes, very nice. A/C even.