Anyone hauling a golf cart in the back of a Travel Trailer toy hauler?

[Bricraw]

I currently have a 2019 2500 CC 4x4 BigHorn with 3.73 gears. I have 3,074 lbs of cargo room and max tow of about 14,500 lbs.

I currently tow a 37ft TT with a GVWR of 9,600 lbs and the truck pulls it without issue.

I want to upgrade to a 38ft Toy Hauler TT with a GVWR of 12,800 lbs including 3100 lbs of cargo carrying capacity.

My concern and/or question is can I haul a 1,000 lb golf cart in the garage safely? I have safety/stability concerns putting that kind of weight behind the rear axle of the trailer.

Is anyone running a similar set up? And if so, what kind of issues or experience have you had with it?

I haven't purchased a golf cart yet so I was just using the average weight of a electric 4 passenger cart as reference.

Sorry for the lengthy post. I was trying to answer the most obvious questions out of the gate. Have a great day everyone

 

[joesstripclub]

Not sure if you are asking about the truck capacity or the trailer capacity, but I have a 26' TH with about 11k GVWR and I haul a 2 seater Can Am X3 in mine. The toy haulers are usually set up with the axles pushed further toward the rear to help hold the weight. They end up very tongue heavy with nothing in the garage, but are pretty well balanced loaded up. The X3 is listed around 1500 lbs for reference.

 

[Bricraw]

Thank you. I know the truck will pull the trailer fine. I was just worried about the weight in the rear being that it is a bumper pull TH

 

[joesstripclub]

Thank you. I know the truck will pull the trailer fine. I was just worried about the weight in the rear being that it is a bumper pull TH

I do run a WDH hitch on mine and have to adjust it differently depending on if I'm carrying the SxS or not. With the axles further back on the camper it pulls more like a utility trailer.

 

[Ramv]

I will say the toy hauler with my Can Am in the back (34' model) definitely is tougher at speed then my old 23' trailer with the Can Am in the bed of the truck. I am still fine tuning some things to try to get it to tow better. I took out the Happijac beds and moved some weight forward to try to ensure the pin weight is correct. I put a bunch of tension on WDH which seems to have helped. I also put SUmo Springs on the trailer. I likely will adjust the hitch head height before my next trip (1,500 miles RT) as there was some indications on the internet that a touch to low on the nose can make it uncomfortable at speed. I definitely sweated through my steering wheel on the first leg of the maiden voyage (about 1k miles) but the adjustments have helped a lot.

I'm well with-in the trailer and truck GVWR and GCWR. Accelerating and stopping are no issue just uncomfortable at highway speeds. Just lock out OD and get 6 mpg. (Which is the same as my old setup although I could generally cruise on flat surfaces in fifth, where as this setup I can't.)

 

[nlambert182]

Toyhaulers are typically designed to be heavier on the tongue when empty just so it is a bit more balanced when loaded. I would imagine that it should be fine if it will fit and so long as you set your WDH up properly.

 

[Bricraw]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Very helpful. These plans are far from being reality. I just wanted to be armed with experienced info before I go further. Thanks again

 

[Bearcatrp]

Suggest you go fifth wheel for better handling. That thing starts swaying with that added weight, you may lose it.

 

[18CrewDually]

Suggest you go fifth wheel for better handling. That thing starts swaying with that added weight, you may lose it.

If he was to go 5th wheel, he'd be more than likely be looking for a new truck too. 2500s with the coil sprung rears have not nearly enough payload to take on the added weight of the 5th wheel hitch and high pin weights. Especially being a long 5th wheel toyhauler. He'd be looking for a 3500 srw, or ideally a dually.

 

[Bricraw]

That is the problem. In order to be on the safe side, a fifth wheel would be best. But most fifth wheel toy haulers are beyond my current safe capabilities.

 

[NewBlackDak]

I towed my 10K(empty) 14k max fifth wheel toy hauler all over the west for the last 5 years with my 2014 6.4 2500. I used an Andersen ultimate to keep the hitch weight down. I wasn’t winning any races, but I refuse to tow that much weight over 65mph anyway.

 

[nlambert182]

Fifth wheels are always more stable than a travel trailer, but as @18CrewDually mentioned, will more than likely require at least a 3500 SRW if not a dually. Just like a 5ver is more stable than a travel trailer a dually is more stable than a single wheel. Doesn't mean either are required for this effort as long as everything is matched up properly.

2500s have extremely low payloads, and even if people tell you they've towed fifth wheels and been just fine (I have too), that doesn't change that they were likely at or over payload. I towed a 43' Coachmen Adrenaline triple axle toyhauler back from KY with a 2012 2500. For power there were zero issues and aside from some massive squat the trip was uneventful. I was way overloaded though. You can do it until you can't.

My suggestion is to properly set up what you're considering now. If you stay within all your ratings and set up WDH properly, you should be just fine. I would heavily suggest that along with a good WDH, you get one with anti-sway. That is a LONG trailer to stick behind any single rear wheel truck. You can do it, but you'll definitely need to mind your P's and Q's.

 

[13Goat]

One other option if you are concerned with weight--instead of a battery-powered golf cart, consider a gasoline engine model. Eliminates the weight and also eliminates the cost of replacing those heavy,essspensive batteries.

 

[nlambert182]

I had a gas powered golf cart and at least in the 2 I compared, the weight was exactly the same. For reference, 2017 Yamaha Drive2 (electric) & 2017 Yamaha QuieTech (gas). Both were 720 lbs. I don't think there's much in the way of weight savings there.

 

[18CrewDually]

For the great cart debate, my findings when I was shopping was about 80#s heavier on the electric but if you factor in the extra gas I'd carry in the TH gas tank for a 2 week trip it is a wash on the weight difference.
Main reason I went with electric, some campgrounds do not allow gas powered at all.

 

[nlambert182]

I wish we'd have bought electric when we had ours. Much easier and less cumbersome than trying to refuel... plus we would've avoided the issue of stale gas for times when the cart sat so long between uses.