Surveyor 264 rear cargo carrier

[Geofish]

This may be in an old post, not too sure how to search so I thought I would ask the question.

We have a 264 trailer, I have been talking to a trailer repair company that has done this modification.
I want to add a rear cargo carrier, something similar to the attached.
The trailer company said that installing a cargo carrier, welded to the frame, with additional cross members could hold 500 lbs.

Has anyone done something similar?

Thanks
GeoFish

[Twisty]

Have it built from aluminum if you can. It would be nice for bulky or lightweight goods. Any weight added back there will unload the tongue. 500 lbs back there could reduce the tongue weight 200? lbs or more and that could lead to handling problems.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Geofish

This may be in an old post, not too sure how to search so I thought I would ask the question.

We have a 264 trailer, I have been talking to a trailer repair company that has done this modification.
I want to add a rear cargo carrier, something similar to the attached.
The trailer company said that installing a cargo carrier, welded to the frame, with additional cross members could hold 500 lbs.

Has anyone done something similar?

Thanks
GeoFish

That carrier looks a lot like it was on a sabre.
Mine like that has a 450# ccc.

Turbs

[Dave_Monica]

Just beware of the impact this rear carrier weight on the tongue weight. The ratio isn't 1:1, but it's close. Lower tongue weight may make the camper handling evil.

Dave

[bikendan]

your Surveyor has an ultra-light frame, the trailer with the cargo carrier has a standard frame.
you'll also void the frame's warranty by modifying with something it's not designed for.

[Geofish]

Thanks for the reply’s.
I know I will need to add weight front of the axels to counter balance the load.

I am concerned about the trailer frame being strong enough for the modification, that’s why I was asking if anyone has done this on a Surveyor Select 264?
I asked the dealer and he did not mention anything about the trailer frame.

PS: What is the warranty on the trailer frame?

Thanks
GeoFish

[Dave_Monica]

It's my understanding that any modifcation to the frame voids the warranty.

Dave

[MtnGuy]

I have the sister ship to the SV 264.....the SV 263. The bumpers on these units (at least mine) has an extra "C" channel welded within the "I" bean at the bumper, firming up the bumper some. I carry the spare tire on my bumper, along with 2 battery boxes holding some chock blocks....that is the limit of what I feel safe with back there.

It looks like the luggage rack would actually be attached to the frame, not the bumper....that is good thing. The bad thing is that I don't think the frames on these trailers are true "I" beams. It looks to be 2 narrow flat bars welded to a wide flat bar. These frames are probably manufactured just strong enough to carry the wieght of the trailer, and no more......that keeps them light and the overall weight of the trailer down.

Once you start adding weight to the rear of the trailer, then have to add weight to the front to keep the tongue weight in range, I wonder if that is going to stress the frame too much.

IMHO, a small load back there might be OK, but definitely not a couple hundred pounds.

[Geofish]

I wouldn’t attach anything to the bumper that did not come from the factory. The carrier would be attached to the trailer frame.
I think the warranty on the trailer frame is one year, and I will be past that in a few weeks.

I am more concerned about safety and liability.

Wouldn’t want 26 Gallons of gas and a generator coming loose on the interstate.

The camper brochure says; “Our all steel I-Beam frames provide you with the most superior foundation”.
The trailer has a load capacity of 2,466 Lbs. This is in addition to the fresh water and battery.
For the trailer to have such a high load capacity, the frame must be an I beam steel frame.

Has anyone done this on a Surveyor Select 264?




GeoFish

[coupevillefish]

We just sold our Casita - very light. We added a 2" receiver to the frame and bumper to carry bikes. The two bikes are probably less than 100# but that worked very well for us and with them on our hitch weight was exactly 10% of our total weight. The receiver would give you and future owners flexibility.

[MtnGuy]

With my SV 263, I did some testing early on with weight at the back of my camper.

40 lbs. of weight on the bumper will take 15 lbs. off of the tongue weight.

50 lbs. (6 gals.) of water in the water heater (extreme back of camper) will again take 15 lbs off of the tongue weight.

With those 2 figure in mind, and since the center of gravity is now projected way behind the bumper, you might have as much as a 1 to .5 ratio.

26 gallons of gas plus the container are gonna be ~160 lbs. Depending on what size generator (a 3000 watt typically is around 120 lbs.), then you may have 300 lbs. on that rack. You may be loosing 150 lbs. of tongue weight.

[Geofish]

Thanks for the input.
That’s not as bad as I thought. I thought it would be one to one since the axels are centered halfway front to back.
What I am trying to do is to take too much stuff. See picture. I want to take an ATV, so I have to find room for all the other stuff since the ATV will take up the bed of the pickup truck.
We only take all of these items when we go wilderness camping, so we take 20 gal of water along with the gas. The water will be inside the camper forward of the axels counter balancing the load. We also take an outboard motor about 80 lbs. battery 50 Lbs. trolling motor 40 Lbs. and a 125 quart cooler 260 Lbs. These will all be inside the camper placed to optimize the load.
The generator is a Yamaha 2400, manufacture claims it weighs 75 Lbs. add gas and oil and I am at 85 Lbs.

My plan was to hook up the camper without the weight distribution bars hooked up.
Then measure the height of the trailer ball.
Load trailer and balance the load until the trailer ball is at the starting height.
Then hook everything up and go.


Thanks
GeoFish

[Dave_Monica]

Sorry that I gave bad info earlier in regards to the weigh ratio. I can see looking at the rear axle centerline to rear bumper distance compared to the front axle centerline to coupler distance is very different and would be a ratio way less than 1:1.

I woud strongly suggest a trip to the scales before you think more about an ATV in the back of the truck. I think they weigh around 500 lbs. I'll bet that you're very close to the rear axle weight limit with your set-up now.

Dave

[Geofish]

Thanks Dave

Good point, most people look at only the towing capacity, not the weight carrying capacity.


My Ford F-150 will tow 11,300 Lbs., but the weight carrying capacity of my truck is 1964 Lbs.


I exceeded my weight carrying capacity last year because of all the gear I put in the truck bed, my load was;
Two people & dogs at 500 Lbs.
Trailer tough load 600 Lbs.
Generator 85 Lbs.
26 Gal of gas 170 Lbs.
20 Gal of water 170 Lbs.
125 Qt. Cooler filled 260 Lbs.
Outboard motor at 85 Lbs.
Boat Loader at 200 Lbs.
Boat at 300 Lbs.
Battery 50 Lbs.
Stuff. 100 Lbs.

Total at 2520 plus Lbs.

This year.

ATV 650 Lbs.
Two people & dogs at 500 Lbs.
Trailer tough load 600 Lbs.
Boat Loader at 200 Lbs.
Boat at 300 Lbs.
Stuff. 100 Lbs.


Total at 2350 Lbs.



The Ford Dealer said that the truck could handle another 1000 Lbs. of weight, I questioned it, but he said the axels and other items are under rated.
They recommended that either I add air bags or another leaf to my rear springs.

So I talked with another Ford dealer to be sure and he said he adds rear leafs all the time, should not be a problem.
So then I talked with a company that specializes in truck springs, repair, replace and custom. They told me the same thing, adding another leaf would not cause me a problem. They do it all the time for $475.00.

So I plan to add a rear leaf to each spring in the back. Concerned that air bag could fail. This should increase my weight carrying capacity to 2964 Lbs.

Since my wilderness camping is done north of Fort Frances Ontario I don’t have anyone to bail me out if something fails.

Thanks
GeoFish

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Geofish

I think the warranty on the trailer frame is one year, and I will be past that in a few weeks.
GeoFish

i think you're wrong, my frame warranty was 4 or 5 years. only the factory warranty was 1 year.
you need to look at your paperwork. i had a warranty sheet for my frame with my owner's manual stuff.

[Geofish]

I keep my camper at a storage place and the manual and papers are there.
But I do have an electronic copy of the sales brochure for my model and year, it says;


Surveyor Warranty Information
For Details on Surveyor's complete warranty program, see your
Surveyor dealer. Surveyor offers the following additional limited
warranties to the original purchasers. Consult written warranty for
details.
1. Twelve year rubber roof warranty
2. Two year fiberglass warranty
3. Two year axle warranty
4. One year bumper to bumper warranty
5. Available second-year warranty

So since I don’t have a warranty I am OK as long as I don’t do anything that is unsafe.
That’s why I am taking the trailer to a trailer repair company for their expert opinion.
Maybe I wasn’t very clear in my first post, but I talked with the trailer company without them looking at the camper, they told me they have done this and 500 Lbs. is not a problem with most trailers.
Of course they may look at my camper and say it can’t be done or it can’t be done with this much weight?
Whatever happens I will make sure they don’t let me do anything stupid.

I was looking for additional ideas to show the trailer repair company, that’s why I posted looking for someone who has done something similar.


Thanks
GeoFish

[Dave_Monica]

Originally Posted by Geofish

The Ford Dealer said that the truck could handle another 1000 Lbs. of weight, I questioned it, but he said the axels and other items are under rated.
They recommended that either I add air bags or another leaf to my rear springs.

So I talked with another Ford dealer to be sure and he said he adds rear leafs all the time, should not be a problem.
So then I talked with a company that specializes in truck springs, repair, replace and custom. They told me the same thing, adding another leaf would not cause me a problem. They do it all the time for $475.00.

So I plan to add a rear leaf to each spring in the back. Concerned that air bag could fail. This should increase my weight carrying capacity to 2964 Lbs.

Since my wilderness camping is done north of Fort Frances Ontario I don’t have anyone to bail me out if something fails.

Thanks
GeoFish

I'd be asking the Ford dealer to put that in writing for you including any impact on warranty.

The extra spring won't legally change the GVWR or GAWR. If you were to be checked by the MOT, you could be fined.

Dave

[OmoYoruba]

That carrier looks like the one on the 2013 Surveyor SP260.

[OmoYoruba]

Originally Posted by Geofish

This may be in an old post, not too sure how to search so I thought I would ask the question.

We have a 264 trailer, I have been talking to a trailer repair company that has done this modification.
I want to add a rear cargo carrier, something similar to the attached.
The trailer company said that installing a cargo carrier, welded to the frame, with additional cross members could hold 500 lbs.

Has anyone done something similar?

Thanks
GeoFish

You know, this carrier looks very much like the one on the 2013 Surveyor SP260....so, are we saying that Forest River have changed frame quality and tongue # for the Surveyor Sport?