I have the standard 19 scamp fifth wheel pulled for years with my 2003 tacoma double cab short bed. Now I can't find anyone willing to install the hitch in my new 2014 tacoma double cab short bed.
im desperate because Toyota says it might void my warranty ( they are being wishy washy) Scamp has sent me pix of the install on a short bed ford explorer but they aren't helpful when it comes to detailing for me the specifications for my new truck 2014 tacoma double cab short bed (5 foot)
any help would sure be appreciated. re not helpful with the instructions frame attachment and where to get brackets for my new truck with this composite bed..
im desperate because I'm feeling like I may have to sell the 5th wheel which we love.
Davedreamn,
I have a 2007 Tacoma and had a Scamp 5er. I'm new today to this site. I will try to load a few pictures of how I attached the hitch.
I no longer have the 5th wheel and went to a 16. The hitch has to be connected to the frame. In the pictures you can see blocks of steel I had machined to fit the profile of the frame. There are holes drilled though the blocks. I had to grind away a few of the fiberglass bed reinforcing bars on the underside on the bed. I also had two steel filler plates to lay in the bed under the hitch to give it a flat surface to set on. Holes were drilled though the bed, though the top flange of the frame and grade 8 bolts installed. I wasen't easy. Look around on the web a little, there are better ways of doing it and make the hitch removable so you use the bed for other things. Mine was a permanent thing. The truck pulled it great.
Good luck.
Great post kilovictor, and welcome to the clubhouse! I don't have any direct experience with the 5th wheel hitches, but I have always heard the Tacoma presents an issue and must be attached to the frame as kilo did.
They do show some brands of gooseneck hitches when you set the vehicle for 2014 Toyota Tacoma at several hitch sites.
http://www.truckchamp.com/gooseneck-%252d-fifth-wheel-hitches/make/toyota/model/tacoma/year/2014/subcategory/universal-gooseneck-hitches
Our Trailers:
2015 19 Escape
Buying or Selling Molded FG Trailers:
Fiberglass-RV-4Sale
The link you gave is a good start for davedreamn in his quest. He should call them and ask for someone with experience if there is a kit to tie it to the frame. My bet is there isn't. I don't know where he lives but I would imagine a local truck customizing shop could come up with something.
I just had one installed at Uhaul.
Thanks!
Perry
Thanks to SEMA and other aftermarket organization's lobbying efforts ,
It's against federal law in the U.S. for Toyota to void your warranty due to
aftermarket parts or mods, unless they can prove a direct correlation
between the mod and the specific failed component.
At least you need not worry over that one.
A simple mod like this hitch, won't hurt your truck.
We haven't heard from davedream since he started this thread. I hope he has found help. I see he posted on fibeglassrv too.
Thanks everybody. See you on the road.
We are also having problems with the hitch for a 2012 Scamp 19 in our 2014 Toyota Tundra. The factory emailed us the installation specs, but when we tried to tow it out of our driveway, we reached a certain point on the incline and the trailer was going to hit the top of the tailgate and the sides of truck. Anybody out there towing a 19 with a Tundra Crewmax?
gigi425,
I know exactly what you are experiencing. I wanted to buy a new Ford 150 4WD but the side walls are so high I knew I would have trouble. The Scamps are designed to used with compact vehicles. There are other forum sites that have threads discusing this issue with Tundras as well as F-150 and Chevy 1500. In most cases it involves rasing the hitch elevation, which could cause the trailer to tow out of level. If that happens the axile would need to be modified. The bottom of the sleeping loft hitting the side rails of the truck where always a worry for me when off smooth roads. Don't panic, think it through. One thing for sure is the Tundra is an excellent tow vehicle.
I had the same concerns you are asking about. Originally I was towing my Scamp 5er with a 1996 full size Chevy. Now I am using a 2012 Chevy Silverado. I was concerned about the difference in the sidewall heights.
Your 2012 5er probably comes with a reese style hitch. According to the owners manual: 40" to top of ball. If the sides of the truck are higher than 48", a raised axle may be necessary. You need to find out if the axle has been raised on yours. I know when I ordered my 2007 they specifically asked what I would be towing with, and the axle was raised at the factory. The height of my truck bed at the rear is 53 1/2 inches from the ground. I would say there is 6" to 8" clearance between the truck and trailer. On the other hand, perhaps I haven't gone over any really steep inclines.
Another thing to consider: The most critical measurement is that the center of the ball on the hitch cannot be more than 60" from the corner of the bumper, otherwise the bumper may hit the trailer when turning corners
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