adding Rear rec.

[bcircus]

I want to fabricate and add a rec. to back of my 2011 3455SA. I want to pull a 5x8 swivel wheel trailer for golf cart behind my 5th wheel. Does anyone know the max load that can be put on rear of Montana 3455?

[Ozz]

I don't think there are any figures out there, Keystone won't commit to any, they finally allowed and supplied a small receiver hitch.
It would be great if we could get a structural engineer to commit to a figure, but it would probably be so variable with different models and years it wouldn't be of much value.
I, and others have made beefed-up hitches, but as far as frame stress, we are probably WAG'ing it.
Many have hitches with the same load you are thinking of with great success.

Here is mine:

https://picasaweb.google.com/Jimsue1...eat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/Jimsue1...eat=directlink

[DQDick]

Ours came with a receiver hitch from the factory with a load limit of 250#. If I ever put anything but a bike rack back there I will have a welding shop put a real one on.

[dieselguy]

Fabbed my own hitch and have pulled a little squirt boat for years and jetskis before that on this and my previous Montana without issue. Weight is right at #2000

[1retired06]

Do not believe there is a factual response to your question.

[DQDick]

I believe I gave the answer. When mine was built, Keystone said the max was 250#. Does that make sense, not in my opinion, but try and get a different answer from Keystone.

[bcircus]

We are talking probably 500# of tongue weight with this type of trailer. The golf cart weighs in the neighborhood of 600# and the trailer itself is about 500#.

[bcircus]

Dieselguy, I like your fab-job. what do you think the tongue weight is on the receiver?

[dieselguy]

I have my boat axle setup to approx. 10% tongue weight or about #185 - #200. I doubt if you're going to have #500 tongue weight for your proposed golf cart setup, but I'm not familiar with where the swivel wheel trailers carry their weight ... contact a swivel wheel manuf for details. As stated in earlier replies, you'll get no solid figure to answer your question. Although I concede #500 tongue weight would be exceeding what I would be comfortable with on my Montana ... as stated, I've had no issue with pulling #2000. It's been cussed and discussed at length on the MOC about double towing ... there are members vehemently against it. Before we wander off into that rehash, I propose we stick to responding to the posters direct question. I'd like to point out that we've never covered the issue of a Montana's frame failure directly and positively attributed to double towing in all the years I've been a member here.

[DQDick]

I would doubt that's ever happened or at least very very infrequently and with something being towed a person with common sense would have left at home. Frame failure tends to be up front and Keystone tends to look for whatever excuse they can find to blame it on the owner and weasel out of the cost of the repair. At least in my opinion.

[Emmel]

The best thing about a double wheel swivel wheel trailer is most of the weight is over the wheels and not on the hitch. The hitch actually is designed to keep the trailer straight to the 5er.
I would have preferred that to the little trailer I pulled with my Harley on it. Also, you can back the swivel wheel where you can't the regular trailer.

[robert285rld]

I have successfully mounted a cabinet on my Mountaineer. This unit is my mobile "hobby workshop". Carries tools and supplies -I don't know the total weight. Installed a frame extension including two 2×2 hitch receivers to the extension. The frame extension is bolted and welded to the center Web (vertical) of the main "I" frame NOT to the bottom Web (horizontal). The "web"(horizontal) has been has been known to peel away. I added 8 golf cart batteries to the front compartment to offset the additional weight on the back end. The CAT highway scales confirm my weight on all axles is well within the limits of each axle and combine weights.

I have just completed a 35,000 km trip through California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Alaska,Idaho,Utah,and now in Arizona. The unit performed exceedingly well.

Edit: This post provided information on "how I did it". It was not and is not a critique of how others completed a similiar project.

For all readers information - there were no modifications to the ladder, this unit does not have a rear cap, no changes to the fiber glass and
license plate is mounted below the left rear tail light in the factory. Release the two receivers, slide the unit out - you have a "stock unit with two added receivers below the bumper".

[Ozz]

Very nice!

[dieselguy]

If one was to peel the end flange off an I Beam ... it deserved to be pealed off. I just followed the lead of SOB's hitches plus I didn't want to have to carve out clearance holes in the rear cap ... move the license plate ... shorten the ladder ... and so on.