Anyone hauling with a low truck?

[yamanube]

I recently sold my tow rig and currently own nothing with a hitch. Been taking a break from riding for the past year or so and want to get back in the surf.
I have been hitch hauler only forever but my current rig has no hitch and virtually zero payload capacity (bottoms out on everything with three mountain bikes on the tailgate). I will be installing helper airbags soon to resolve this but still not sure that a hitch hauler is going to work.
Anyone here rocking a low truck and a hitch hauler?
FWIW it's an OBS Chevy with a 4/6 drop and mini bolt in notch.

 

[DylanS]

If you end up with a receiver you could just get one of those step up adapters and plop your hauler into that to gain clearance.
If you’ve ever heard of sumosprings they’re a cheaper and easier option than airbags for a smaller truck and I think the smaller set increases your payload capacity by about 1,300lbs progressively but I’m not sure how they’d fit on a lowered ride.

Something like this but in the correct size obviously.

 

[Big Kahuna]

If you end up with a receiver you could just get one of those step up adapters and plop your hauler into that to gain clearance.
If you’ve ever heard of sumosprings they’re a cheaper and easier option than airbags for a smaller truck and I think the smaller set increases your payload capacity by about 1,300lbs progressively but I’m not sure how they’d fit on a lowered ride.

Something like this but in the correct size obviously.

I had Sumosprings on my F150. But I doubt they would work on this!

 

[Myself]

Swap out your shocks to the Monroe "Load Handler". Your truck will ride nice AND be able to haul more without bottoming. You'll probably need to look through specs cause I'm betting you need shorter than stock length. Nice OBS too! We'll be at the OBS nats end of May on Minitruckin row.

 

[Masonic]

Stump Jumper Mafia, also sick truck.

 

[cpolaris502]

All the time. The hauler only hits occasional leaving my driveway if I leave too straight onto the road. Bags are needed.

 

[yamanube]

All the time. The hauler only hits occasional leaving my driveway if I leave too straight onto the road. Bags are needed.View attachment 453261

Forgot about that thing, do you have a notch? Any concern about the load stressing the notched area?

 

[Myself]

If a notch is done correctly, even bolt in, there is now way a 300# machine on back would stress it any more than the stock full frame rail.

 

[cpolaris502]

Forgot about that thing, do you have a notch? Any concern about the load stressing the notched area?

Yes, I have a bolt in notch which is also welded. For the first few years I definitely questioned it with a loaded enclosed 4 place snowmobile trailer heading 5 hours north. But over 13 years of doing stuff like that, I've gained the confidence.

 

[subnsxr]

I'm a Vato at heart as well and used Air Ride leaf spring bags and small compressor, it was cheap and did the job. Had a 5"/6" drop and no C notch, 2015 Silverado 1500.

 

[bored&stroked]

Swap out your shocks to the Monroe "Load Handler". Your truck will ride nice AND be able to haul more without bottoming. You'll probably need to look through specs cause I'm betting you need shorter than stock length. Nice OBS too! We'll be at the OBS nats end of May on Minitruckin row.

No don't. Shock mounts aren't designed to handle weight they are designed to hold shocks that only dampen the energy of the springs.

OP- once you put helper bags on all will be right with the world. The more weight and resulting air pressure I run, the softer the ride gets. Truck is a 5/6 drop with c-notch and factory leafs plus the helpers. I can't find my pic but I used to put the two standups in the bed to go to the lake. Never hitch hauled a ski before though.

 

[yamanube]

No don't. Shock mounts aren't designed to handle weight they are designed to hold shocks that only dampen the energy of the springs.

OP- once you put helper bags on all will be right with the world. The more weight and resulting air pressure I run, the softer the ride gets. Truck is a 5/6 drop with c-notch and factory leafs plus the helpers. I can't find my pic but I used to put the two standups in the bed to go to the lake. Never hitch hauled a ski before though.

View attachment 454212

I have started down the airbag route, need to make some adjustments to the brackets to fit my notch. With the shock relocation brackets there's no way I'd go with a sprung shock.

 

[Myself]

I have started down the airbag route, need to make some adjustments to the brackets to fit my notch. With the shock relocation brackets there's no way I'd go with a sprung shock.

I wouldn't either WITH those relocation brackets!

 

[Baja 252]

My trucks lowered 2 inches in the back just to level it out and we use a Hitch Hauler all the time. As said above it’s not like you’re putting 1000 pound couch on the Hitch hauler. Rather than worry about raising the truck up, I would simply get the receiver that someone suggested above to raise the hitch hauler.

 

[bored&stroked]

I have started down the airbag route, need to make some adjustments to the brackets to fit my notch.

My airslam kit was designed to work with a belltech notch I believe. I have western chassis stuff in back, so the airbag bracket lined up with one hole, but the other we had to use a spacer and make work. Eventually I added a Mercedes air compressor and a gauge with switch inside the truck to adjust on the fly. Went a good 10yrs with just the bumper fill valves and no way to adjust and it still worked great.