Truck Length Question
 

I don't have a truck yet, but I want to get it close to right the first time. How long of a frame do you need between the cab and hitch to put a Smart Car on the back? Also, besides a Smart Car, what other vehicles fit there? Wife says it must have four wheels if that helps.
Tom

Sorry, I cant help...I flat tow ours ;)

That is an option for some, but I plan on towing a fiver. I know there are some on here that know the numbers!

If you don't get any answers here, try over at the Escapee's forum
HDT - Escapees Discussion Forum

There are a lot of guys over there that run the HDT's with a smart car on the bed, and pull a 5er behind it. There is a lot of information in their resource guide as well. The Heavy Haulers Resource Guide & HDT Rally Site - HDT - Escapees Discussion Forum

Another option if you don't get many replies here, is to try the Escapee's forum.
https://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showforum=32

There are lots of people over there that use their HDT's, with a Smart loaded on the bed, and pull a 5er behind that. There is also lots of useful information (licensing, insurance, bed designs, pictures, etc) in their resource guide.
https://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=88214

The best resource I've seen for HDT's hauling 5vers is this: HDT - Escapees Discussion Forum

Make sure to read through the first few sticky threads there. Tons of info. I've gone to the HDT rally about 5 times in Kansas. It's by far the best place to go to learn everything you need to know for this type of setup. Definitely plan on attending next fall if you haven't been to one yet. Maybe we can caravan down there.

Depending on the width of your rig, 126" or 130". you need 65" for the smart, plus half the width of your 5'er plus a few inches.

Since the legal width is 102" what do you do about the overwidth issue?
Bob, I really do want to go to the HDT Rally next year. When it gets closer I would be happy to run down there with you.

There are some hauling the newer longer Smarts on their deck sideways. Don't ask, don't tell. That works best. I think you'd have to do something very dumb to attract the attention of a law enforcement officer to the point of bothering to measure that extra 3" wide per side. I wouldn't worry about it. Or else build the deck long enough to load it fore/aft. I'd do that and make it long enough to haul a wide variety of cars that way. That doesn't limit you to a Smart. And if you did have a Smart you could load it sideways and maybe put a scooter or some other toy along side that. Did you see some of the guys that put a box on their truck to put the car in? You can buy a used box with roll up door pretty reasonable. 1rod, J&V, and Rick and Alana have done that. I think some others have too but not sure. I really like that setup. 2014 HDT Rally Truck Photos

Maybe J's Rig is a little confuzzled with his numbers? He has 126" or 130" for a length. That comes out to be 24 or 28 inches wider than the limit. That is a bit harder to hide.....
I thought about loading a car length wise. I have a VW Jetta Sportwagon that would fit, but then I am looking at a longer truck. That probably won't be a big deal, but I will continue to contemplate things. I wish the 2015 HDT rally was sooner. I want to see some other trucks for ideas.

I tow side by sides (Rhinos and Razors) on my deck over and they are right at 120" with no problems. You do have to pay attention on tight winding 2 lanes and some signs in construction zones. I typically don't have problems with guardrails as they are up above them. No problem with law enforcement so far. At least you can see it in the mirrors. :)

I must be confused. Your Razor is 10' long and you tow it sideways with no problem? If you put a 10' wide load on an 8' deck I would think it would be quite noticeable.

MnTom- the original question was about the length of the deck, not the width. A Smart car 2015 and earlier is 106.1" long, and 61.38" wide. The 2016 models are 4.?? wider so to be safe you need 65-66" for the smart car alone. Then you need the turning radius for the front cap of your 5'er. If your rig is 101" wide, like mine, then you need a minimin of 50 1/2" to clear the car. But if you take into consideration any turns that have a dip or hill, you need more space between the side of the car and the front of your trailer. Then since you will most likely not be able to load the car in the exact spot time after time, you need a few more inches for room.
So the numbers are-
62- car+
50 1/2 trailer turn radius+
6 space between trailer and car +
4 extra space for error in loading car+
5 extra for the new Smart car width =
127" mininum from the back of the cab fairings or your drom box to the center of your pin.
I said nothing about a smart car being that wide...

Ok, Sorry J's Rig, I guess I misunderstood what you said. You gave me the numbers I was looking for. Now I can look at the wheel base and figure out what I want. To bad I can't afford that! :p I will be doing some looking and calculating. Thanks!

Go the to escapee's HDT forum. There are tons of threads discussing all the different ways to set up a bed. The HHRV guide is also invaluable in this area.
Escapees Discussion Forum

Home | Heavy Haulers RV Resource Guide

The deck over is 8'6" wide. The Rhino in the picture is 10' long on the nose. It does stick out but when you are 80' long and 13'5" tall....the last thing anybody is looking at is a side by side hanging over an extra 9" on both sides......at least in my experience. I mean......we are not talking about moving earth moving equipment around. The Rhino in the picture is bigger than a smart car. It's over 7' wide due to long travel suspension. Obviously, towing all of this stuff is not for everyone in every situation. Don't do anything that your not comfortable with. People tell me all the time that you can't do this and you can't do that...and this is illegal and that is illegal. I am not taking sides......I am just sharing real world experience of towing this stuff all over the southeast and I have even pulled the boat out west with very few hassles. Illinois is the only state that has ever hassled me and I talked my way out of that. (The law ended up on my side because it is all in my personal name and registered as a motorhome). It is also governed by your home state if you are non Commercial.

Thanks for the clarification J. Now I understand what you guys are talking about. I actually thought about this tread on the way home in mine yesterday evening. I met a really nice Sportchassis towing a fiver and I started thinking about this. :) What the hell is wrong with me?

Taking all the length issues into consideration, If you want to keep the truck tandem axle, its very easy to do, and your can extend the bed even further than 11foot.
If you single the rear, then some design considerations come into play.
Single long, and your turning radius is the same as staying tandem.
Single short- the truck doesn't look proportional in the deck length, axle spacing etc
Single to a "Mid" position- drop the front axle and roll the rear axle forward to where the center of the tandem position was. This looks the best but you are still limited some in your length.
The other issue is that while moving the hitch aft of the rear axle is nice for tracking and backing into tight spots, there is a limit to how far aft you can go. 6ft has been determined to be about the max distance the hitch can be placed behind the rear axle without issue. More than that and you start getting travel trailer type problems like sway control.

It wouldn't bother me any to go down the road over width. I have had loads behind me that were up to 14' wide, 15' tall, had trailers stretched out to 60' with the load overhanging that by 8', and been as heavy as 122,000 pounds. Try being 80' long and 12' wide then drive through New Jersey!! I am just surprised that you don't attract more attention than you do!

Since I am still in the 'discovery' stage I am looking at all options. I need to measure the car I have now just so that I can try to determine what is my best solution. Keep the info coming! I need it.