The combination of a 2007 Dodge 3500 Dually Mega Cab long bed truck and 41′ Aluminum Trailer Company Toy Hauler Living Quarters Fifth Wheel has been the ideal Adventure Rig for us for the last two years. We have spent a lot of time researching some add-ons that would benefit us as we travel and live on the road. We love the ATC trailer for a few reasons including the fact that it feels like an actual home, has a separate and large enough (it can always be bigger) garage, and is easy to pickup or drop when you need to do so. Whether you’re looking to find your ultimate Adventure Rig or simply looking to upgrade your existing Adventure Rig, we hope we can help you figure out exactly what you need or want. What we think is best is our opinion so take it for what it is worth!
The Dodge pickup is a hauling machine with upgrades over the last few years to make it that way. Weighing in at just over 18,000 pounds, the trailer is a heavy load especially over steep and snowy mountain passes. The dually wheels are a must for towing a fifth wheel trailer, along with airbags, and an efficient hitch.
If you plan on using a fifth wheel adapter to goose neck, try this system out before you purchase it. We found the adapter to be an extremely rough ride with the weight of the trailer. That’s when we looked into B&W Trailer Hitches. The B&W Companion 5th Wheel Flatbed Hitch has been a dream come true in both towing and ease of use. Since we use our truck for both towing and then hauling (motorcycles and snowmobiles) we need to have the ability for an easy dismount and removal of the 5th wheel hitch no matter where we are. All you have to do with this hitch is loosen one bolt, pull a few pins, and then lift it off of your truck bed. It’s not too heavy so one person can easily remove the hitch on their own. As far as towing, the hitch simply locks into place when backed up to your 5th wheel. You pull one handle closed and put a pin in place for safety. It takes less time, less energy, and less worrying while you’re out enjoying what it is you love to do.
If you’re planning on driving through remote areas, where wildlife is abundant, we highly recommend finding an aftermarket bumper! A lot of people add an aftermarket bumper for looks, however we know that if we were to hit an elk or moose in the remote areas of Canada, we would be shut down for days. The Baja Bumper by Buckstop Bumpers is a heavy duty aluminum bumper that does not add too much additional weight to the front of your pickup, is full of some great features, and is not too terribly hard to install. The bumper (aluminum) weighs in at 100 pounds over the stock bumper. The protection that the bumper provides is the key feature but the bumper also has an enclosed winch compartment, space for lights (customized to your preference), tow hooks, and a front hitch receiver. Definitely check out Buckstop Bumpers because they have many different bumpers for different needs.
Another vital resource to have on your truck if you are traveling through remote areas are some extremely bright lights. It is important to be able to see at night, especially if you are towing a heavy load and know you won’t be able to stop in time if something darts out in front of you. We have Rigid Industries E series lights mounted in the bumper. The E 4″ work well for our purpose and light up the road ahead.
As far as the internals of the truck, among other things, an H&S Black Maxx Programmer, ATS Diesel Aurora 5000 Compound Turbo, and a South Bend dual disc clutch have been installed to help with the towing performance.
To maximize performance from the 6.7L turbo charged Cummins, an H&S Black Maxx Programmer was added along with a 5” turbo back exhaust. This has an added benefit of fuel milage, power gains, and longevity of the engine. The DPF was removed along with the EGR cooler enhancing engine performance and lowering operating temps.
ATS Diesel Performance in Denver, Colorado installed an Aurora 5000 compound turbo kit to lower the exhaust temps from the engine while pulling an 18,000 pound trailer. This has been one of the best upgrades we have made and has transformed the pickup. The highest EGT’s we’ve seen is 1235 degrees while pulling steep mountain grades. It now cruises at 700 degrees on the interstate at 65 mph and there’s no more worrying about melting the engine.
A South Bend DD3250 clutch was installed for performance under adverse conditions. The pickup makes enough power that while pulling a trailer you could slip the original clutch. The DD3250 is made for heavy towing applications and is a great clutch that should stand up to years of abuse.
It takes time and money to figure out exactly what you need to add to your tow vehicle. If you do things a little bit at a time, you will find your tow vehicle slowly coming together. There will always be upgrades and things you may want to change to make your tow vehicle the best it can be! If you have any questions in regard to what we have done or how we have done it, don’t hesitate to ask.
We found this ATC trailer used in Arizona and if you’re looking for something like it, we hope you have an easier time finding it than we did. It took a very long time to track down what we wanted but finally jumped on the opportunity when this one became available. This is a full aluminum trailer that was intentionally built as a camper and toy hauler. The garage is 14′ long and is totally separate from the living quarters. We love the size (even though it could be bigger) along with the fact that it is entirely separate from the living quarters. We have done a few upgrades to the interior and exterior of the trailer that have made our RV’ing experiences more enjoyable.
We added four 150 watt solar panels and extended our battery banks as well as purchasing new batteries when we got the rig because we wanted to be able to have a sufficient power source out on the road (when we either couldn’t plug in or use the generator).
The garage is our favorite part of the trailer, and we have done a few upgrades for both protection and preference. We added a ski rack so that we can easily and safely carry our skis with us. For protection, we use Caliber Products to protect the floor from the snowmobiles and also make loading and unloading easier. Check out our videos and reviews here if you are looking for snowmobile trailer products. Another favorite of ours is the method we use for tying down our motorcycles (adventure bikes and dirt bikes). Pit Bull makes some amazing motorcycle restraint systems that make hauling your motorcycle unbelievably easy. Be sure you check out our write up of Pit Bull to see how they work and why we love them.
There are many more little upgrades that we have made to our rig like installing carpet in the living space, making the switch from halogen to LED lighting, and new tires for assurance purposes. We continue to find features that we want to change or make better, and so we continue to find amazing companies that help us do so. If you want to see what the inside of the trailer looks like, check out our video tour. Again, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or opinions as we value sharing what we’ve done to make your experience just a little bit easier.
We are honored to work with some amazing companies who help us do what we love and share our passion for traveling, skiing, adventuring, and anything else we may find ourselves doing. We are lucky to have some of the best gear out there on all of our adventures! Click on the logo to be directed to the website.
2 Comments
Steve Smyth
November 14, 2015 at 5:55 amHey guys,
I’m currently looking at a 2006 ATC 43′ Toyhauler.I believe the same as yours,but with 16′ garage.The intent is for it to be used for family adventures.I’ve been told it weighs 12,000 lbs (dry),but now I read that yours weighs 18,000.Is that a true weight,did you scale it.
Please advise,and thanks for your help
Steve
Cally
November 14, 2015 at 6:11 amHi Steve,
That’s awesome! Running across the scales completely empty we weigh in right at 14,000. We actually just sold our trailer because it was too big and cumbersome for our purpose. We will have an update soon with our new rig. Thanks for reaching out and let us know if you have any more questions.