Can all 5th wheels double tow?

patperry2766 wrote:
Considering upgrading in the next couple of years and trying to decide between a 5th wheel and tow a small trailer behind (ATV's/motorcycle, etc) or just to get a toyhauler.

Are all 5's capable of doing this, or are there some particular brands or models that are better suited for this task that have a more robust frame, axle set-up, etc?

What questions/info should I be seeking from the manufacturers?

If I do choose a toyhauler, how do most people transport their toys to the play area if it's not immediately accessible to the campground, or if it's a vehicle than can't be legally driven on the roads?

When I recently bought my trailer about a year ago I specifically researched which brand was good quality and would be good for double towing. I ended up getting an Arctic Fox 27-5L and am very happy with the purchase.
It has a strong frame, good quality build, and isn't overly heavy.

If you have a choice between double towing or being able to put your toys in a toy hauler, I would go with the latter.
Pulling 2 trailers isn't hard, but backing up 2 trailers if you have to isn't the easiest.

No matter what 5th wheel you end up getting, do not go with an aftermarket bolt on hitch. Get one professionally built and welded to the trailer. I built my own very strong and ran a 7-way plug to the back for trailer brakes. I tow around 6k lbs behind my 5th wheel and it feels great.

patperry2766 wrote:
Are there any brands that would be better than others?

Should I just inquire to the corporate office of each manufacturer that I'm interested in?

I know a lot of people speak relatively highly of Artic Fox, but they aren't carried locally

Winnebago and Jayco are making some of their shorter 5th-wheel trailers with tow-hitches included as part of the frame. A Winnebago factory rep recently gave us this information:

"Yes, the Minnie Plus 5th wheel is standard with the 3,000lb receiver. This isn’t installed by us at Winnebago, it is installed directly from Norco, the BAL/NXG frame manufacturer. They actually beefed up their frame specifically for us to accommodate this."

We also recently learned (from a factory rep) that the 2019 Grand Design Reflection 150 Series will also come with embedded tow hitch.

Just get a toy hauler.

What TV you going to use?

Are there any brands that would be better than others?

Should I just inquire to the corporate office of each manufacturer that I'm interested in?

I know a lot of people speak relatively highly of Artic Fox, but they aren't carried locally

To answer the question exactly as asked;

NO!

Some frames are not suitable for double towing. Most can be corrected (not cheap) by a GOOD welding shop.

Double towing is regulated by the states and they almost all have different requirements. Here in Wyoming, as long as all trailers have brakes, we can double tow with an overall length of up to 75', I believe. When we bought our Jayco Eagle HT 26.5 RLS, we went to a professional welder who proceeded to reinforce the I beam frame almost to the back axle and then fabricated the hitch from the ground up, taking almost five hours, including putting in a plug for the boat trailer. Boat weighs around 3,500 pounds when ready for fishing and towing and, so far, we haven't had any problems. We have been towing for 25 years, first with a Jayco 21.5 SD which towed boats weighing as little as 2,000 pounds on the trailer and as much as 5,000 on the trailer and measuring around 73 feet at a maximum. My HT back then didn't come with the a hitch with a 300# weight capacity. By the way, my hitch is welded to the bumper, but I believe that is only because the welder wanted the hitch snug to the bumper, I would never use a bumper hitch to tow anything.

DutchmenSport wrote:
In Indiana, if your have one of those platforms, and it has a swival wheel, it's considered a "trailer" and must be titled and licensed with lights as a utility trailer. If the tire touches the ground, it's a trailer, no matter how it's connected to the vehicle. That's just the way it is in Indiana.

No, not all 5ers are capable of pulling an additional trailer.

If you are considering a Toy Hualer, I think that is your better choice.

Although in Indiana, I see a lot of "double tows". In Indiana, you can tow a trailer behind a trailer too. (That catches my eye when I see that. It just looks very strange). The first trailer can be a travel trailer or a 5er. I know, Indiana is a bit different in their laws.

But where they get you, is the total length. And that stops a lot of "double towing" even with 5er's.

Towing 2 bumper-pulls can get you pulled over here in AZ. To =legally= tow doubles here, first hitch =must= be a FW and 2nd can be a ball or pintle. Even towing a trailer behind a GN is a technical violation, as you've got 2 ball hitches. Now, "implements of husbandry" are usually exempt, so you'll see =all= kinds of stuff in farm country. :B

Used to be a farmer down near Yuma that, when cotton trailers were the norm, would tow 4 LOADED trailers down I-8 to the cotton gin. We're talking about 8-10k PER TRAILER, with NO brakes, heading down the road at 40-50 mph. On the way back, he'd pull 8 empties! Glad I never drove around him.

Lyle

patperry2766 wrote:
Considering upgrading in the next couple of years and trying to decide between a 5th wheel and tow a small trailer behind (ATV's/motorcycle, etc) or just to get a toyhauler.

Are all 5's capable of doing this, or are there some particular brands or models that are better suited for this task that have a more robust frame, axle set-up, etc?

What questions/info should I be seeking from the manufacturers?

If I do choose a toyhauler, how do most people transport their toys to the play area if it's not immediately accessible to the campground, or if it's a vehicle than can't be legally driven on the roads?

In a word, NO! Most FWs have frames that are too light to safely tow much of anything if you do put a hitch on them. There are a lot of mfrs now that =are= offering hitches as an OEM option (some even standard), but almost all are limited to a 300 lb hitch / 3k GVW trailer. This is because virtually all states have a 3k limit on utility trailers that do not need brakes. At > 3k on the placard, you are required to have brakes. Now, you can =modify= a FW to have a heavier hitch, but it will almost certainly void any warranty on the frame. If you go this route, there are plenty of DIY threads on here showing how to do a =proper= job of adding a hitch.

Add to this, that it's not legal to tow doubles in all states. Something like 28 states do not allow it, though lots of people report that they've done it for "years" without a hassle. Roll da bones; takes your chances.

Length was mentioned. In AZ, total length is 65' from front bumper to rear axle. You =can= have up to 10' of "overhang" from the rear axle, which gives you an effective OAL of 75'. I know a lot of RVers and not a one has been stopped. (shrug) Again, roll dem bones...

Someone mentioned the swivel-wheel type extensions and DutchmenSport said that, in IN, they are treated as trailers. Many other states also treat them as trailers so, if you get nailed, you've got to find some way to unhook it and either leave it on the side of the road or have it loaded on a trailer to move to the state line.

You really need to think about where you want to go and how you're going to get there AND how much risk you're willing to take if you tow through a known "no doubles" state.

Lyle

I double tow in the West. WA and OR do not allow but since I am licensed SD it seems they don't care since I have towed back and forth without issue having several State Patrol drive right next to me. CA is legal as they recognize SD. Mostly East Coast where it's not legal.

I use a Kendon folding MC Trailer hauling tow Cruisers. Nice part it takes up about 30" x 96" of space when stood up.

Not allowed in NY.

I once saw a guy with a TC, horse trailer and a boat trailer! Oh yea, Texas plates.

He must have gone up the Mississippi to Canada. Around the Great Lakes to Niagara Falls. Was stopped at the Grand Island tolls. I saw the boat tealer later, but don't know how he got everything back to Texas.