Double towing

Commercial trailers and semitrailers designed for fully grown trucks are way more stable and brake capable vs RV “wheels halfway up the frame” teeter totter configurations complete with 12 volt non ABS brakes.

K Charles wrote:
In some states you can't leave the interstate when double towing and both trailers are 5th wheels. Hard to do either with an RV

Actually, the 2nd trailer connection on a semi is NOT a FW. There's a tow dolly that =has= a FW hitch that the trailer attaches to, but the dolly is hitched with a pintle hitch. :B

Lyle

In some states you can't leave the interstate when double towing and both trailers are 5th wheels. Hard to do either with an RV

campinghut wrote:
I personally would not take a chance in BC

And yet BC allows double and triple road trains well over 100' long and well over 100,000 lbs, but won't allow RV doubles. Never understood that logic.

Lyle

colliehauler wrote:
I've double towed before but made sure the states I passed through was legal. Travel trailer with jet ski trailer behind. Since I sold the jet ski no more need to double tow.

In AZ, that's definitely NOT legal, though doubles =are= legal. First trailer =must= be a FW, second trailer can be ball, pintle or clevis hitch, and must have safety chains and brakes if > 3k gvw. Now, does this mean that people don't do what you do? Yes, they do, and I saw one just recently. Bumper pull utility trailer with a Bobcat on it towing another utility trailer with tools and materials on it. MANY years ago, I saw a guy towing like this with an added cement mixer on the back.

I never saw this, but my dad did and knew the farmer in question quite well, but he'd tow FOUR loaded cotton trailers, probably 7-8k each, with no brakes, chains or lights, down I-8 in the Yuma area, at 50-60 mph and would pick up EIGHT empties at the gin to bring back. With a 3/4t truck. INSANE!

Lyle

For the last 3.5 years I have double towed WA, OR and CA along with AZ and NV. WA and OR are not legal to Double Tow. CA requires an endorsement, they do recognize you if you are licensed from a State that allows DT.

Prior I paid $500 to ship MC from WA to SoCal and $500 to ship back each year. So by making 7 trips now I have saved $3,500. I think if i get a ticket or told to separate I am well ahead of the game.

I have had many Troopers slowly pass me or observe me along I-5 that I typically travel. I am guessing since I am Licensed SD is why I have had zero issues.

Pic from a couple weeks ago staying at Deerwood RV Park near Eugene Oregon.

I won't speak to if they will ticket you.

But the reason for the law is like a lot of laws, so the politicians can show they are doing something.

Probably was a bad accident or two with a wildly unsafe setups or dangerous driving behavior. If a situation is patently unsafe on the surface, police can pull you over and ticket you. But rather than simply directing the police to enforce existing laws, the politicos decided to make a new one to prove how much they want to make things safer.

A good related example would be hate crime laws...as if it's somehow OK to commit murder as long as it's just business and not hate.

azdryheat wrote:
Why does it have to be "a cop having a bad day" to enforce the law? Please explain to this retired police sergeant why I would be having a bad day for doing what I'm paid to do, for doing my job?

That's because people don't want you to stop THEM. But they'll whine, cry, and pitch a fit if you don't stop THE OTHER GUY. They're the good, safe driver. It's THE OTHER GUY who is the bad driver and should be arrested.
We've heard that story more than once.
The worst towing I stopped was not a double tow but a quad tow. A class A pulling a box trailer. Connected to the rear of the box trailer was a Dodge Dakota pickup. Connected to the pickup was a boat. He started south of St Louis MO and had gotten 80 miles into IL before I stopped him. Talk about catching a line of grief from him. I was just picking on him. He had driven that far and hadn't caused any problems. No one else had stopped him. yada yada yada.
The second worst was the 5er pulling a boat. Legal in IL as long as total length is 60 ft or less. But he had the slide out on the passenger side of the 5er. Driving down a 2 lane highway with a couple of feet of the slide hanging out into the oncoming traffic. Caught an earful from him too. He only had to go another 50 miles. Something was wrong with the slide and wouldn't go in so I should let him go, not his fault his slide won't work.

When the focus of pickup OEM’s is always “moar power” and winning the race to the top of the hill for the coveted blue ribbon, I can see why a mountainous province or state that gets winter restricts RV super trucker combination vehicles with 500 hp - 1000hp (with deletes and tuner and stacked turbo’s and 6 no 8 no 10 speeds) and 12 volt brakes.

I personally would not take a chance in BC