Pickup driver caught after cops find him hauling 53? trailer

"Empty weight would likely be about 10k and we towed that much, and more, all the time back in our pre-module cotton picking days and were using trailers. 1/2t truck, no brakes, 25-30 mph, upwards of a 15 mile one-way tow to and from the gin."

Being able to get away with doing something only makes it do-able, not smart.

Looks to me like there may be a compressor in the truck bed to release the brakes. Not sure what the thing stuck on the tailgate is. Camera? Sending unit for wireless lights? Tank on the tongue is =not= an air tank; looks to be some sort of liquid tank, given the hoses. I know that, were I involved in ag and towing this, I'd claim "implement of husbandry". :B Empty weight would likely be about 10k and we towed that much, and more, all the time back in our pre-module cotton picking days and were using trailers. 1/2t truck, no brakes, 25-30 mph, upwards of a 15 mile one-way tow to and from the gin.

Lyle

RAS43 wrote:
Looking at the article linked, the person had an air tank rigged to release the parking brake but there isn't a hose to the connection that would apply the service brake. So the only braking would be done by the truck which is not legal for the size of the trailer.

There is no confirmation either way.
The cop had no mechanical knowledge to determinate how it worked and the journalist knows even less.
So if the trailer brakes work- the only issue is steering and since trailer is on dolly, there is not much forces required.
I would compare this setup to Australian "Road trains" where a truck pulls dozen of trailers. All legal in AU.
Why this topic is 5th wheels? :S
On other hand, that tank looks like fluid tank, not air tank to me?

Looking at the article linked, the person had an air tank rigged to release the parking brake but there isn't a hose to the connection that would apply the service brake. So the only braking would be done by the truck which is not legal for the size of the trailer.

I don't see wha problem with that unit if the trailer was empty it probably wasn't all that heavy and it looks as though he had brakes and lights rigged up.

Why is it always a Canadian? Almost makes me want to move.

All good, its a 1-7/8th ball.

Amazing!

I seen something similar between Winnipeg and the border. A 1 ton Dodge hauling grain in a similar fashion.

DutchmenSport wrote:
I wonder if the driver could have gotten away with it if he used a farm tractor as the tow vehicle?

Most likely ,just that he didn't have a B&W hitch. :p