Double Towing Behind Motorhome

Doug and Cassi Glass wrote:


You used to be able to tow double provided the first vehicle being towed was a fifth wheel. No longer. I checked with the inspection facility at Grapevine several years ago and it is no longer allowed to tow double with an RV in California.

Doug, either your friend gave you some wrong information, OR the CHP has turned over a new leaf. We have friends in CA who double tow behind their 5th wheels every trip and one is a CHP officer. Also, we witnessed double towing our last trip there this year, with CHP in the vicinity and no one was stopped.

Since the rules can vary state to state and they can change on a whim of that states particular legislature or DMV, the simple and easy answer is get an inflatable boat and go boating and forget about it. :b

loulou57 wrote:
We tow a TT and the boat behind.

There seems to be much confusion as to rules from provinces to provinces and states to states as to how much you can tow and with what vehicle you can tow with. For instance...towing a TT and boat together in Ontario depends on the TV you are using and total weight.

We have been told by the Ontario ministry of transport that we because we are legal here we will be legal in the rest of Canada and the US.

There will be folk on here that will argue this, that is a good thing. It makes people responsible to check exactly where they intend to tow.

There are even police officers that are not knowledgeable on rules until they stop you and then call to check. We carry documentation with us of the traffic act as well as the name of a man who teaches the OPP about towing rules. We carry his card and # and he says if we are stopped to have the officer call him. Many people double tow in northern Ontario.

I suggest that before you head out do your homework according to your travel plans.

loulou57 wrote:
We tow a TT and the boat behind.

There seems to be much confusion as to rules from provinces to provinces and states to states as to how much you can tow and with what vehicle you can tow with. For instance...towing a TT and boat together in Ontario depends on the TV you are using and total weight.

We have been told by the Ontario ministry of transport that we because we are legal here we will be legal in the rest of Canada and the US.

There will be folk on here that will argue this, that is a good thing. It makes people responsible to check exactly where they intend to tow.

There are even police officers that are not knowledgeable on rules until they stop you and then call to check. We carry documentation with us of the traffic act as well as the name of a man who teaches the OPP about towing rules. We carry his card and # and he says if we are stopped to have the officer call him. Many people double tow in northern Ontario.

I suggest that before you head out do your homework according to your travel plans.

One other important limitation on towing in Ontario is the combined weight of all towed units cannot exceed 4,536 kg if the tow vehicle is not equipped with a fifth wheel hitch assembly.

Well, let me throw in my two cents worth.

Background: 33 years CHP including time as commercial vehicle sergeant.

Double towing behind a motor home has NEVER been allowed in CA.

You used to be able to tow double provided the first vehicle being towed was a fifth wheel. No longer. I checked with the inspection facility at Grapevine several years ago and it is no longer allowed to tow double with an RV in California.

wny_pat wrote:

4CUNUSA wrote:
Lot of information in this post, some accurate, some not.

I am a retired CA LEO who spent a lot of time working traffic enforcement and commercial enforcement. I am currently a CDL driver with all endorsements.

The answer is: you may tow 2 vehicles with your motorhome. There are certain weight restrictions which most likely will not apply to you and you may not be over 65 feet long.

CA law requires a Commercial Class A license for any person pulling any 2 trailers. If licensed out of state, you must be similarly licensed in your home state. Commercial licensing is pretty similar state to state now.

This shows the NON Commercial CA driver's license classes
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648pt2.htm

The way I read your (Ca DMV) requirements for Ca license holders, one would need a Non commercial Class A with doubles endorsement.

*"CDL Exceptions
Exceptions to the CDL requirements are: Drivers of housecars over 40 feet but not over 45 feet, with endorsement."

But when I look at the California Driver License Classes, it sure is confusing, and I held a NYS Class 1 and. CDL when they came on the scene, with doubles endorsement from 1970 on until two years ago when I decided to quit paying the big bucks for it.

You must have a commercial Class A to tow 2 trailers in CA. At the top of the link I posted it states this. And yes it is confusing!

Almost forgot, you also must have a doubles endorsement.

4CUNUSA wrote:
Lot of information in this post, some accurate, some not.

I am a retired CA LEO who spent a lot of time working traffic enforcement and commercial enforcement. I am currently a CDL driver with all endorsements.

The answer is: you may tow 2 vehicles with your motorhome. There are certain weight restrictions which most likely will not apply to you and you may not be over 65 feet long.

CA law requires a Commercial Class A license for any person pulling any 2 trailers. If licensed out of state, you must be similarly licensed in your home state. Commercial licensing is pretty similar state to state now.

This shows the NON Commercial CA driver's license classes
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648pt2.htm

The way I read your (Ca DMV) requirements for Ca license holders, one would need a Non commercial Class A with doubles endorsement.

*"CDL Exceptions
Exceptions to the CDL requirements are: Drivers of housecars over 40 feet but not over 45 feet, with endorsement."

But when I look at the California Driver License Classes, it sure is confusing, and I held a NYS Class 1 and. CDL when they came on the scene, with doubles endorsement from 1970 on until two years ago when I decided to quit paying the big bucks for it.

Lot of information in this post, some accurate, some not.

I am a retired CA LEO who spent a lot of time working traffic enforcement and commercial enforcement. I am currently a CDL driver with all endorsements.

The answer is: you may tow 2 vehicles with your motorhome. There are certain weight restrictions which most likely will not apply to you and you may not be over 65 feet long.

CA law requires a Commercial Class A license for any person pulling any 2 trailers. If licensed out of state, you must be similarly licensed in your home state. Commercial licensing is pretty similar state to state now.

This shows the NON Commercial CA driver's license classes
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648pt2.htm

timmac wrote:
I am in the market for a canoe/small boat or a inflatable, also considering the boat on a small trailer, double towed behind my Jeep that is being towed by my Motorhome, but still considering carrying the boat on the top of my Jeep, but need more info on double tow laws, I know the laws in most states but Cali has this listed below, I have Nevada license and no endorsement needed for double tow in Nevada but Cali requires this am I exempt from this..

Licensing

In California drivers need a special endorsement on their driver's license to pull two trailers behind a car, SUV, truck or RV, any trailer weighing more than 10,000 lbs. or a single motorhome over 40 feet in length.

:?

ans to original question - no you are not exempt - you must have the correct equivalent license class from your resident jurisdiction that California requires (not your home requirement) for the vehicle you are driving.

I emailed the California Highway Patrol to ask about double towing RV units - an officer phoned me, clarified the law regarding vehicles and license requirements, and left me his on-duty mobile number if I had any more questions.

Not legal in British Columbia, Canada.

Due diligance of the laws are required no matter where you go, that saidi tow 2 bumper pulls and make sure i am legal where i go. In Nevada you have to have an R endorsement to pull doubles and cannot be over 70 ft. In Ca 2 bumper pull s are legal and are limited to 65ft. If any of you wish i will forward the email answer i recieved from Valley didvision of CHP conforming that 2 bumper pulls are legal in Ca.