Anyone tow tandem?

I had always thought it was only legal to tow two trailers if the front was a fifth wheel, and the back was a smaller weight trailer.

I know in California you must have a commercial license, and carry a current medical certificate, along with whatever is required for the commercial license. (like a log book of your hours in service).

Fred.

Generally speaking it is not legal in any of the states on the east coast and Oregon and Washington on the west coast. Legal in between with restrictions on total length. And a few states require the first trailer to be a 5th wheel.

Very common in this area. And many of them appear to be obviously over the length limits. Past weekend saw a long class A pulling a GMC 2500 pickup pulling a 20+' boat.

The other day, I saw a Class A RV towing a travel trailer approximately 30 ft long. I've never seen that before. I can't imagine driving that either.

You would probably be better off getting another vehicle that can tow the boat, then just drive two vehicles. Still more gas, but half the time. While it can be done in some states, double towing with two bumper hitch trailers is pretty risky at best.

It is legal here is Wisconsin and I wouldn't even consider it if I was traveling any great distance. The short distance I go to camp wouldn't be much of a hassle but it can sure turn into a long day making several trips back and forth. I'm happy I at least have this option though. Just trying to learn more about it.

I've double-towed quite a few times, not with my TT but with a GN flatbed + a 16' flatbed. Different states have different rules (some only allow a 2nd trailer if the first trailer is a 5th or GN, but is not allowed when the primary trailer is a bumper-type hitch. States have different length restrictions, usually around 60-65' overall). You would need to look/contact your state DOT for the rules that would apply to you.

Driving around with it depends on many factors; how long your trailers are, where the axles are located on the TT will determine how far out the tail swings and as a result will determine how the boat will track in a turn. For example if your TT had the axles all the way back, the tail wouldn't swing out away from a corner so the boat will cut in and you would have to make a wide turn to keep the boat from hitting the curb. If your TT axles were centered on the trailer the tail would swing away from the curb and make the tongue of the boat be farther from the curb and resulting in you not needing to make as wide of a turn... It isn't a big difference but the second trailer will always be the closest to the curb in a corner unless it is super short/skinny.

You can back up the combo easily, you just have to do the opposite of what you would normally do with just one trailer (at least at the beginning). It will take a little practice but you need to focus on what the boat is doing. What makes it hard is that the primary trailer is usually long and a longer vehicle has a wider turning radius so it is less responsive. With a long travel trailer and a short boat, small movements from the TV will make small movements in the TT but big movements in the boat, and it will be hard to recover a turn when backing. You shouldn't have to navigate much in reverse, but jack-knifing the boat and/or TT is no problem and will almost always give you enough room to get out of a bind.

The boat tongue will reduce the TT tongue. The amount lost on the TT will depend on the axle placement of the TT (think teeter totter).

Fuel stops should be no different than with just the TT.

Not legal in Washington State for commercial OR recreational. In Oregon you see commercial rigs with three trailers but it's not legal for recreational RVers.

We have never towed tandem ourselves, but last week when we were on the freeway going to Boise, we came past a scary accident. It appeared that the boat being towed behind the older travel trailer had gone off to the side of the freeway and dragged the trailer along. The boat was in the ditch. The trailer was on its side at the edge of the freeway. The TV was turned around facing the wrong way, but thankfully still on its wheels. Lots of police presence and traffic backed up for a couple of miles. That one convinced me that I don't want to take the chance of towing tandem, even though we have friends who always take their boat behind the 5er.

In Idaho it is legal to tow tandem, but if you go across the border into Oregon, you had better have a place to drop that boat until you return. Can't tow tandem there.