over length in most states

[wirenutz]

Has anyone every been pulled over for being over length while triple towing through states that allow triple towing, have you ever heard of this happening to anyone you know, we will be making a trip from the Phoenix, Az area to Shreveport, I checked 50 state towing guide and we can triple tow through AZ, NM, TX, LA, and all of them say 65' is the max combined length, is that the combined of our trailer and car, or is that our truck, trailer, and car combined together, thanks

[PotKorn]

(decided to delete what I'd posted)

[discovery4us]

From CA vehicle code and Caltrans updated June of 2014:

"In summary, nonresidents may tow two trailers with a non-commercial license IF their base state allows it. However, they would still need a valid medical certificate per 12502 CVC."

Looks like they have added the need for a medical certificate which you will have to research. I don't know if it is the full on Doctor's certificate or the self evaluation.

Take the following for what its worth, free. This is just my opinion based on my experiences.

CA did change and eliminate much of their recreational doubles towing language with the enforcement of the non-commercial class A. This enforcement was mainly due to big, heavy, triple axel trailers. The new language is left to interpretation. In my experiences it was interpreted to be legal based on the definition of a "passenger car" and a "motor truck". Look up CVC 21715(a) and subsections 465, 362, and 410 and you can decide for yourself.

[dieseltruckdriv]

wirenutz wrote:
remember folks I too am just looking for answers to questions, and use the terminology offered to me from website A, does that make it the definitive answer to the term double or triple, how would I know thats why Im here, remember my run of the mill standard disclaimer, for those of you that read to deeply into that, its called sarcastic sense of humor, heres another one for you >>> The Originator of this email is not liable for the transmission of the information contained in this communication, unless they are the originator in which case they probably are liable and rightly so considering the content of the aforementioned communication.

Yep. I have been there too. I never use one web site for a resource.

[msmith1199]

You have the connections, call for us and see if you can get the straight scoop. I'm a retired cop myself and I spent an hour this afternoon looking through the vehicle code and I can't find the specific section that would either prohibit or allow double towing. The only thing I know for sure is at one time there was a specific California law that said you could only double tow behind a pickup and the first trailer had to be a 5th wheel and the second had to be a boat trailer. I know that law is gone now. I don't see anything that says you can't double tow nor so I see anything that says if you do double tow that the first trailer has to be a 5th wheel. As far as I know the commercial drivers license requirement with the doubles endorsement has been required a long time, which is what keeps most people form double towing. Of the people I am familiar with who used to double tow, they were already truck drivers and already had the proper license for semi-trucks, so they just also double towed with their private trucks too.

[oldchief7155]

I'm just quoting my source at the Grapevine Inspection from several years ago. He was the commander there.

Doubles towing was no longer allowed when I retired in 2003. Prior to that first had to be a 5th wheel and second a watercraft trailer. No exceptions.

I'm speaking of regularly licensed drivers. A CDL brings a whole different ingredient to the table.

The regular road officer is instructed to avoid commercial enforcement because it is so complicated, changes ALL the time, and requires 5 weeks of additional training. That generally includes such violations as length, # of trailers, etc., BUT they do stop and write moving violations AND may write overlength, overheight, lights inop., common horse sense violations if they are comfortable with doing so. That activity is closely scrutinized by sergeants and generally discouraged.

All that being said, not difficult to judge, stop, cite, AND direct to unhook overlength combos. There are tolerances but they are inches, not feet.

I spent 33 years with CHP and do not recall any laxing of commercial laws, rules, and regulations except when the gross weight was upped to meet federal standards for interstate trucking. Generally speaking, the same rules apply to rvs though there are some exceptions.

I would call commercial vehicle section at HQ in Sacramento to get the latest law AND KEEP IN MIND it is constantly changing.

[dewey02]

Wadcutter wrote:
I'm retired state police. LE frequently pull over overlength vehicles and cite. In addition the driver has to make legal which usually means dropping the 2nd trailer.
Just because no one on this forum has seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. There's a lot of law violations that are stopped everyday that few if any see happen. That doesn't mean they don't occur. Even if someone did see an RV combo stopped they wouldn't know what the stop was for.
It's a fairly common stop. During the spring, summer, and fall seasons Troops from just my district would stop several every week.
Contrary to Ralph's "little research"it is very often the primary reason. Overlength vehicles are easy to spot.

Thank you. So nice to see a post by someone who really knows.
I always appreciate when a professional in the subject at hand contributes his/her knowledge.

[msmith1199]

oldchief7155 wrote:
Double bumper towing has NEVER been legal in CA. Only 5th wheel and second trailer had to be a watercraft trailer.

I would agree that a CDL with doubles endorsement would be legal IF all other things were in compliancelike brakes, lights, etc.

You may have to look that up Chief because it's changed. The law used to say first trailer had to be a 5th wheel and second had to be a boat. That's no longer the law. Now I'm not completely convinced double bumper toying is legal, the law requiring the first trailer to be a 5th wheel is gone.

[oldchief7155]

Double bumper towing has NEVER been legal in CA. Only 5th wheel and second trailer had to be a watercraft trailer.

I would agree that a CDL with doubles endorsement would be legal IF all other things were in compliancelike brakes, lights, etc.

[exgman]

According to the latest Ca RV handbook I could find online, (2011) a California resident can't tow doubles with a non commercial license. You need a commercial class A do do so.

[shakyjay]

oldchief7155 wrote:
I would call again and clarify regarding double towing with rv. It was disallowed in CA in about 2000 just before I retired. You did have the only legal combo though, 5th wheel and boat trailer.

Knowing CHP I can't imagine them going back to it without a fight over a new law. If anything it would be more restrictive.

While their are restrictions such as overall length and licensing, double bumper towing in California is legal.

[oldchief7155]

I would call again and clarify regarding double towing with rv. It was disallowed in CA in about 2000 just before I retired. You did have the only legal combo though, 5th wheel and boat trailer.

Knowing CHP I can't imagine them going back to it without a fight over a new law. If anything it would be more restrictive.

[DrewE]

msmith1199 wrote:
If you go to Nevada you can see real trucks triple towing (with three trailers). So if two trailers is triple towing what's it called when you have three trailers? Quadruple towing?

I think it makes it clearer to go the opposite direction. If two trailers is triple towing, then one trailer is double towing, and no trailers at all must be...single towing? :h

[msmith1199]

flifisher wrote:

oldchief7155 wrote:
Darn, 33 years on the California Highway Patrol including time as a commercial unit supervisor and I called it the wrong thing for all those years as did and still do the current officers.

Explain why it is called triple "towing" when only two vehicles are being towed.

Explain why commercial drivers license endorsement says doubles towing. There is also an endorsement for pulling three commercial trailers in states where it is legal, and amazingly it is called triples towing.

X2

My CA. License says the same thing. In CA. two trailers are considered doubles. (65' OAL)

I tow doubles, fifth wheel and boat trailer, and I e mailed California Dept. of Transportation, HQ Traffic Operations, Office of Truck Services, Truck Size & Weight Unit and asked them to clarify Over All Length. The following is the reply.
" Thank you for contacting the Office of Truck Services. Length is measured from the front bumper of the truck to the end of the boat trailer, not the load on the trailer (the boat in this case). The load on the trailer that extends past the last point of support is considered overhang."

My OAL is 64'-9" plus 18" over hang. Hope the e mail will keep me on the road.:h

You better keep a copy of that email with you then because I don't think it's accurate. Or at least it's not accurate as it pertains to other length laws, so who knows with California. Maybe our retired CHP officer can clarify. I did some research on the 40 foot rule as it applies to vehicles traveling on restricted roads. In that case, the law specifically says that any overhanging load is counted in the overall length for the restriction. But for the drivers license law in California that requires the non-commercial Class B to drive a vehicle over 40 feet, only the vehicle itself is counted and not things like bike racks or overhanging load.

[msmith1199]

wirenutz wrote:

oldchief7155 wrote:
Not to nit-pick but you're talking about double towing, not triple. You only count the towed vehicles, not the towing vehicle.

Just makes it easier to get correct info.

You got the right answer. Entire length of combination of vehicles from very front to very rear when hooked up and ready to roll.

I knew this was going to come up, on the site "towing world" every state lists it as triple towing

Then they're wrong. If you go to Nevada you can see real trucks triple towing (with three trailers). So if two trailers is triple towing what's it called when you have three trailers? Quadruple towing?