Cycle trailer

[Buckleup]

We have a 27 foot 5th wheel and would like to tow our 8ft utility trailer behind it for our motorcycle. I have heard that some states like Illinois will not allow this. We are considering a two wheel dolly unit that clamps to the rear 5th wheel bumper which may or may not allow us to pass through the states with restrictions. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Greg_The_Hammer]

I can speak from personal experience. I pull a 31' fiver with a 10' motorcycle trailer behind it. Of course it must be a frame mounted hitch... That goes without saying. Illinois is legal. Mostly east coast states have heartburn. West coast states may have issues. Call each state. I have the proper Michigan endorsement. We put 12,000 miles on this train last winter. I DID get a ticket in Florida, and paid a $110 bond. Ticket was not adjudicated, meaning they got my bond money, but no points were assessed. It is normally a three point violation , which I protested by mail. Be careful, plan your fuel stops, plan your turns, and make sure all your brakes are in good shape. Have fun and maybe we will see you on the road!

[fj12ryder]

Sorry, I should have noted that my Smart Trailer was not attached to the bumper, but the hitch fabricated and welded to the back half of the frame of the 5er. It never even occurred to me to make that clear. Just assumed. 🙂

[goducks10]

I wouldn't put anything on a 5'er bumper.

Oh wait, I do:) Just make sure the bumper is solidly welded to the frame. I have thought of doing it here in Oregon. I guess I don't want to push my luck as they say. I have seen some plans online for built one. Actually quite simple.

[fj12ryder]

I towed a Smart Trailer with a couple of bikes on it for a few years, until I got tired of the hassle.

We passed through Illinois several times with no issues. We also traveled through, and stayed in, several other states that don't allow double towing. We were never stopped or even given funny looks by the LEO's.

Some people will tell you that you'll get stopped at a particular state's border, but they usually, almost always, are operating on hearsay. They have no actual experience with double towing with something like a Smart Trailer, or a swivel wheel trailer. My opinion is that the LEO's don't quite know what to think of them, so they just ignore them.

We just went and figured if we got stopped we'd deal with it then. We never got stopped so we never had to deal with it. You won't go to jail, you won't die because of it. It's kind of like the adult diapers: Just "Depends". 🙂

Whatever you do make sure you've got enough truck for the application.