Towing Behind My 5th Wheel...

When I grew up, we always drank pop on the davenport, but after I got married, we drink soda on the sofa. And my mom said not to drink pop before supper, but my wife says not to drink soda before dinner. These women in my life get me so confused, I just about cry. Then I have to grab a Kleenix, or is it a facial tissue?

Me Again wrote:
Why do the classify two trailers as triple towing. In real trucking that is called a set of doubles! Some states like Oregon allow three commercial trailer on interstates and access to such!

Chris

I've always called it triple tow, and its a common term among those of us that tow boats behind at least in my circles, but the term does tend to rub with the career truckers. Not sure what difference it really makes, as there are very few commonalities between the recreational vehicle world and the trucker world.

If someone asks me to take a seat on davenport and I call it a couch, I don't necessarily get into a debate about the term.

Why do the classify two trailers as triple towing. In real trucking that is called a set of doubles! Some states like Oregon allow three commercial trailer on interstates and access to such!

Chris

The last two 5th wheel RV trailers have had custom welded and installed by a competent hitch shop or a custom fab weld shop. Every trailer is different so a plan that works for one trailer may/most likely doesn't work for another. Both of my trailers rear hitch were custom fabed to fit. One was nothing like the other.

My hitches had a 3500-4000 lb requirement. This means the frame for the hitch is fabed/welded into the trailers main frame rails and cross members and came out under the thin tube bumper.

We had a welder put a hitch on our Jayco HT 26.5 RLS but he fabricated it out of, I think, 3" square tubing rather than buying a pre-built one. He also reinforced the frame about 4-6' from the rear toward the axles. He hung brackets down the outside of the frame and then welded the tube to the brackets. Then he welded the receiver to the tube and then put reinforcement plates on most of the attachments. Total job took him about four hours and he charged me around $500. If I were you, I would get with your buddy and have him fabricate and weld a hitch on for you. If done properly, I believe it will probably exceed the capabilities of the pre-built ones, especially since you don't have two tubes that slide to be used to reach the frame on each side.

Did you look at this one?

wide frame hitch

I can't tell, maybe it was one you referred to earlier.

I had a weld shop install one on my Montana - he bolted to the frame and fabricated the rest. It was stout.

attuco wrote:
A fairly easy way to do this is to bolt or weld a 2 inch receiver steel (female)to each frame rail. Then fabricate a hitch using pipe or other structural shape with a 2 inch male on either end. Put another female receiver in the center. I could probably get a pic if you need. I have a setup like this and swap between a towbar and a motorcycle rack.

I was actually thinking of that setup, but after looking under the trailer that might not work... my potable water tank is all the way in the rear and in between the frame rails. The tank cover hangs down about 3 inches. The best setup I can think of is to weld the brackets to the outer part of the fram rails. Also, since I have a 5" lift on my truck I had to mount my 5th wheel's axles under the springs...so she sits pretty high up there. It actually looks pretty cool going down the road :-D

A fairly easy way to do this is to bolt or weld a 2 inch receiver steel (female)to each frame rail. Then fabricate a hitch using pipe or other structural shape with a 2 inch male on either end. Put another female receiver in the center. I could probably get a pic if you need. I have a setup like this and swap between a towbar and a motorcycle rack.

JoeGood988 wrote:
Dbl check with your insurance company to see if they will cover a dbl tow...then that second trailer needs it's own braking system not just surge brakes

It would have to be a stated exclusion in an insurance policy for them to not cover.

Brake requirements are state specific. Surge brakes are allowed, at least in Colorado.

be sure to have a camera on rear of RV to monitor trailer if you do double pull.