Triple towing

Thank you Colliehauler and JIMNLIN for correcting me. Shows that we are never to old to learn something new.

FWIW, my dad had a friend down in Yuma who was a cotton farmer, as we were. Back in the days when we all used trailers to haul cotton from the fields to the gin, he was famous for towing up to 4 trailer at a time, loaded, down I-8 at up to 45-50 mph. That's about 8-10k PER TRAILER, with NO BRAKES! On the way back, he'd hook up 8 trailers and head down the road at 60! I worried about towing ONE. :B

Lyle

azdryheat wrote:
I go straight to the source, the towing laws for the state in question. I'm in AZ and the law is under ARS 28-1095, which covers multiple trailers. In short, towing two trailers in AZ is legal so long as the first trailer is a fifth wheel.

To clarify, in AZ, the first trailer must use a FW =hitch=; doesn't have to be an RV FW. :-) Second hitch can be ball or pintle. If I read our statues correctly, total length in AZ is 65' from front bumper to rear axle and you can have up to 10' of "overhang" behind the rear axle, for a total OAL length of 75'.

Lyle

The beauty of a trailer behind the another trailer is the tail swing of the first trailer actually swings the second trailer out to where its following the same tracks around most corners. And in some cases I've cranked the wheel at the right time making a sharp corner and had my second trailer track outside the first trailer.

NEnative wrote:
OP, one thing that has not been talked about so far is the width of a pontoon boat. I am not a "boat guy" so I am probably wrong here but every pontoon boat that I have seen (they are very popular in Delaware around the Indian Inlet) was so wide that I would not want to tow it behind a 5ver and try to allow room for the swing of it behind the fifth wheel.

The OP only is talking about a 16 foot pontoon, most are only 8' wide and some are 7' wide. They use bunk or scissor trailers that do not extend beyond the pontoons.

OP, one thing that has not been talked about so far is the width of a pontoon boat. I am not a "boat guy" so I am probably wrong here but every pontoon boat that I have seen (they are very popular in Delaware around the Indian Inlet) was so wide that I would not want to tow it behind a 5ver and try to allow room for the swing of it behind the fifth wheel.

packnrat wrote:
get a non commercial class A with doubles/tripples endorsement.
this way you can legally tow your fifthwheel and one trailer down the hwys.
there are fed and states laws dealing with width. length, and weights..
but with a class A as stated a ove you are good to go in ALL 50 states..

Who told you that? Whoever told you that is totally wrong.
This is the danger when someone answers questions and they do not have a clue what they're talking about. If you believe them you're going to get jammed up violating the law which is a good way to ruin a vacation.
I spent my career enforcing truck laws. I was one of the first FMCSA inspectors in the state. I was recognized in state and federal courts as an expert. And I taught truck and towing laws for many years.

As others mentioned if the OP is talking towing 2 trailers then the correct term is double tow, not triple tow. If/when you call the state police asking if it's OK to tow 2 trailers and you call it triple tow they're going to assume you're asking about towing 3 trailers. Why would they assume that? Because that's what the statutes define as triple tow.
You may be legal to double tow in your home state but that does not mean you will be legal in all other states. You must obey the towing restrictions for the state in which you are currently traveling. Doesn't matter what your home state allows.
Length restrictions are set by the individual states. Some are as short as 60 ft, others 75 ft or more. Again, you have to be legal in the state you are currently towing. Doesn't matter what your home state permits once you leave your home state.

A non-commercial will not be issued for double tow, only for a 5er that can exceed 15,001 pounds or a MH over 40'. A CDL with a doubles endoresment which requires a DOT physical every 2 years here in Ca. You do not count the pickup just the number of trailers. Calif doesn't allow commerical tripple towing.

get a non commercial class A with doubles/tripples endorsement.

this way you can legally tow your fifthwheel and one trailer down the hwys.

there are fed and states laws dealing with width. length, and weights..

but with a class A as stated a ove you are good to go in ALL 50 states.
---pending local--- hazard restrictions.

but your pu MUST have the capibalty of pulling the total weight. and have the breaking ability. other than this it is up to axle length limits. and total bumper to bumper length.

this is in a nut shell.

BUT under NO reason can you do tripples with a pu or rv set up.


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Mickey G wrote:
I should have been more clearer.
I have an F350 Dually with a 30'"5th wheel and I want to tow a 16' pontoon behind the 5th wheel.
Michigan allows Recreation Doubles with a special license.
Would this be a problem as long as the weights are good?

Don't forget about maximum length which varies from state to state.