Pulling a flatbed

[reno82]

Knowing that I'm limited to the weight limits of the DP motorhome, can you legally pull a 21' flatbed trailer with a jeep and ATV behind a 38' motorhome or do I need a different class license because of the length?

[Jarlaxle]

Tom/Barb wrote:

Fishinghat wrote:
While the question appears to be one of the legal or licensing problems with length, the real question here should be of overloading the chassis on the coach.

You'd have to have one very cheaply built M/H not to pull a trailer loaded with a jeep and quad.

my trailer loaded is less than 5k#

A flatbed trailer carrying a Jeep and a quad will be well over 5,000lbs...which is the limit for the hitch on many As.

[reno82]

keepingthelightson wrote:
You don't say what make MH or the engine size (HP & Torque) as well as the manufacturers towing recommendations :?

Thanks for all the comments. I did not list all the details of my MH because that is one area (maybe the only area) I have some knowledge in since I've towed for over 30 years. It was more about length since someone told me if the MH was over 40' it took a different CDL. My MH has the 350 cat with Allison and frieghtliner chassis with air suspension. It is rated for 10,000# towing, and yes I know that rating still has the gvwr as the limiting factor.
Thanks again for all the help.

[TDInewguy]

I tow a 24' and a 28' featherlite enclosed trailer (not both at the same time) behind my 39' Winnebago DP all over the country.

I have the 330HP Cat motor - it's a little bigger than the ISB but smaller than all the other Cummins engines and I have NO issues with power.

The thing to look at is what transmission you have. The Allison 3000 is the big one and the lighter DP's has the Allison 2100 or 2500 which is where you will have a 5000lb tow limit.

Also have your hitch checked - as mine was rated for 10,000 lbs, but the tongue weight was only 500lbs. I got a new super heavy duty hitch built and I usually run a 9800lb trailer with about 1500lbs of tongue weight.

I use both an AirSafe air bag hitch and also weight distribution bars which makes a WORLD of difference in the tow quality. People think that the air suspension will compensate, which it does, but the ride quality is night and day with the weight distribution hitch.

The AirSafe hitch makes it feel like I'm not even towing a trailer.

[Ivylog]

Assuming at 10 K hitch I would back the jeep on and put the quad on the back... I like to have plenty of tongue weight. A trailer is a lot easier to back up than you would think because of the long over hanging off the back of the DP. Click on "How I in tow" below as I can stop the SUV from jackknifing when backing up assuming nothing in the way up front.

I wanted to stay under 65 feet and carry a quad and a side by side plus a PU without being higher than the motorhome. A stacker trailer would have put me over 13' 6"... a foot higher than the MH. It is surprising how tall a side-by-side is.

[timmac]

Fishinghat wrote:


As for using a gas powered coach, I wouldn't recommend it.

.

I do it all the time with a gasser and no issues and plenty of power to spare..

[slickest1]

Not only what is your Motorhome rated to pull but what is the rating on the hitch. Not all are rated for 10,000 lbs.

[keepingthelight]

You don't say what make MH or the engine size (HP & Torque) as well as the manufacturers towing recommendations :?

[Two_Jayhawks]

Length won't be any issue. I assume your chassis is rated to tow whatever this will all weigh no problem.

[nevadanick]

I have a 20ft deck car hauler and with 2 motorcycles and 2 bicycles on the front i put the Jeep on forward and all was good.

[reno82]

It's a 21' deck. I too am thinking ATV up front and the jeep either back a little or maybe backed on the trailer so the motor is over the tires. We have a public scale close so I can try a couple of arrangements to balance the wieght.
BTW this is my first time with a DP Motorhome. Before this it was a truck and toy hauler. I'm pretty excited to be able to take the jeep with me, it's mostly for rock crawling but is still street legal.

[MPond]

reno82 wrote:
Thank you all. Yes the Jeep and ATV would be on the flatbed. I will have to try different positions and wiegh the TW to not overload, but also not be too heavy on the tail.

Is your flatbed 21' overall, or is it a 21' deck?

I have a flatbed with a 22' deck for hauling my Jeep behind my DP, and if I wanted to put my quad on it, I'd put it on the front, with the Jeep shifted backward a couple feet to balance the weight. That would keep the weight of the Engine over the trailer axles.

[reno82]

Thank you all. Yes the Jeep and ATV would be on the flatbed. I will have to try different positions and wiegh the TW to not overload, but also not be too heavy on the tail.

[DSDP_Don]

"reno82"....You're fine, you'll be under the California legal length of 65'. You're biggest issue will be positioning of the two on the trailer so that there is not too much weight on the hitch. My guess would be the ATV up front and the Jeep on backwards to keep the engine weight toward the rear.

[crasster]

See it all the time. Doubt you'll have a problem.