Side by side towing

[rdh2230]

I want to tow my side by side but without using another trailer. I would like to build a bracket on the back of a regular travel trailer that my front wheels would sit in. Then use a dolly or build free wheeling hubs that would attach to the back hubs of the side by side and put a set of small highway tires on it and transport. Has anyone ever heard of this?

[mowermech]

Second Chance wrote:
I don't think any of the options above would be legal behind a travel trailer. Double-towing is only legal behind fifth wheels.

Rob

It depends on the state in which you are traveling. In some states (Washington immediately comes to mind) Double towing (non commercial) is not allowed, period! Do NOT go to Washington State if you are towing doubles. In some states, double towing behind a bumper pull trailer is allowed (Montana, for one). In some states, the second trailer MUST be a watercraft (No, I do not remember which ones). Some states require a special license for towing doubles (Non-commercial Class A; IIRC, California is one).
It is YOUR responsibility to know the laws in the state in which you are traveling.

[PsnRebel]

wowens79 wrote:
With the front wheels secured to the bumper, the rear wheels would have to pivot. There is a company that makes a trailer called a swivelwheel, that does this. I don't think have anything that bid though, as TT bumpers are really flimsy.

Saw someone using that system a few years ago at the desert. He had a RZR on it. Seemed to work for him.

[deltabravo]

Get a toy hauler, or a truck, truck camper and cargo trailer.
That's how I travel (truck camper and cargo trailer).

[dedmiston]

ScottG wrote:
My bad - I'm never sure about anything anymore!

:B

[ScottG]

dedmiston wrote:

ScottG wrote:
No one has mentioned the added weight on the back of the trailer. It could really be a handful.

No one?

Are you sure? :W

My bad - I'm never sure about anything anymore!

[valhalla360]

ScottG wrote:
No one has mentioned the added weight on the back of the trailer. It could really be a handful.

Go back and read my first post on this thread. I went into detail why it's a problem with bumper pull (aka: travel trailers).

[dedmiston]

ScottG wrote:
No one has mentioned the added weight on the back of the trailer. It could really be a handful.

No one?

Are you sure? :W

[ScottG]

No one has mentioned the added weight on the back of the trailer. It could really be a handful.

[valhalla360]

JaxDad wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

RCMAN46 wrote:
TThe Freedom Hauler is not considered a trailer as it is a solid attachment to trailer thus sway is not an issue.

Show me that it's "not a trailer"... coming from the officials policing it...not the salesman (same goes for swivel wheel trailers).

While I didn’t look up the law for “no particular place” I do know that traffic laws are pretty uniform when it comes to definitions of, and classes of vehicles.

A “trailer”, in every definition I’ve seen in the many laws I have looked at is always “a vehicle drawn upon a highway by a motor vehicle” and then goes on to exempt things like farm implements and other motor vehicles, and specifically, motorcycle side-cars which when rigidly affixed (not hitch) to a bike become part of it, not ‘towed’ by it.

So still waiting for a definition from the authorities that it isn't a second trailer. Swivel wheel trailers are not rigidly affixed as they can still pivot up and down.

[Grit_dog]

Y’all are still sharing fine old memories and bickering about something that don’t matter and unlikely to see the OP back to talk about their idea anyways

[JaxDad]

valhalla360 wrote:

RCMAN46 wrote:
TThe Freedom Hauler is not considered a trailer as it is a solid attachment to trailer thus sway is not an issue.

Show me that it's "not a trailer"... coming from the officials policing it...not the salesman (same goes for swivel wheel trailers).

While I didn’t look up the law for “no particular place” I do know that traffic laws are pretty uniform when it comes to definitions of, and classes of vehicles.

A “trailer”, in every definition I’ve seen in the many laws I have looked at is always “a vehicle drawn upon a highway by a motor vehicle” and then goes on to exempt things like farm implements and other motor vehicles, and specifically, motorcycle side-cars which when rigidly affixed (not hitch) to a bike become part of it, not ‘towed’ by it.

[JRscooby]

Years back I built a couple trailers for friends that had VW powered rail sand buggies. Drop coupler on ground, back straddle the tongue to ramps that took rear axle of buggy over trailer axle. Jack tongue up so a saddle picked up front axle, lower on the ball. Worked fairly slick.
Not sure but I think most states that allow double tow require lead to be 5th wheel connection.

[valhalla360]

RCMAN46 wrote:
TThe Freedom Hauler is not considered a trailer as it is a solid attachment to trailer thus sway is not an issue.

Show me that it's "not a trailer"... coming from the officials policing it...not the salesman (same goes for swivel wheel trailers).

Actually, it may be unlikely to sway relative to the back of the trailer but dropping 400-700lb of hitch weith on the back of a travel trailer is very likely to result in a low hitch weight on the truck....low hitch weight percentage is a common cause of travel trailer sway and it will happily drag around the side by side.

The reason 5ers can get away with pulling a small trailer is due to the high pin weights typical of 5ers (along with higher overall weights and axles being further back).
- A 10,000lb 5er will typically have 2000-2500lb (20-25%) on the pin. If the hitch weight of 2nd trailer is say 500lb, it's going to remove around 300lb off the pin weight, leaving 1700-2200lb (17-22%). That's unlikely to cause a problem.
- A travel trailer is typically lighter, say 8000lb, and will have a hitch weight around 900-1100lb (12-15%). If the second trailer again has a hitch weight of 500lb, it's likely taking 350-400lb of the travel trailer (there is a difference as the axles are further forward on a travel trailer). Now you are looking at around 550-700lb (7-9%). Around 10-12% hitch weight is where sway problems typically develop with travel trailers, so you are well into a risk of sway.

[dedmiston]

Gooma wrote:
If you had read the OP, you would know he was asking about a TT, not a Motor home.

Thanks for the snotty response. Yes, I misread it and thought it was for a moho, because towing an SxS behind a TT was too weird for my brain to grasp.

With that context in mind, don't do it. Your TT bumper won't handle that load and it will be a nightmare to tow.

I don't see a description of your SxS (model or weight). I assume it's a two-seater, but it's hard to know. Either way, it's going to be too much weight and probably not even legal in most states to tow something behind a TT instead of a 5er or moho.

Like I said before, I've camped with 100s of different OHV enthusiasts and seen every nutty setup imaginable, but this isn't one of them.

What about a stacker rack for your pickup? I'd never do this myself, but it looks safer than anything behind your TT. And your truck bed is free since you're pulling a TT.

And you didn't mention your tow vehicle, but are you sure it can handle the weight?

Maybe do like Grit said and just bump up to a toy hauler and don't worry about trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Toy haulers have come a long way and there are some really nice ones out there now. They used to be pretty stoic, but they're very comfortable now.