towing fifth wheel plus little trailer

[jffnkrn]

not sure if this is in the right place. I am contemplating adding a small trailer to my fun. Plan is or might be: We have fifth wheel, want to add a lifted golf cart of some sort. About 1000 lbs with trailer. So just looking for thoughts and ease of towing. some have added boats, quad trailers etc behind fifth wheel. Your thoughts, comments, constructive criticism is welcome. thanks in advance, Good Luck & Be Safe ! ! !

[azrving]

KansasRV
No I only have a rear camera.

[KansasRV]

rjxj wrote:
I pull a 6x12 utility trailer. The biggest issue is to not pull into areas you cant get out of. Have a plan. it may include a way to pop the golf cart off the FW and use it to pull the utility trailer out of the way. Do a practice drill to see what you would have to do if you were boxed into a gas station or something so it isn't a crisis if it happens.

I use google earth all the time to plan my route. I can quickly get a dirt bike off the trailer or use a bicycle to explore camp areas before pulling in. I look at earth to see if there is an area to park before pulling into certain areas. Earth is even useful for things like walmart because some can be very tight if they have been built/squeezed into a smaller area.

Build a very solid hitch. You may not have a lot of tongue weight but you have to consider a constant tugging or jerking effect. I also went with a Rear View Safety wired camera. Not only can you keep an eye on the trailer and it's tires but it's very handy for seeing other vehicles.

Good advice on the hitch. Do you use side cameras with your Rear View Safety setup?

[jffnkrn]

thanks for all the responses. I have a brother in law that tows a large montana trailer and his large bass boat and knows he is over the limits. i plan on upgrading truck soon to make sure i am not in this situation. i see it too all over and never saw an issue, slow up and down hills etc. so i will keep looking and decide sooner than later. thanks again, Good Luck & Be Safe ! ! !

[azrving]

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[JnJnKatiebug]

Grit dog wrote:
Unless I decided I had to pull a boat or something, I'd get a toyhauler before pulling doubles.
That Idaho dolly looks pretty sketchy. Can't imagine those lawnmower wheels going 80 down the freeway for days on end!

I have a boat trailer with those same tires. It has been pulled thousands of miles at speeds up to 70mph with no problems. That is what they are made for. I have been passed lots of times by motorcycles pulling trailers with tires smaller than that, some of them at 75mph plus.

[Grit_dog]

Unless I decided I had to pull a boat or something, I'd get a toyhauler before pulling doubles.
That Idaho dolly looks pretty sketchy. Can't imagine those lawnmower wheels going 80 down the freeway for days on end!

[BB_TX]

VoodooMedicineMan wrote:
Here is where you can double tow.
The Idaho trailer is not considered a double tow.

Note that article is from 2009. Good pictorial reference but anyone should to make sure it is still current.

[VoodooMedicineM]

Here is where you can double tow.
The Idaho trailer is not considered a double tow.

[BB_TX]

Be aware there are a number of web sites posting trailer towing laws state by state. And, although they are fairly consistent, they do not always agree on every state. You should check with the DOT or DMV of each state you think you might tow thru before trying. Would be a huge inconvenience to have to drop a trailer and come back later to get it after having dropped the front trailer somewhere. You may end up leap frogging the trailers up the highway just to reach the state line and satisfy some local LEO.

Some of the towing law web sites refer to towing two trailers as "triple tow", meaning there are three vehicles, a tow vehicle and two trailers. Doesn't particularly make sense, but a commonly used term none the less.

[JnJnKatiebug]

Found this online. May or may not be accurate.

Towing laws

With Footnotes

According to this chart it is legal in 25 states with conditions in 7 of them.

[COnative]

I did a lot of research on this as I wanted to occasionally tow a jeep jku behind my 5th wheel. I first had the trailer aligned at Transwest as I was getting some inner tire wear on the 5er prior to double towing. I installed new trailer brakes on 5er as well as new maxxis 8008 E rated tires. I use a brake buddy in the jeep and have a break away switch installed between 5er and jeep. The trailer hitch is beefed up and welded deep into the trailer frame. The 5er hitch has a 7 pin harness that is inline with the truck. I use a simple harbor freight removable magntic light system.

I had my Dad follow me on the test run on some local rural highways. We used walkie talkies to talk about any issues or sway. There were none. With the jeep attached it almost feels like a counter weight on the 5th wheel and actually feels smoother than just towing the 5er. First real run was up to Leadville from Denver. We weren't out to set any speed records and ran I-70 through the Ike tunnel and up Fremont pass. Everything went smooth and I've done some longer trips with no problems. Denver to Telluride and Denver to Moab. On shorter trips my wife and son drive the jeep.

I make sure I check everything 3-5 times for solid connections and stay in the right lane with all the big rigs. I also try to travel on weekdays mid day to avoid heavy traffic. I'd never attempt this on I-70 on Friday afternoon or Sunday during stop and go traffic... Next spring I plan to get a rear camera on the 5er.

[ktmrfs]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

enblethen wrote:
Not legal in WA!
Do not beleive it is legal in OR.
Yes, commercial rigs in OR for over the road trucks.

Yea I know it's not legal in WA and OR. BUT I have heard of some that do.

some folks try it. However there area spots in Oregon where the OSP knows people try to come in from other states and they will patrol. If your caught, you can't move till you drop the second trailer. usually at or near a rest stop. and in the rest stops if you don't move in around 12 hours, then another issue.

I know a few ex truck drivers with CDL and asked if they could legally tow a double and they said ONLY if they were towing comercial, not as a private non comercial.

The idaho tote is an unknown in Oregon. DMV isn't real clear on it, some have been told yes you can, others told no you can't.

Then there is the oregon overall length as well.

[azrving]

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[Cummins12V98]

enblethen wrote:
Not legal in WA!
Do not beleive it is legal in OR.
Yes, commercial rigs in OR for over the road trucks.

Yea I know it's not legal in WA and OR. BUT I have heard of some that do.