As a retired truck driver, you would be very surprised on how many rigs I've seen double towing. And you'd be surprised how many of them had the last trailer whipping and the driver never noticed.
The simplest definition of a static load vs. a dynamic load is that static loads don't move and dynamic ones do. In the context of the supply chain, a static load refers to a loaded pallet on the floor, while a dynamic load is a loaded pallet being moved by a forklift, pallet jack, or other equipment. As soon as you place the trailer in motion the stuff you loaded on the rack becomes a dynamic load.
I’ll admit, prior to watching your channel I never even looked at those numbers. I now pay close attention to that and feel I am much safer in doing so. Great part 2 video expanding on it more because after the last I thought I’d read a comment like “I load the back to its max in order to take weight off the front and now I can pull it with my 1/2 ton”. Lol
Again JD, I agree with you 100 percent. I think the people that have issues with your way of thinking are the same people that modify their diesel trucks to the extreme and then complain about it breaking. You explained it very well in both videos. Keep the great content coming!
I think your 'tone' changed quite a bit after the response you received from the first video (me included). I personally appreciate people whom I can learn from, but not in a bossy manner like you did in vid 1. I am a RV'r and a Overlander. I have on occasion, double-towed, safety and within specs for eight years. I think you offended a lot of people in vid 1 with how you stated your opinion. Thats why I came at you like I did. In the Overlanding community, I listen and respect to a lot of advice from RUclipsrs. Difference is they don't come off as 'know it all's'. "It's not what's said, it HOW you say it". Better job this time around.
Truth! I had to explain, in the past, why I will not double tow with a fifth wheel. I have a CDL with the proper endorsements to double or triple tow. I did not care for it while driving commercially and would not strap that on and call it fun. Too much like work. Road restrictions, length restrictions, and lane change issues. Great Job JD!
300 lbs on the trailer "tongue" is actually the same whether it's direct load or via a ball hitch. However, with a simple load, you have 300 lbs max that the trailer has to accelerate and control. With a trailer, you have 3000 lbs that the trailer frame must control in terms of acceleration and sway; in physics terms, the truck and 2 trailers become a system and you now have at least 2 resonant frequencies of that system. To control them both will put much more stress on the frame than a simple load. The difference technically isn't static vs dynamic load (both fixed weight and trailer will experience both), but I think this is what you were getting at.
And there a lot of folks out there that shouldn’t even tow single……..but they do it anyway! There are a lot out there pulling their 45’ triple axle 20,000 lb toy hauler with their 250/2500 at 85-90 MPH! All lifted and looking cool, except for the Carolina squat! But they do it anyway! There are a lot out there pulling there 36’ tow-behind with there mid size SUV on passenger tires….but they do it anyway! And the list goes on. I had CDL class A with all endorsements; I have no issues pulling doubles……..IF the frame on the lead trailer is good enough to support the needed hitch to do so. The other issue is brakes, will the brake controller support brakes on both trailers? Can one balance the braking between the lead trailer and the second trailer? Might need to have two brake controllers. OK, nuff of my ranting. Thx for posting.
Extremely popular here in Minnesota. See them everywhere. I pulled doubles with my CDL. I personally do not recommend it to uneducated rvers. This is a massive learning curve. And the hughways are not a good place to try and catch on and learn.
I have double towed before and baring extraneous need, I will not double tow. In addition, there is a length restriction for total overall length. Keep up the great videos.
The other thing you have to keep in mind. Those dolly's that are used for towing tandems or triples also have brakes as well as the second trailer. The trailers with towing ability receivers only have light connections. So that means that your primary breaking is from your tow vehicle and your fifth wheel or primary trailer and none on the secondary trailer. So now your tow vehicle and trailer has to stop another 2 to 3,000 lb. trailer's momentum.
Good explanation. I would never try it. Pulled 2 empty cotton trailers working for my uncle one summer between my junior and senior year. Bringing them back for the gin. Tried backing them up. Forget it! .I can back up 1 trailer very easy. Never even got close to doing 2.
There are a few good points, there, but wow, you run conservative. There is a limit for a reason. You can get up to the limit. If you have a cargo carry capacity of 1,300 lbs in your RV, do you keep it to 130? The unit will not suddenly snap when you hit that limit either. That just isn't how things are designed. I always advocate for satying under the limit, and it is important to understand how the loads are being applied. That said, you never mentioned the issue of cantilever moment forces and how they affect hitch ratings - such as your rear rack. If it is rated for 300lb, that may be evenly distributed and not on the end. Measure/scale your unit. Know your limits. Keep maintenance (including tires) up to scratch. Drive within the equipment's capabilities.
I drove big trucks cross country and was going to get my doubles and triple license but after talking to several drivers I didn’t, but they said most of them would unhook the back trailer and the dolly trailer because they said it was impossible to backup both trailers and the dolly
I would like to hear how you feel about a golf cart carrier on the back of a 5th wheel? The type that is attached to the frame but has swivel road wheels?
I live in Alberta Canada. Double towing is legal here and a lot of people do it. I’ve personally never done it because I don’t think I would be able to back up both trailers efficiently in an emergency situation. I have seen on 3 separate occasions where the second trailer was not connected properly and came free from the 5th wheel. All 3 times the driver did not notice and kept driving until I could catch up and inform them. Fortunately all 3 times no one was hurt and the trailer hit the ditch.
What about flat towing a old jeep behind a toy hauler? Seems like the only stress that would be applied would be pulling and pushing? Just curious and i really take JD advice to heart!
@@Itsa_Mea go ahead do your thing you may get lucky, you may not. Having dealt with commercial vehicles. If you are over length or over weight, you will get a ticket, and if you cause an accident you will get sued. I don’t have to name a case. It’s common sense, which you lack I guess. Not to mentioned your statement could be turned the same. Name a case or state that just lets you run whatever length you want with out enforcement. 🤣🤡
Hey Jd hope you're having a great day? Anyone comparing a tractor trailer pulling doubles to an RV pulling doubles isn't the same what so ever!the trailers for a 18 wheeler are made a lot different an can with stand pulling 2 trailers. A RV isn't designed to pull anything behind it because it doesn't have the extra things to make sure that the walls are reinforced an the frame.on a RV isn't reinforced to be able to stand-up to the up an down movement an the swaying of a trailer or the jerking of the trailer hooked up behind the RV. Just so everyone understands I'm not talking about motorhomes, im.talking about travel trailers an fifth wheels..
5:37 Because semi tractors are completely different animals. They’re bigger, heavier, more stability, and they’re like, you know, designed to tow doubles and triples.
Ok I’ve watched both videos. I get that you don’t like the idea of double towing and that’s your preference. But let’s look at this from an engineering point of view. That rack of yours when down looks like it would extend at least 3’ behind the back of the rig. Which means with 120lbs on it it’s applying 360 ftlbs of static torque to the back of the rig. By contrast a hitch that’s 1’ back with 300lbs of load on it would apply 300lbft of torque. In a dynamic environment these loads obviously get bigger. So in fact your rack with your load looks like it’s applying more torque both static and dynamic than the factory hitch towing a trailer. Second as you know not every unit with a hitch is rated to tow. That’s because those units haven’t been engineered for the loads and stresses that come with towing. Units that have towing rated hitches have been engineered to handle all the loads that come with towing up to their rated capacity. And those numbers are of course conservative because when engineering such a system your always very conservative in case some error has been made in the calculations. So if a 7nit is rated for towing it means that the engineering has been done to handle the loads that come with that. Third all of the hitches I’ve seen are 2” receivers which means they at a minimum a class 3 hitch. Generally class 3 hitches are rated for 600lbs tongue weight and 6000lbs. That RV hitches are rated for 1/2 that amount is indicative of the conservative nature of those ratings given where and how they are installed. Fourth while I hear your concerns about how this impacts the rest of the RV the fact that their are a good number of people who have double towed for years without any of those issues is a real world example that your concern may not be valid. And again remember that units that are rated for towing have been engineered with these loads both static and dynamic involved. Finally it’s worth noting that despite the fact that this is a Lippert rack installed by one of their techs at their expense on your unit when you call Lippert or email them to inquire about doing this what you get every single time is “we don’t recommend this and it may void your warranty.” And since I’m interested in a similar upgrade I’ve tried multiple times even referencing what they did for you. But they remain steadfast in telling me not under any circumstances to make the mod that they themselves applied to your rig. Not that I’m suggesting your setup is remotely unsafe. But it is noteworthy that they utterly refuse to sanction what they did themselves to promote their products.
I agree with your assessment with double towing and I speak from experience. We had a 2000 Jayco 310. I added a hitch an did some frame reinforcement to pull our 19' Chris Craft behind our 5th Wheel. Total rig length was 76', 1 foot longer than legal in Michigan. It pulled very well with my commercial F250 and all was within the weight rating. We did experience some cracking in the sidewall by the bathroom. It was likely due to the rotting walls but none-the-less we had issues. We sold our Jayco and bought a 2008 Montana 3465SA Total trailer length is 38 feet. If I added the boat to this trailer we would be about 82' so my wife said no. Interestingly, I found a 1 wheel dolly that can eliminate the tongue weight. Although I still would not recommend double towing, the thought is interesting. Would love to hear you comments on this. I found this on the web in a story by The Drive. I wish I could paste the picture but it is not working. www.thedrive.com/news/42150/if-you-need-a-wheeled-trailer-hitch-you-might-be-towing-too-much
I for one appreciate that you always try to lean to the side of caution. I never get offended when you advise against half-ton towing even though I have a half-ton! Unfortunately there are always those that lean to the side of excess. As much as I’d like to, there is no way that I would stow my 80 lb inverter generator on the back of my RV. Like you stated, the weight is dynamic. When your RV rises and comes back down from a bump, your generator’s weight increases 3 or four times it’s normal weight. Do that for several hours and the structure of your carrying device gets compromised greatly. And this doesn’t even address sway! There is already a ton of sh$t that you have to deal with when towing. Why add more? I’ve heard of drivers forgetting they are double towing and cutting corners to short…or crossing an intersection and getting clipped on the second towed device because they didn’t make it in time!
I pull a 35ft 5th wheel and a 6x10' properly 2k lbs enclosed trailer. For about 25k miles. While putting in a wet bolt kit I noticed the plastic bushings on the rear axle were wore out. Having been a truck mechanic I don't really recommend this rig. Stopping is the main issue. We mainly run the interstate when heading to SPI so I'm very conscious of braking distance. Having been through several states that Don't allow triple towing I've never had a issue.
I think your reasons are sound regarding the sidewalls. I have honestly considered double towing but it's not legal in my state (NY). But I have never heard you suggest against towing with a motorhome. Perhaps you have and I missed it. How would towing behind a motorhome be any different? All motorhomes I have seen have trailer hitches. Most are rated for 5k lbs or more. I've seen many motorhomes pulling rather large trailers. Would not the same frame flex and potential for sidewall damage exist on a motorhome? I'm not trying to be argumentative, this is an honest question.
I feel like if you really need to bring that boat or extra trailer, just get someone to tow it using another vehicle. (Wife, bro, friend, dad?) The fuel usage will probably work out the same.
The difference between a 5th wheel RV and a semi trailer are immense. Look at the pivot points. Your RV wheels could be 20 feet or more in front of the rear receiver. That overhang alone is reason enough.
Certainly what you say is not wrong when it comes to what you advise, BUT I think you’re a bit overly scared of max design numbers. For the record I don’t double tow, but in the example of why a receiver is rated for 300 lbs tongue weight and. 3000lb gvwr.. when I looked into the numbers on my last trailer those were the same number factored in to the sticker numbers. It’s not to say the frame isn’t totally designed for it (flex included), but they do have to pick a weight for payload to factor in and for TOTAL GVWR of the fifth wheel and second trailer. 3k covers any single axle utility trailer where I am (although you can get a 3500lb axle the utility trailer is licensed for 3k). Hey had to pick something so what’s wrong with how most small utility trailers are rated? A 6x10 utility trailer with a golf cart for example is maybe 1600-2000lbs. Most people are going to have bigger fears and issues hooping them up than gram flex issue I would bet…
... in this one you mentioned how semi trucks use the dolly with another 5thwheel receiver for 2nd trailer.. something i saw done once was someone had one of those homemade trailers made from old dually pick up truck bed attached to the back of a van, with a 5th wheel trailer attached to that lol. seemed to be working. would that even be legal? would it count as double towing?.. no plans of doing so myself, just wondering if that would be a viable solution.. assuming your van was like e350 / 3500 heavy duty class. suitable for somewhat heavier hitch trailers, assuming said combination does not exceed your total towing capacity ofcourse, would need to be a smaller lighter trailer.... (dude seemed to be just transporting it, not a road trip, not that that really matters)... i know you could not do it behind another 5th wheel and tow 2 of them, exceed the 300 / 3000 by far regardless. but that dolly set up would reduce hitch weight by putting it all on the axle of the dolly trailer i would think for the most part.
Just my opinion, but I will be bringing a second tow vehicle towing the boat, jet skis, whatever - and happily spending the gas to do so - before I double-tow off 1 truck. The RV would have to be VERY short for me to consider doing otherwise, and AFAIK, there's no such thing as a 20' TT that is rated for a multi-thousand-pound tow-behind setup. And **TRIPLE** ditto on the RV build quality question. That alone is enough to give double-towing a big 'nope' in my book.
Hey great vid and info... what would be your advice on pulling a sml car behind the RV... I've seen a bunch of RV's doing this and thinking what good idea to have a sml vehicle and not have to drive that truck around town once you get set up on the RV... am I thinking wrong?
In the real world people buy a carrier or there camper came with one and they load it up. A open frame generator ,fire wood, truck tool box what ever then add a bike rack with 2-4 bikes on the back. I try not to drive behind them becouse of the amount of bouncing the carrier and contents is doing. My point is with the weight so far behind the rear of the camper leverage takes over and will have more damaging affects than a ball mount that is 10" from the back of the camper. Should someone double tow ----If the camper is made for it and the driver is very aware of its limitations than why not. The bigger problem is new camper owners use social media for everything and while some channels are very informative others think becouse they have a You Tube channel they are now a expert when 5 years ago they had no idea what a camper even was. It is up to watchers to use something that is in very short supply today ---Common Sense.
You are conservative when it comes to towing numbers. It’s better to be on the conservative side and not have problems when towing. I also think manufacturers mislead consumers about maximum towing capacity. They’ll say on an add that a certain truck has a maximum towing capacity of 12,000 pounds when in fact that specially equipped truck doesn’t exist on a dealers lot anywhere. Of course a lot of people don’t bother to read the fine print. GM is good about listing the maximum tow capacity on a sticker on the truck. Other manufacturers not so. This should probably be a mandated practice! As far a double towing is concerned, no way would I ever attempt it. The few times I’ve seen it, I’m sure the vehicle was overweight. Nothing wrong with being conservative! It’s best to gear your recommendation to the lowest common denominator or the least experienced driver when it comes to towing. Things can get very scary in a hurry!
Driven trucks for 30 years, I would never double tow behind a camper. Just not designed for it. Not to mention you cannot back up with it attached. Not safe.
nice backpedal but do agree only because most of the people driving are untrained drivers that have enough trouble driving cars let alone something with a little bit of weight or length
Safe for you may not be safe for me. You pulling that brookstone 5th wheel may be safe for you but for nobody else. That “safe” bs can be said of anything. Weak way out of any discussion.
I was just as clear as your video statement where you stated that double towing (tandem in MI) may be safe for some but not others. Well, that’s true of anything. Some can’t be trusted to drive a bicycle, golf cart, anything. Your tone is that of a “better”. This nation is full of safety freaks right now, people with obvious low T. In another decade, pulling anything for recreation purposes may be illegal, would you mind not being part of the problem?
As a retired truck driver, you would be very surprised on how many rigs I've seen double towing. And you'd be surprised how many of them had the last trailer whipping and the driver never noticed.
As a truck driver myself. You explained that perfectly. I pull double trailers and I have a travel trailer and the differences are massive.
Pulling doubles involves a 5th wheel dolly on the second trailer which is much more stable than a ball hitch.
There is also the B-train, where you pull a fifth wheel behind your first fifth wheel.
The simplest definition of a static load vs. a dynamic load is that static loads don't move and dynamic ones do. In the context of the supply chain, a static load refers to a loaded pallet on the floor, while a dynamic load is a loaded pallet being moved by a forklift, pallet jack, or other equipment. As soon as you place the trailer in motion the stuff you loaded on the rack becomes a dynamic load.
I’ll admit, prior to watching your channel I never even looked at those numbers. I now pay close attention to that and feel I am much safer in doing so. Great part 2 video expanding on it more because after the last I thought I’d read a comment like “I load the back to its max in order to take weight off the front and now I can pull it with my 1/2 ton”. Lol
Again JD, I agree with you 100 percent. I think the people that have issues with your way of thinking are the same people that modify their diesel trucks to the extreme and then complain about it breaking. You explained it very well in both videos. Keep the great content coming!
I like the explanation about dynamic weight. I have never heard that and it was a very good explanation. Learned something new today.
I think your 'tone' changed quite a bit after the response you received from the first video (me included). I personally appreciate people whom I can learn from, but not in a bossy manner like you did in vid 1. I am a RV'r and a Overlander. I have on occasion, double-towed, safety and within specs for eight years. I think you offended a lot of people in vid 1 with how you stated your opinion. Thats why I came at you like I did. In the Overlanding community, I listen and respect to a lot of advice from RUclipsrs. Difference is they don't come off as 'know it all's'.
"It's not what's said, it HOW you say it". Better job this time around.
Truth! I had to explain, in the past, why I will not double tow with a fifth wheel. I have a CDL with the proper endorsements to double or triple tow. I did not care for it while driving commercially and would not strap that on and call it fun. Too much like work. Road restrictions, length restrictions, and lane change issues. Great Job JD!
300 lbs on the trailer "tongue" is actually the same whether it's direct load or via a ball hitch. However, with a simple load, you have 300 lbs max that the trailer has to accelerate and control. With a trailer, you have 3000 lbs that the trailer frame must control in terms of acceleration and sway; in physics terms, the truck and 2 trailers become a system and you now have at least 2 resonant frequencies of that system. To control them both will put much more stress on the frame than a simple load. The difference technically isn't static vs dynamic load (both fixed weight and trailer will experience both), but I think this is what you were getting at.
Hope you are safe from all the bad weather in your area.
And there a lot of folks out there that shouldn’t even tow single……..but they do it anyway! There are a lot out there pulling their 45’ triple axle 20,000 lb toy hauler with their 250/2500 at 85-90 MPH! All lifted and looking cool, except for the Carolina squat! But they do it anyway! There are a lot out there pulling there 36’ tow-behind with there mid size SUV on passenger tires….but they do it anyway! And the list goes on. I had CDL class A with all endorsements; I have no issues pulling doubles……..IF the frame on the lead trailer is good enough to support the needed hitch to do so. The other issue is brakes, will the brake controller support brakes on both trailers? Can one balance the braking between the lead trailer and the second trailer? Might need to have two brake controllers. OK, nuff of my ranting. Thx for posting.
Extremely popular here in Minnesota. See them everywhere. I pulled doubles with my CDL. I personally do not recommend it to uneducated rvers. This is a massive learning curve. And the hughways are not a good place to try and catch on and learn.
Also it is illegal to double tow east of the Mississippi river except in 2 states
Thank you for this video. We were considering getting a trailer for a gold cart or side by side but I am reconsidering this now. Much appreciated!
I have double towed before and baring extraneous need, I will not double tow. In addition, there is a length restriction for total overall length. Keep up the great videos.
The other thing you have to keep in mind. Those dolly's that are used for towing tandems or triples also have brakes as well as the second trailer. The trailers with towing ability receivers only have light connections. So that means that your primary breaking is from your tow vehicle and your fifth wheel or primary trailer and none on the secondary trailer. So now your tow vehicle and trailer has to stop another 2 to 3,000 lb. trailer's momentum.
Good explanation. I would never try it. Pulled 2 empty cotton trailers working for my uncle one summer between my junior and senior year. Bringing them back for the gin. Tried backing them up. Forget it! .I can back up 1 trailer very easy. Never even got close to doing 2.
Thanks that help a lot. I understand a lot.
I hope other people does the same thing.
There are a few good points, there, but wow, you run conservative. There is a limit for a reason. You can get up to the limit. If you have a cargo carry capacity of 1,300 lbs in your RV, do you keep it to 130? The unit will not suddenly snap when you hit that limit either. That just isn't how things are designed. I always advocate for satying under the limit, and it is important to understand how the loads are being applied. That said, you never mentioned the issue of cantilever moment forces and how they affect hitch ratings - such as your rear rack. If it is rated for 300lb, that may be evenly distributed and not on the end.
Measure/scale your unit. Know your limits. Keep maintenance (including tires) up to scratch. Drive within the equipment's capabilities.
I drove big trucks cross country and was going to get my doubles and triple license but after talking to several drivers I didn’t, but they said most of them would unhook the back trailer and the dolly trailer because they said it was impossible to backup both trailers and the dolly
I would like to hear how you feel about a golf cart carrier on the back of a 5th wheel? The type that is attached to the frame but has swivel road wheels?
How about dirt bikes
I live in Alberta Canada. Double towing is legal here and a lot of people do it. I’ve personally never done it because I don’t think I would be able to back up both trailers efficiently in an emergency situation. I have seen on 3 separate occasions where the second trailer was not connected properly and came free from the 5th wheel. All 3 times the driver did not notice and kept driving until I could catch up and inform them. Fortunately all 3 times no one was hurt and the trailer hit the ditch.
Excellent breakdown!!!! 100%!
What about flat towing a old jeep behind a toy hauler? Seems like the only stress that would be applied would be pulling and pushing? Just curious and i really take JD advice to heart!
Isn’t recreational double towing illegal in some states due to length restrictions?
@@Itsa_Mea true unless there’s an accident then they’re screwed, blued, and tattooed. 😊
@@Itsa_Mea go ahead do your thing you may get lucky, you may not. Having dealt with commercial vehicles. If you are over length or over weight, you will get a ticket, and if you cause an accident you will get sued. I don’t have to name a case. It’s common sense, which you lack I guess. Not to mentioned your statement could be turned the same. Name a case or state that just lets you run whatever length you want with out enforcement. 🤣🤡
Hey Jd hope you're having a great day? Anyone comparing a tractor trailer pulling doubles to an RV pulling doubles isn't the same what so ever!the trailers for a 18 wheeler are made a lot different an can with stand pulling 2 trailers. A RV isn't designed to pull anything behind it because it doesn't have the extra things to make sure that the walls are reinforced an the frame.on a RV isn't reinforced to be able to stand-up to the up an down movement an the swaying of a trailer or the jerking of the trailer hooked up behind the RV. Just so everyone understands I'm not talking about motorhomes, im.talking about travel trailers an fifth wheels..
Good Afternoon My Good Bro & Sis Of Big Trucks Big RV's
5:37 Because semi tractors are completely different animals. They’re bigger, heavier, more stability, and they’re like, you know, designed to tow doubles and triples.
In Kansas last summer I saw more people double towing either boats or utility trailers hauling motorcycle or side by sides behind travel trailers.
Ok I’ve watched both videos. I get that you don’t like the idea of double towing and that’s your preference.
But let’s look at this from an engineering point of view. That rack of yours when down looks like it would extend at least 3’ behind the back of the rig. Which means with 120lbs on it it’s applying 360 ftlbs of static torque to the back of the rig. By contrast a hitch that’s 1’ back with 300lbs of load on it would apply 300lbft of torque. In a dynamic environment these loads obviously get bigger. So in fact your rack with your load looks like it’s applying more torque both static and dynamic than the factory hitch towing a trailer.
Second as you know not every unit with a hitch is rated to tow. That’s because those units haven’t been engineered for the loads and stresses that come with towing. Units that have towing rated hitches have been engineered to handle all the loads that come with towing up to their rated capacity. And those numbers are of course conservative because when engineering such a system your always very conservative in case some error has been made in the calculations. So if a 7nit is rated for towing it means that the engineering has been done to handle the loads that come with that.
Third all of the hitches I’ve seen are 2” receivers which means they at a minimum a class 3 hitch. Generally class 3 hitches are rated for 600lbs tongue weight and 6000lbs. That RV hitches are rated for 1/2 that amount is indicative of the conservative nature of those ratings given where and how they are installed.
Fourth while I hear your concerns about how this impacts the rest of the RV the fact that their are a good number of people who have double towed for years without any of those issues is a real world example that your concern may not be valid. And again remember that units that are rated for towing have been engineered with these loads both static and dynamic involved.
Finally it’s worth noting that despite the fact that this is a Lippert rack installed by one of their techs at their expense on your unit when you call Lippert or email them to inquire about doing this what you get every single time is “we don’t recommend this and it may void your warranty.” And since I’m interested in a similar upgrade I’ve tried multiple times even referencing what they did for you. But they remain steadfast in telling me not under any circumstances to make the mod that they themselves applied to your rig. Not that I’m suggesting your setup is remotely unsafe. But it is noteworthy that they utterly refuse to sanction what they did themselves to promote their products.
I agree with your assessment with double towing and I speak from experience. We had a 2000 Jayco 310. I added a hitch an did some frame reinforcement to pull our 19' Chris Craft behind our 5th Wheel. Total rig length was 76', 1 foot longer than legal in Michigan. It pulled very well with my commercial F250 and all was within the weight rating. We did experience some cracking in the sidewall by the bathroom. It was likely due to the rotting walls but none-the-less we had issues. We sold our Jayco and bought a 2008 Montana 3465SA Total trailer length is 38 feet. If I added the boat to this trailer we would be about 82' so my wife said no. Interestingly, I found a 1 wheel dolly that can eliminate the tongue weight. Although I still would not recommend double towing, the thought is interesting. Would love to hear you comments on this. I found this on the web in a story by The Drive. I wish I could paste the picture but it is not working. www.thedrive.com/news/42150/if-you-need-a-wheeled-trailer-hitch-you-might-be-towing-too-much
I for one appreciate that you always try to lean to the side of caution. I never get offended when you advise against half-ton towing even though I have a half-ton! Unfortunately there are always those that lean to the side of excess. As much as I’d like to, there is no way that I would stow my 80 lb inverter generator on the back of my RV. Like you stated, the weight is dynamic. When your RV rises and comes back down from a bump, your generator’s weight increases 3 or four times it’s normal weight. Do that for several hours and the structure of your carrying device gets compromised greatly. And this doesn’t even address sway! There is already a ton of sh$t that you have to deal with when towing. Why add more? I’ve heard of drivers forgetting they are double towing and cutting corners to short…or crossing an intersection and getting clipped on the second towed device because they didn’t make it in time!
This is normal in South Dakota! See it all the time on I29 and they’re doing 90mph and fishtailing…😂
Some people are just not capable of the skill that is needed to judge
JD…JD… Worked for me!
I pull a 35ft 5th wheel and a 6x10' properly 2k lbs enclosed trailer. For about 25k miles. While putting in a wet bolt kit I noticed the plastic bushings on the rear axle were wore out. Having been a truck mechanic I don't really recommend this rig. Stopping is the main issue. We mainly run the interstate when heading to SPI so I'm very conscious of braking distance.
Having been through several states that Don't allow triple towing I've never had a issue.
I think your reasons are sound regarding the sidewalls. I have honestly considered double towing but it's not legal in my state (NY). But I have never heard you suggest against towing with a motorhome. Perhaps you have and I missed it. How would towing behind a motorhome be any different? All motorhomes I have seen have trailer hitches. Most are rated for 5k lbs or more. I've seen many motorhomes pulling rather large trailers. Would not the same frame flex and potential for sidewall damage exist on a motorhome? I'm not trying to be argumentative, this is an honest question.
I feel like if you really need to bring that boat or extra trailer, just get someone to tow it using another vehicle. (Wife, bro, friend, dad?) The fuel usage will probably work out the same.
The difference between a 5th wheel RV and a semi trailer are immense. Look at the pivot points. Your RV wheels could be 20 feet or more in front of the rear receiver. That overhang alone is reason enough.
Extra dangerous towing double. Here in Fort Worth I see way to many peoples double flat towing cars behind 1 vehicle. That worries me
Certainly what you say is not wrong when it comes to what you advise, BUT I think you’re a bit overly scared of max design numbers. For the record I don’t double tow, but in the example of why a receiver is rated for 300 lbs tongue weight and. 3000lb gvwr.. when I looked into the numbers on my last trailer those were the same number factored in to the sticker numbers. It’s not to say the frame isn’t totally designed for it (flex included), but they do have to pick a weight for payload to factor in and for TOTAL GVWR of the fifth wheel and second trailer. 3k covers any single axle utility trailer where I am (although you can get a 3500lb axle the utility trailer is licensed for 3k). Hey had to pick something so what’s wrong with how most small utility trailers are rated? A 6x10 utility trailer with a golf cart for example is maybe 1600-2000lbs. Most people are going to have bigger fears and issues hooping them up than gram flex issue I would bet…
5:02 My aluminum Cannondale weighs about 33 pounds. A carbon fiber bike weighs less. E-bikes weigh about 55 pounds.
... in this one you mentioned how semi trucks use the dolly with another 5thwheel receiver for 2nd trailer.. something i saw done once was someone had one of those homemade trailers made from old dually pick up truck bed attached to the back of a van, with a 5th wheel trailer attached to that lol. seemed to be working. would that even be legal? would it count as double towing?.. no plans of doing so myself, just wondering if that would be a viable solution.. assuming your van was like e350 / 3500 heavy duty class. suitable for somewhat heavier hitch trailers, assuming said combination does not exceed your total towing capacity ofcourse, would need to be a smaller lighter trailer.... (dude seemed to be just transporting it, not a road trip, not that that really matters)... i know you could not do it behind another 5th wheel and tow 2 of them, exceed the 300 / 3000 by far regardless. but that dolly set up would reduce hitch weight by putting it all on the axle of the dolly trailer i would think for the most part.
Just my opinion, but I will be bringing a second tow vehicle towing the boat, jet skis, whatever - and happily spending the gas to do so - before I double-tow off 1 truck. The RV would have to be VERY short for me to consider doing otherwise, and AFAIK, there's no such thing as a 20' TT that is rated for a multi-thousand-pound tow-behind setup.
And **TRIPLE** ditto on the RV build quality question. That alone is enough to give double-towing a big 'nope' in my book.
2:22 Concerning legality, I think it has to be under a certain length.
Hey great vid and info... what would be your advice on pulling a sml car behind the RV... I've seen a bunch of RV's doing this and thinking what good idea to have a sml vehicle and not have to drive that truck around town once you get set up on the RV... am I thinking wrong?
Does any weight from the second trailer transfer to the axels on the first trailer or to the axels of the truck?
Using a towable trailer to double tow is illegal on the East Coast from Maine to Florida. (Wonder why?)
In the real world people buy a carrier or there camper came with one and they load it up. A open frame generator ,fire wood, truck tool box what ever then add a bike rack with 2-4 bikes on the back. I try not to drive behind them becouse of the amount of bouncing the carrier and contents is doing. My point is with the weight so far behind the rear of the camper leverage takes over and will have more damaging affects than a ball mount that is 10" from the back of the camper. Should someone double tow ----If the camper is made for it and the driver is very aware of its limitations than why not. The bigger problem is new camper owners use social media for everything and while some channels are very informative others think becouse they have a You Tube channel they are now a expert when 5 years ago they had no idea what a camper even was. It is up to watchers to use something that is in very short supply today ---Common Sense.
You are conservative when it comes to towing numbers. It’s better to be on the conservative side and not have problems when towing. I also think manufacturers mislead consumers about maximum towing capacity. They’ll say on an add that a certain truck has a maximum towing capacity of 12,000 pounds when in fact that specially equipped truck doesn’t exist on a dealers lot anywhere. Of course a lot of people don’t bother to read the fine print. GM is good about listing the maximum tow capacity on a sticker on the truck. Other manufacturers not so. This should probably be a mandated practice! As far a double towing is concerned, no way would I ever attempt it. The few times I’ve seen it, I’m sure the vehicle was overweight. Nothing wrong with being conservative! It’s best to gear your recommendation to the lowest common denominator or the least experienced driver when it comes to towing. Things can get very scary in a hurry!
Driven trucks for 30 years, I would never double tow behind a camper. Just not designed for it. Not to mention you cannot back up with it attached. Not safe.
nice backpedal but do agree only because most of the people driving are untrained drivers that have enough trouble driving cars let alone something with a little bit of weight or length
what about triple towing
Why the portable pooper 💩??
For sites that don’t have septic on the sites and just a dump station like state parks.
Well stated. I cringe seeing fifth wheels double towing.
Safe for you may not be safe for me. You pulling that brookstone 5th wheel may be safe for you but for nobody else. That “safe” bs can be said of anything. Weak way out of any discussion.
Clarify
I was just as clear as your video statement where you stated that double towing (tandem in MI) may be safe for some but not others. Well, that’s true of anything. Some can’t be trusted to drive a bicycle, golf cart, anything.
Your tone is that of a “better”. This nation is full of safety freaks right now, people with obvious low T. In another decade, pulling anything for recreation purposes may be illegal, would you mind not being part of the problem?
@@timshufflin9525
LOL
Are you a mechanical engineer?
Aeronautical
Truck-Boat-Truck
Yes! It's for coolers, gens, and small items like that!
Not all are like that, some are rated for 3000 pounds towing so you can tow a boat or somethinf