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Tandem Towing Legalities

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Did a search, but the link did not work.



Anyone have any web-sites with legalities of towing 2 trailers behind light duty Ram truck?



I would be towing 36' Fifth Wheel (11,000 lbs triple axle) and am considering adding the 18' Bass Boat (2000 lbs single axle) behind it. (Trailer 20'?)



I am towing with 98. 5 3500 4x4 with 3. 55's. I know I have the power, and the 5'er has awesome brakes, but truck doesn't have an exhaust brake.



Plans are to tow out of CT, through part of Mass, into NY state to hunt them big fish in Lake Ontario. (Boat will stay near shore)



Thanks!
 
ctdodgeram, boy thats a long rig to be pulling in the n. e. Cant imagine going thru hartford or waterbury during rush hour. Maybe check in Trailer Life magazine online or search federal motor vehicle safety standards(fmvss)I know in the past week i read a thread about the same thing
 
If the truth is what you seek, then why not go to your local DOT or state police office and get the facts?? There is good info on this site to be gotten, but it is not to be taken seriously when the law is at question. I can not understand why so many people will inquire on here about things that can effect there lives and pocket book. You know" Ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of the law", nor do I think telling them "According to the TDR web site this is perfectly legal" will hold up very well in a court of law. This site is great for getting info of repairs, modifications, great places to buy from or visit, or just shooting the ****. But it is the wrong place to ask specific questions concerning the law. That is way to specific and too important too be answered with maybe, should be, here it is OK, or have a web site lawyer want-a bee give you some advise. Truck questions, accessories and add-ons, who bought what, and where a good buy is to be had are all good questions and even they should not be taken as hard cold facts. There are many of this and other sites that sound like they know everything, yet will not work on there own truck. They have the freedom and immunity the web offers to dish out information and advice, without the education or experience required to perform such repairs or modifications. The web is a very wonderful place, but you need to remember it is no different then any place else in the world. You have many, many people that are sincere and honest that makes up the majority of the population. While con men, pranksters, cheats, phones, want-a bee's, has-beens, lier's and thief's make up the rest, nothing new, just reality.

When any question arises that the answer has a profound and direct impact on you and your way of life, get the truth from the authority that polices such area. Good Luck
 
Thanks for feedback.



To respond to Y-NOT, I would have called Ct DMV, but could not find how to contact proper Mass or NY, or any other state I may get to in the future. I realize your points. Not looking for a lawyer here.



The links are excatly what I was looking for.



It appears I'll be a tad long to get out of CT. After that, I would have been okay in NY.
 
y-knot: I think he was just asking if anyone knew of the web site where the rules/laws are. I don't think he was asking TDR member if it was legal or not?



I believe they're also in back of maps and campground guides.

I must say and totally agree with you that you should always check will local authorities for whatever rules/laws apply to your case.
 
Originally posted by HEYBOSS

y-knot: I think he was just asking if anyone knew of the web site where the rules/laws are. I don't think he was asking TDR member if it was legal or not?



I believe they're also in back of maps and campground guides.

I must say and totally agree with you that you should always check will local authorities for whatever rules/laws apply to your case.



"Anyone have any web-sites with legalities of towing 2 trailers behind light duty Ram truck?"



Sounds like ctdodgeram was asking both. I agree with y-knot except I think this site is an excellent place to start fielding questions. You get several points of view, some you may not have thought about. Then armed with a bit more knowledge, get the official view. I know that when I have had conversations with DOT reps at the PA Farm Show I always forget to ask something. (For some reason, they did not set up this year. ) DOT officers are human too. Some are better versed than others.
 
ctdodgeram,



From the Motor Carrier Atlas:

Ct DOT - 860-594-2816 or

dot. state. ct. us



Mass DOT- 617-305-3559 or state. ma. us/dpu/transportation/transportation.html



NY DOT - 518-457-6236 or

dot. state. ny. us/ts/license.html



I have never seen a double in the northeast unless it was a tractor-trailer combo.



Aren't the fish bigger in the LI Sound?
 
It does seem that even states that say no, do not really do anything. I looked into the same same thing and saw that where I wanted to go it was not legal. Drove through the state and saw several going down the road. Met one guy at a rest stop and he said he tows his boat behind his camper 10-12 times a year and never had a problem. I guess you could just roll the dice and see what happens, but if you have luck like me you will spend alot of time on the side of the road with a trooper.
 
doubles

ctdodgeram, don't know if you found out all your answers yet.

But living in NY and being a part-time truck driver I know one thing

about the doubles, unless the law is different for rv's. the pups you see that are 28' are allowed anywhere, the double 45's are not. If you want to tow in Ny you will have to drop one at the doubles yard, usually right off every exit ramp and come back and get one after you drop off the first one at your vacation area.

not bad if vacationing 5 or 6 miles off exit, not much fun if 30 miles

*but as y-not said just use this info as some sort of guide line*

DON"T quote me 100%, I am wrong sometimes(hardly ever)LOL

good luck
 
If it helps you any, I went to the state police office here in Kentucky and ask about you question. You can pull double in this state. The first trailer must be a fifth wheel or goose neck type hitch. Any trailer (not RV) over 10,000 lbs needs a CDL. And when pulling doubles or single trailer, the combined length can not exceed 65 Feet. Trailer most be equipped with brakes and must have a working break-away system. For some reason chains are not required on fifth or goose neck trailer, but are required on Tag trailers.

Hope it helps
 
Copied this from the CT state law site... ...





Sec. 14-261. Towing and pushing of vehicles. Double trailers and semitrailers. (a) When any occupied vehicle is drawn or towed by another vehicle upon any public highway, the distance between the towing vehicle and the vehicle being towed shall not exceed twenty feet. A rigid tow bar shall be used when towing any vehicle on any limited access highway and when towing any unoccupied vehicle on any other public highway. Except as provided under section 14-261a, no person shall operate on any public highway any vehicle which draws or tows at the same time more than one vehicle, including, but not limited to, a trailer which is designed or constructed so that no part of its weight except the towing device rests upon the towing vehicle, a semitrailer or a semitrailer equipped with an auxiliary front axle, but excluding a pole trailer, except that such limitation shall not apply to (1) a vehicle, other than a tractor or truck tractor as defined in subdivision (5) of section 14-260n, which tows a non-cargo-carrying vehicle having a gross weight not exceeding five thousand pounds coupled to the towing vehicle by a towing device designed exclusively for the towing of another vehicle, provided the overall length of the two vehicles and the towing device does not exceed fifty-five feet, or (2) a combination of vehicles coupled together by a saddlemount device used to transport motor vehicles in drive-away service when no more than three saddlemounts and one fullmount are used, provided equipment used in such combination shall have been approved by regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-166 to 4-174, inclusive, and shall comply with the safety regulations of the United States Department of Transportation, or (3) specialized equipment, as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Part 658, as amended. No occupied vehicle shall be pushed or otherwise propelled from the rear by another vehicle except for the purpose of obtaining emergency service to start the engine of such vehicle or to perform the immediate function of removing such vehicle from the travel lanes to a place of safety at the roadside.

(b) Any person pushing, propelling, drawing or towing a motor vehicle, except as authorized by the provisions of this section shall be deemed to have committed an infraction.

(1949 Rev. , S. 2513; February, 1965, P. A. 448, S. 32; 1969, P. A. 262; P. A. 73-272; P. A. 75-577, S. 98, 126; P. A. 81- 366, S. 1; P. A. 83-21, S. 2, 5; P. A. 84-17; 84-372, S. 2, 9; P. A. 88-317, S. 60, 107; P. A. 93-307, S. 7, 34. )

History: 1965 act deleted penalty provision and added limited access highway exception in first sentence, required wreckers to use rigid tow bars and added provision re pushing vehicles from the rear; 1969 act deleted exception re limited access highways and clarified requirement concerning rigid tow bars; P. A. 73-272 added exception re use of saddlemount devices; P. A. 75-577 made violation of provisions an infraction; P. A. 81-366 included specific vehicles in the general prohibition of towing more than one vehicle at a time; P. A. 83-21 divided section into Subsecs. and prohibited operation of commercial vehicle combinations and mandated fine and suspension of registration or license for such operation (Note: The U. S. District Court for the District of Connecticut granted the United States' motion for preliminary injunction enjoining the state from enforcing a prohibition on operation of commercial vehicle combinations on interstate highways and primary system highways designated pursuant to Section 411(e) of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982. U. S. v. State of Conn. , D. C. Conn. 1983, 566 F. Supp. 571, affirmed 742 F. 2d 1443); P. A. 84-17 inserted Subdivs. in Subsec. (a) adding new language as Subdiv. (1) permitting the towing of two vehicles at the same time with an overall length restriction; P. A. 84-372 eliminated prohibition on, and penalties for, operation of a commercial vehicle combination; P. A. 88-317 amended reference to Secs. 4-166 to 4-174 in Subsec. (a) to include new section added to Ch. 54, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P. A. 93-307 in Subdiv. (2) of Subsec. (a) deleted the words "two saddlemounts" and inserted in lieu thereof the words, "three saddlemounts and one fullmount" and in Subdiv. (3) inserted a reference to "specialized equipment", effective June 29, 1993.

See chapter 881b re infractions of the law.

Cited. 145 C. 141.
 
If you have the Trailer Life Campground Directory, each state is listed on page 20 & 21. Each state is different. This info might be on their website also. Not allowed in New York for instance. There are a lot of special restrictions listed in the foot notes. Good luck on your trip.
 
Well, I'm about 150 miles from destination. Looks like I will be TRYING to get the wife to pull the boat with the dreaded mini-van.



It make take me 3 months of "honey-do's"



Thanks everyone, I appreciate the insight.
 
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