Towing a trailer behind your 5th wheel?

[WRStrong]

I am considering the possibility of towing my Jeep on a small trailer behind my 5th wheel. The 5er is set up with a receiver hitch and electrical connector. I estimate the total towed weight would be under 12k lbs.



Anyone care to share their experiences towing this way? Any horror stories? or good experiences?



Thanks in advance.

 

[Robert415]

No big deal, I've done it many a times. You do tend to get a "different" ride though. You get some "teeder", front to back motions when you come to any significant bumps or dips in the road. Its nice to have brakes on that extra axle back there, but if not the 5ers brakes should do fine. Just make sure you stay in a position where you only have to go forward, backing up may be tricky.

 

[wtfd6]

been there done that. actually ive never pulled a vehicle behind it though. people dont believe me when i tell them i pull my 31 foot 5er with a 16 foot enclosed trailer behind it with all the toys. motorcycles, atv's, generator, weber grill. whatever i want to bring. mark

 

[MartyK]

No big deal. I towed my jet ski's behind my 28. 5' 5th wheel, no problems at all. Carefully plan your stops so you don't have to back up.

 

[TSpecht]

I looked into this a little and found out that Michigan (my location) there are overall length restrictions and you need to have a "recreational double" certification on your license. I believe here the second trailer must be a watercraft the way it's worded.

If you've not done so yet I'd suggest contacting the DMV in the state(s) you want to operate that combination in and see if it's permitted, specifics they'll look for, and if you need anything special on your license. It seems to vary wildly from place to place...

Other than that, I'm afraid I've got no additional information about handling, except don't get into a situation where you need to back up.

 

[Radman]

Wife and I just purchased a used 5'er and the previous owner installed a receiver hitch on the back and used it to pull his little fishing boat. We've got a motorcycle trailer for two bikes and hope to give it a try and see how it works out. I'll be paying close attention to this thread...

 

[Pmaloney]

I am also interested in towing our Jeep behind the 5er. Wouldnt a tow bar be better? It seems it would not affect the ride of the 5er then? Mabee I'm way off base here though...

 

[CORed]

My dad tows a flatbed ATV trailer behind his 26 foot 5er regularly. Plan ahead and make sure the states rules allow it. But it can be done if you are careful. However, the ratio of the Jeep weight to 5er weight is higher than what most others in this thread do. Probably not impossible, but requires some skill and attention.



Oh, and you will probably be required to have auxiliary brake lights that work in conjunction with the 5er to be legal.

 

[bombero]

FYI: California requires a class 1 drivers lic to pull tandum. Same lic as a big rig requiring a physical exam every two years. Also smokey will pull over any tandum RV he sees!!!

 

[RedRam401]

FYI: California requires a class 1 drivers lic to pull tandum. Same lic as a big rig requiring a physical exam every two years. Also smokey will pull over any tandum RV he sees!!!

Not only is a class A lic. required, it must have a doubles/triples endorsment.

 

[Radman]

Well I guess I'm going to be OK pulling the 5er with the motorcycle trailer behind it. I've got a Class A w/doubles-triples endorsement, not to mention tanker, hazmat etc.

 

[RustyJC]

HERE'S a state-by-state guide to towing laws that identifies which states allow two trailers, overall length restrictions, etc. This guide has some age on it as it still shows the Texas speed limit for trucks with trailers as 60 MPH - it was raised to 70/75 MPH (same as cars) several years ago, so there may be other age-related inaccuracies as well.



Thought it might help... .



Rusty

 

[CLAYTON]

I have towed a bit with a jeep on behind my 5th wheel... The only time it gets a little hairy is when your MPH increase over 65 or so. Starts swaying side to side. Keep the MPH in check and it's a piece of cake

 

[pwerwagn]

Yes Warren, its ok.

I believe NM law is no longer than 65 feet total. It is legal to tow 2 trailers, but I believe it is a stipulation that the middle trailer has to have brakes, the middle trailer has to be longer/heavier than the rear trailer, and some cops say that the middle trailer has to be a GN/5th wheel, but the state law doesnt say that anywhere I've seen. We have done this a few times. It works fine. Personally, I'd get a tow bar for the jeep. That is what my gramps does. He just bought a new fifthwheel and flat tows the jeep instead of using the trailer. When he takes the cab-over camper, he uses the trailer. If you need a tow bar, let me know.

Some friends of ours used to tow a 35' fifthwheel AND a 20 foot bass boat behind a 2wd 80's single cab F-250 ford. He did this for years back and forth to the butte and never had a problem, and he was over the 65' limit quite a bit. Never even got stopped by a cop.

The only disadvantage to the tow bar over the trailer, is backing up will be totally impossible. Even a tow bar behind a vehicle is next to impossible.

Dont worry, it will tow fine.

--Jeff

 

[WRStrong]

Hey great discussion! I don't like the idea of flat towing a vehicle but on the other hand I don't intend to go very far from home with this setup. (unless I get comfortable with it and then who knows?) I appreciate all the feedback and would like to keep the discussion going a bit longer if there's anything to talk about.



I will probably try it out a little at a time near home. I have a towbar, and a light duty trailer. I will let you all know if I do any experimenting and how it turns out. It seems like those of you who have done it aren't affraid of it. That's a good sign.

 

[BStoecker]

One serious advantage to flat towing is if you do need to back up, it is very quick and easy to disconnect the flat-towed vehicle and drive it out of the road. Then you can back up the trailer and reconnect the towed vehicle. Just a thought. I am at 63' with just the truck and my gooseneck, so towing doubles is out of the question for me.

 

[CUMMINZ]

trailer behind 5er

Looks to me like towing a rig of anykind behind a 5er could and will be a nightmare. You don't need to make but one wrong turn anywhere that would require you to back up and you are stuck. You would have to drive and be looking hundreds of yards ahead of yourself and know where you are at every turn not to put yourself into a situation that you can't get out of.

 

[WRStrong]

Absolutely!! Double towing could be a double nightmare. can you imagine getting such a rig hung up somewhere in busy traffic?? #@$%! You'd make the 6 o'clock news with aerial footage from "chopper mike"! Yes, one would have to know their route and consider the potential for problems before ever leaving the yard.



Personally, I wouldn't even consider double towing as a normal mode of use, and most likely wouldn't travel beyond a 200 mile radius from home with a double... but it would really be nice to do a trail ride with friends and have the luxury of our own place to stay. We have friends with dirtbikes etc. and toy haulers, so they are pretty well set up. And others with trucks and cabovers that can tow their toys easily.



Thanks to all of you for the input. TDR is a great information resource!

 

[snapshot]

Tow bar vs trailer

The draw back to using a trailer to tow a jeep is the extra wear and tear on the jeeps running gear. On the other hand it is a lot easier to drop the tow bar and turn your rig around than it is to try to drop a trailer and turn it around by hand. I would also advise that you cover whatever you are hauling in that rear position. I guarantee it will pick up every speck of dirt along the way.

 

[WRStrong]

Yeah, I guess it would be a mess back there in a rain storm. You'd get the turbulent road spray from two vehicles in front.



Mostly I wondered if people experienced whipping or excessive sway double towing. It would be a bummer to lose control of the whole freight train going down the interstate... Especially if you hurt someone else in the process.



Thanks again for the discussion and tips