Triple Towing

[Rick]

I would like to pull a very, very small vehicle behind my Redwood. I am thinking a manual transmission with four wheels on the ground. Can I do this?

Rick

[johnboytoo]

Well, short answer - probably not...

in general though:
1) most states have max lengths of 60 to 65 foot,
2) all trucks have rawr and gvwr limits
3) rw hitches are rated @ only 3k lbs and 300 lb tongue weight
4) many states say no to triple towing...

but many still do it.... I would be concerned about frame issues
(maybe that's why RW stopped putting light hookups on the hitches )
good luck

[Dave&Ginny]

At last years Rally someone had a motorcycle trailer pulled behind his Redwood and he said he never had a problem. I've talked with the state police in a couple of states and they said it wouldn't be an issue unless you were involved in an accident you cause due to over length. Keep in mind that most states require brakes on any towed object with either 2 axles or anything over 2000 lbs.

For the record contrary to what most people would think, pulling doubles is easy unless you try backing up. The Redwood always tracks on the inside of a turn and the rear trailer will track on the outside of a turn. So pulling doubles doesn't require wider turns as some my think.

Please keep in mind though the weight capacities of your 5th wheel hitch. Mine in only rated for 18K so pulling a 3K trailer could be too much stress for it and the pin box. I might start pulling a small motorcycle trailer myself but it'll only weigh around 1K.

happy trails

[j1251b]

I would like to say we tow our Honda trike on a trailer behind our redwood for the past two years. We have been to many different states with no problems. We do have brakes on our trike trailer. With that being said I am still and not comfortable double towing if you get in a wreck you may have a hard time with your insurance company. We are starting to think on getting a smaller vehicle to tow the trike and then use the second vehicle when we get to the camp ground.Edited by: j1251b

[Rick and Mindy]

Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny

At last years Rally someone had a motorcycle trailer pulled behind his Redwood and he said he never had a problem.Â* I've talked with the state police in a couple of states and they said it wouldn't be an issue unless you were involved in an accident you cause due to over length.Â* Keep in mind that most states require brakes on any towed object with either 2 axles or anything over 2000 lbs.

For the record contrary to what most people would think, pulling doubles is easy unless you try backing up.Â* The Redwood always tracks on the inside of a turn and the rear trailer will track on the outside of a turn.Â* So pulling doubles doesn't require wider turns as some my think.

Please keep in mind though the weight capacities of your 5th wheel hitch.Â* Mine in only rated for 18K so pulling a 3K trailer could be too much stress for it and the pin box.Â* I might start pulling a small motorcycle trailer myself but it'll only weigh around 1K.Â*

happy trails

There are several manufacturers out there that sell trailers that, when hitched to your fifth wheel become a part of the fifth wheel and do not swivel separately. They are kind of pricey, around $3,000.00. but they will allow you to back up with no problem. "Swivel Wheel" is one of them that comes to mind.

[NW Snowbirds]

And Idaho Tote is the other. But be careful of the tongue weight. I looked at both but each exceeded the allowable 300 pound tongue weight on the Redwood hitch when loaded with a 500 pound motorcycle plus the weight of the swivel platform..

[rcflame]

The main concern should be the tow ratings of the trailer, trailer hitch and tow ratings. I used to belong to the Freightliner RV Haulers club. There were many that triple towed small cars, but they used F/L's for tow vehicles. Most of the time the cops left them alone. Once in awhile one would get stopped and have to unhook the towed car. One member from Phoenix had a Freightliner Renegade which he used to pull a 40 ft. Teton, behind which he pulled his Jeep. When he was all hooked up he measured 95 ft. long. Claimed he had never been stopped, and I ran into him in N.C. with the whole rig.

[atom ant]

CAUTION:

There are some very interesting dynamics in triple towing with 4 down on the caboose! (all four tires on the ground using a tow bar)





This guy didn't get far triple tow oops

I have triple towed with a boat in the back, and I have towed a jeep behind a motorhome with all 4 wheels down, neither giving me any trouble, but there are some things that evidently do not mix well. Edited by: atom ant

[lwg]

Atom,
Good point, I used to build buggies and can tell you Jeeps like the one pictured are squirrelly enough on their own without being flat towed behind something. I also trailered my buggy when I went to Moab (used to live in Denver).

[RollsRoyce]

Why do we call it pulling triples when you are only pulling your RW and another small unit...? Isn't that just pulling doubles?

[Dave]

Originally Posted by RollsRoyce

Why do we call it pulling triples when you are only pulling your RW and another small unit...? Isn't that just pulling doubles?

X2. I've wondered the same. Nobody is towing the truck that they're pulling the two trailers with. Triple towing is three (trailers).

In Maine, we can pull double trailers within a certain length......we cannot pull three trailers, ever.

Dave from Maine

[atom ant]

Let's save the symantics for RV net. Who cares.

The trucking industry would call it double tow, but triple two has been an accepted term for recreational vehicles for years. I grew up with it here in Colorado, and I'm not going to change. Google "triple tow", and it will bring up campers, not UPS trucks .

I won't say anything if you callit double tow, if you don't say anything if I call my davenport a couch.

[Dave]

Thanks. Just curious and yesssssssss I care. Or, I wouldn't have X2'd Mr. Royce.

Appreciate your take on it.

Got my answer: A Colorado RVer and Google .

[atom ant]

Royce, where have you been? Are you on the new forum?

[Buddy]

Louisiana is 65, combined. My truck is 25, and my trailer is 40, maxed out.

[5th_Time]

Buddy, some of your trailer length is hanging into the bed of the truck. Not enough to tow anything though...

[atom ant]

I measured to 70', which I think is Colorado, and I have 14' left. Not much room for anything beyond an ATV or colf cart now.

[Oriana]

In British Columbia you are only permitted to tow 1 trailer, which can have a maximum length of 41' and a max combined length of 65'.

[atom ant]

For those toy haulers and trailers (even Redwood I think) that are longer than 41' now, are they restricted from sale there?

[5th_Time]

I don't have a tape measure that long :-) but the Redwood schematic for my 36RL says it's 40' 7" from nose to ladder.



The 38xx and the 39HH are even longer.