Not sure what the law actually is...I see it done sometimes...especially farmers. Edit: Looks like its legal here. https://rv-roadtrips.thefuntimesguide.com/triple_towing/
After 33 years as a truck driver, I know the advantages of the Fifth Wheel system, but a properly set up ball coupled tows just Fine, if you have a ball coupled that doesn’t tow well, it is either a design issue, or a weight distribution issue My Jeep Cherokee with a 24’ Wilderness was a absolutely Sweet towing combination, I had that combination for about 8 years, and never had any problems with it. The F350 and the 33’ Wilderness, I had later, SHOULD Have been a better handling combination, both the Trailer and Tow vehicle were Longer and Heavier, the first trip with that set up, I had a white knuckle experience getting passed by a tractor trailer, on a Hwy I am Very Familiar with. It already had what should have been sufficient tongue weight, I redistributed some of the “Always Along” weight, and it improved, but I never did really like that trailer’s road manners, and that was with 25-32 years experience as a truck driver. It sure was more comfortable set up in Camp, than the smaller trailer, but on the highway the little trailer definitely had better manners, which should have been just the opposite I like the fifth wheel system better, especially for hooking up, and tight quarters maneuvering, but for ME, I just can’t accept the loss of the Cargo capacity of the truck bed with the fifth wheel Every type of RV has it’s advantages and disadvantages, we each have to decide which style meets our needs the Best, what is Best for one, won’t necessarily be the Best set up for another I am Jealous though, we just sold the 33’ trailer and for the first time in Decades I don’t have an RV of Any kind. Over the years, I have had 3 different slide in Truck Campers, 2 different Class “A” Motorhomes, and the 2 different Ball Coupled Travel Trailers, each had a reason for buying them at the times, and over the years my needs changed, until we recently got to a point of not using the trailer enough, it just didn’t make sense to keep it, Truth be told, we really should have sold it 4-5 years ago, but we were reluctant, and we just haven’t had the time to use it, We had it for a couple years that it didn’t get used at all, just lost value getting older sitting in the driveway. Selling it wasn’t an Easy decision, but it was the Right decision. Enjoy the new Fifth Wheel, I Hope that you make the Time to use it Doug
Yeah, just because you see it being done, doesn’t mean it is Legal. I still had the 24’ trailer when I got the F350, then we got the boat. We usually took the travel trailer behind the pickup, and the 6x12 tandem axle utility trailer behind the Wife’s SUV, loaded with the kayaks, canoes and other camping related gear on our annual family trip to Prineville Reservoir, when we got the boat, that left us with 3 trailers and TWO tow vehicles and drivers. Even though I KNEW better, I had a receiver hitch and 7 wire harness put on the back of the travel trailer, and put the utility trailer behind it, and the Wife towed the boat. I would love to be able to do that Legally, it is a $240 “Illegal Combination “ ticket in Oregon, and they do make you leave one of the trailers in a safe place, you don’t just get the ticket and go. With the CSA 2010 rule changes for commercial drivers, I just couldn’t keep throwing those dice, Any violations, even in my personal vehicle, on my off duty time, still adds points against the company’s CSA score, and my boss would KNOW that I Knew better, just not worth it, when it can jeopardize my job I have seen many others do it here, a couple I was able to talk to, have tried to tell me, that if it is Legal where you started, and legal where you are going, you are allowed to “Pass Through “ NOPE, and one of those that told me that was heading for Washington State where it isn’t legal either When I did it, I had another driver at a gas station ask “Is that Legal??”, I just Smiled, ans said “Can you drive 85, on the highway?” Our speed limit was 65, at the time, he just Smiled back and grinned Doug
I'm not going to tow the camper. 5yrs ago we decided if we're going to travel we're staying in hotels. With the rates at many campgrounds plus the added fuel and toll road cost and maintenance on tow vehicle it balances out to pretty much the same. So it's going to be parked seasonally at a nearby campground.. Did the bumper pull thing for 15 yrs and the amount of use we got out of the camper was minimal. Now we just fill the cooler and a duffel bag and go. Been seasonally parking our trailer for 6 yrs now. Since we started seasonally parking it we use it 5× as much. But now the kids are out of the house it's time we got a "couples" unit.
You’re asking the wrong guy LOL. Just got my first road trailer 3 years ago. Just a 10’ dump. Do like your comment about taming a trailer. The trailer company switched my 6” drop to an 8” drop the day I bought it. That short tandem wheel still bucked like a bronco behind the truck. Shake, rattle and roll. Eventually dropped the adjustable tongue on the trailer to its lowest position,,,about another 1.5” lower. What a difference. Don’t even know it’s back there now unless it’s fully loaded. my guess is the shorter the trailer the more difference it makes. Tandem tires work into that scenario too I imagine.
A couple issues in your reply, tongue height can affect a trailer’s road manners, what I usually see with larger and heavier trailers, most often travel trailers, is the tongue being too LOW. I don’t know if they simply don’t know any better, or if they have the Silly Idea, that lowering the trailers nose will improve fuel economy, it makes it WORSE, Not Better. The optimal way for a trailer to ride, is with the trailer frame riding as close to LEVEL as possible, with the combination loaded and hitched up, ready for the highway. By lowering the nose, the tail goes UP, that attitude will create turbulence, that will decrease your fuel efficiency. Another, Safety related issues, is that with the nose low, you aren’t loading the axles evenly, the front axle is acting as a fulcrum, and carrying a disproportionate amount of the weight, which reduces the service life of the front axle bearings and tires. The next time you see a tandem trailer on the side of the highway, with the axle hub off ( a Good indication of Bearing Failure) take note of Which axle it is, Very Likely it is the Front axle. Tandem axle trailers, tend to have Less sway, and better road manners in general, than single axle trailers, there are a couple of reasons for that. Try hand moving even an unloaded tandem boat trailer (probably the lightest tandem trailer you can find) then move a similar length/weight single axle trailer, pushing or pulling either in a STRAIGHT LINE, you won’t notice much difference, but trying to “Steer” the tandem into a garage or other spot where you need it to TURN, you will notice the difference, caused by “Tire Scuff” the resistance of two tires in a linear arrangement, to moving out of the line of the tires orientation, that same resistance helps tandem axle trailers avoid trailer sway Another reason tandem trailers tend to sway less, is because they are typically Longer, the greater the distance between the coupler, and the rear axle center, the less Likely sway is, this is where your Dump Trailer is an exception, because of the weight they often haul, dump trailers are atypically SHORT for their weight, commonly tandem, in a trailer length that in other types of trailers would be a single axle application You are definitely Right, about how even small changes in a set up can make a significant difference in a trailers road manners Doug
I definitely understand the Convenience of “Seasonally Parking “ an RV, our Seasonal Parking lasted about 4 Years, my Wife’s Sister had 2 acres near Nehalem, OR, with an extra section of sewer hose we could reach a clean out to dump our tanks, a regular hose reached a water spigot, and a LOOOONG extension cord got us 15 amp electrical service. Bonnie and Woody were less than 10 minutes from the Nehalem Bridge ramp , at the time we lived in Forest Grove, OR so it was a bit over an hour each way, especially in 2015 we spent a LOT OF TIME there, same thing, load up some clothes and Food, hook up the boat, and we were often there in time for Dinner ( my Late B-i-L, was an AMAZING Cook, especially Seafood) My Favorite Deckhand, with a Big Dungeness Ready to head out for a day of Salmon Fishing and Crabbing A Nice 21# Chinook Salmon My Best fish, a 32# Wild Chinook The “First Mate” with Dinner Life Changes, we moved to the Mountain, Bonnie has a New Home still close to the ramp, but we are now almost a 3 hour drive each way, and spend a lot of our Free Time cutting Firewood, we burn about 10 cords a year, so that does “Burn “ a LOT of Time, but we ENJOY our time up in the Forest Wood Cutting So we are just spending our free time doing other things that we enjoy, and the wood stove saves us a ton on the electric bill, and we enjoy the wood Again, heating with it, something about a Fire in the wood stove, just makes our home on the mountain even more “Homey” Doug
Husky Man thanks for the details! I hauled a load of wood on a double axel that was tail heavy. Trailer was 24’ camper tow behind that was neglected. Cut top off using frame as trailer. Couple white knuckle moments
C B VT, a little tail heavy can get to wiggling, but severely tail heavy can get Dangerous as speed increases. The General Rule of Thumb, is that your tongue weight should be approximately 10-15% of the weight of the trailer, heavier (within REASON) won’t cause handling problems, but you still have to keep your hitch/coupler and tow vehicles tongue weight ratings in mind. With Firewood, it can be easy to overload the ratings of Hitch/Coupler or tow vehicle. I can’t criticize, because I am guilty of putting 8,000# on the axles of a 7,000# Rated trailer, and that was just Axle loadings, the tongue was over 2,000#. My old F350 takes it in stride, and when I am heavy like that, I do run the weight distribution bars (BTW, contrary to what many THINK, weight bars are NOT Sway Bars, but they DO Help) I just have some Serious Moral Objections, to leaving Good Wood behind in the Forest, just a character flaw, I guess Doug
I used to live in Ravenna when I was ten to twelve years old. My ex- BIL still lives there. Lived in Streetsboro too from birth until ten. I just lost my sister who lived in Akron a month ago. I haven't been to the US since the year we got married, 1986.
