boats behind 5th wheeler

[Bobx2]

Originally Posted by jal0710

Here are a couple of pictures of my hitch, put on early in 2012. It doesn't have two bars across the trailer, but the one holding it is pretty stout and has a bunch of little supports on the crossmember as well as the receiver itself.

Is that the factory, Jayco, receiver hitch option, installation?

[jal0710]

No, a hitch was not an option when we bought our 26.5. We went out of town and had a professional weld it. It took him about four hours to complete the job, including reinforcing the I-Beams about 4-6 feet toward the axle. He totally fabricated the hitch rather than having a pre-built one and simply welding it on. While they were installing the hitch, I had them run wiring from the rear lights to a 7-pin plug-in so I could hook up my boat without having to use the old four-pin plug. Total cost, here in Wyoming, was a little over $500 for the whole job.

[Bobx2]

I paid a bit more than that, but in my mind it is money well spent considering what it is for. The going rate in the Denver area is $700 for the hitch build/install, and $125 added to that for the wiring package.
What do you pull behind yours? I will be pulling 2 atv's, + trailer, for a total weight of right at 3,000 lbs. Tongue weight will be 260-300 lbs, depending on where I spot the atv's on the trailer.

[jal0710]

We tow a Crestliner SuperHawk 1900. Total weight is around 3,500 pounds or so. Don't know about the tongue weight, but it does take a bit of weight off the hitch compared to towing without the boat. Weight is not a problem with our 26.5 RLS as the truck bed settles about 1" when we hook up the FW. I actually checked it a couple of times to make sure that was right. Bought the FW to tow behind a 2011 Ram and was a little constrained by weight so went with the HT, but if I would have known I was going to buy a GMC 2500HD D/A combo in nine months, I would have gone with a little bit different package, like the Eagle SuperLite rather than the HT.

[grandpooba]

And this is why I've never seen this on the road. All the states I drive through don't allow it.




[/QUOTE]

[namusmc65]

Would Like to thank everyone for their input. Especially the nice photos. Since we are pulling the new Eagle 33.5RETS, I will put some serious consideration into this project. It is legal to do so in Georgia, although the map shows otherwise. At least everyone I know doing so has not gotten any tickets and I checked with DOT and they said no problem. Probably be my luck I will be the one that gets ticketed!
Thanks again for all the responses.

[Dukedog]

Been doing it for years with a specially built frame hitch. Go for it and have fun.

[norty1]

In NC, you will be advised to drop it on the side of the road And make other arrangements.

[SLEEKCRAFTER]

Out west it's very common to see boats trailered by 5th wheel rv's. When we travel to dragboat races through out the country, many are towed behind a fifthwheel.

I'm finishing up a hitch for my 31 Designer. The 7 wire harness is tonights project.

[annie oakly]

Not in B.C either,

[Money2burn]

Hidden Hitch sells a RV hitch that is 72 inches wide and bolts on the I-beams.

[SLEEKCRAFTER]

Many of the universal hitches are not rated for tow duty, or limited to less than 3000 pounds. I don't think I would feel confident with a bolt together hitch system.

[jal0710]

I would be less than enthusiastic about a bolt-on hitch for my boat, it weighs somewhere between 3,500 and 4,000 pounds and I think a bolt-on would be very stressed with that kind of load.

[highlife4me]

Whats wrong with bolts? What do you think hold the receiver hitch into the reciever? One little pin. What holds your fifth wheel hitch in place? Bolts!

[jal0710]

My feeling is that the frame must be reinforced before adding a hitch, at least on my HT, and it's just as easy for the welder to fabricate a hitch as it would be for him to do the reinforcement and then put the bolted one on. I think bolts are fine, as long as the hitch is rated high enough, but we pulled a 5,000 boat and trailer behind our last FW and I don't know if there are bolt-on ones that are stout enough for that.

[SLEEKCRAFTER]

It's the 3/8" assembly bolts that would concern me..... I put mine together with 3/4" bolts to the frame brackets.

[Bobx2]

Posted pictures of my hitch earlier, this is what I use it for.

[SLEEKCRAFTER]

Just finished up the wiring, and hitch fabrication, on my Jayco 31rlts. Will be pulling this.....

[clutch]

Originally Posted by grandpooba

And this is why I've never seen this on the road. All the states I drive through don't allow it.

[/QUOTE]


You will probably be ok in Oregon if you don't have Oregon plates. People are always pulling into the dunes with toys behind 5th wheel trailers.

A lot of states also allow you to tow behind travel trailers.

[edatlanta]

I see trailers/boats behind FW's all the time on I65 in Alabama and I75 in Georgia. They are either coming from on going to Florida. It must not be enforced much in those three states. I saw a large utility trailer with two Harley's on it a couple of years back behind a 30' travel trailer (not FW) on a US highway in central Alabama. I wish I knew how long this rig was.

My FW moves vertically so much at the rear when I travel over uneven roads I couldn't feel comfortable with a trailer back there legal or not. I wouldn't put a bicycle back there either. I have seen too many bicycles bouncing around in front of me on other trailers that I was sure would fall off any minute.

I just don't need this concern when traveling.