boats behind 5th wheeler

[namusmc65]

Just curious as I have seen this done. Are any of you with 5th wheeler s pulling boats behind your rigs? If so, have you run into any problems with local law enforcement or state law enforcement? Would be interested in lengths of rigs and pictures if anyone has some. Thanks.

[carey965]

i haven't yet but that is the reason i bought my 5th, as of right now i only have a 1/2 ton so i need to upgrade before i can do that,

i saw a map showing what states it is legal to do in, its the majority of the US you can double tow, i just wish i could remember where i saw it

[jal0710]

We have towed double for about 21 years, going on 22 this summer. I have two pictures of our current FW and boat, a Crestliner SuperHawk 1900. The one with the red truck was with our Ram 2500 Diesel crew-cab long-bed and the second is with our newer truck, 2012 GMC D/A short-bed crew-cab. I would send you a couple of pictures, but can't figure out how to upload, I choose the file and click upload and it just sits there doing nothing. Send me a note in PM and I'll send you back the pictures. Looks like they made it anyway. I do think the GMC color looks better with the boat and trailer, don't you?

[highlife4me]

I pull a boat behind mine. Also have a 1/2 ton but a small 5th wheel and only a 14' fishing boat. I will be getting a bigger truck before I decide to get a bigger boat though. Pulling the rig down the road is really no different than pulling just the 5th wheel. My wheels are still visible in the mirrors too. On most turns the boat trailers tires follow the campers tires unless I am making a very sharp turn.

[snapper388]

in florida the local law is not the problem it's the dot . they told me the rear trailer has to have a front wheel set up like a semi with double trailers, the rear trailer has to have brakes and you can not be over 65 feet total length. the local law don't know what the law is and told me to call the dot.

[Parkland]

I noticed that my manual, under Rear Bumper, recommends no items be added to the rear bumper. It does go on to say over 100lbs. I have heard of bumper failure due to towed load. Am I missing something?

[highlife4me]

I wouldn't tow anything heavier than a Radio Flyer with a bumper mounted hitch. If you plan on towing with a 5er you need a receiver attached to the frame. Many manufacturers will void the warranty if a hitch is attached but on the HT's they come with the hitch and wiring from the factory. I believe total trailer weight is to not exceed 3000 lbs, and a hitch weight of 300 lbs.

[Parkland]

I had not heard of a RV frame mounted receiver before but it sounds like the proper way to go. The manual also mentions there could be a change in rig handling characteristics if the tag trailer hitch weight creates up-lift on the RV hitch pin.

[jal0710]

Our 2012 HT had a notice in the owner's manual that adding a hitch would void the frame warranty. We went to a professional welder who reinforced the I-Beams about six feet toward the axle and fabricated a hitch from very heavy duty metal. The total deal took him about four hours and included wiring a plug-in for the boat trailer. The total cost was just a little over $500. We have towed for two summers, 2012 and 2013 and I noticed that the FW rode a bit differently when I put the boat on it behind the Ram, but it tows beautifully with the GMC. In my picture above, I think you can notice a bit of a squat with the Ram that is not there with the GMC. I do believe Ram has stepped up their towing capacity with the 2014 trucks.

[Twistzz]

Were going to do the same thing 769.00 out here. Mine is a 2013 same model, gotta like heavy metal! Love that setup wil be towing an 18 foot Glasstron, love the rig as well his name is Camp he likes road trips The boat is named Captain hook a tit, long story but a good ending.

[351rlts]

Your biggest problem will be truing to figure out the laws in different states. In Iowa you can go 70ft. but only with a "5th wheel hitch" not a gooseneck. If you ask a State Trooper he will most likely tell you 60 ft. I went to the state transportation web sites and searched for the states I would most likely travel in with my cargo trailer. It took a while but I found what I needed and had it in writing. Some of the charts I found on different sites did not have the same info that the State sites had.

[jal0710]

Twistzz, on your 2013, I assume it didn't come with the receiver hitch, but what did your owner's manual say? As I said above, mine said putting a hitch on the FW would void the warranty but I didn't have a problem in the two years and my warranty is now expired. On our older FW, 1993 Eagle 215SD, we towed anywhere from a 2,000 boat and trailer combo up to a 5,000 boat and trailer combo with no problems.

[namusmc65]

Originally Posted by jal0710

Our 2012 HT had a notice in the owner's manual that adding a hitch would void the frame warranty. We went to a professional welder who reinforced the I-Beams about six feet toward the axle and fabricated a hitch from very heavy duty metal. The total deal took him about four hours and included wiring a plug-in for the boat trailer. The total cost was just a little over $500. We have towed for two summers, 2012 and 2013 and I noticed that the FW rode a bit differently when I put the boat on it behind the Ram, but it tows beautifully with the GMC. In my picture above, I think you can notice a bit of a squat with the Ram that is not there with the GMC. I do believe Ram has stepped up their towing capacity with the 2014 trucks.

Thanks for the pictures. Both rigs look great but the colors do match better in the bottom picture. I am partial to Rams though. I have a 2007 Dodge Ram 2500, one of the last with the 5.9 Diesel. My 5th wheel is a 2014 Jayco 33.5RETS so the weight is already up there. However, my fishing rig is a 16' Tracker Grizzly with stick steer and a 40 hp Johnson so the weight on that cannot be too much to add. The fifth wheeler and trailer add about 55 more feet to the truck length so gonna be pushing close to 75 feet all hooked up. I guess I am just a little leery of hauling all that down the road. Going on a two hour trip this morning to Cotton Hill Campground on Lake Eufala. Either gonna have to make a 4 hour round trip twice to get the boat there and back, or rent a rig.
Thanks to all for your input. Gonna check out the manual too but it would be a professional weld and hitch job if I do it.

[Twistzz]

JAL0710 Yah same thing on the warrantee. Guy at the dealer said go for it and just don't point it out when you have service. Kinda flaky, also that's the reason we got it and the salesmen even got the first quote for me, should have recorded him. Not too worried anyway on the warrantee, have it pretty broke in with no major issues so far knock on wood. Have less than a year left on it anyway. Really do like the rig though!

[highlife4me]

It is odd that the HT 23.5rbs had a factory rear receiver back in 2012 and now finally all the HT line have the rear receiver added. Don't know why one couldn't have one put on an older model without voiding warranty if the dealer did it, since I doubt that Jayco has changed the frame any.

[Bobx2]

I wouldn't hitch anything to the bumper on a 5th wheel. Since a receiver hitch wasn't an option for my 5th, I took it into a shop that my dealer, as well as many other dealers, recommend for hitch installation. Yes, it did void my frame warranty, but since Lippert makes my frame as well, I figured if Jayco can do it, so can I. Especially after I saw how Jayco just bolts the hitch right to the end of the frame rails. He welded in three cross members and welded the draw bar to them. Nothing is attached to the bumper.
Also attached is a picture of the states that do and don't allow pulling doubles.

[Parkland]

I hope more follow your example. I see lots of rigs similar to what you mention on bumper hitches. Makes me nervous seeing them on the road.

[Linejudgemick]

I've been pulling a boat behind my 5er for over 20 years. Each state is different regarding their regulations; overall length, hitch configurations, etc. Many things to consider have already been brought up; trailer warranty, what kind of hitch is installed on your coach, etc. As an FYI, some coaches like Hitchhiker supply receiver hitches as an option. From my experiences here are some of my recommendations and observations (some of these items might be regulations depending on locale):

1. Know the regulations where you are and where you plan to travel before making any trip.
2. Don't exceed the limitations of your TV, consider the total of both trailers.
3. Never use two ball hitches, even if legal. Always use a pin in front of a ball.
4. Make sure the rear trailer is visible in the mirrors both in daylight and after dark.
5. Both trailers need brakes. Many boats can be equipped with surge brakes. (A very small, light trailer like those for a jet ski might exempt this, but then you risk breaking #4.)
6. Don't exceed the limitations of your 5th Wheel hitch, or its mount to the TV.
7. Know the turning radius of the rig - tongue lengths and axle configurations typically means that the rear trailer swings in a different circumference than the front trailer. The first trailer might safety pass and obstacle, but the rear trailer still hit it.
8. Make sure the receiver on the 5th wheel is adequately supported both laterally and horizontally. I've seen robust welds break where you wouldn't think they would. A bumper hitch is NOT a viable option.
9. Don't pull to any location you don't know where it exits. Unless you have magical skill, backing up more than a few feet without jack knifing the rig is impossible. Turning around means having enough room to circle completely, or disconnecting each trailer and turning them independently and then reconnecting them.
10. A tandem axle rear trailer will sway less than a single axle trailer. Although true even directly behind a TV, this is amplified by the length of the first trailer's initial sway.

I'm sure that others that have towed a second trailer can think of some other things. Perhaps they may disagree with some too, but hopefully this will give you a little more food for thought. Safe travels!

[Linejudgemick]

Originally Posted by Parkland

I hope more follow your example. I see lots of rigs similar to what you mention on bumper hitches. Makes me nervous seeing them on the road.

I agree. It looks like Bobx2 did it right. Here is a picture of the receiver I had built and mounted to my coach by a local fabrication/welding shop. It's hard to tell in the poor picture (and the stabilizer bolted under it), but the receiver bolts directly to rails welded to the I-beams with 4 bolts on each side.

[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.