Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

[j_martin]

Just bought a 93 Dodge 1 Ton Cummins dually and a 25' fifth wheel camper. Plan to put a frame hitch on the camper and pull the 18', 150 hp bass boat behind it.

Pull car should be adequate. Camper is stout. I will put electric brakes on the boat trailer and wire separate lighting and braking circuits to it. I see the fifth wheel hitch as the weak link.

Tow car won't notice the weight behind till about a 5% grade, trust me.

70 ' is legal in MN. Wisconsin is nuts, won't go there with this. I might have to cut and paste on the boat trailer tongue to get it under 65'. Won't know till I get the hitch built and hook up the train.

 

[Quick3201]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

Great plan, I've seen onr rig like this; just wondered how he backed up. I know it's possible but hard to do.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

Great plan, I've seen onr rig like this; just wondered how he backed up. I know it's possible but hard to do.

Shouldn't be needed. In a safe place you drop the boat. Then go park the camper and unhook, and go back for the boat with the tow car.

Advantages over towing with a motorhome or conversion van is that you don't have to move the house to put the boat in the water.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

I don't know if this would be legal. You are now moving into pulling what is considered doubles. I don't know for sure but i would really look into it with the D.O.T.There might be some restrictions or qulifications to be met.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

I've towed a 4,000 lb jeep on a tow bar behind a 38' 5er (apr. 73' overall) for thousands of miles at 75 mph with no issues whatsoever and I just built and installed a hitch on the back of my 36' triple slide.... my boat MIGHT be just a little much tho

I am over the 26k I'm plated for and over length in every state I've towed it in but never been stopped although I see LOTS of jaws hanging.

A couple things to consider: You can tap into the camper lights and brakes easily. No need to run new wiring from the truck BUT the adjustment for the camper brakes and electric brakes on the boat will be different and you won't know you locked up the boat trailer tires until you see the flat spots on the tires at the lake. I recommend either using JUST the breakaway on the boat trailer or using surge brakes on the boat trailer.

Also a camera on the back of the rv is a life saver.... You won't be able to see the boat otherwise and changing lanes can be a guessing game otherwise.

 

[guy74]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

I tow my boat behind my 25ft fifthwheel, just as you are planning, not a problem at all. I am with Smoke on the thought that electric brakes on the boat trailer might be a bad idea, and with him on the recomendation of surge brakes, or just the breakaway. Electric brakes are too sensitive to setup when you can't see the trailer they are on.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

I tow my boat behind my 25ft fifthwheel, just as you are planning, not a problem at all. I am with Smoke on the thought that electric brakes on the boat trailer might be a bad idea, and with him on the recomendation of surge brakes, or just the breakaway. Electric brakes are too sensitive to setup when you can't see the trailer they are on.

Camera on the camper is in the plans. I plan to run a completely independent 7 way wiring run through the camper to the hitch. Boat would be on a separate, independently adjustable controller. Lights will be on circuits isolated with solid state relays and independently fused. The reason for the complexity is to get redundancy in both lighting and braking circuits. 7 way to the boat trailer to simplify hooking up to either trailer, or both.

One reason I like electric brakes is that if you start developing a control problem, like swaying, a light application of trailer brakes usually regains control enough to get stopped and sort it out. You can't do that with surge brakes.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

Also a camera on the back of the rv is a life saver.... You won't be able to see the boat otherwise and changing lanes can be a guessing game otherwise.

Was about to make the same suggestion... You can get wireless backup camera setups that include the wireless camera and LCD monitor for relatively cheap. $100-$300. WELL worth the money. There is absolutely no way I'd even consider pulling that rig without a camera to watch what is going on back there.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

just forget the "brakes for swaying" thing.... it won't be an issue with the 5 er in the middle. You can do all the redundant stuff if you must but you are over complicating matters... You would do better to start swapping out lights for led's... that will go further for reliability than all the extra wiring and relays.

 

[Evinbuck]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

Here's a very unique and creative bit of engineering that is fascinating to watch. After loading the boat he pulls a regular camping trailer behind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pZHmaH5rBI

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

You have never experienced fear till you catch a nasty gust of crosswind at highway speed with a wing er uh boat on top of your pickup..... BAD deal....

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

You have never experienced fear till you catch a nasty gust of crosswind at highway speed with a wing er uh boat on top of your pickup..... BAD deal....

looks like it probably has a lower cross section than some of those monster pickup bed campers at least!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

true but the wind doesn't go UNDER the camper.... a friend of mine had a f450 set up to transport boats that way while towing a trailer with more boats.... he made 2 or 3 trips and cut the rack off because a crosswind gust could take a 26,000 rig across 2 lanes almost instantly. Said it nearly killed him and others.

 

[chrome dome]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

bugger..you fella's get all the fun toys..
l feel..er,um..sort of inadequate now with just a 45 ft semi trailer now
is just a normal car licence all you need for a jigger like that or ya gotta get some sort of endorsement..

and 75mph..in 2011 too.....jeepers..my head is spinning now

 

[guy74]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

Yep, just a standard license for pulling an RV and a boat behind a pickup. Sounds kinda crazy doesn't it! In my commercial driving career I pulled triple 28's or double 53's down the interstate between terminals, so I have a CDL with triples endorsment. I think all truck drivers should start out on triples, they would learn more respect for speed and weight, 120,000lbs with 5 joints @ 65mph means you need to think ahead, lol!!

 

[Dakota Dave]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

I have towed my 14' boat behind my 26' travle trailer. It works well behind my Suburban. yes it is legal. in minnesota you must have a 5th as the first trailer. In ND either is acceptable. My boat motor and traile only wiegh 1,000 lbs so boat trailer brakes are not necessary. I did put LEDs on the boat trailer for two reasons. you never have to mess with them and they use next to no current. My camera on the back of the camper alows me to see around the boat. The boat is so small I can't se it behind the camper. the camper breaks the wind so you don't know the boat is back there. When you get to the campground just drop the boat before you back into the spot. Make sure you fuel before hooking up. the only place you can refuel is a interstate truck stop when all hooked up.

 

[barbosam]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

According to this only the following states allow double trailers without a special lisence. http://www.boatus.com/trailerclub/trailering_laws.asp

Maryland
Indiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Ohio
Wisconsin
Arkansas
Colorado
Iowa
Kansas
kentucky
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Tennessee
Wyoming
Arizona
Idaho
Utah
Louisiana
Mississippi


It also states that the max length in MN is 60'
http://www.boatus.com/trailerclub/lake_laws.asp

Just some info I found.


edit:
http://www.readybrake.com/state_laws.html
this site seems to conflict with some of the boat US info, but it is a little more detailed. I don't know which one is correct?

 

[Dakota Dave]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

From Minnesota DOT.
2. Recreational Vehicles (RV)
Minnesota allows certain RV three-vehicle combinations, if all of the following conditions are
met:
? Only a ?fifth-wheel? coupling is allowed between pickup truck and camper;
? The trailer behind the camper is only hauling a watercraft, a motorcycle or motorized
bicycle, an off-highway motorcycle, an ATV, a snowmobile, or equestrian
equipment/supplies;
? The total combination of vehicles does not exceed 70 feet;
? The driver is at least 18 years of age; and
? No travel within the Twin Cities metropolitan area during weekday rush hour times: 6:00
am ? 9:00 am and 4:00 pm ? 7:00 pm.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

Hi John, legal or illegal, I think it's legal as long as its a 5th wheel, I've seen a few out here in California but it's rare. One things for sure, stock the refer in that thing, you aint pulling into Denny's parking for the lunch special. I've never done it but I think the idea with the brakes on the truck and the trailer but only a surge and break away on the boat makes sense. There's enough rubber on the road to stop that thing and setting up the electrics sounds like it would be difficult.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Anybody towing their boat behind a fifth wheel camper?

It's legal in MN. It looks like I might a bit over 65 feet with the motor up, so if I want to go to Montana, I'll have to either shorten up the trailer, or pull the LU and throw it in the boat. MN just requires age, Wisconsin requires a special license and money. Washington just jumped on board last year with their hand out for a C note.

You can stop anywhere a semi would stop for food or fuel. The typical corner gas station with the diesel pump in the corner wouldn't fly. I'll probably carry a Jerry can so I don't get in a pickle.

Brake and lamp wiring is pretty simple. The travel trailer has all circuits fused in the trailer. I will put a small fuse panel, probably just a boat type blade fuse thing, and a few solid state relays. The lights on the truck will be used to run the "coils" on the relays, and the relays will be fused for expected load. Brake controller will be a second completely independent controller under the main one. Trailer wiring amounts to a second connect cable with a different connector on it, either 6 way, or semi type pin and socket. Said cable will be strung to the back of the RV where it will be terminated in a 7 way. The boat, then, can be plugged into that connector, or the 7 way on the back of the truck.

Thanks to all for all the ideas and info.