towing my car

Wharton

Well-known member
You will be exceeding weight limits for your tow vehicle and the BH frame may not be able to handle this. In several states double towing is not legal. Other than that I have seen it done, not too sure how safely.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
I've seen it done as well but it was behind an SOB. Excel I think. I don't know what type frame they have. Also, the car was on a dolly.

We have our car with us this winter but Lin is driving behind me. We communicate with FRS radios and it has worked quite well. The biggest issue for us is the potty stops and parking room once we're set up. We've been lucky so far with the parking though.
The main reason we did this was to accommodate Suzi. Shes getting pretty old. The benefit in saving money on fuel and being easier to drive around and park compared to the dually has made it an even better decision.
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
I would highly recommend NOT attempting this. The frame on the 5th wheel is not as rigid as a Class A or C motor home frame. The 5th Wheel Frame will handle a bike rack, and small items. You will also affect the towing dynamics, probably putting additional forces on the suspension and tires of the 5th wheel that it is not designed to take. Just my humble opinion and some elementary physics.
 

PUG

Pug
I had the dealer put a tow hitch on the back of my current Carriage Cameo. I put a small trailer with a road bike and a ATV on it. The tongue weight is limited to 250 and total to 2500. Most states except Oregon, Wash, and several back in the East won't let you double tow. Look up towing regulations and it will tell you where you can. Only downside is not backing up real easy. Unless you are trying to pull a 1965 Cadillac or a 1/2 ton pickup you should be ok.
 

GOTTOYS

Well-known member
By the time you pay for the tow bar, hitch, wiring and brake system you could rent a lot of cars at your destination. In many States your total length will be too long. In addition your trailer really isn't built to pull that much weight. Check with your insurance company and State DOT before you spend a lot of money. I would never consider it..Don
 

CrazyCooter

Well-known member
I always find it amusing that those who think double towing is unsafe and shouldn't be done are those who have no experience doing it.

I won't recommend that anyone do it. Only you know what your driving skill level is. If you are a fabricator/engineer type, you should be able to figure if the forces involved will be catastrophic. I don't know what your TV and 5er lengths are, but you may have a hard time keeping the overall under the legal limit though.

It can done legal and safe.

Here's my old rig:
Picture001.jpg


When this new rig gets ironed out and is out of warranty, it will get a class 4 hitch on it as well.
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
I always find it amusing that those who think double towing is unsafe and shouldn't be done are those who have no experience doing it.

I won't recommend that anyone do it. Only you know what your driving skill level is. If you are a fabricator/engineer type, you should be able to figure if the forces involved will be catastrophic. I don't know what your TV and 5er lengths are, but you may have a hard time keeping the overall under the legal limit though.

It can done legal and safe.

Here's my old rig:
Picture001.jpg


When this new rig gets ironed out and is out of warranty, it will get a class 4 hitch on it as well.

I'm a mathematician/physicist. I KNOW stress, force, dynamics, torsion, tension, vectors, probabilities, etc that most people only dream about (;)). A 5th wheel trailer frame is no equal even to the minimal 5000 pound hitch on entry level Class C and A motor homes that are designed to tow automobiles. Even towing that amount of weight in a straight line puts torsional stresses on the frame of the trailer that it is not engineered to take. Turning a corner at 25 miles mph exacerbates those stresses exponentially. The fishtailing effects of a panic stop from 50 mph with the weight of a car being towed behind a 5th wheel could easily rip the frame, hitch assembly, 5th wheel, tow vehicle and traffic in adjoining lanes to pieces in seconds.


Thanks
 
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CrazyCooter

Well-known member
Sorry I insulted you as that was not my intent.:angel:

I own a chassis/drive train shop and half of my career specializing in RV chassis, so I too know a thing or two about frames under various platforms since I have repaired all kinds. I have no degree except the 1st hand schooling that I have received by seeing what flexes(about to break), breaks, or holds together. No calculator can tell what will/won't break in the field, however it is a great starting point.

More tail sections than not on the Class A and C motor homes are nothing more than a 1 to 8' extension beyond the original frame made up of of 2x4x.120" tube or cheaply formed .180" channel without one single x-member. Then some un-skilled RV production line worker poorly WELDS a class 4 receiver to that. The surrounding body is relied on as the supporting structure!:eek: Take a creeper to the RV dealer. You roll out horrified!

I had a client that hooked up an obviously overloaded 10K GVWR 26' enclosed trailer with the mobile wood shop in it, NO BRAKE CONTROLLER mind you, couldn't understand why 100 psi in the Firestones wasn't enough to level the Class A P32 MH. He was totally unaware that he was driving a time bomb......and he wouldn't believe me!

Again I'm not an engineer and posses no magic paper to hang on my wall, but looking under most larger mid/upper end 5ers I see 10" or better channel or stacked tube,with appropriate x-members front to back. This is much better than what I have been seeing under MH's over the last 18 years.

Note that I didn't recommend the double combo as I have never been under a Big Horn, don't know what the TV is, or what the car is. What if it was a Hummer?! The overall package has to be looked over as a whole and "Engineered" if you will.

I did my own and calcs and determined I was safe. I have no control what anyone else does nor manufactures.

Please accept my apology. However I feel we are both right to an extent and with both sides working to a solution, it could be done safe if the driving skills allowing.

One other thing to consider here....I'm always fixing/improving what some panel engineers said would work.
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Well stated Tony. And you are absolutely right. A lot depends on conditions that can not be controlled or measured in a test or sterile environment. I really respect your real world experience. Only so much can be obtained in a laboratory. It takes real world testing and experience to get things right (5 years experience in the Army Research and Development environment showed me that!). I just get very worried when I see some of these rigs with a 4000 lb car/truck on an 800+ pound dolly, towed by a 34 foot 5th wheel with a hitch like some of the ones you just described. Actually, worried isn't the right word - scared would be better. My apologies for getting too defensive - been a long day. Look forward to more discussions with you on topics like this!:)
 
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