Adding a hitch for a second trailer to the back of a new heartland camper trailer?

marknewbill

Well-known member
Hello,
Is there a kit to add a small trailer hitch to the back of the camper (mine is a bumper pull 30 foot RE275 Pioneer)
I want to be able to take a golf cart or similar item along for the ride.
any suggestions?
Thanks,
Mark
 

centerline

Well-known member
what are the laws concerning towing "doubles" there....

some states allow commercial trucks to tow doubles, but not passenger vehicles....

some states allow towing a second trailer ONLY if it is connected behind a 5th wheel type trailer, and not behind a bumper pull trailer....

there can be different total overall length restrictions from one state to another.

as to there being a ready to install "kit", i dont think there is.... but its so easy to install a hitch on the rear of a trailer that there really is no need for a kit.

what one needs to do first is to make sure the trailer frame is strong enough, which it usually is, but dont depend on what may be "usual", and make sure YOUR trailer frame can handle it...

one only has to look under the rear of some of the entry level motorhomes and see how the chassis frame has been extended a couple times to create more length for the flooring of the unit, and notice how the welds are done by an amateur/beginner, one would know what type of shoddy work is acceptable to some manufactures... AND as its a motorhome, it STILL has a hitch at the rear of the unit for towing a full rated load.... one has to wonder at the marvels of "local" engineering at times...

if one were to weld some hitch tubing (5-6 feet long, each side) under the main frame rails of the trailer (with cross bracing) to spread the load over more area for reducing acute stress loading, and then build the hitch to these added rails, you would be good... but in my opinion, not with a very heavy trailer behind an rv trailer.... and if the lead trailer is a bumper pull, then it causes other issues when the last trailer is too heavy or loaded improperly, which can be true behind a 5th wheel trailer also, but is amplified in a bumper pull trailer.... which is why some states dont allow a second trailer behind a bumper pull trailer.....
 

marknewbill

Well-known member
what are the laws concerning towing "doubles" there....

some states allow commercial trucks to tow doubles, but not passenger vehicles....

some states allow towing a second trailer ONLY if it is connected behind a 5th wheel type trailer, and not behind a bumper pull trailer....

there can be different total overall length restrictions from one state to another.

as to there being a ready to install "kit", i dont think there is.... but its so easy to install a hitch on the rear of a trailer that there really is no need for a kit.

what one needs to do first is to make sure the trailer frame is strong enough, which it usually is, but dont depend on what may be "usual", and make sure YOUR trailer frame can handle it...

one only has to look under the rear of some of the entry level motorhomes and see how the chassis frame has been extended a couple times to create more length for the flooring of the unit, and notice how the welds are done by an amateur/beginner, one would know what type of shoddy work is acceptable to some manufactures... AND as its a motorhome, it STILL has a hitch at the rear of the unit for towing a full rated load.... one has to wonder at the marvels of "local" engineering at times...

if one were to weld some hitch tubing (5-6 feet long, each side) under the main frame rails of the trailer (with cross bracing) to spread the load over more area for reducing acute stress loading, and then build the hitch to these added rails, you would be good... but in my opinion, not with a very heavy trailer behind an rv trailer.... and if the lead trailer is a bumper pull, then it causes other issues when the last trailer is too heavy or loaded improperly, which can be true behind a 5th wheel trailer also, but is amplified in a bumper pull trailer.... which is why some states dont allow a second trailer behind a bumper pull trailer.....

Thanks,
I will certainly consult the law as you stated, I believe it is OK here in Tn since I know a few that are doing it here. I also realize the risks when trailering goes bad, I personally was in an accident where we picked up a load of mulch for my boss at the time in his truck and a utility trailer. unfortunately they loaded the mulch too much rearward and caused a low Tung weight condition. and for us amateurs, we did not think of any issues. about half way home the trailer started to sway, and it weighed just as much as the pickup at that point. we tried the brakes and it just got worse. the trailer did not have brakes - I read that could help this condition. it finally started whipping the pickup side to side while the trailer went basically straight somehow. it was quite frightening. finally we came to a stop in the fully jack knife position and did not either run off the road or hit anything. the only casualty was loss of the much and the bumper of the pickup had minor damage. Could have been worse. I am now paranoid when my camper starts swaying :)
MN
 

sengli

Well-known member
As dangerous as that would be to do this, the company that made such a thing... would get litigated out of business in a heartbeat.
 

david-steph2018

Well-known member
Has anyone installed a hitch to their toy hauler? If so, how did you reinforce the frame for the install?
I have seen a couple out on the road that have done this modification. I have even considered it a few times, to haul bikes. But wonder if it would be better to install one on the front of the Ram 3500.
 
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