cfherrman
Senior Member
I didn't know that was illegal. If you have your class a with double/triples would it be legal then?
Isn't that just a double?
Isn't that just a double?
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Overload of the Day
- Thread starter Birken Vogt
- Start date
digger doug
Senior Member
RV people call it a "Tripple"....
Triple Towing: What Is It & Where Is It Legal?
We’ve discussed towing now and again on this blog, from a few different perspectives. We’ve published a post about towing a car behind an RV, we’ve talked
www.thervgeeks.com
Last edited:
ianjoub
Senior Member
Wait for the crosswinds.
OzDozer
Senior Member
Double trailers behind light vehicles and 4WD's are 100% illegal here in Australia. The problem of course, is hitches that are normally designed to handle one trailer, aren't rated to handle two trailers,and the loading on the first hitch increases enormously with an additional trailer.
We have enough trouble with industrial-size hitches on truck combinations here - with an occasional truck losing a trailer thanks to hitch failure.
One crash in particular here involved a heavy tipper (dump) truck hauling a 4 axle dog trailer. The companys maintenance on the trailer coupling was poor and the coupling broke, and the 4 axle trailer went straight into a guy in a 4WD coming the other way.
The 4 axle trailer just demolished the 4WD, there was no chance of survival for the driver.
A second crash involved a rich guy with lots of toys and a big workshop - plus he thought he knew everything, especially around engineering.
He owned a diesel 4WD Silverado crew cab, and a huge caravan (trailer home) - and he bought a big tandem axle trailer to carry his multiple quad bikes - then he built his own hitch for the rear of the caravan - without any engineering approval, nor any knowledge of our traffic laws and regulations.
The end result was pretty predictable. He took off for an adventure cruise with his luxury "mini-roadtrain" and only got about 50kms from his home, before his homebuilt trailer hitch fell apart under the towing stresses, and the big tandem axle trailer full of quad bikes went straight across the highway and head-on into an 8 tonne refrigerated truck, killing the truck driver.
He was charged with dangerous driving causing death, but was very contrite and apologetic in court (and probably employed a top-flight lawyer) and he got off the charge with just a suspended sentence and a major fine, thanks to convincing the judge he never meant to hurt anybody.
I thought it was a pretty poor penalty, but that's typical of when you have plenty of $$$'s to buy your way out of a full jail term.
www.abc.net.au
We have enough trouble with industrial-size hitches on truck combinations here - with an occasional truck losing a trailer thanks to hitch failure.
One crash in particular here involved a heavy tipper (dump) truck hauling a 4 axle dog trailer. The companys maintenance on the trailer coupling was poor and the coupling broke, and the 4 axle trailer went straight into a guy in a 4WD coming the other way.
The 4 axle trailer just demolished the 4WD, there was no chance of survival for the driver.
A second crash involved a rich guy with lots of toys and a big workshop - plus he thought he knew everything, especially around engineering.
He owned a diesel 4WD Silverado crew cab, and a huge caravan (trailer home) - and he bought a big tandem axle trailer to carry his multiple quad bikes - then he built his own hitch for the rear of the caravan - without any engineering approval, nor any knowledge of our traffic laws and regulations.
The end result was pretty predictable. He took off for an adventure cruise with his luxury "mini-roadtrain" and only got about 50kms from his home, before his homebuilt trailer hitch fell apart under the towing stresses, and the big tandem axle trailer full of quad bikes went straight across the highway and head-on into an 8 tonne refrigerated truck, killing the truck driver.
He was charged with dangerous driving causing death, but was very contrite and apologetic in court (and probably employed a top-flight lawyer) and he got off the charge with just a suspended sentence and a major fine, thanks to convincing the judge he never meant to hurt anybody.
I thought it was a pretty poor penalty, but that's typical of when you have plenty of $$$'s to buy your way out of a full jail term.
Driver avoids jail over fatal crash involving 'makeshift road train'
A Perth man walks free after a crash where his overweight trailer — being towed by a caravan that he was in turn towing with his ute — came free and ploughed into an oncoming truck, claiming the life of its driver.
www.abc.net.au
Spud_Monkey
Senior Member
If you look at the 5th wheel closely you can see it's a toy hauler, so I'm sure a ATV/UTV or something is in there too.
digger doug
Senior Member
I saw that too.
However, the rules just say "Trailer" not what all is in it.
I agree that what you posted is way overkill and dangerous on the road.
What I encountered was not as much so.
digger doug
Senior Member
Yup, soon after I got back from that trip, I was talking with a local semi truck driver.
He said "I love coming up past these, with a good head wind, I move them right over."
Pony
Senior Member
What sort of coupling ozdozer?
You're talking quad dog, which over here usually means ringfeeder.
I thought they were pretty much infallible.
You're talking quad dog, which over here usually means ringfeeder.
I thought they were pretty much infallible.
Here in Alberta, those RV’s pulling another trailer are legal but most exceed the legal length limit. If they ever crack down on them, there will be a lot of unhappy owners. The DOT monitors the commercial vehicles but lets the RV’s slide. Its all good until someone gets killed. Politics at play
Truck Shop
Senior Member
It's just another example of people with too much crap they think they need.
DMiller
Senior Member
Just wait, there will be another I can photo, a Van Hool Transit Bus Motorcoach dragging at least a 25 maybe a 28' Tongue Box Trailer with a 22' boat behind that. Old Fud behind the wheel at LEAST 70 perhaps closer to 80 by appearance.
Acoals
Senior Member
I need this picture.
skyking1
Senior Member
My fifth wheel had a hitch on it when I bought it. It came out of Idaho where is legal to haul that second trailer. My understanding is it's only doable if the front trailer is a fifth wheel.
I have not dug into the laws but I also guess that the back trailer has to be surge brakes.
Boat behind the fifth wheel is the most common one I've seen.
I have not dug into the laws but I also guess that the back trailer has to be surge brakes.
Boat behind the fifth wheel is the most common one I've seen.
Mobiltech
Senior Member
A medium size toyhauler like that which is double axle not triple axle Pulling a boat behind is common and legal here. The weight of the 5th wheel centred over the box makes it quite stable. A dually would be better but not required.
Don’t try this with a bumper hitch though.
skyking1
Senior Member
I'll give my opinion on it. It's stupid to run a combo like this without brakes designed to apply properly for control.
It is a complete crap shoot when you do a hard braking application that it is going to work out for you.
It is a complete crap shoot when you do a hard braking application that it is going to work out for you.
ianjoub
Senior Member
Put 8k behind the trailer axles. It will level right out
OzDozer
Senior Member
Pony - I'm not sure where the precise failure point was, when the 4 axle dog trailer became detached from the truck pulling it.
It certainly was a Ringfeder hitch, but I suspect the trailer drawbar had been damaged, and not picked up by a lack of company inspections, so it was the actual drawbar that broke, not the Ringfeder hitch.
However, I have seen the drawbar eyes for Ringfeders cracked. Careless backing up is the major reason behind hitch and drawbar damage.
As a matter of concern, I've also found large bolts lying on highways, which look like drawbar bolts, and this tells me that a number of truck operators need reaming out for their careless maintenance.
Transport inspectors pound the highways on a regular basis to check all this, but I don't know how good they are on actually checking maintenance items, or whether their inspections are cursory.
To do proper checks, these blokes need to be under the trucks and trailers, and a lot prefer not to get dirty, so the checks are pretty basic, and confined to what they can see from a standing position.
It certainly was a Ringfeder hitch, but I suspect the trailer drawbar had been damaged, and not picked up by a lack of company inspections, so it was the actual drawbar that broke, not the Ringfeder hitch.
However, I have seen the drawbar eyes for Ringfeders cracked. Careless backing up is the major reason behind hitch and drawbar damage.
As a matter of concern, I've also found large bolts lying on highways, which look like drawbar bolts, and this tells me that a number of truck operators need reaming out for their careless maintenance.
Transport inspectors pound the highways on a regular basis to check all this, but I don't know how good they are on actually checking maintenance items, or whether their inspections are cursory.
To do proper checks, these blokes need to be under the trucks and trailers, and a lot prefer not to get dirty, so the checks are pretty basic, and confined to what they can see from a standing position.
Truck Shop
Senior Member
With the thought they consider themselves to be on par with a professional driver. Constantly over shooting
their actual ability combined with the vehicle they are driving has lulled them into believing
their own BS.
Truck Shop
Senior Member
Axle this one out.
