Truck towing a double has a accident that shuts down the highway

Towing a recreational triple (truck + fifth wheel + bumper-pull trailer) is almost evenly split amongst states as to whether it's legal or not. Fifth wheel manufacturers do put hitches on some units and design them to tow a small trailer off the back. I can't speak to all laws but in Michigan, you must complete a written knowledge test (no skills test necessary) to obtain an "R" endorsement on your license and the overall length of the rig cannot exceed 75 feet.

All that said, that fifth wheel appears to a Palomina Puma 253FBS.

The 253FBS doesn't have a hitch installed by the manufacturer, meaning neither the unit manufacturer nor the frame manufacturer has rated it for any type of towing.

On top of that, most units of that size that do have a hitch specify maximum trailer weight off the fifth wheel at 3,000 lb GVWR and 300 lb tongue weight. That double-axle cargo trailer probably has at least a 6,000 lb. GVWR. Yeah, it could have been empty, but even then, it's a 2,500 lb trailer.

Not to be the tow police, but there is a lot about that setup that's sketchy.
 
Pretty sure that would be illegal around here and most states. On my trip to Iowa last week I did see a pickup towing a flatbed towing a car on a dolly behind it. Looked like someone heading home after success at a salvage auction as his truck and the two cars had lots of body damage.
 
mrsilv04 said:
In Illinois, for non-commercial vehicles, the first trailer MUST be a fifth wheel, and the total length cannot exceed 60 feet.
Click to expand...
Looks like 65 feet in Utah:

Truck Trailer Combinations: A Truck Trailer Combination is allowed up to 65 feet of overall length. This is determined by measuring from the front bumper of the truck to the rear bumper of the trailer, including the drawbar or connecting devices. Front and rear overhangs are not included in the overall length.

https://www.udot.utah.gov/connect/b...-weight-permitting/legal-height-width-length/
 
  • Helpful
Reactions: GON
A "pickup truck" can tow a 5th wheel and a bumper pull trailer in most states. What most states prohibit is two bumper pulls being towed at the same time.

A friend of mine, he and his dad owned a boat dealership in north Alabama years ago. Stratos had a factory in middle Tennessee, just off I-24. I would ride up there with him every now and then and he would tow two bass boats back at a time with one truck. He had a contraption built where he could bolt another hitch mount on the rear of a boat trailer and hook another trailer to it.

Don't think it was legal, hence the reason he would always go up there early in the evening and come back in the dark. This was the 90's, if you were raised in the 70's and 80's, you know we did stuff that wasn't always legal but we used our brains, there were no cameras or video recorders, no social media, so we just have good stories to tell and memories of good times. We didn't act like fools.
 
The RV industry as a whole frustrates me. Some old man wants to pull his camper and boat nobody bats an eye; you want to make a living pulling doubles? Missouri requires you to spend thousands to go to a state accredited truck driving school, take a written and a skills test.
Those gigantic diesel pushers with air brakes? Yup, in MO anyone can drive one no questions asked. Take the same chassis and put a bus body on it and you again have schooling and multiple tests.
 
Creekside said:
The RV industry as a whole frustrates me. Some old man wants to pull his camper and boat nobody bats an eye; you want to make a living pulling doubles? Missouri requires you to spend thousands to go to a state accredited truck driving school, take a written and a skills test.
Those gigantic diesel pushers with air brakes? Yup, in MO anyone can drive one no questions asked. Take the same chassis and put a bus body on it and you again have schooling and multiple tests.
Click to expand...
I agree with your thoughts. I pulled doubles for the better part of 30 years commercially with class 8’s. Had to be fingerprinted every 4 years and have stress test and physical every year. When I retired I got a TT and turned in my CDL but I still retained the knowledge of how to drive using the “Smith System” of defensive driving. You just can’t fix stupid.
Driver probably had a high hook in that the kingpin was sitting on top of the jaw of the fifth wheel. Improper pre-trip inspection.
 
Last edited:
OLEJOE said:
I agree with your thoughts. I pulled doubles for the better part of 30 years commercially with class 8’s. Had to be fingerprinted every 4 years and have stress test and physical every year. When I retired I got a TT and turned in my CDL but I still retained the knowledge of how to drive using the “Smith System” of defensive driving. You just can’t fix stupid.
Driver probably had a high hook in that the kingpin was sitting on top of the jaw of the fifth wheel. Improper pre-trip inspection.
Click to expand...
I am getting ready to take my test for the doubles and tanker. Those are the last two endorsements I can add without a bunch of trouble. Took my class A test on my 18th birthday years ago. With the prospect of possibly buying some pup trailers out of the Yellow fleet I need to get the doubles done. I buy and sell trailers on the side.
 
Unfortunately on Utah roads when it comes to towing it's an amateur hour. I have seen setups like this and it's real scary. I have seen front ends of pickup trucks two feet in the air because of hitch weight. These antics have cost lives BTW.
 
It’s no different than trucking companies pushing their drivers beyond their allowable hours or forcing them to drive at night or through bad weather.
Or them hiring inexperienced drivers just so they can pay them less.

Yet, it doesn’t get media attention for some reason and these accidents cost lives too. I would say they cause more accidents than some odd ball towing double trailers.
 
KrisZ said:
It’s no different than trucking companies pushing their drivers beyond their allowable hours or forcing them to drive at night or through bad weather.
Or them hiring inexperienced drivers just so they can pay them less.

Yet, it doesn’t get media attention for some reason and these accidents cost lives too. I would say they cause more accidents than some odd ball towing double trailers.
Click to expand...
Sorry don't believe drivers are (generally) being pushed beyond allowable hours. Trucks now have GPS and computerized logs. And are tightly controlled by their insurance carriers. The costs are potentially far too high to break the rules.

Inexperienced drivers-they have to hire them-
quote-
The average trucker is 46 years old, amidst a growing shortage of roughly 80,000 drivers. So trucker recruitment is diversifying to get drivers behind the wheel.

If rules are broken-it's limited to a few small rogue companies-and not the big boys that carry most of the freight.
 
Last edited:
RV double towing isn't huge here in Az but it isn't rare. The ones pulling a small aluminum fishing boat or a quad don't seem too bad but the ones pulling a big boat or 4 seat UTV or even a Jeep are scary. I think I notice more in Utah when we're there. They must not wreck too many or they'd make the news. The triple trailer semis we see in Utah get your attention.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GON
KrisZ said:
It’s no different than trucking companies pushing their drivers beyond their allowable hours or forcing them to drive at night or through bad weather.
Or them hiring inexperienced drivers just so they can pay them less.

Yet, it doesn’t get media attention for some reason and these accidents cost lives too. I would say they cause more accidents than some odd ball towing double trailers.
Click to expand...
Surely you are kidding about the media not publicizing truck crashes. We can’t watch local tv around here because of lawyers doing commercials about truck wrecks. There are a lot more good truck drivers out there than there are good experienced rv drivers.
Truck drivers have to go through a very rigorous qualification process to even be able to obtain a CDL license and have to keep their drivers license records spotless to be able to continue to drive. Even in their personal vehicles.
I personally would rather drive at night because of the reduced traffic and most of the traffic is other trucks.
 
My FIL and his brother are professional truck drivers, they’ve been doing this for over 30 years, you guys simply don’t know what’s you’re talking about.

All truck drivers are routinely being pushed to the limits, especially the inexperienced ones. They are the ones taking the fall for any accidents or deaths they cause. Corporations stay squeaky clean and never break any rules or laws.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom