When you see this photo you’ll say, no way can this setup work safely, much less can it be legal! That’s what we think anyway.
But the fact is, IT IS real and it was photographed at an Alberta gas station. If you own a fifth wheel, please leave a comment with your thoughts. Is the driver cruisin’ for a bruisin’? Hey, no disrespect to our Canadian readers, but is this some sort of secret towing trick you have up there?
Thanks to reader Wayne Ratzlaff for sending this.
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Looks like the weight on the tongue on the towed trailer is light, that might cause fishtailing at higher speeds!
The load is over the axle. The reason it’s not level is he doesn’t have the right size drop hitch to make it level. It’s goofy but if the trailer tires are rated for the load it will work.
Hopefully this is one Canadian who stays in Canada for the winter and does not head south through the US Midwest! Maybe there is a sign on the back saying “Don’t Follow Me!”
The license plate doesn’t appear to be from a Canadian province. Maybe it’s an Ontario plate but it’s likely from the USA.
The towed trailer is a truck bed! Hilarious!
Technically, this is towing two trailers, which is illegal in almost every state in the US except Nevada. I’m sure a sudden stop with this rig would have unfortunate consequences, but I gotta hand it to this guy for ingenuity.
You are wrong.
You can do it in michigan. I just can’t exceed a certain length. No special training required!
Nevada,colorado,utah and wyoming allow anyone to pull 2 trailers with either a 5th wheel and a ball type hitch on the rear of the 5th wheel trailer,for towing a boat or anther vehicle. I think utah and colorado allow both trailers to be ball type hitch pulled as long as gcvw isnt exceeded. Backing this set up is very difficult but can be done with lots of practice which if your not a truck driver ,i dont recommend even trying.
Also legal in California, as long as the first trailer is a fifth wheel.
It is legal to tow double in WI too.
He would have a hard time backing that up.
CFS – Can’t Fix Stupid
I would think driver would technically have to have license with permit to pull doubles, vehicle is connected twice. Also doesn’t seem safe to me, not sure how you’d safely back.
Not legal. The first towed vehicle must be a fifth wheel or gooseneck to double tow legally.
You can do this if the first trailer has two axles. First trailer doesn’t need to be a fiver or gooseneck.
I believe it does in California.
If the “dolly” has brakes, it’s probably legal.
Check out this link https://fifthwheelst.com/automated-safety-hitch-system.html.
why would you even set this up?
Very unsafe
I researched this a few years ago. The policy is that the tow dolly and must have lights and brakes and registered tagged . The tilt on the truck bed shouldn’t be a problem as the 5th wheel is moveable and you wouldn’t have that much weight on the the tow vehicle hitch. I’ve only seen one legally setup on the road in FLA. 1 ton truck. 5th wheel. Tow dolly. Boat. He got stopped but no ticket he had a copy of the regulation .he was from Ga going into Fl.
DOT regulations state Tow dollies do not need tags, vehicle on them do though.
Like to see him back into a site!
No different than using a road toad.
Can’t see because the photo is cut off. The 5’er looks really little. Like, so little, it is the size of a truck camper with an axle under it.
If that was the case, this guy really could be a genuine “Clyde Crashcot” inventor.
Without breaks, lights, and a tag on the dolly he’s illegal. I’d wonder if hes within the total CVWR of his TV. Then theres the insurance side. His insurance co will have feild day with that claim if and when he’s ever involved in an accident. I do want to see him back into a spot though.
Dolly’s do not have to have tags according to law. Lights have to be at the end of tow. Not middle. I pull a dolly behind a fifth wheel. It was purchased with no lights and no plate necessary according. Some do have lights but not all do and are not required. Insurance claims are vehicle specific. The rv has insurance. The truck insurance. Even when people are idiots and back their truck and boat into water; insurance is required to pay. If you have full coverage that is. I researched all the what if’s 10 or so years ago when I began towing my rv and my dolly. 56’ is the limit truck nose to end tow for a normal class license. You can get DOT to carry more if needed. Just figured I would let you know what I learned.
Have a good day .
I would think that varies from state to state. The federal government does not register/license vehicles.
Hard to say if it’s legal with how it’s done or state/ provincial laws and restrictions but it’s no different than that of a convert dolly being pulled behind a semi in a set of double or triples.
Looks dangerous to me as you no longer have 1 point of rotation but 2. Can’t see how that’s safe at all.
The pin weight is NOT shown but, the back half of many pickup trucks would be sufficient to carry the pin load. I suspect backing up the fifth wheel would be challenging.
There are hitches that are purchased that are similar to this. Even large truck companies that transport our goods have this type of dolly. I am looking to purchase one to get my fifth wheel up the mountain where I have purchased land. Because of clearances on my dually fenders I would damage them in places. There are many large dips and valleys that only a flat bed or a dolly similar to this would work.
This is legal. 56’ feet total is the limit. I carry a fifth wheel with a car dolly behind it without a small car on it. Pivots at the fifth wheel, at the rv wheels, at the hitch on back of rv, and at dolly tires. My car front tires also pivot on the dolly tires. I can successfully back all this. It is difficult but with practice is possible. The setup in the picture does work. As long as you have the proper load hitches built into this and safety chains you would have no worry. Even if things come apart chains will safely guide everything to a stop.
This setup is completely illegal and stupid. The type of transport/commercial setups your talking about go through rigorous government testing and approvals. You cannot tow a fifth wheel behind a bumper pulled trailer, however in Alberta you are allowed to pull a bumper pull trailer behind a fifth wheel as long as it is no longer then 65ft and this includes the tow vehicle.
You say the clearances on you dually fenders will get scratched up going up the mountain. How about the sides of the 5th wheel as they are at least as wide if not wider than the dually fenders?
In Michigan this is illegal. You can pull a secondary bumper pull trailer from behind a 5th wheel or gooseneck trailer but you cannot pull a secondary trailer behind a bumper pull trailer.
Ups and fedex do it all day long
Did anyone notice the rear of the bed is facing the tow vehicle?
Look again. I see tail lights and a hitch ball on the pickup bed. NOT facing the tow vehicle.
Partner you need to get yourself a pair of glasses that truck bed is turned around backwards there is no trailer hitch at the backside of that trailer and there is no brake lights at the backside of that trailer you need glasses very bad
He’s probably using the existing receiver/hitch on the truck bed to connect to the existing class 3 hitch on tow vehicle. Then he revesersed the 5th wheel hitch inside the truck bed. Walla, instant tow dolly and no pickup needed to haul a goose neck. . Too funny.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6GGxG4dd6yXBy4Dc7
Good morning n yes. That load looks Mickey mouse but it works. That is a home made Jonny but there are actually axles with a hook up they use on transports. It is a JOE DOG. I thought that pic was quite impressive. U don’t want him in the U S. I will take him on the highway any day over some of the ridiculous stuff I see over there in ur knock of the woods.
JUST SAYING
I absolutely love it. Canada gave us the Crown Vic, and then this marvel of engineering. Bravo.
Down here in the States we should appreciate that our Northern border has people like this standing guard. We will not be invaded from the North. I Love It.
Not legal, not an Alberta vehicle, the plate is wrong. In Alberta you can tow a bumper pull behind a goose neck attached trailer, that’s legal but even in BC, that isn’t allowed. This person is a monstrous hazard to the driving public and surely did not get far before getting pulled off the road.
There is a company that makes a dolly for use this way. Yes it is legal in most of the United States. The dolly that is factory built even has brakes giving better braking. One is Automated Safety Hitch, Inc in Sanger, Texas.
They’re out of business now.
No, they’re still in business. I’ve personally spoken to Joe the owner.
https://fifthwheelst.com/automated-safety-hitch-system.html
I dont understand where you get your info from, but I can assure you that that setup is legal in Alberta, and the US. I have 5 setups like that. And all the Canadians who say you can’t pull a gooseneck on a bumper pull, really?? Out of all places where grain is harvested? That setup is all around you, I have 5. Google “combine header trailer” .
I really cant believe this is allowed any where. Tow vehicle might be rated to pull the weight, but the home made fifth wheel dolly is the weak link. If brakes are applied in any emergency situation I can see bad things(unexpected things) happen. Even if all the towed vehicles have electric brakes. The inertia of the last tower vehicle would lift the second tower vehicle off the road and possibly over the roof of the TV.
As for the US. The larger vehicle being towed needs to be attached to the TV with the smaller trailer attached last.
It is legal in alberta
Not so much! The TV does not have the GVWR to be able to tow that setup! The tiny “5th wheel hitch” does not have the weight rating for the tongue weight of the 5th wheel. You’d be pulled over, cited and the vehicle impounded in CA!
This set up may be a jury-rig version, but keep in mind there is a commercially available version of this where the “dolly” carries the weight of the 5th wheel pin and the tow vehicle pulls. The dolly also has brakes. However as Louie noted, you need to be within your TV weight ratings for towing.
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That is not legal In the state
Hope he has a pull through site, would hate to back that rig in.
yea same me too i do it sometime up to right way to hook up hitch two way
How many of these Alberta towing regulations does this rig brake?
Lead trailer must be 5th wheel (AB specifies “pin & plate 5th wheel coupling mounted over the rear axle”); must have two or more tandem axles; and must be longer than following unit
€
AB: A 5th wheel does not require a secondary means of attachment. Other trailers: AB: 2 separate means of attachment required, SAE recommends chains crossing under the hitch and able to keep the unit substantially following the towing vehicle. Each chain must be able to tow the unit if the other fails and keep hitch off the road.
I see a lot of half ton towing fifth wheels that are over their GVW. I don’t think most people even know they are illegal. Because somebody at a dealership says it’s half ton towable. The pin weight on most fifth wheels would be greater than most half tons total allowable payload.
I suspect we can agree the optics are bad.
Just goes to prove rednecks are everywhere not just in the south.
This setup is nothing more than an homemade Hitch Buddy Tow Dolly for fifth-wheels providing that it was installed correctly with the weight over the axle.
https://www.mortonsonthemove.com/what-is-a-5th-wheel-dolly/
Not an Alberta plate, not even a Canadian one. Doesn’t matter though, not safe at all.
All I see is a disaster. Wait for the trailer to fish tail followed by the 5er. Think of a blow out in either 3 and wait for the ride. Definately not the faint of heart. As Jeff Foxworthy would say, Here’s you Sign”
Bill Enval said heres your sigh.
Is that any different than a semi truck pulling a double or triple. Those dollies are used all the time. He hasn’t a dolly but same difference. Brakes? Another story!
I’d say it’s a disaster waiting to happen. The home made dolly appears to be severely out of balance and poised to lift off the ball hitch at the next good bump. I’d say he’ll get some good use out of those trailer chains sooner than he expects.
Good morning all
I have only had my class A and have never driven a fifth-wheel, but I do have a question.
Using the current set-up as a guide, could a fifth-wheel tow dolly be created and used with vehicles (like the one in the photo) that do not have a fifth-wheel hitch?
These tow dolly’s have been in use for years. They also have two brakes minus the pickup box you see here. They advertised the heavily about eight to ten years ago. I have never seen one in use.
Yes, and the ones I know of are called The RV safety hitch. It’s classified as a drop hitch trailer and comes with many features. The hitch makes it possible to tow a 5th wheel trailer with a heavy SUV. They sell for between 20 and thirty thousand depending on how it’s ordered.
I would like to see this person try to back that rig into a campsite. LOL
It’s perfectly safe. Think about car Dollie’s. Same mechanical advantages
My opinion a disaster waiting to happend. Another Red Neck idea.
July 2020.
Cnadian Ingenuity. Really. Obviously it is working , but for how far it would work is anyones guess.
To me it seems like it would be like towing a wagon. When I helped with baling on a farm, a wagon was pulled behind the baler that was being towed by the diesel tractor. When the wagon was fully loaded, a different tractor would pull it to the barn. Quite safe. The web site listed in these comments is very helpful. Check it out.