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.
Cnadian Ingenuity. Really. Obviously it is working , but for how far it would work is anyones guess.
July 2020.
My opinion a disaster waiting to happend. Another Red Neck idea.
It’s perfectly safe. Think about car Dollie’s. Same mechanical advantages
I would like to see this person try to back that rig into a campsite. LOL
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’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.
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!
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”
Not an Alberta plate, not even a Canadian one. Doesn’t matter though, not safe at all.
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/
Just goes to prove rednecks are everywhere not just in the south.
I suspect we can agree the optics are bad.
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.
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.
yea same me too i do it sometime up to right way to hook up hitch two way
Hope he has a pull through site, would hate to back that rig in.
That is not legal In the state
[Ford trailer back assist has left the chat.]
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.