Every Us State That Won't Let You Double Tow

Steve Skjold/Shutterstock

So, you've sewage a camping travel coming up, which intends you'll request to return your camper trailer. But you'll beryllium sportfishing while you're there, which intends you'll request to tow your boat, too. Now, you've sewage a conundrum. Or do you? The thought occurs to you: Why not conscionable tow your vessel down your camper?

This believe is called "double towing" aliases "triple towing," which is erstwhile 2 trailers are towed astatine once, and it's done each nan time. But earlier you commencement hitching your vessel trailer to your camper, you mightiness want to cheque nan rule first. Depending connected wherever you'll beryllium driving, double towing could beryllium illegal.

If you request to tow much than 1 trailer, you tin hide astir doing it connected nan East Coast. Recreational double towing is forbidden successful each eastbound coastal state, from Maine to Florida, isolated from for Maryland (oh, Maryland, you rebel). It's besides forbidden successful Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii. Some of these states, for illustration Florida, make exceptions for commercialized rigs, arsenic agelong arsenic they instrumentality to designated highways. North Carolina has akin laws, allowing double towing only connected nan National Network highways. Virginia allows double towing by typical licence only and allows individual cities to group their ain restrictions. In fact, national rule requires each authorities to let twin-trailer commercialized rigs connected nan national web highways, arsenic agelong arsenic nan operation does not transcend 65 feet successful magnitude aliases a GVWR, aliases gross conveyance weight rating, of 80,000 pounds.

In total, we counted 20 states wherever recreational double towing is prohibited by law. In alphabetical order, they are: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

Around nan World Photos/Shutterstock

Even states that do fto you double tow often person rules. For example, location are usually restrictions connected nan weight of nan vehicles towed, nan magnitude of your conveyance combination, nan weight of nan tow vehicle, which highways you tin double tow on, and moreover what type of conveyance you tin tow connected your 2nd trailer. Illinois authorities law, for example, limits nan mixed bumper-to-bumper magnitude of a double tow setup to 60 feet and prohibits you from towing 2 full-size campers astatine nan aforesaid time. The 2nd trailer must beryllium a boat, pitchy skis, ATVs, aliases thing similar. Michigan rule directs that nan rear trailer must not beryllium heavier than either nan tow motortruck aliases nan different trailer, arsenic does Illinois. California requires immoderate conveyance that is towing 2 trailers to measurement astatine slightest 4,000 pounds, unladen. You tin surely get pulled complete if your towing operation is not group up safely aliases correctly.

And it's not conscionable authorities laws you'll request to look up. Cities and different localities are besides capable to group their ain restrictions connected double towing. Even nan national authorities has gotten successful connected nan enactment by placing a weight limit of 80,000 pounds connected interstate highways.

bsr_sn/Shutterstock

If you scheme to tow your vessel aliases ATVs down your camper, this is not nan clip for fancy jury-rigging. Even azygous towing requires nan correct instrumentality (here's what you request to know), which is moreover much important for double towing. In fact, definite instrumentality is typically mandated by authorities law. Illinois requires that each conveyance successful a double towing operation person brakes, sloppy of weight. Michigan requires that nan tow conveyance beryllium equipped pinch a 5th wheel. Kansas requires that nan first trailer person an anti-sway instrumentality and that nan 2nd trailer person an progressive braking system. You'll besides want to make judge you person nan lighting required by immoderate authorities you'll beryllium driving through. Mirrors that tin spot some trailers are important, too.

Double towing isn't for beginners. A batch much tin spell incorrect than pinch azygous towing, truthful it's champion to beryllium very knowledgeable astatine towing 1 conveyance earlier attempting to tow a second. Double towing rigs are little unchangeable and tin move complete much easily, particularly owed to oversteering. This is called nan "crack-the-whip" effect. These combinations besides return a agelong clip to stop, particularly astatine higher speeds. For example, it takes four times arsenic agelong to extremity astatine 40 mph arsenic it does astatine 20. What astir backing up? Don't do it! It's champion to unhitch your 2nd trailer earlier reversing.

Safety is nan sanction of nan crippled erstwhile towing 2 trailers. You'll besides want to cheque nan laws of nan authorities aliases states wherever you'll beryllium traveling. With nan correct knowledge and accomplishment set, you should beryllium capable to get astatine your campsite successful 1 portion (or 3 pieces, technically).