# Pulling a Bumper Pull Trailer Behind a 5th Wheel Camper



## seven7max

I have never heard of that before. It sound skind of dangerous with horses in the trailer.


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## TitanOneSeven

Check your local and state laws. I know SD requires electric brakes and all trailers over 3000lbs like most states. So You would first run into an issue of how to control the two trailers' brake systems.

In my honest opinion I cannot see that setup as a good or safe way to tow. The frame on the trailer probably is not set up to handle a class IV hitch and that kind of weight. Then you are also looking at having 60% of the horse trailer (if loaded properly) on the camper, which can add too much weight to the back of the camper throwing off the weight put on the hitch of the tow vehicle. 

If someone has done it and survived then I am happy for them, but I would personally never tow like that or put any horse in that kind of risk. 

Just my two cents, so take it if you would like.


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## kpptt2001

I _personally_ don't like bumper pull trailers at all, no matter what your towing them with (just personal preference I suppose), but IMHO pulling it with a 5th wheel camper just sounds down right dangerous to me.


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## dee

I see it happen here in OK, and I cringe when I see it. Often, the truck is sailing full speed down the highway and the trailer with the horses is fishtailing to a certain extent, so you know it's not really under control. I've also seen the end result when the driver of the "train" loses control. So sad.


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## Ktibb

I wouldn't do it. I would have to imagine that you would loose a great deal of feel (feeling the horses movement) with such a far disconnect between you and the rig. Doesn't seem safe at all.


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## mliponoga

Only thing I've ever seen is a motorhome pulling a Featherlite 4 horse slant load. You could do it I suppose if you have one hell of a truck and one hell of a driver. But I wouldn't recommend it, why not just get a trailer with living quarters, that's what they're made for. You could run separate brake controllers I do believe.


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## iridehorses

It's doable, and probably legal if you have the right truck and the right equipment on the camper and BP but there better be a darn good and knowledgeable driver behind the wheel. It's not like towing another car, there's live cargo on board.

I once drove a PU with a 10' drop in camper on it. The rig had a long extension coming from the class three hitch allowing it to tow a 2 horse bumper pull. I only drove it for ~10 miles and I was white knuckled all the way - and the BP was empty. The sway made it very uncomfortable.


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## Zeke

In many states pulling anything behind a trailer (so in essence pulling two of any sort of trailer at the same time) requires a special license. In my opinion it requires cajones of steel and a heart monitor. I could never do it!

It looks down right dangerous, is heavy as all get out and scary to other motorists around you. Not to mention breaking issues, encountering mountains and where the heck do you park?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kslive4myhorse

You are talking about a 5th wheel trailer right (not the kind that are on the truck)?
If its the kind thats on the truck its not so bad, we've done it before.
For the trailer, we thought about trying it but it would have been over the 65' limit. However, we would have had a really strong truck and my dad has the class A license so I would only trust him to drive it. Even then, the idea still kinda scared me!


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## cakemom

Legally, you're not pulling doubles is you're not pulling ball behind ball, and with a 5ver you're not, but you have a balance and turning issue and I wouldn't even ask my truck driver hubby to attempt it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## franknbeans

I would never even consider it. Just too much sway, IMO.


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## Alwaysbehind

cakemom said:


> Legally, you're not pulling doubles is you're not pulling ball behind ball, and with a 5ver you're not, but you have a balance and turning issue and I wouldn't even ask my truck driver hubby to attempt it.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


The 5th wheel trailer does connect to your vehicle with something like a ball though. It is not a hard connection. So it is doubles. 

Pulling a trailer with a trailer is just begging for an issue.

Not sure about your state but in some states double trailers are only allowed on larger toll type expressways, not on regular roads.


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## iridehorses

I was on I85 yesterday on the way to a trail ride when a Class 1 RV came by me at <70 mpg. It was towing a Jeep Cherokee and the Jeep was towing an enclosed trailer on from it's ball hitch. That trailer was swaying behind the Jeep and all I could think about was this thread and how glad I was that there was no livestock in that trailer. It gave a new meaning the trucker's term "wiggle wagon".


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## JennKzoo

As a truck driver I've seen so many horrendous wrecks with pulling any type of trailer, I've seen trailers and trucks swerving all over the road (of course the idiots behind the wheel are still doing 70+ miles an hour). 
I do believe in certain states you would need a doubles or triples license, in Michigan you do. And there are certain length restrictions.
But, that being said and since I've been a truck driver for 10 years I would NOT recommend doing it. Most people do not have the sense to even be driving (NOT meant for you just in general) let alone pulling one trailer so add that third trailer and you've got a wreck waiting to happen.


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## wyominggrandma

We see it all the time: a truck pulling a trailer pulling another trailer. Usually is is a smaller trail at the end of the "train" but that smaller trailer is swaying and weaving all over the place. I can't even imagine a horse trailer being at the end of the line like that. Plus, the biggest problem I see is there is NO way that the driver is able to see around the first trailer, whether bumper pull or fifth wheel to see the last towed trailer, so does not have a clue what is going on. 
We followed a truck pulling a fifth wheel trailer with a smaller trailer with 4 wheelers on it as the end. The smaller trailer had a flat tire and was weaving and swerving all over the road, the driver was happily driving along at about 70mph with not a clue what was happening at the "back of the bus".. Have also seen the results of the same kind of set up and the last trailer broke loose, it was carrying a 4 wheeler and that thing came loose and bounced all over the road for along ways. The driver was not even aware of the issue until he was about half a mile down the road. I was just driving over the hill when I came upon the 4 wheeler loose from the trailer rolling on the highway, the little trailer that had come loose was upside down in the ditch.
Can't even comprehend why someone would want to tow live animals like that.


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## Speed Racer

Is it even legal to haul like that?

Aren't big rig drivers who haul tandem loads supposed to have some sort of certification to do so? Plus, those loads are fairly well balanced and hooked together, not just hitched with balls and towing chains.

I've never seen what you're describing, but I'd probably get as far away as fast as I could if I did. Something like that is a horrible wreck waiting to happen.


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## JennKzoo

Speed Racer said:


> Is it even legal to haul like that?
> 
> Aren't big rig drivers who haul tandem loads supposed to have some sort of certification to do so? Plus, those loads are fairly well balanced and hooked together, not just hitched with balls and towing chains.
> 
> I've never seen what you're describing, but I'd probably get as far away as fast as I could if I did. Something like that is a horrible wreck waiting to happen.



To drive a tractor trailer (semi) you have to have a CDL-A (commercial drivers license with air brakes). To haul 2 trailers you have to have the CDL-A with doubles, then hauling a tanker you get a tanker endorsement. Then in states where it is legal to haul triple trailers you have to have a triples endorsement. Lots of tests :lol: and training. Oh yeah then if you are hauling hazardous material you have to have a haz-mat endorsement.


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## Robinson46176

JennKzoo said:


> To drive a tractor trailer (semi) you have to have a CDL-A (commercial drivers license with air brakes). To haul 2 trailers you have to have the CDL-A with doubles, then hauling a tanker you get a tanker endorsement. Then in states where it is legal to haul triple trailers you have to have a triples endorsement. Lots of tests :lol: and training. Oh yeah then if you are hauling hazardous material you have to have a haz-mat endorsement.





But if you are 95 years old, weak vision, deaf, only have one arm and one leg and can barely operate that leg and are driving a gigantic motor home that sticks 20 feet back past the rear axle and a hitch that sticks 2 feet on back past the rear bumper then you can hang what ever you want on the back of it and hit the road... :lol:
Hey, I enjoyed that vent. 
OK, back to the the hook-up being discussed... It would scare me and I ain't a-sceered of nuttin. I have towed a lot of scary loads but I would walk away from that one. I also want to mention a factor that I have not seen mentioned yet. Very simply, at some point you are going to have to back up... :shock::shock:
Now I am an old retired farmer that has been backing farm wagons for 60 years. I'm not any better at it than I used to be.  I can back a trailer out of a maze but you stick another one on there and I'm pretty much done. Somewhere, sometime you are going to find yourself in a place where pre-planning is not going to be enough and you are going to have to back out... A few feet straight back is one thing but more than that and you may well be looking at unloading and unhitching to maybe move one of them by hand just to get out of some fast food or motel parking lot.


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## wyominggrandma

yep, you are right backing up would be a nightmare. Don't even know if it could be done.
As far as I know, if you are driving a passanger truck pulling a trailer pulling another trailer, at least around the states near me, you don't have to have any special license, just like you can tow a trailer behind your truck, suv or whatever. It just depends on the state whether it will allow double trailers. I don't think they consider them the same as 18 wheel doubles and triples, they are just passenger type vehicles pulling trailers


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