Tandem Towing

[Z3CO23]

Thinking about getting a fifth wheel for extended stay boating trips. I've had thought's about tandem towing.... not something I want to do but its the most efficient way to get camper and boat there. I will be getting a new truck if I go down that road and 1 ton will be my choice.... unknown on manufacturer yet.

Looking to get some real world opinions about towing tandem. Have the beefed up hitches you've installed on the back of the trailer held up for towing the boat? A dually is obviously a plus but will a single rear wheeled 1 ton handle it.

Looking at something in the low 30 foot range for fifth wheels so that total length will keep me around 70' for here in Colorado.

[retox1]

I know a few guys that do it, but they are all guys with smaller fishing boats or small trailers for Atvs, bikes, etc. They tell me it can be a bit sketchy at times but better than making two trips. I seriously looked at buying a fifth wheel and pulling my RZ2 behind it, but after talking to a few guys about it, I went with a small truck camper instead. It worked out well for us, as we can still take our camper out to British Columbia where triple towing is a no go.

Might be something to consider. Some of the newer truck campers are pretty nice.

[bsreid]

We own a 27ft 5th wheel and towing our boat behind it just would not feel right. If you want the space of a 5th wheel, get another vehicle that is capable of towing your boat like a Durango or a grand Cherokee and have your wife pull it if she is comfortable. I don't know if other states in your area allow tandem towing, so you could go explore outside of your area.

[WYTige?]

I used to tow a 30ft 5th wheel and a 20 ft. bow rider that was pretty heavy on a tandem axel trailer and I didn't have any problems. I was towing with a 3/4 ton diesel and covered several hundred miles with the set up no problems. I currently have a 33ft trailer that is significantly heavier and my Tige is a much heavier boat so I haven't gone down that road...yet. I drove slow and mostly on the interstate so it really didn't bother me any. Mostly now I just worry about the overall weight I'd be pulling. I've seen plenty of larger trailers and tow boats in tandem a lot so a lot of guys do it.

[brichardson]

I have a 31 foot fifth wheel and pull our Z1 behind it with a 3/4 Silverado with no issues at all. It is not maxing out the tow capacity of the truck and with the duramax/Allison combo it handles it very well. We have traveled to other states as well that have shorter length restrictions with no issues at all with law enforcement. We mainly travel in Colorado and have been all over the mountains with it and have never felt uncomfortable doing it. We had a custom hitch mounted to the fifth wheel and I check it before we head out on every trip and have noticed no movement or anything concerning with the hitch setup. Of course doing this is all on the individuals comfort level and I will say I would not go any larger than our Z1 due to length and mostly weight. The thumbs up from people, especially truckers, while on the road is also always hilarious!!

Also, I began our tandem towing experience with our RZR before we purchased our Z1. Hope this helps and happy trailering.

[viking]

I towed tandem with when I had a 20ftr DD. It was smooth sailing with my 07 LBZ Duramax w/allison 3/4 ton. No problems at all. Truck has a 6in lift with 35's and had the trailer lifted and rear Hitch and wiring harness installed and it'll stand up to anything you hook to it. Main issue is the tow vehicle and weight for stopping and handling. I was also lugging around all the weight of the lift and wheels/tires. Like i said with my 20 footer it was fine but I upgraded to a 22 foot vessel and weighs about 30% more than my last boat so I went back to double rigs. Truck has enough power to pull it but worried about stopping and handling.
With your RZR I think you'd be fine but a bigger boat I would be concerned about overall weight of the train.
MT and WY you'd be fine with tandem legally. MT is 75 feet overall length.

[Z3CO23]

That's for the input fellas. For those of you who have towed tandem did you go to a local welding shop for the hitch install. The service departments of dealerships don't do the installs. I've heard good things about Cowboy Metals here in Denver

[brichardson]

Yes. I went to a place in Loveland called Kirbys. They welded the hitch assembly, bolted it to the trailer frame and installed the wiring harness for the back of the trailer. In the neighborhood of $800 or so.

[tchancey]

Several years ago I pulled our 28' 5th wheel and 20' boat to Lake Powell a couple of times. It did pretty well behind my F250 with the 7.3 diesel. I've since switched to a bigger/heavier boat (2300V) behind a motorhome. There are pros & cons to each approach.

Cowboy Metal did the hitch for me & I'd also recommend them.

Train.jpg

[Z3CO23]

I have thought about the motorhome route as well. My concern is that is will be a pain to have to move the RV to but the boat in an out each day if we are at water that doesn't allow me to keep the boat in the water near our campsite.

[jmhatchett]

Also, depending where you go the marina or someone may put the boat in the water for you for a couple dollars a day. I know a bunch use tractors to move trailers and launch and retrieve boats for people that store their boats at the marina. Those guys might be willing to help out for a couple bucks.

Another thought when tandem towing would be electric brakes on the boat trailer instead of surge brakes. Since most people that tow tandem have diesel trucks those are plenty good power wise and I would think the only uncomfortable part would be sway control and stopping. I would look into having all electric 4wheel disc brakes if you dont have tha set up on the boat.

[coojac]

Hey All,
I have been doubling up for about 6 years. I drive a short bed crew cab 2008 Sierra with the Duramax/Allison combo. I am pulling a 40' Wildcat with my Z1 tagging along. I live in Colorado and have found pulling to be fine. Big bumps in construction zones are my only issue because the boat gets a little squirrely at speeds at 70 or higher. If you run 60-65 I am comfortable and everything follows along fine. Either way, just keep your mirrors out so you can see and drive at a comfortable speed. I had Cowboy Metal install the hitch and lights. Cost was about $900. They did a much better job than Parker Trailers who did my last 5'ers hitch.
Happy towing!