5th wheel hitch help

[vister]

hello all, i am asking a question on behalf of my future father in law. him and his wife purchased a 21' 5th wheel camper. it has a gooseneck extension on it. is it legal to tow a 12' trailer behind the camper in MN without a CDL, or anywhere i guess? is it legal to pull in tandem with the gooseneck style hitch? ive heard you can only tow in tandem with a 5th wheel hitch, however, a gooseneck has a higher weight rating. also, the truck being used is a 03 f150 flareside. i know he'd need a slider, but do they make 5th wheel hitches to accomodate a flareside?

before anyone says an f150 isnt enough truck, it is a very light camper and the trailer is a tilt bed just big enough for a motorcycle

[Ryan_V]

You can tow a triple without a cdl. Not sure if being a gooseneck makes a difference in anything or not. You might want to post this in the camping/rving forum. You are going to hear about how a half ton isn't enough.... But not from me! I'm more worried about it being a ford

[CAMAN]

Quote:

Maximum Length - RV & Trailer Combo: 60ft.In a recreation vehicle combination consisting of a pickup truck, a camper-trailer and a boat, flat bed, horse trailer, etc. the camper-trailer cannot exceed 28' in length, and the entire combination cannot exceed 60' in length. The combination cannot be operated in the seven county Metro area from 6 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 7 pm Mon - Fri.

[trackerbrent]

Does the fifth wheel have an extended pin box with the gooseneck adapter clamped on to the pin? If it does the pin box will hit the side of the box on turns. I tow a fifth wheel of similar size with a 6 1/2' box on a F150, never ran in to a situation where I needed a slider. Yes, I also tow a ski boat behind the fifth wheel. Fifth wheel weighs 4500 lbs loaded and boat 3000 lbs. No worries tows just fine for the 5-6 times a year towing. Although my F150 has quite a bit more towing capacity and GCWR than the 97-03 F150's. I would steer away from the gooseneck adapter on an extended pin box as it put a lot of leverage on the frame of the fifth wheel. The maximum length is actually 70' and the 28' fifth wheel length for the middle trailer is no longer a law, just the 70' maximum length.

[CAMAN]

The maximum length is actually 70' and the 28' fifth wheel length for the middle trailer is no longer a law, just the 70' maximum length.

Okay, sorry about that, here's the law directly from the MNDOT PDF.

NOTICE: it says the trailer must be hauling watercraft, snowmobile, atv, etc. I don't think you can legally haul a standard utility trailer without one of those vehicles in it.

[delcecchi]

Equestrian equipment, put a bridle in the trailer?

[vister]

thanks for that info. however, does the law mean 5th wheel coupling only, or legally do they consider a gooseneck hitch the same as 5th wheel?? i know you cant tow in tandem with a bumper pull, but i guess im wondering do "they" consider 5th wheel and gooseneck the same??

[Powerstroke]

In the past, 5th wheel and gooseneck were considered the same when discussing this law, but when they updated it a couple years ago they pulled out the gooseneck portion.

I would say to be sure you should contact the DMV or state patrol with your question.

My only concern for this combination is to make sure you are within the gcvwr for the truck. Sounds like a lot of weight for a half ton and the State patrol will weigh you if you get pulled over.

Also, different states have different rules and some states don't allow double towing without a CDL and some don't allow it at all so if they plan on leaving MN with this combo they should verify which states allow it.

[MJ1657]

Dot is getting tougher on this all the time. Like said in the above post if you have exceeded the maximum gvcwr you are taking a risk of being put out of service. I drive truck over the road once in awhile and i'm noticing some states are requiring any vehicle over 10,000 lbs including pickups to pull into scales.