What to Know About Triple Towing

If you’re not quite sure what triple towing is, you might know it as “double towing” or “hauling doubles.” Triple towing is for the adventurer who needs an extra set of wheels. This includes, for example, a trailer, car, golf cart, boat, or maybe even an ATV. Whatever adventure you go on, make sure you know the triple towing safety guidelines and regulations. Read below to start your journey! 

Towing Safety & Regulations

• Training: Proper training for “what-if” scenarios are critical when it comes to triple towing. Proper education that a bus or truck driver would go through goes the same way for triple towing. Some states require training and education to get an endorsement on your license. 
• Legality: Each state has different laws regarding triple towing, so do your research on your state beforehand! Most states on the east coast don’t allow it, while the west coast does allow it. For example, different heights and widths of your motorhome are different per state, as well as proper training and education, as stated earlier. 
• Breaks: Commercial towing generally has air brakes that connect to all of the wheels, so even the farthest item being towed will stop. Recreational vehicles could have air brakes on the motorhome and electric brakes on the trailer, creating no brakes on the third towing device. Properly using your brakes while triple towing is critical to your safety and to keep your motor vehicles in quality condition. 
• Lifestyle: Triple towing isn’t for everyone and especially isn’t for every vehicle. Don’t be a mechanical burden on your vehicle. Learn the regulations of each state and if your primary vehicle has the capacity to triple tow. 
• Responsibility: Adding 2 trailers to your vehicle creates a lot of responsibility, especially with that second trailer. From stopping to traveling in tight spaces, to backing the trailer up, education and taking the proper safety precautions is vital and is your responsibility! Ensure the safety of yourself and others by doing your research. 

Start your next adventure today at Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales. Contact Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales for all your trailer needs, repairs, and maintenance. Avoid disaster and keep your family safe while driving. Call 641-985-2536 or visit our website at ricevilletrailers.com.

Source:

http://rvlife.com/rv-triple-towing-laws/

https://www.rvsafety.com/rveducation

What Is Triple Towing, and Is It Legal?

Triple towing occurs when two trailers are pulled behind a vehicle. Triple towing is legal in some states, but not all. Before planning a trip pulling two trailers, it’s important to take a look at the laws of each state on your route. Not all states that allow triple towing are contiguous, which can make planning a long-distance road trip with two trailers a challenge.

First, let’s take a look at a couple of examples of triple towing:

• A family wants to take a long-distance road trip to a national park, camping along the way. Behind their regular vehicle, they wish to tow a camper and a trailer with an ATV and their bicycles on it.  
• A retired couple plans to spend part of the year in Florida. They have an RV that they park each night as they travel, and live out of during their winter months. They want to tow their regular vehicle behind the RV, as well as a trailer carrying their aluminum fishing boat.

Some states allow triple towing because they have many long, relatively flat roads and require great travel distances. Alaska is a good example, with seasonal changes making towing small planes and boats, snowmobiles, and ATVs quite common. Other states that allow triple towing include North and South Dakota, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. For a full list, see here.

However, even states that allow triple towing may have additional stipulations for length and the kinds of trailers you can combine. For more information, visit Woodall’s Rules of the Road for the US and Canada, and contact the Department of Transportation in each state you wish to triple tow through.    

Why is triple towing illegal in some states? The federal entity, the U.S. Department of Transportation, has left it up to each state to decide the legality of triple towing, regardless of whether it occurs on a state’s local highways or interstates. Recreational triple towing is different from commercial towing, which tends to use a uniform braking system for trailers. By contrast, recreational towing for personal use will almost invariably combine different brake systems from tow vehicle to trailer, with a third trailer potentially not even having brakes.

Drivers who are new to triple towing should consider their route carefully. Backing up, parking, and turning are challenging, if not sometimes impossible, with triple towing. Likewise, it will be more difficult to come to a quick stop. 

Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales has been proudly serving Iowa’s Riceville and McIntire areas for the past 30 years. We sell trailers, haulers, and trailer parts, including cargo, flatdeck, and snowmobile trailers. We also service trailers with brake repair, axle replacement, wiring and electrical repair, and tire and wheel replacement. Visit our site or call (641) 985-2536 to learn more!