Towing tandem

[frizzen]

I am putting a hitch on the back of my 5er for a second trailer to haul the toys. For those of you who have done this, did you wire the lights into the trailer or run wire all the way back to the tow vehicle?

[MnTom]

What I did was to run new wire (three conductor that I had laying around) from the 4" box that the pigtail ties into at the pin box. For the ground wire at the rear, I drilled a hole (and tapped it for a screw) in a small piece of angle iron that was at the rear of my trailer and was attached to the frame.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by frizzen

I am putting a hitch on the back of my 5er for a second trailer to haul the toys. For those of you who have done this, did you wire the lights into the trailer or run wire all the way back to the tow vehicle?

I considered it, but after checking with Indiana DMV the only trailer I could pull behind our 5er legally is a boat trailer.

[gthunts]

Not legal in Florida

[Big B]

I recommend you check with your local state DMV for towing doubles or it could be costly

[zip0]

Check here first

Towing World Official Website

[MnTom]

Um, the OP is asking about wiring, not legalities.

[zip0]

Originally Posted by MnTom

Um, the OP is asking about wiring, not legalities.

What if the OP goes through the trouble to wire to later find out that he cant use it.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by frizzen

I am putting a hitch on the back of my 5er for a second trailer to haul the toys. For those of you who have done this, did you wire the lights into the trailer or run wire all the way back to the tow vehicle?

I towed a 5'x10' box trailer with single axle behind my 5er, with golf cart, generator, some extra gasoline cans, etc. The trailer was light-duty enough that it did not have (nor require) trailer brakes - at least in Texas. So I installed a "U-Haul" 4-wire trailer connector on the back of the 5er, and wired it into the tail lights of the trailer. So the second trailer had brake lights, running lights, and turn signal lights.

As to legalities, some states don't allow a second trailer, but I've never heard of any states enforcing that rule on folks dragging a boat, sled, motorcycle or small toy trailer behind a 5er RV trailer. Unless that second trailer "looked" dangerous because it was wiggling around behind the 5er - i.e., excessive trailer sway.

My second trailer had a lot of sway on rough roads until I installed a sway bar on the hitch. I had my wife drive the rig while I followed behind and observed the trailers. On bumpy or curvy or rough roads, that second trailer would do a BIG sway every time the 5er did a little jiggle. So I installed a sway bar and that took care of the sway. Not a weight-distributing hitch, just a friction-type sway bar, like this one:
Reese Friction Sway Control for Weight Distribution Systems Reese Weight Distribution RP26660

In addition to the sway bar in that link you also need a ball mount with a place to install the second little ball that connects to the sway bar. Here's an adapter that works with any 2" weight-carrying (WC) ball mount:
Reese Sway-Control Bracket for 2" Ball Mounts - Class III and IV Reese Accessories and Parts RP26003

Here's a WC ball mount with the tab for one sway bar:
Curt Ball Mount with Sway Control Bracket, 3/4" Rise or 2" Drop Curt Ball Mounts D320

Heavier trailers that can gross over around 2,500 pounds when wet and loaded may need two sway bars, one on each side of the tongue. WC ball mounts are also available with provisions for two sway bars, but I don't see one with a quick search. One option is to buy the ball mount for one sway bar and weld on a second tab for the second sway bar.
Rigid SBP-1 Sway Control Weld-On Adapter

And you also need the second little ball that bolts onto the ball mount. The sway bar has only one included, but you need one at both ends of the sway bar.
Replacement Ball for Reese Friction Sway-Control System Reese Accessories and Parts RP58060

[BFlinn181]

Besides legality in many states, and SmokeyWren points out the distance behind the axles of the 5th wheel will cause the hitch on the rear to exaggerate the forces and movement on the second trailer. Are you sure the frame and suspension of the 5th wheel can handle it? Most 5th wheelers are built to handle their own weight, not the added forces of a trailer hitch. If you look at trucks pulling double trailers they are usually set up with the axles on the trailer slid all the way back to reduce the leverage forces being passed down the line. In addition, many trailers are 'pups' to shorten the sway forces.

As to your question about wiring, I'd make sure to use LED lights to reduce the amperage draw on the circuits from the tow vehicle.

[frizzen]

I've already checked the states that I would go to and I would be legal. The states that pitch a fit about the second trailer are far east or left coast and there's no one there that I need to see.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by frizzen

I've already checked the states that I would go to and I would be legal. The states that pitch a fit about the second trailer are far east or left coast and there's no one there that I need to see.

But life happens. The Army transferred my granddaughter to Fort Irwin, northeast of San Berdoo, and we had to go see her and bring back a trailer load of stuff. We didn't tow doubles that trip, just my 7x14 enclosed cargo trailer. But that stupid 55 MPH speed limit for any towing in CA is extremely irritating. I'll probably never visit LaLa land again unless a family member begs me to come.

And my daughter and her kids now live in Knoxville. And another granddaughter's hubby is in the Navy, stationed at the Kings Bay submarine base in the southeast corner of GA - just up the road from Jacksonville Fl. And a guy has to visit his kids and grandkids, even if you must travel thru states with stupid towing restrictions. We'll probably "make do" by leaving the trailer at home, moteling it on the road, and camping out on the kid's floor.

[JRPA]

We have a class A mh and I have hooked our water ski trailer to the toads (jeep) hitch and pulled both with MH. I added an additional section of wire into a set of tail lights with magnetic bases and simply ran the wire from the MH back over the top of the Jeep and back to the jet ski trailer. It worked great but I later found out the legal length in Nevada was 70' and I was a little over 72' so we are now driving the jeep pulling the jet skiis to stay legal.

[MnTom]

frizzen, another thing the two trailers I pull, the overhang on my fiver makes the wheels of my second (16' boat) track in the same tracks as my fiver on corners. In other words the second trailer takes no more room to turn than I need for the fiver. This is an older picture of mine: