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timbo123
1st Oct 2008, 06:11 PM
I have always wondered but is it legal to put a towbar on a trailer and tow two trailers??

MICKYG
1st Oct 2008, 06:13 PM
NO NO NO:no::no::no::no:



Regards Mike:2tsup:

Yonnee
1st Oct 2008, 11:16 PM
:whs:

On public roads, NO!!
Plus you'd need a Multi-Combination Licence.

On private land, you can do what you want.

However, you can put a towbar on the back of a trailer/Caravan for the purposes of fitting a bike rack.

VXEXEC350
15th Apr 2009, 12:51 AM
NO NO NO:no::no::no::no:



Regards Mike:2tsup:

Hmmm, not sure if this is correct. Ever noticed a b'double or roadtrain on the roads? These are trailers towing trailers. Obviously there are regulations and licenses to be taken into consideration, not just slapping a 50mm towbar on a trailer and dragging a second one. Why would you though, just use a trailer that is big enough for your need.

joe greiner
15th Apr 2009, 10:37 PM
What he said.

Doubles and triples (roadtrain) typically have precise geometry for the bogies and trailing axles, not just slapped together, to assure proper tracking. Otherwise, the whole thing will wander - really bad news on curves.:oo:

Cheers,
Joe

Yonnee
16th Apr 2009, 09:41 PM
Hmmm, not sure if this is correct. Ever noticed a b'double or roadtrain on the roads? These are trailers towing trailers. Obviously there are regulations and licenses to be taken into consideration, not just slapping a 50mm towbar on a trailer and dragging a second one. Why would you though, just use a trailer that is big enough for your need.

As far as a light trailer, less than 4500kg, this a no-no Australia wide.

Plus you'd need a Multi-Combination Licence.

Maybe I wasn't clear enough.:no:

Just the registration costs alone would make it cost prohibitive.

Besides, the question was about putting a towbar on a trailer to tow another, not fabricating your own B-Double at home.

VXEXEC350
16th Apr 2009, 11:53 PM
As far as a light trailer, less than 4500kg, this a no-no Australia wide.


Maybe I wasn't clear enough.:no:

Just the registration costs alone would make it cost prohibitive.

Besides, the question was about putting a towbar on a trailer to tow another, not fabricating your own B-Double at home.
Really???
wow

SNAFU
19th Apr 2009, 01:18 AM
This might be a litle out of left field but. An Albany (WA) guy built a 5 wheel caravan, towed by a ute, and fitted a 15' boat n trailer behind. He needed and had a MC licence. It made the local paper.

VXEXEC350
19th Apr 2009, 03:06 PM
This might be a litle out of left field but. An Albany (WA) guy built a 5 wheel caravan, towed by a ute, and fitted a 15' boat n trailer behind. He needed and had a MC licence. It made the local paper.
My point exactly, correctly engineered and licenced I would have thought it ok, as I drive heavy vehicles for a living, I naturally thought of B-Doubles as I drive them, I did not know about the 4 and a half tonne thing, most of the rules for heavy vehicles (dimentionally anyway) are accross the board. We are all farmilliar with fifth wheel caravans, which go nowhere near the weight of a semi but are easier to conrol than a drawbared van,,,especially in reverse

Wahoon
16th Jul 2009, 11:37 PM
Not a crazy question at all. I have two tandem 7x4 box trailers fitted with square receiver hitch towbars, each also has a socket for lights on te following trailer.
In addition to these, my brother and I are nearly complete building his trailer, once again a tandem, fitted with an alloy tray off a ute, and also has one of the receiver hitch towbars off of one of my Rodeo's fitted to it. I haven't completed the electrical installation on it yet, but it will also be fitted with a socket to power following trailer(s).
Being new to this site, once I work out how to attach photo's, I will.
As well as in the scrub, I have towed on the black top, at the posted limit of 110km/h and can report that the trailers are very stable to the point you don't notice the second trailer. Although I've only done it in the scrub, towing three at once, I would also envisage 3 on the black top would be just as stable as two is, as is one.

Cheers,
Dion.

timbo123
17th Jul 2009, 09:49 AM
But is it legal?

Wahoon
17th Jul 2009, 09:58 PM
Timbo,
good question, well asked, I don't know.
Having done this regulary for 22 years, it should be enshrined in law.
I do know of quite a few othe trailers kicking about with towbars/towballs on the back, although my two (soon to become three) are the only that I know of with a socket base for ligting on trailing trailers.

To me, the trailer s not finished off if it doesn't have a towbar on the rear for towing other trailers.

RETIRED
17th Jul 2009, 10:55 PM
Have a look here:
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/personal_transport/light_vehicles/trailers.asp

It is enshrined in law as towing more than one trailer is prohibited.

http://www.cyberhorse.net.au/safetowing/law.htm

RETIRED
17th Jul 2009, 11:09 PM
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vehictowin_dl1.html and download the PDF.

bobsreturn2003
23rd Jul 2009, 06:46 PM
good grief please dont come to qld

shazzkim
23rd Jul 2009, 08:34 PM
I wouldn't think that it would be legal but depends what you are doing and where you are going. I am a farmer and have been known to have a trailer with a 1000lt fuel tank being towed by my ute that is being towed by a 35 foot harvester front trailer that is being towed by a 14 foot wide and twenty five foot long oversized harvester through small country towns. That gives me four turning/pivot points... B quadruple???
Sometimes its just what you can get away with!!!
But two trailers the same might look to be stretching the rules a little
Kim

Wahoon
24th Jul 2009, 12:53 AM
I agree, it makes good ecenomic sence to do this. When I go out and cut firewood, if I was to use two vehicles to tow a trailer each, then I use 200% fuel in comparison with one trailer. When I tow two trailers, I do use slightly more fuel than towing one trailer, but significantly less than double what one trailer is worth, therefore less of a carbon footprint. When towing three trailers, the actual increase in fuel consumption is still less than two vehicles towing one trailer each, therefore I can haul and load 3 trailers for less than the price of two, which is more ecenomical to me and a significant reduction of carbon emissions.
One of my fondest memories is when putting the towbar on the first trailer I ever did over two decades ago, the government inspector was up inspecting several of our prime movers, tankers and dollies for Road Train certification. He watched what I was doing, commented very favourably on the methos and even offered a little bit of constructive advice. Surely if illegal or he disagreed with what I was doing, the government inspector that knows the rules would have said so.

Cheers,
Dion.