Road trains with the family vehicle.

[finga]

Gidday all,
I'm sure everyone has seen the ad with the punce towing about 7 thing behind his new 4X.

Is it possible to tow a light trailer (ie tiny tinny) behind say a caravan that has had a towbar put on it??
Is there anything that says you can't??
Not thinking about it...just wondering....I hate being crook....:P

Come on all the 'knowledgeable' people let me know why you can't do it.
There's probably a reason on a site somewhere but I couldn't be bothered looking. I'm a slug in reality 8-)

I didn't even know which section to put this in. But I thought a boat has to be in the roadtrain somewhere so in boating it would go. I think that's right ::)

You can just imagine it...the grey army with van and tinny. Gunna be some peeved people then eh. ;D
Yeah, I'm a tad bored as well. :-/

Cheers and ta
Scott :)

[deathstar 3]

Hey Finga

After seeing that ad i have also wondered weather it would be legal. I cant really see why not but I'm sure there would be something to pull us up.

Wonder what the people in the know on this site have to say?

John

[finga]

I'm afraid I'm from the school of 'just because nobody does it, that's no reason it's not possible' and sometimes my brain starts wondering :)

[Poodroo]

If my Pajero breaks down (heaven forbid) and I have the tinnie in tow and then someone hitches me up and tows me home does that count? Interesting topic though finga. I tend to think so long as the car has the horsepower to do it then why not?

Poodroo

[finga]

Wouldn't be a horespower thing it would be a total weight thing and towing capacity thing of both primemover and first trailer.

[BM]

I think you'll find that its illegal to tow more than one trailer at a time.

[seatime]

I've seen it done, though it was about 30 yrs ago. A couple of groups of holidaymakers going over to Straddie used to have a boat hooked up behind the caravan. They would roll into Amity double hitched, not sure about on the mainland. They may have hitched up before the barge trip. Haven't seen it since, those where the days!

[blaze]

I reckon you would also need an articulate licence, but with that and all being set up within specs ? Some thing like a F truck to 5th wheel van with tinnie in tow
cheers
blaze

[BM]

Blaze, I reckon 5th wheel setup with a trailer in tow could probably be legal on a standard licence.

[aussiefool]

Ok just looked at the NSW Roads and Traffic web site and they say that towing more that one trailer is a no no
see http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/2005_10_towingtrailers.pdf
I think that it would be the same for every state
Aussiefool

[Roughasguts]

I use to tow stuff like that between farms. Funny thing about it is there so easy to reverse. Just reverse like you would normally turn and thats where the second trailer goes.

[Jabiru658]

It is against the law except in certain special circumstances, and you need a B-double or Road train license to tow (and the hitching requirements are different).

It is actually possible, but only on certain roads.

[Noelm]

definately illegal to tow, unless it is a proper setup as in a 'road train" it cannot be done (legally) behind your car/4X4

[wessel]

I was still in junior school when I saw the setup of a school friend of mine.

It was the Mercedes family car (mom/dad/friend and his sister, plus the rotweiler), then a caravan, then there was the hoby-cat and finally a trailer. The worst part was getting down the road from their house and around the first corner. His dad used the whole road to take that corner and after that it was a few bends and he was on the national highway and away on the annual 4 week holiday down at the coast. Nowadays i dont think he will be able to get away with that setup though:)
Not even sure if it was legal then? (I am talking '81 /'82 here now)

The whole road train somehow ran off the brakes from the car I seem to remember.

Wessel

[bootyinblue]

Mmmmm....I am erring on the 'illegal side' but I will have a definate answer for you all tomorrow.

But it got me thinking as I have seen a converted bus that was towing a box type trailer that had a tinny on the roof and behind that was a Suzuki Jimny with its front wheels up in the trailer. And this was a well set up, grey nomad cruising vehicle, so it would have all been done by the book.

So in theory, there is 3 separate vehicles with wheels coming in contact with the road, with only 1 atriculated joint, bus to trailer. But you would think there would have to be some articulation somehow between trailer and rear wheels of 4 x 4.

Anyway, will have an answer soon...

[finga]

Thanks for that Booty. Your a champion. :)
Where's Kerry??

[BM]

Yep, checked the Vic regs and illegal. I had thought that possibly the 5th wheel setup may not count per say as a trailer and hence allow a trailer behind it. But not so. In Vic that is.

Cheers

[Brumby]

Geez this brings back memories! Did it a couple of times, overseas where it was legal. Chev Ute, plus 17' caravan, plus small runabout. The boat was a bit light on the drawbar and tended to wag the dog, so speed had to be kept down, but towed ok otherwise.

RAG you're a better man than me, mate, I found reversing next to impossible. I think it may have been because the caravan axle was just about amidships, so any sideways movement on the drawbar resulted in a large opposite swing on the boat drawbar - all too easy to jacknife the whole rig.

[grey_inflatable]

Hi all im pretty sure they do it in my home town of south africa. So you can take the caravan and the boat got to have all the toys.

[gone_fishing]

oh my folks
arent there enough idiots on the roads let alone the poeple that tow a caravan or boat once a year on a trip up the highway
i can see it now easter holidays 20 kms jammed traffic with poeple with a caravan the boat and a box trailer your giveing me nightmares

but on enother view a special trailer like a car carrier trailer carries 2 cars easy for length just wieght restrictions and licence look at those fifth wheel mobile homes
cheers

[Lovey80]

The Army's Half tonne trailers have an attachment at the back for another half tonne trailer. Ive seen 6 back to back all up. Looks very odd but they would never take them off the base like that. I'd love to see that get reversed.

Cheers Chris

[sid_fishes]

just think of them of a b double and its all good, mate its easier than backing up a box trailer, now as for laws i do believe that thats all about to change, as in most states now they wont allow a bus /motor home to pull/tow a trailer, they now have to use a :A FRAME: set up, which must have an overide brake set up and must be certified, so for those that are rich enuff we can build your motorhome to suit and be legal cheers ian