Pulling Utility Trailer

[harleyrk]

We have just ordered a 21' to be completed the 4th of September. Curious.....Does anyone pull a small utility trailer or boat behind their Escape? ETI does not have any info, as 3 way towing is not legal in Canada. Thanks in advance.

[cpaharley2008]

It is not legal in most states. There is a hitch on the rear bumper with 150 # capacity. Some people carry bikes or a rack on the back but there is a weight limit.

[Doug2000]

In Ontario and maybe some states you may pull 2 trailers but one must be a fifth wheel and the other a bumper pull. Both must have electric brakes. This is referred to as a B Train.

You can’t do it with a Escape 21.

[Centex]

As of 2016 it was legal, in some form or another, in over half of the US states (source). It is in the OP's Texas where, though not particularly common, it's not uncommon to see a boat or watercraft as a second trailer behind a travel trailer.

In TX it's called a "Recreational 3-Vehicle Combination", is limited to 65-feet overall, and no special license endorsement is required (CDL is not required when not meeting criteria for Commercial operation). The 'middle trailer' can be a bumper-pull.

For the 'middle trailer' its rear receiver, trailer chassis, and trailer tongue hitch all enter into the equation.

Given the relatively light rear receiver rating and lack of manufacturer specific guidance, I'd not consider the Escape as-delivered suitable for the task. YMMV.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by harleyrk

ETI does not have any info, as 3 way towing is not legal in Canada. Thanks in advance.

It varies by province. Years and years ago, in Alberta, I saw a truck towing an RV trailer and a boat. Later I asked a cop if that was legal. He said, if you want to make your own choo-choo train that's fine as long as it's not over 65 feet.

Don't know if that's still the case in Alberta.

In our fairly extensive travels we see double tows once in awhile. But it's not all that common.

Ron

[PGDriver]

Towing in Alberta, it’s legal to tow 2 trailers under certain conditions, although with what I’ve personally seem here I don’t think it’s advisable.


https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/409b...wing-guide.pdf

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Doug2000

In Ontario and maybe some states you may pull 2 trailers but one must be a fifth wheel and the other a bumper pull. Both must have electric brakes. This is referred to as a B Train.

You can’t do it with a Escape 21.

This is a typical set of requirement for a two-trailer recreational rig, but it is not a B-train. In a B-train, the leading trailer is a semi-trailer (no Escape is a semi-trailer) carrying a hitch over the rearmost axles of extended frame, and the trailing trailer is a semi-trailer (not a bumper-pull). A B-train is far more stable than even an Ontario (or Alberta) legal two-trailer rig.

True, you can't make either a combination legal in Ontario (or here in Alberta) or a B-train with an Escape 21'.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by PGDriver

Towing in Alberta, it’s legal to tow 2 trailers under certain conditions, although with what I’ve personally seem here I don’t think it’s advisable.

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/409b...wing-guide.pdf

That's a nice comprehensive guide to the province's recreational towing rig regulations, kudos to Alberta for that document , I wish more US states published similar!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

It varies by province. Years and years ago, in Alberta, I saw a truck towing an RV trailer and a boat. Later I asked a cop if that was legal. He said, if you want to make your own choo-choo train that's fine as long as it's not over 65 feet.

Don't know if that's still the case in Alberta.

I doubt that was ever the case in Alberta, and it is certainly not that simple now. As the guide which Doug (PGDriver) linked shows a legal two-trailer rig here, much like Doug2000 described for Ontario, requires a fifth-wheel hitch between truck and first trailer, tandem axles on the first trailer, and that the second trailer is shorter than the first. Yes, the length limit is 20 metres (65 ft). Unless you crash the thing, most cops don't care (and likely don't know) about trailer requirements in detail. The commercial vehicle safety enforcement officers do, but their primary focus is commercial vehicles.

A second trailer is most commonly used to carry a boat, with ATVs or motorcycles likely the next most common.

By Alberta rules, an Escape 5.0TA (but only that model, among all Escapes) could be used to legally tow a second trailer (shorter than the 5.0TA), but only if a fifth-wheel hitch (not a conversion to a ball hitch such as the Andersen Ultimate) is used. I agree with Centex that is not advisable, but my reason is proportions for stability - the axles are not far enough back in the trailer for this purpose. Multiple trailer rigs should be built with full trailers (steering front axle, as in an A-train) or semi-trailers (axles as far back as possible in the trailer, as in a B-train or C-train), not with pony trailers.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I doubt that was ever the case in Alberta, and it is certainly not that simple now.

Well I did say it was a long, long time ago, about 45 years ago.

But the cops words were crystal clear, "Son, if you want ......."

Ron