Tandem Trailers in B.C.

[sledderdoc]

Well this is interesting ... my RCMP friend just told me that BC has relaxed the rules and will start allowing 5th wheels to haul a trailer behind following the lead of AB. and Sask. He didn't know what length it will be but said he will try and find out. Finally get to haul the rig somewhere else!:d

 

[sledderdoc]

Anyone heard anything about this to verify?

 

[posnick]

this is news to me. its something i didnt thing BC would EVER do!!! may have to call dept of transport

 

[Iron Horse Racing]

In a conversation last year with the DOT....they indicated they were pushing to not allow it in Alberta.....

They stated it was to difficult to inforce, as a lot of peole doing it were overloading the truck and alot of the trailer manufactors were agaisnt it as well stating there 5th trailers were never Engineered to have a hitch.

I have for years pulled a 24' 5th wheel with a 22' flatdeck....bumber to bumber 64' 5" with a 3/4 ton truck....I was stopped several times and used to carry a copy of the reg's as the hiway patrol didnt think it was legal.....

The 5th wheel trailer wasnt engineered for a hitch but we had rasied it up 2" and beefed up the rear of the frame to handle the hitch weight....

Was even getting better at backing up both trailers....then went to a bigger toy hauler and bigger truck.....

I dont see what the problem is, as long as one has enough truck under it all....and has the skill to drive it,,,

But I wont have a problem having a ryder on your license showing you can handle it...the same goes for someone with a class 5 lic going out and buying a large motorhome or trailer and has never diven anything of size.....you see them all the time on the roads or in camp grounds the ones that must have a drive through site as they couldnt back it up to save the soul....

 

[teeroy]

I called Victoria and no one has heard anything like that as of yet. I have a call in to Brian Kengis (sp?) and awaiting a call back. He is the man in charge of public transportation safety policies for BC highways.

 

[sledderdoc]

In a conversation last year with the DOT....they indicated they were pushing to not allow it in Alberta.....

They stated it was to difficult to inforce, as a lot of peole doing it were overloading the truck and alot of the trailer manufactors were agaisnt it as well stating there 5th trailers were never Engineered to have a hitch.

I have for years pulled a 24' 5th wheel with a 22' flatdeck....bumber to bumber 64' 5" with a 3/4 ton truck....I was stopped several times and used to carry a copy of the reg's as the hiway patrol didnt think it was legal.....

I haul a 27.5 5th W with a 22ft boat behind a F350 Harley and have never been stopped. I always thought max length was 60ft. It would be handy to carry a copy of regs. Where did you get them?

 

[posnick]

total length for ab is 65'7". also did you know that by putting a hitch on the back of you 5th wheel it voids warranty as a rule of thumb, what my customers tell me is as long as it dosnt look like your truck is having issues, you wont get stopped. in all my years in the industry i am yet to have a customer that they ran into issues in alberta

 

[farwest]

It won't happen.

 

[sledderdoc]

total length for ab is 65'7". also did you know that by putting a hitch on the back of you 5th wheel it voids warranty as a rule of thumb, what my customers tell me is as long as it dosnt look like your truck is having issues, you wont get stopped. in all my years in the industry i am yet to have a customer that they ran into issues in alberta

Thats why I got a Travelaire brother! Only manufacturer that will still honour the warranty with a hitch on the back. Only catch is it must be professionally installed! Mines rated to 5000lbs! :d

 

[teeroy]

I called Victoria and no one has heard anything like that as of yet. I have a call in to Brian Kengis (sp?) and awaiting a call back. He is the man in charge of public transportation safety policies for BC highways.

Brian called back this afternoon, he said the policy is under review and MAY be changed, but as of today the old rules prohibiting 3 unit combinations under 11,000 kgs is still in effect.

 

[tmix]

Brian called back this afternoon, he said the policy is under review and MAY be changed, but as of today the old rules prohibiting 3 unit combinations under 11,000 kgs is still in effect.

thanks for the info

 

[Mike270412]

Brian called back this afternoon, he said the policy is under review and MAY be changed, but as of today the old rules prohibiting 3 unit combinations under 11,000 kgs is still in effect.

I'm not holding my breath....Not really sure I want to see Joe Public with a class 5 license pulling a "B"-train on a road like the Coq anyways..."

 

[teeroy]

I'm not holding my breath....Not really sure I want to see Joe Public with a class 5 license pulling a "B"-train on a road like the Coq anyways..."

I could really care less if they change it or not, I just have a bunch of numbers for BC Transport stuff and thought I'd make a call or two. But I agree on the principal, you can go and buy a 40+ foot Monaco diesel pusher that weighs 15 ton or more and drive it off the lot with a class 5, even if the biggest thing you've driven is a smart car. Brutal...

 

[Iron Horse Racing]

Sledderdoc

Sorry it took me a while to find it, my filing system is fantastic....my retrival system sucks.....

I'm possitive I downloaded it from the Queens Printer, got that info from the Leduc Vehicle inspection station..... http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca it's in there some where, when I have another moment I'll hunt through there, in the mean time my hunting....

and yes the maxium lenght bumber to bumber is 65' 7" or 20 m....also the first hitch has to be a king pin style...(common fith wheel) the second trailer has to be the same or shorter and has to weigh less...dont play with that one unless you like multiple pile ups...

I also but an anti sawy bar on my second trailer, being a flat deck I had to watch how it was loaded, some weight forward but not to much ....

 

[mxz sledhead]

When i was traveling threw Sask I was shock at some of hitchs I seen
bumper hitch to bumper hitch and one on the trailer was right on the
thin square tubing bumper very scarey only in Sask

 

[SHREK1]

would be nice to see ya have to qualify to pull certain combo's

 

[johndeereman346]

how bout a special condition on your lisence to pull a trailer period some people pulling trailers cant back em up to save their life. or atleast make it mandatory in your drivers test

 

[growly]

Hell the old farts have trouble in BC driving cars,don't want them hauling B-trains. I'd say you should have a special endorsement AND training to haul combo units.

 

[250mark1]

with the exception of backing up b trains pull no different than just a 5th wheel even then you just have to back up like there is no trailer behind the truck it does suck with a short quad trailer though and you can't really see the second trailer back there except for the shadows in the ditch
would i do it in BC on mountain passes probably not

 

[farwest]

I could really care less if they change it or not, I just have a bunch of numbers for BC Transport stuff and thought I'd make a call or two. But I agree on the principal, you can go and buy a 40+ foot Monaco diesel pusher that weighs 15 ton or more and drive it off the lot with a class 5, even if the biggest thing you've driven is a smart car. Brutal...

In BC you need a special endorsement to haul a large 5th wheel or opperate a large motorhome.It includes a written, a pretrip and a road test.Many people don't bother but I have seen some retired people parked in the summer at a check unable to continue until they go and take the test.