How to Correct Bounce When Towing 5th Wheel That Tows a Boat Trailer

Updated 08/23/2016 | Published 08/22/2016

Question:

i have your trailer hitch on the rear of my 5TH wheel when i pull my boat i get the bounce and the feel of a water trailer try to push my truck when ca i do to stop this.

asked by: GEORGE L

Helpful Expert Reply:

Towing a trailer with another trailer can be tricky, and this practice is not legal in all states and provinces.

The problem is that for any towed trailer to handle well, its tongue weight (TW) needs to be right around 12-15% of the trailer gross weight. But when your boat trailer's tongue weight is pressing down on the rear of the 5th wheel trailer, it will reduce that trailer's TW. Things get complicated here because typically a power boat trailer has lowish TW since the motor sits so far back on the trailer. Having a heavy outboard motor at the very back of this vehicle chain makes the balancing process challenging.

The remedy for this tug-of-war between the trailers is experimenting to find at what point your two trailers' TWs can balance out and get along together. We know of a customer in a similar situation who had to relocate his trailer water tank further forward to add TW that offset the lift that occurred from his boat trailer pushing down on the back of the 5th wheel.

expert reply by: Adam R