Triple Towing

Is Triple Towing Worth It?

Pat and I are planning to try snowbirding next winter.

We’ve talked about it for years, and now that we’re both retired, we decided it’s time to give it a try. I know we won’t miss the snow and cold. Being away from family for a few months will be harder, but we’re looking forward to the adventure.

Like most RVers, we’ve spent countless hours researching campgrounds in Florida. We’ve searched online, talked to other campers, and gathered recommendations from friends who have spent winters there.

After comparing several locations, we found a campground that checked all the boxes. It was close to where we wanted to be, within our budget, and the owner was even willing to hold the site with a small deposit that would be refunded if we decided not to make the trip.

So far, everything was falling into place.

Then We Started Thinking About the Motorcycle

We own a Honda Gold Wing and enjoy riding whenever we can.

The more we talked about spending the winter in Florida, the more we realized how much we’d enjoy having the motorcycle with us. After all, Florida offers some great riding, and we’d be close enough to ride over to Daytona Bike Week.

That started another round of research.

We had three options:

Ride the motorcycle to Florida.
Ship it.
Tow it behind the fifth wheel.

Riding It Down

While we enjoy long-distance motorcycle trips, this option would mean Pat would have to tow the fifth wheel while I rode the motorcycle.

She’s fully capable of doing it, but it just wasn’t the way we wanted to make the trip.

Shipping It

We requested a few preliminary shipping quotes.

The estimates ranged from about $750 to $1,000 each way.

That was more than we wanted to spend, so shipping quickly dropped down the list.

That left triple towing.

We’ve seen plenty of RVers towing a small trailer behind their fifth wheel, and I have access to a trailer that would work well for transporting the motorcycle.

It seemed like the perfect solution.

Until I started researching the laws.

Know the Laws Before You Go

I was surprised to learn that triple towing isn’t legal in every state.

In fact, more than half of the states we’d travel through prohibit it altogether or have restrictions that would affect our route.

While reading online discussions, I found plenty of people who said they’d been triple towing for years and had never been stopped.

That may be true.

But I’m not willing to risk being hundreds of miles from home and having a law enforcement officer tell me I can’t continue until I separate the trailers or make other arrangements.

That’s simply not a situation I want to find myself in.

Our Decision

At this point, we’re back to deciding between riding the motorcycle to Florida or shipping it.

Fortunately, we still have plenty of time to make that decision.

One Final Tip

If you’re considering triple towing, don’t rely on information from social media or random websites alone.

Research the laws for every state you’ll be traveling through, and verify the information with each state’s Department of Transportation or Highway Patrol. Laws change, and not every website stays up to date.

I discovered that firsthand.

Some websites still list triple towing as illegal in Minnesota, even though it has been legal here for years under certain conditions.

A little homework before you leave can save you a lot of headaches once you’re on the road.