Show your boat/RV set up

We do a lot of tent camping throughout the summer as well as spring and fall and Tate (my hubby) is getting tired of the packing, set-up, take-down and unpacking of all the tent gear. We have everything including a kitchen set up and port-a-potty so there is a lot to pack and set up.

We are thinking of buying a RV that will pull the boat and be able to camp in. I wanna see what others out there are doing. Do you have a camper on your truck, an RV, a 5th wheel? Show me some pics so I can "visualize" what our options are.

01 Launch, 21' 5th wheel, 96 F250 Powerstroke

05 Launch 21V, 23' 5th wheel, 05 F250 Powerstroke

i got this from the now defunct malibuboatowners site. not too sure whose it was/is, but damn it's a pretty badass setup.

Do you have to have a special license to pull two things?

Nope but I know in some provinces/states it is illegal to tow two rigs. But here in Alberta you are allowed. But there is a length restriction! Nice setups up above!

yes, It requires a special License (Class C with an Endorsement R (Allows Class C license to tow a combination of vehicles not to exceed 70 feet in length. Additional written and skills tests are required.) At least thats the law in Nevada. Check with your DMV

Like you, tired of tenting.(Can't tow two trailers in Ill.) We were worried about launching, but typically we really don't go anywhere that we don't know someone with a truck. It's been pretty nice -

The mobile condo

Brian that is a great rig!

Not to highjack your thread but I've been thinking about all-in-one camping/boating trips too. Like Renee we do the tent camping thing but that gets old fast. I've been considering a slide-in camper but have not checked out its feasibility yet. So, does anyone tow their boat with a slid-in on their truck? I only have a half ton (5.3L Z71). Would a slide-in and boat (D-drive Launch) in tow exceed towing/payload capacities? I know I'll probably have to figure this out specifically for my own rig but I though maybe somebody could give some insight.

Rene, in Calif you have to have a class A lic to pull doubles.
Heres my setup

jim... more than likely a slide-in camper would exceed your towing capacity and then adding a boat in tow definitely would...maybe even for a 3/4 ton... if i had a slide in camper i would want a dually for sure

Jim - I used to have a slide in. It is absoluty the hardest to tow because all its weight is in the bed. You could tow a 19 to 21 foot 5th wheel much easier if your state will let you. We can in IN, OH, KY, TN.

For those with the 5th wheels and trailers, is your 5th wheel heavier than your boat? do you find that you have trouble with swaying while driving?

Jim, Thats how we started 3/4 t w/ Lance camper. I got tired of unloading and reloadind the camper to launch and go site seeing. With the 5er you just set up camp once and the truck is free to transport what ever when ever.

Renee, Yes the 5er is 3 x the weight of the boat. You always put the lightest trailer last.

You will need a commercial class A with a doubles endorcement to tow doubles in CA. The length is bumper to bumper we are at 70' which is OK when the center trailer does not exceed 28'6" (finding a bunkhouse we liked that short took us a while).

We tow our boat with a slide in camper all the time. Can't even tell it is back there. I used to do it with a 2004 Dodge Ram with Hemi and the gas mileage was lethal, but it did fine. We now have another Dodge Ram Diesel and it does just fine. You will need airbags in the rear suspension to really improve the ride. You will need to get a camper that does not hang too far over the end of your truck or you have to reduce your towing and tongue weight a bunch.
We tow a Supra 21V and a 2000 lb + slide in camper with an 18 inch hitch extension.
With a half ton you would need to get a real light camper to get away with it legally... I will try to post pics later if I have any...

this is our set up. its a 04 dodge 3500 cummins, 05 gulfstream, 03 ssv.

renee, i think that it would be fairly hard to find a 5th wheel that is lighter that your boat. our is short at 27ft and it still weighs about 7500 empty. the only time that i experianced sway was when i am passing somebody and am going to fast. i can tow comfortable at 70 but it sucks the gas, at 65 the milage is a little better.

Renee, we'll be at Berryessa. Feel free to check it out.

Wow Tim, that's beautufil! I have a feeling that whatever we end of getting, it will be pale in comparison to all the set ups you guys have.

Thanks for your pics.

Renee,
look at the pop up truck campers. They are light weight, affordable and you won't have any problem hauling that with your boat. Throw some airbags on your rear axle and it will ride like a dream..

Oh, come on Renee. I know what those RNs make!

Ahh... if he only worked in a hospital... But noooooo... my adreneline junky has to be a Flight Nurse... those guys don't get paid squat!

Tim,

That is the setup!!!! Nice!!!!

I was looking into a boat and Class C combo. I don't want to have a truck for my every day driver (35 miles to work). So we have the RV and the boat. Someone above said they always have someone around with a truck. I can't believe everyone has this everywhere they go. My concern was putting the boat in the water with the RV. Do people do this and if so how does it work? I have towed a boat with an RV and couldn't even see it in the mirrors.

I used to have a 28 foot Class C and towed my 21.5 foot Centurion a bunch. Even used the motor home to launch at lakes....no problem. Some of the ramps on the Delta would be a different story though. Short and very steep...no way.
Sold the motor home when we bought a house with a dock. Now I don't have to tow at all.

tim thats amazing

Mike and Brett, thanks. Todd, I don't have a problem launching the boat. When backing straight, I can just see the top of my guide poles on the trailer. When turning, the back up camera becomes a necessity.

The biggest draw back is when the campsite is remote. You either have to break camp and get the boat, or find someone with a truck to fetch the boat. I just prefer to camp near the boat.

Good point on breaking camp to go get the boat when camping remotely. We do that often when camping at Bullard's Bar. Hmmm

I have a 32' Newmar class A (similar in size to Tim's). It can be a bitch to launch. Takes alot of calm nerves, and a second set of eyes helps (even with a backup camera.) Whatever you buy make sure you punch up the gross vehicle weight numbers, and add everything on (boat,camper/or rv plus camper). I have a high end chassis on my motorhome, and it's really close to GVR while towing the boat. I gotta leave the pop bags at home when I go camping.

I've seen someone with a hitch on the front of their big a$$ trailer and they unhooked the boat trailer from the back and onto the front and launched the boat driving forward. Anyone seen that before.

I know a guy that has one on his RV. He only uses it on really tight ramps. Never tried it, but seems to make sense.

damn tim, i bet you get a lot of looks driving down the highway. people probably think you're shaun murray heading to the next Backyard Tour stop. when i was driving my parents motorhome with my '05 vlx in tow back from tennessee, i felt like jeff weatherall or something. but then again, i'm dilusional

Jeff, good point about the GVW. This alone was a major reason for upgrading from our previous motorhome. Renee, whatever you buy, make sure you are within the vehicles rating. This can really become a problem with truck campers and some motorhomes.

This is my motor home its 45 feet we will have it at Berryessa on Thanksgiving .

wow friggin sweet rides....

yes, I've seen hitches on the front

Joe, nice ride. Did you do the conversion yourself, or was it purchased complete? There you go Renee, you could pull your house to the lake with that rig!!!

The conversion was done by Renegade in Indiana and it was purchased complete .The inside looks like any other motor home they are just on a truck chassis .

I bought this a couple of years ago. I have it listed on baja brokers. It's been great. We thought we were going to get something newer or maybe a Pinzgauer, instead I think we are going to gut "the box" and put in a new interior.

1969 Condor Motorhome, 460cid V8, dyno and blueprinted, 650 cfm Holley carb, C6 Art Carr trans, 2 speed Eaton rear axle, Napco 4WD front end, 12,000 lb Winch, 15x19.5"" Duplex, everything very custom, built in 1969, 60 gallon Water Capacity, 90 gallon Fuel Capacity, Nitrogen bottle underneath, 60 gallon Propane, Water, Toilet, Stove, Oven, Sink, Shower, 'fridge and freezer, solar panel for battery charge, very vintage, very cool! Raced the 1969, 70, 71 Baja 1000, 500 and Mint 400, and Pike's Peak. ** Must sell - Make offer**

I am pretty confident when I say that "The Box" will eat any of the above vehicles alive when it comes to anything other than camping in a parking lot. "The Box" will do 90 mph with the rear end in high and is virtually bomb proof. Since it's not really that aerodynamic it does burn a ton of gas! Towing the boat has never been a problem. It's listed in Baja Broker for $11,000.

Other cheaper than the above options that you might look at are either a Unimog Radio truck or a Pinzgauer. Both have pretty small engines but have tons of gears so towing a boat shouldn't be a problem unless you want do 80 mph while towing. I have seen both set up as great campers.

Check out:
http://www.mogsrus.com/
The Pinzgauer

The Unimog (Hey don't laugh it's a Mercedes!)

Both vehicles are still made and you can get parts (with a little waiting) from either California or Arizona.
I know I'm a little "off" on these posts but I like to do things my own way with my own style...

(Message edited by ryan_bailey on November 10, 2005)

I want one. Don't think the wife will by into though

haha, those look like a lot of fun

Renee,

Sorry for the highjack, but where or who is your husband a flight nurse for? Does he fly fixed wing or rotor? Just curious, I was a flight medic for Mercy Air for 5 years.

OK, back to your regularly scheduled program.

Sean,
I work for Calstar. I am based out of Concord @ the airport now. I have worked @ all 7 of the Calstar bases over the past 3 years though.

Back to your regularly scheduled thread.

Cool Tate, thanks for the reply. Nice to hear of other folks in the profession. Did you see my profile pic?

Sean,
Yes, Very cool. Greatest line of work IMO.

This was our first camper. It got a little small but we loved it.


If I had to do it again I'd go with a Host Yukon truck camper with the fold out tent option. Slide out dinnette with a bunk bed will sleep 7! Very nice!

When camping I pull my boat with this 27 ft Class C. It has an E450 Ford chassis with a V10 and pull stronger than my 95 chevy suburban. This is pretty manageable pulling the boat but I always camp with friend that pull a pop up tent trailer with his truck. We usuall get two campsites next to eachother, put the motorhome and tent trailer in one and the truck and boat in the other (and of course use the truck to launch the boat). I haven't tried it yet, but I don't think launching would be too bad if the ram wasn't really narrow and wasn't really steep.

Brad,

I think that is what Tate is wanting for us. Do they come any smaller, it's just us and we don't need anything that big. Personally, I would love one of these:



Unfortunately, we can't pull that and the boat and all of our friends have boats too so we can't ask them to pull one for us .

They make pretty nice Class C motorhome down to 24' which shloud be very manageable, the only downside is if the campsite is not near the lake you have to break camp to put the boat in the water. Sometimes you can camp near marinas that have boat slips you can rent overnigtht if you are comfortable leaving your boat alone for the night. The best case is a campsite on the water with your boat moored just offshore from your campsite.

With regards to the trailer above, a while back someone here posted a picture of I think a tent trailer hitched to the back of the boat. He had a custom hitch made that could be removed from the back of the boat trailer before launching the boat. I would think something that small could be pulled behind your boat.

Renee, I have seen TimW aka Bricks set up a few times and yea it is a nice ride no doubt.

I went through the same quandry as you are now. We have a Ford F350 and an 03 VLX. So then which way to go.

Do we do a slide in; which even for the biggest that we could put on the truck was too small for a family of 5. Do we pull a 5th wheel with a 5,000 pound boat behind it? The combined weight of the 5th wheel and the boat was coming up against the GCW of the F350, which is fine but then you have to think about turning that 60' to 70' monster around or worse yet backing up.

So ultimately we chose for a used class C motorhome with an E450 chasis. The E 450's have a 20,000 GCW which will pull your boat and trailer pretty well. We were also able to pick it up pretty cheap, $20,00. Admittedly it is not a pristine motorhome, but with the kids coming in and out and spilling stuff and dragging who knows what in from the lake (frogs live or dead)I am ok with not freaking out about it. I save my nervious energy for the boat. We have plenty of room for a family of 5, we have a 28' bunk house model. The down side is that the motor home drops its gas mileage to about 7 to 8 miles per gallon from 10 (if you are going to tow any of this stuff all of them are killer at the pump). Obviously storage may or may not be an issue for any of these options. The biggest downside is that you have to maintain, insure, and license a totally separte vehicle that you will use only a couple thousand miles a year, probably. A camper you don't have to license in CA. A fifth wheel you have to license and you have some running gear but not a whole separte drive train.

To put all of this in a nutshell for your Renee, the space and comfort and convience of going pee, poo etc while going down the road (our kids are 1.5 years, 4.5 years and 7 years) (can't do in a camper or 5th wheel) the lesser price $20,000 (you can certainly spend a lot more huh brick!)
and the towing comfort (not much differant that towing with the F 350, just a little less manuverable and slower (I cruise with the RV at about 60mph instead of 70-80 mph with the F 350). Also one last item, launhing the boat with the RV is no big deal, the 03 VLX is pretty wide and I can see both guide on posts as I back down. Most RV's have a much longer overhand behind the rear wheels than my truck so your rear wheels don't get near the water.

I don't have any pics for you at this time but if I can get my act together I will post some.

That's some great info! How long is your class C?

If you want a man's RV I would take a look here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Complete-Rebuild-UNIMOG-416-4x4-Mercedes-Camper_W0QQitemZ4588916044QQcategoryZ50056QQrdZ1QQ cmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

Renee, our class C is 28' with a rear bunk house. It is a 1997 E 450 Ford Chasis equiped with the V10. When we bought it a year and a half ago it had 60,000 miles on it. Back to the rest, it tows the VLX fine. I estimate that the boat and trailer are somewhere around 4500 to 5000 pounds with the stuff in and on the boat that we take along. Hope that helps. John

A class C motorhome is perfect for sleeping four or more, so if you got kids it usually is the best option. Usually they have numerous bunk options, and all kinds of funiture that turns into beds.
Class A's usually have more living space, but are ideally designed for two or three.

We have a baby, and our class A is perfect. If we ever have anymore kids, a class c would work out better. But after having a class A, it'd be tough to switch to a C

A class A like Tim W's? For two people? That thing is huge! I think we would have to auction off a kidney to afford that thing!

I'm in the same quandary as Renee. The tent set up and break down is killing me and it would be nice to get something to stay in. I was actually considering a camper, but I was surprised to see that there aren't that many for sale in the Boat and RV Trader. We've got a family of five and I'm pretty sure we'd be fine with just that little bit of space. We're pretty low maintenance!

For those with campers, does the overhang off the back of the truck affect the maneuverability of your rig when towing the boat? Or do you have to get your trailer extended? Seems like it comes pretty close.

Also, John, can the kids climb through the back window and use the facilities with a camper? I was thinking that they'd probably travel the whole way back there while I "chauffeur" everybody.

They make Class A in diffrent sizes. The design is generally more open and livable. Less camp, more mobile hotel room. Class A also has ALOT more storage, generally bigger tanks, bigger generator, and more comforts. Frankly it's not for everyone, and Class C's actually fit the needs of most here, better. They also have many pricepoints in both the A's and C's. IMO, the class A is easier to drive, despite the extra girth. Just a little more caution when driving.

A neighbor of mine picked up a really nice, clean, mid to late 90's 30' class A for what you could buy a used class C for (in the mid 20s.) Lot's of nice stuff under 30K out there. He has everything mine has, except the dual slides. Slides are nice, and provide a huge increase in living area, but add alot on the price.

I guess it matters what you need. If you have a family, or group, a class C may be the way to go. If you'd rather have more living area, Class A. I'll be at Berryessa next week, thursday afternoon thru saturday night or sunday morning in RV 20, which is near the store. Feel free to stop by if you wanna have a look. I might be able to help you with some information also. My family has owned both A's and C's, so I know a little about these things.

As you can see, there is alot to consider when buying a motorhome. No one motorhome has every feature know to man. Rather, you choose the one that best meets your needs. For us, this happened to be a class A. Why? The model we chose has a longer wheelbase with 22.5 wheels(better handling with less porpoising), shorter rear overhang (swing), greater GVWR and GCW, bigger holding tanks, and a more accomondating floor plan than class C motorhomes.

As far as price, there is not much difference between the two classes. In fact, you can actually buy an entry level class A cheaper than a class C. The biggest change in price occurs when you move into diesel pushers. It all depends on what you want! We use our motorhome a lot so I had no qualms about paying what we did.

Anyways, we can talk about it at Berryessa if you want.

(Message edited by brick on November 19, 2005)

Oh, BTW, our motorhome sleeps 6.

We'll definately hit you up to chat about it. We are also talking about buying a houseboat with some friend (see "General Houseboat" thread). And I think we would need to decide which one works best for us cause we certainly can't buy both. Not unless we both give up a kidney.

Ahh, kidneys are overrated! You only need one.

David,
I assume you are talking about a truck camper in this statement right?
"For those with campers, does the overhang off the back of the truck affect the maneuverability of your rig when towing the boat? Or do you have to get your trailer extended? Seems like it comes pretty close.

Also, John, can the kids climb through the back window and use the facilities with a camper? I was thinking that they'd probably travel the whole way back there while I "chauffeur" everybody. "

We have a truck camper and it hangs off 2.5' over the back of our truck. We use an 18" hitch extension (about $70) and it does just fine. You need to make your electircal longer on your trailer or get an extension. It is pushing the limit with what you can tow and your decrease in tongue weight with the extension. We put airbags on the rear axles and it rides like a dream. With our camper a kid could probably climb through to the back windo if you have a slideable window, but I believe it is technically illegal to ride back there. We do and I am sure most people do still ride back there. For a family of 5 it will be VERY VERY tight. We are a family of two and a dog and it is tight. There are some out there that are bigger than ours, but they get damn pricey. I love the class A or C idea... Some day.

Renee David and the rest, especially you Brick. There are a lot of choices. The camper with a long overhang, ie 11 foot or more if you have a one ton truck with dual rear wheels is probably the best option as far as lower maint and manueverabiltiy. The draw back is the hitch extension which is not that bad for... I am assuming that all of us have boats with trailers in the 4000 - 5000 pound range. Yes you will need to add air bags for most or all of the slide ins out there.

Tyler/Diggs, I think you were addressing me but to answer your question I am not sure which CA veh code sect allows for unbuckling in a pick up with a camper or if one can be up and about in a camper that is a slide in like lances big foot etc. Where is a class C or A/B for that matter you definately can. I realize that one could view that as not a big determining factor.

Renee, as for our family of five we have 3 beds in the back, one for each of our kids and then my wife and I sleep above the cab. This means that we don't have to break down the kitchen table of the sofa. The living space is left just that.

Renee, as far as the house boat I think that the draw back is easy there... you are limited to just one body of water. TimW will surely tell ya that he definately not limiting himself to just one lake in the continental USA.

John, on our 1st Lance 780 (a 12') we had the local hitch shop weld 2 additional receivers (one on each side of the class V hitch and reinforce where it attached to the truck. Then fab and extension that looked like the letter "E". It still used the 3 pins so it was quick and easy, it had the light extension attached as well. The only thing to remember was to put the extebtion on first before the camper.

I do not like leaving the boat in the water overnight (had the stereo stolen) and it was a pain to unload the camper (to much stuff in the storage areas to unload). That’s why we went the fifth wheel route. Set up camp once launch and retrieve every day.

We also can ride in the 5er (i.e. NASCAR style) all we need is two way communication between the 5er and the truck.

Driving is as normal as I’m sure Chris and Mike will agree. Leave lots of room to stop, stay under 65. The Boat tracks perfectly behind the 5er, I can see the guide posts and I also put in a backup camera on the 5er so I can check will under way.

Bryan, i agree the fith wheel is definately a way to bring everything, but you do have more running gear on the road and one does have to be careful. I would be interested to see a 5th wheel with boat set up up close. Bryan, in CA do we have to have special licenseing to pull doubles. I have a class B but no class A and I would rather not have to go through the hastle. Bryan what is you tow truck. Sounds like a cool set up.

Thanks for the info. Renee more food for your thoughts.

In CA, pulling doubles with a fifth wheel under 28' does not require a class "A" w/ "doubles" endorsement. Regular dirvers license works fine.

Dave- All you need is a hitch extender and your set. The magic of a TC is you can drop the camper at the site and then use your truck as needed to run around, launch the boat etc. For a family of five I'd go with a Host Yukon http://www.hostcamper.com/graphics/campers/yukon/tent_passenger.jpg
It can sleep seven with the pop out tent. Side entry is the way to go when towing. I saw one in AZ once and I fell in love with it. Most would agree you need a dually truck to handle the weight, but it could be done with a SRW.

What is really impressive is how easily you can get into and out of gas stations, grocery stores and even your neighborhood with a TC/boat rig. Try doing that with a 5er and a boat. Plus, imagine backing up to hook up your boat behind a 5er without any help. Crash, bam, BOOM!

If you need a potty, a snack, or tired of your screaming kids? Just pull over and get into the back. Riding in back is not recomended but you could do it in a pinch.

We downsized a couple of years ago from a 32 ft. motorhome to the truck/camper. Much easier to launch and recover the boat, and much easier on the wallet in every respect. This isn't a good picture, I have the airbags dumped and the truck parked on a tilt to drain the water tanks on the camper, but you get the idea.
If you go this route, really look at the campers with slide-outs. I am partial to the Arctic fox, I think their construction is the best, but that is just my opinion.
The newer ones are all very heavy, mine is about 10'2", and, full of water and groceries it is about 4200 lbs. It has a full-wall slide out on the right side. That Host unit in the larger sizes is close to 5k, no matter what the sticker says. 1-ton or better is a requirement. The side entry models are nice when towng, they are just rare.
The best tie downs are Tork-Lift, and they make the Superhitch and extensions in various lengths to meet your towing needs. With several mods, this truck/camper boat combo will get almost 13mpg towing on level ground. (Diesel)
It works great for us. I also to a 20' toy box full of sandrail/quads and have no problems whatsoever. Prepping the truck properly with good tires, etc, and maintaining everything is key.

Thanks for all the great input! I have a few more questions. Is it possible to put a camper on a lifted truck (4" with 35" tires) or is that crazy? Is a dually recommended? What is SRW? Is it legal to be in the camper when on the road? Is it safe? I hear that some have seatbelts.

Thanks again for all the input!

Dave, it is possible to put the camper on the truck, but with the lift kit and the truck being 4 wheel drive, the payload will be decreased. If looking at Lance campers, I would steer toward the Lite series for this application. I would also recommend airbags (if possible) and cabover struts. The Lance Lite 1025 has a dry weight around 2500 pounds.

SRW = single rear wheel. Dually is not necessary except for the Lance Max line or the heavier campers.

Unsure about laws regarding riding in the camper. However, I would not feel to safe riding back there.

Dave,
Tim is right.
My Ford, pictured above is not lifted other than a shackle reverse kit in the front which essentially levels the truck out. I installed it primarily to improve the ride of the truck.
I converted this truck to a dually when we decided to go to the slide in. Prior to that, it had 35's on it. With the 35's, I loaded the camper once just to check things out. I max'ed out the extensions on the camper jacks to get the camper high enough to slide the truck under it, and the tires were clearly not happy. Even the lighter campers on a lifted SRW truck would be spooky at best in the wind. I hunted all over trying to find a good tire for a 16 inch rim that was 35 tall and would handle the load. To the best of my knowledge, they don't exist.
The truck is much, much, more stable with the dually conversion, and the tires are overkill for the load.
I have the Firestone Airbags with an onboard compressor, making them adjustable from the dash. I run them at 90psi with the camper on, and use them to help level things out on uneven terrain when setting up camp. They are a must, IMHO. The factory overloads are just touching the stops when congifured this way, and the truck rides level down the road. I also run the Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks. Unloaded, at # 2 and with the camper on at# 9.
California law is vague, but it does prohibit riding in a seat not equipped with a seat belt or designed to be occupied during travel. I personally have never seen a camper with seat belts. My old motorhome had them, and could seat-belt six folks.
The campers built today are light-years in difference from even 10 years ago. They're heavier, wider, taller, etc. Once you compare one of the lighter untis to the features of one with the basement tanks and a full wall slide-out, if a wife/mom is involved in the decision making process I'd be willing to bet which one she is going to want.
The big campers are nice. I am 6-4, and the queen size bed in the overhead is a wonderful thing..
I rode on an old cabover as a kid.
The crew-cab eliminated the need for that with our two boys. You can reach through the sliding window into the camper to, say, a properly placed ice chest or bag of munchies, but only a skinny kid would be able to work their way through the hole.
There are about 4 families in our group that haul the campers and tow boats or toybox trailers, depending on the season. All of us have DRW trucks. If you are really going to rack up any miles with a cabover, and plan to tow behind it as well, I would want a dually. Imagine what a rear tire blowout would be like on a SRW truck loaded down with a camper and towing a boat. Not fun, but that is just my opinion.

whatwouldJesusbomb? (hatepwcs)
In Ca you need a class A with a doubles/triples endorsement to pull anything behind your 5th wheel no mater how long your 5th wheel is. Look at page 2 in the following link http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/comlhdbk/comlhdbk.pdf
Also your 5th wheel trailer can not be longer than 28' 6" when towing a trailer behind it. Also 75' total length. (page 3 of the above link) as well as this link. http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d15/vc35401.htm

In California 65 feet is max for anything that is not registered as a over the road commercial vehicle , motorhomes fifth wheels etc do not apply to these double length rules . 75 feet would apply to doubles with commercial plates log books scales etc not boats and rv trailers.

(3) A combination of vehicles coupled together, including any attachments, may have a total length of not more than 75 feet, if all of the following apply:

(A) The combination of vehicles consists of a motortruck and two trailers.

(B) No trailer in the combination exceeds 28 feet 6 inches in length.

(C) The combination is used exclusively to transport agricultural products from the field to the first point of handling and return, and each direction of transport does not exceed 80 miles.

but now We are all transporting lettuce from the field. Just look inside the fridge..when I went to get my class a the dmv told me I cant tow 2 trailers with my pickup. I had to go to the chp and have them contact the dmv to set them straight. The chp officer told me 75' but every thing I read says 65' I am at 64'11" without the swim platform just to be safe.

A motor truck is commercial and can be 75 feet a private vehicle can only be 65 total. You will not find nothing under class C over 65 feet this is a example page , get the vehicle code book and go to commercial and then to private class C and you will find nothing that mentions any private vehicle over 65 feet regardless of the license the driver carrys ,Mines 82 total and I have been ran thru the ringer on this one lol .