Is it illegal to drive with a small trailer on your Truck?
We are moving my Mother In-Law (and 3 others) in with us next month (from California to NM about 900 miles one-way). She can’t afford much so we are going to have to get her and her stuff.
We are trying to save as much $ on this as possible. Truck Rental places quoted us $700-$900 for a truck( plus gas and fees). We were also quoted $400-600 for a trailer rental (plus the cost for a hitch and installation, I use my bumper to pull). We looked at her selling all of her stuff and just riding the bus and that added up to $300 for the bus plus the cost of replacing beds, bedding, a TV, a computer, clothes, towels, ect.
It would only be about $300 for me to drive my truck and trailer out there and my wife driving her small car (for the 4 passengers) plus the cost of food. This is the cheapest option that I found.
Problem is, my truck is small and I need my 5′ x 8′ trailer to haul her stuff in. The trailer manual says I should not exceed 60 mph, and I believe California law says that trailered vehicles can’t exceed 55 mph.
To save time and wear on the trailer I thought about removing the hitch off of the trailer and placing it upside down on the 6′ long truck bed. It will overhang the back of the truck 2′ and the sides about 6". I can rewire the trailer lights to the correct side truck taillights easily and I have a way of tying it down. Sure it sticks out 6" on each side but that is no different if I was towing it.
So would it be Illegal for me to drive to California in a Mid-sized truck with a small 5′ x 8′ Utility trailer on the bed of my truck so I can avoid driving 55 mph and avoid wear and tear on my trailer?
The wear and tear on your trailer would be negligable, it would be confined to some slight tire wear.
It seems like a lot of aggravation to hoist the trailer on the truck, tie it down properly, mess about with the lights and so on, plus it’s kind of unusual to do it like that, so the cops will probably check you out to make sure it’s safe and then roust you about to see if you’re carrying a spliff or whatever.
Personally, I would hook up the trailer, drive the shortest route out of California, and boogey when I got out of state.
Good luck!
As far as the overhang goes, you’re ok if it doesn’t stick out past your mirrors on the sides, and you should place red flags on the rear.
Make sure it is tied down securely, and make regular checks. When I haul stuff on my trailer, I stop every 50-100 miles and check tie-downs for tightness. They work loose from time to time.
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The wear and tear on your trailer would be negligable, it would be confined to some slight tire wear.
It seems like a lot of aggravation to hoist the trailer on the truck, tie it down properly, mess about with the lights and so on, plus it’s kind of unusual to do it like that, so the cops will probably check you out to make sure it’s safe and then roust you about to see if you’re carrying a spliff or whatever.
Personally, I would hook up the trailer, drive the shortest route out of California, and boogey when I got out of state.
Good luck!
References :