Tag Along Hitch (aka. Two Dolly) BICS & Trailer Toad

[sae8425]

Do any forum members have any experience with any variant of this type of auxiliary tow hitch?

The BICS version can be seen here: Bics Fifth Wheel Hitchs, Columbia Falls Montana
The Trailer Toad can be seen here: TrailerToad.com

Both of these would effectively eliminate most (if not all) the tongue weight from a heavy bumper pull trailer effecting/altering the tow vehicles weight distribution.

This would seem to offer much in the way of improved towing stability and safety.

And while there are other similar items out there these two products seem to be the most evolved by quite a significant margin.

The owner of Trailer Toad has told me the following:

"By description in the FMCSA Safety Guideline the Trailer Toad is NOT A trailer. It is an auxiliary hitch extension, or two-dolly, by definition.
The FMCSA Regulation is sub-part F_393_70".

And while the BICS unit is braked, the Trailer Toad is not (I've been told that the Toad's center pivoting axle would steer to whichever side had more effective braking, hence lessening stability).

I have no idea as to how many BICS units have been made but I gather that upwards of 1000 of the Trailer Toads are in use worldwide (perhaps not a huge number, but not just a handful either).

I don't have all the bumper pull tongue weight limitations to hand for 1 ton pickup trucks, but without using a weight distribution hitch, something in the region of 1,200 to 1,500 lbs would seem to be in the ballpark.

Well, such tongue weight for either a BICS or a Trailer Toad would be under 1/3 of their limit: in effect, such tongue weights wouldn't tax the capacity of either unit one iota.

And while removing all/most of the tongue weight from the tow vehicle without changing the weight distribution of the trailer might seem implausible, drawbar type trailers with turntable steering axles don't transfer any/much tongue weight to the towing vehicle. And nobody seems to be decrying tandem semi-trucks as inherently unsafe.

So; am I missing something in all this regarding vehicle dynamics, or does a 'Two Dolly' really provide the levels of safety and stability being claimed by the manufacturers and echoed in every review I've read?

 

[wixthedog]

That Bics one would be a PITA to back up! Neat idea I just dont see it coming together for the average guy.

 

[slowzuki]

Transports use dollies only behind the main truck and trailer and the dolly is braked I believe. The failure of the brakes on the last trailer is uncommon in trucks, and if it was to happen, its only a small portion of the vehicles braking capacity.

Electric brakes on consumer grade vehicles are far less reliable than commercial air brakes. Its extremely common for failures of electric brakes, and say an 8000 lb pickup towing an 18,000 lb trailer, losing the trailer brakes is a pretty serious problem.

Without tongue weight you have 8000 lb to work, with a WD hitch, you would have maybe 10,000 lb on braked axles to control your load. Not great, but better.

The caddies have their place, but until we have more reliable trailer brakes, WD hitches will remain important.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Not sure why anyone would need such a product or why it would be practical in the real world. We tow big trailers with a F-350 and I see guys towing big loads every day around here with no issues. As big as 25,000 to 30,000# is not a problem for many of the newer 1 ton duallys.

Chris

 

[slowzuki]

There is a cabinet shop nearby that has a huge bumper pull trailer that has one of the spring loaded caster type nose wheels that carries weight. They have it because they tow it with multiple vehicles which can't all take the tongue weight.

I've noticed in the last year it sits in the yard, while their gooseneck with a 5th wheel pin in it is used daily. Haven't asked why yet.