Passengers in trailer while towing?

[Airwave503]

I did a search and was surprised to learn that it's legal in a handful of states to ride in the trailer while underway. I'm the only driver in the family so it doesn't help me, but sure would be nice for the family to curl up in their beds on a long run.

Anyone have experience with this?

[Countryboy59]

Yep. It’s a rough ride.

Here come the comments...

[batman]

I was surprised to learn there are states that allow people to ride in a travel trailer while underway. Here is an interesting list, I am not sure this is updated for 2020.

https://www.rvtripwizard.com/rv-info/state-road-laws

As kids we would love to ride in our pick-up camper. On our way to great adventures.

-Dennis

[markdoane]

Yeah. All legal in Minnesota.

Once was enough.

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by Airwave503

I did a search and was surprised to learn that it's legal in a handful of states to ride in the trailer while underway. I'm the only driver in the family so it doesn't help me, but sure would be nice for the family to curl up in their beds on a long run.

Anyone have experience with this?

Don’t do it. The trailer isn’t designed for passenger safety. If there’s an accident things could work out badly for the trailer occupants.

[perryg114]

It would be safer than in most trailers. Most wrecks I have seen with an Airstream, the trailer is relatively intact. An SOB trailer would be a pile of sticks and some wadded up sheet metal. Having said this, I would not do it because you would become a projectile in the trailer if something were to happen. Also everything in the trailer will come loose flying everywhere.



Perry

[ROBERT CROSS]

NO...👎 But with the age your AS it may be needed.

.... In our case with two exceptions.
When I was diagnosing interior damage in our 1st AS, 63 Safari. Bad axle.
And again in our Classic, no problem found.
Less than 5mi on a two lane country road 50mph in both outings.

Bob
🇺🇸

[KK4YZ]

[QUOTE=perryg114;2327102]It would be safer than in most trailers. Most wrecks I have seen with an Airstream, the trailer is relatively intact. An SOB trailer would be a pile of sticks and some wadded up sheet metal. Having said this, I would not do it because you would become a projectile in the trailer if something were to happen. Also everything in the trailer will come loose flying everywhere.
Perry[/QUOTE

Yes. Think in terms of passengers being like marbles inside a shaking can. Not good.

[Mollysdad]

If my clothes hangers can fly off the closet rod, your passengers won't be quietly snoozing in the bed.

[John&Vicki]

Watch “The Long, Long Trailer”.

[moosetags]

Legal or not, I would strongly recommend against doing it. A there are no passenger restraints in the trailer, a relatively minor collision could easily result in serious injury or fatality.

Brisn

[StreaminGeo]

I would never do it, legal or not.

[Burnside Bob]

When I was in Junior High one of my classmates died in a travel trailer fire. He and his siblings were in the trailer, parents were in the tow vehicle. Parents didn't know there was a problem until flagged down by other motorists.

Fire, gas leaking, tow vehicle exhaust fume intrusion are possible risks. When the passengers can't communicate with the driver bad things can happen. Which is why it was illegal then, before the era of seat belt laws, to tow with passengers in the trailer

Don't be that parent.

[Lily&Me]

I don’t know why anyone would consider transporting any living thing, animal or human, in their trailer while towing.

A previous poster referenced little damage to Airstream trailers in accidents...unless they roll, are struck broadside by another vehicle, etc.

As stated previously, no restraints and made out of aluminum!

Look at the damage reported just from hail?

I wonder what insurance companies would think of major injuries suffered while traveling down the road inside any trailer.

Maggie

[joevdb]

The suspension in these trailers is not mean for a smooth ride. It would be miserable for a passenger, on top of all the risks others have written about well. Don't do it.

[Len n Jeanne]

Nobody thinks they will have an accident-- until one happens.

We did have a serious accident that totaled Bambi the First. We were headed "up lake" to a nice little campsite with our own waterfront, when a driver in front of us fell asleep at the wheel. She rolled her car down an embankment, hitting a utility pole. The pole snapped near the base but was still suspended by high overhead live wires. It was swinging and scraped the side of our truck, then smacked the Bambi in the front right window, narrowly missing coming through the passenger window on the truck. The Bambi's front window was broken, the Bambi seriously dented in, and yes, stuff inside ended up everywhere. The rolled up awning flew off and landed down the embankment. The jolt inside would have been major.

Fortunately the woman who rolled her car was OK, but one of us also could have been killed.

Once while driving in Montana en route to Glacier NP, we nearly hit a moose that suddenly ran in front of us. Those things are the size of a horse.

A worse story came from member Paula, who was in an accident that rolled her AS and she had to be hospitalized.

Motor homes and camper vans at least come with seat belts (and possibly air bags for the front seats?)

Our policy is, that if the chances of something going wrong are small, but the consequences of something going wrong are huge, take the precautions.

Especially involving people you care about.

[66Overlander]

The info for Michigan is not correct (riding in a trailer is NOT allowed, though that website says it is allowed), so I would tend to treat everything as suspect. Also wrong is that Michigan only allows towing a second trailer behind a 5th wheel (with proper endorsement on your license) but that website suggests it is also allowed behind a normal trailer (with proper endorsement).

Do not try either if you are in Michigan.

[ProTech]

My parents tried it years ago with a 5 wheel trailer and my mom though she was going to die. There was no "curling up and sleeping".

[markdoane]

It is important to note that ALL states that begin with Mi__ allow passengers to ride in travel trailers.

Also of note: None of these states are contiguous, but you can travel among all of them by water.

[wrhnco68]

Originally Posted by perryg114

It would be safer than in most trailers. Most wrecks I have seen with an Airstream, the trailer is relatively intact. An SOB trailer would be a pile of sticks and some wadded up sheet metal. Having said this, I would not do it because you would become a projectile in the trailer if something were to happen. Also everything in the trailer will come loose flying everywhere.



Perry

[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

While you're probably right in that most others would have faired worse, I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be in mine when it was rear-ended and rolled.

Bill