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Can you ride in a trailer while it's being towed?

State-by-state rules on riding inside travel trailers, fifth wheels, and truck campers, plus why even where it's legal it's a bad idea.

Published September 14, 2022

In a travel trailer, almost never. Only about ten states allow it. In a fifth wheel, more states allow it, usually with a working two-way intercom and an unblocked exit. In a truck camper (slide-in, mounted to the truck bed), most states allow it.

Whether it is a good idea is a different question. Travel trailers do not have seat belts, airbags, crumple zones, or any of the crash protection a passenger car has. A 30 mph rear-end collision that bruises someone in a car can kill them in a trailer.

Quick state lookup for travel trailers

A travel trailer is a bumper-pull RV (you tow it from a ball hitch at the rear of the tow vehicle). These are the states that allow passengers to ride inside one while it is moving, based on current state RV laws:

Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and North Carolina.

Every other state either bans it outright or carves it out only for specific trailer types. Even on this allow list, some states require minimum age (Kansas is 14+) or working communication between trailer and tow vehicle.

Fifth wheels

Fifth wheels usually get treated more leniently because they sit on a hitch in the truck bed and ride more like a heavy trailer than a bumper-pull. States that allow passengers in fifth wheels typically require:

  • A working intercom or two-way communication device between the trailer and the cab
  • An unobstructed exit door that opens from the inside
  • Safety-rated glass
  • Sometimes a minimum age (13 or 14, depending on the state)

States that explicitly allow it (often with the above conditions) include Arizona, California, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Always confirm the current statute in the state you are driving through, not just your home state.

Truck campers

A truck camper sits in the bed of a pickup. Legally it is part of the truck, not a trailer. Most states allow passengers in a truck camper, often with conditions:

  • Communication between the camper and the cab
  • Unobstructed exit
  • Sometimes seat belts at any designated riding position
  • Sometimes a minimum age (Hawaii is 13+)

A few states ban it. Arkansas and South Carolina are two. Check before you load up.

States that ban riding in any towable

Around half the states prohibit passengers in any towable RV regardless of type. The list shifts a bit with case law and statute updates, but as of 2026 it includes Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii (for travel trailers and fifth wheels), Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia (for travel trailers only), and Wyoming.

State laws change. Before a multi-state trip, run a quick search for “[state] vehicle code passenger trailer” and look at the statute number.

A travel trailer is a plywood and aluminum box on leaf springs. There is no:

  • Seat belt rated for crash forces
  • Airbag system
  • Side-impact protection
  • Roll cage or unibody crash structure
  • Restraint for cabinets, TVs, microwaves, or any heavy object inside

In a sudden stop, every loose item becomes a projectile. The person inside has nothing to hold onto except furniture that is bolted to thin wood. A swerve at 55 mph can throw someone the length of the trailer. A rear-end collision can compress the front of the trailer into the rear axle of the tow vehicle.

The CDC and IIHS both flag towable RVs as one of the most dangerous places to ride on a U.S. highway. There is no Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard for occupied trailers because the assumption was always that nobody would ride in one.

If you absolutely have to

Maybe you are on a private ranch road. Maybe it is a parade. If you are riding inside a towable on a road where it is legal, do these:

  1. Stay seated at a dinette or fixed seat. Not on a bed, not standing.
  2. Use a seat belt if one is installed. If not, install retractable three-point belts at the dinette before the trip. Anchor into the steel frame, not the wood.
  3. Keep an intercom or working cell call open with the driver.
  4. Make sure the exit door opens from the inside without a key.
  5. Secure everything. Latches on cabinets, TV strapped, anything heavy on the floor.
  6. Driver keeps it under the speed limit and avoids interstates if possible.

Pets

Dogs and cats should ride in the tow vehicle, crated or harnessed. The trailer can hit 130 F in summer with the AC off (and the AC will be off; the generator usually doesn’t run while driving). Air circulation is poor. The ride is rough. There is no easy way to check on them.

Even where riding in a trailer is legal, your auto insurance may not cover injuries inside it. Many policies treat the trailer as cargo and exclude occupants. RV-specific policies sometimes cover it but often only for fifth wheels with intercom and seat belts. Call your insurer before you assume you are covered.