Towing Question: wheelbase and trailer length
Matt Lavigne
I've done a lot of reading in the group about towing lately. Towing
my new pop-up is the first time I've towed anything. We are thinking
about replacing our tow vehicle with a mid-sized SUV. I know to watch
the weights and use the 70% rule of thumb.
However, in several of the towing related posts, I've seen mention of
the wheelbase of the tow vehicle and the length (overall? tounge?)
length of the trailer. Is there some relationship between these
values? Are there any rules of thumb?
Thanx!
Matt & Susan Lavigne
'03 Coleman Carmel
'98 GMC 1500
Warren or Madge Moore
In a nutshell without getting into physics...when you tow,
there are two wheelbase lengths to consider...that of the
tow vehicle, and the new one that exists between the rear
wheels of the tow vehicle and the wheels of the trailer.
Generally, the overhang of the rear of the tow vehicle and
the length of the trailer tongue contribute to the latter
"wheelbase." What you need to watch out for is the rear
"wheelbase" being longer than the tow vehicle's. It doesn't
affect towing per se, (though it does contribute to bounce),
but it makes backing up more difficult. Not insurmountable,
just a little more difficult. Which is one of the reasons
that Honda Civics shouldn't tow a 30 ft. Airstream. A
mid-size SUV should handle the average pop-up just
fine...hey, over-the-road tractors and semi-trailers violate
the rule completely, and they work.
Warren S. Moore
96 Coleman Arcadia
98 F150
"Matt Lavigne" <mattl...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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asadi
experience. I mean, according to the way I understand what you thought you
wrote and what I thought I read about, is that a 'longer' front wheelbase
makes baking easier?
If that's correct, I most respectfully disagree.
john
E150 Ford
Jayco hybrid
"Warren or Madge Moore" <warren...@fuse.net> wrote in message
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meldx
from my experience, longer wheel base makes towing more stable. Not sure
why... but it's a fact that my Silverado is much more stable while towing
my TT compared to my previous Astro.
Shouldn't be a big concern for a pop-up, but you'll probably feel a bit
more unstable with an SUV compared to your actual GMC1500. Just make sure
you don't get a too small SUV(RAV4 type...)
Mel
Matt Lavigne wrote:
--
MELDX....FAMILY AND CAMPING SITE
http://www3.sympatico.ca/meldx
family e-mail: mailto: me...@sympatico.ca
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asadi
"asadi" <NasOa...@wcoil.com.invalid> wrote in message
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Warren or Madge Moore
Right...longer *rear* wheelbase makes it more difficult,
longer *front* makes it easier. (Which is what I said.)
Warren
"asadi" <NasOa...@wcoil.com.invalid> wrote in message
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DThunderchicken
I tow two different trailers (pop up and utility) with two different TVs.
We mostly use sweetie's full sized van. It has about a 136" wheelbase and
rather soft suspension. It tows very well. The ride is good and the trailers
feel very stable.
The Blazer has a 107" wheelbase and very stiff suspension. The ride is quite
choppy and the trailers have a tendancy to wander. However, the Blazer is great
for juking the trailers around in tight situations.
If you camp mostly in established camp grounds and make long distance trips, a
longer wheelbased TV would be a good way to go. But, if you get off into the
boonies, I'd prefer something short.
FWIW, I'm trying to talk sweetie and the kids into getting back into a tent. I
really miss getting into places that would kill a pop up. And I'm getting tired
of replacing broken parts in our pop up. HTH My best;
Dave
`89 Shenandoah
`96 GMC van/`85 beater Blazer
House Springs Mo.
Deb
Below is part of a post from the Yahoo Hybrid Trailers group dealing
with towing safety issues, I'm copying the portion of the post
specifically dealing with tow vehicle wheelbase and trailer length
(tongue to rear bumper). Just gives you some general guidelines,
similar to the 70-75% of towing capacity rule of thumb. This is a
guideline I have seen several times on various forums, FWIW. The
concern with having a long enough wheelbase is that a combination of a
short wheelbase tow vehicle with a long trailer is more prone to
problems with sway. As was also mentioned previously, shorter rear
overhang on the tow vehicle is also more stable.
"Wheel Base Rule of Thumb. A tow vehicle should have a
minimium wheel base of 100 inches. A wheel base of 110
inches is recommended for a 20 foot trailer. For every
additional foot of trailer length (above 20') add 4 inches
to the wheel base. Ie., a 22 foot trailer=118 inches
wheel base,...a 24 foot trailer=126 inches wheel base.
Etc. However, when you get into the larger, full size
tow vehicles, such as Surburban's, F-150's, Ram
Trucks, etc. this rule relaxes, as these types of
vehicles (if properly set up) are capable of towing much
larger trailers than this rule would
suggest."
Deb
2002 Chevy Avalanche (130" wheelbase)
2003 Jayco Kiwi 23D (23'7" tongue to rear bumper)
asadi
Try backing an eight foot trailer with a full sized vehicle, then try it
with a twenty foot trailer...
john
"Warren or Madge Moore" <warren...@fuse.net> wrote in message
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Geronimo
That's why semi tractor-trailer arrangements are usually a 1:5 ratio or
more. I've heard all these posts before, and I wonder who or why some people
are thinking that a long TV with a short PU is the easiest to back.
"asadi" <NasOa...@wcoil.com.invalid> wrote in message
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asadi
Because backing is 'not' towing....?
john
"Geronimo" <mn...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Geronimo
suspension, then there's no comparison for either towing or backing; those
things are the best!
Most sway problems are caused by light tongue weights combined with long
overhangs on a relatively short trailer wheel base. If you could adjust the
trailer axle back a foot, you'd be amazed how much better it tracks.
Unfortunately, your TV front wheels would be way up in the air from the
weight on the hitch and that creates a major safety problem. That's why the
fifth wheel TT's are considered the best of both worlds. They track like a
dream, the truck stays flat on the pavement, and you can unhook them to go
do errands.
Backing is about the same, short means difficult. A short trailer wheel base
is squirrelly and never seems to want to back up straight because slight
changes in the TV direction are amplified in the trailer. With a long
trailer the TV steering can be corrected easily without having to pull ahead
and "make another run at it" because the trailer is already jack-knifed.
Take a look at a busy freight loading dock and see how tight those guys can
put those trailers in there.
"asadi" <NasOa...@wcoil.com.invalid> wrote in message
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