Should I take it to the scales

[Rugged Brown]

Need advice from the "Weight Police"

[lindy]

If you can get it out of the driveway?????

[tentcamper1]

I say go for it-

[MtnGuy]

1st, you will need to determine the GVWR and the GCWR for your tow vehicle.

[campfan]

don't forget bout the length police

[trudinator]

Originally Posted by campfan

don't forget bout the length police

Yup, that one always floors me. According to some of "them" you have to have a Ford F650 to pull anything longer than a pop-up! Could never quite figure that out. If that were the case, then how can a semi tractor pull a 55' trailer??

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by trudinator

Yup, that one always floors me. According to some of "them" you have to have a Ford F650 to pull anything longer than a pop-up! Could never quite figure that out. If that were the case, then how can a semi tractor pull a 55' trailer??

A semi-trackor uses a 5th wheel type hitch. The "length police" are talking about bumper mounted hitches (sway issues).

[althebuilder]

I'm sure the engine has the power to tow it, but i'm not sure if the transmission can handle it, nor do I see a viable way to mount the hitch with out the use of a dolly, I think you may have trouble mounting a pintle at a conventional height. Have you found a convenient place to mount the brake controller?

I've never heard of these length police but there are strict limitations to the length of vehicle or combined vehicles allowed on motorways all over the place this would be enforced by MTO DOT etc depending on nation, permits are available if you must move an oversized load by width or length.

If you need such a permit to move your RV you might have made a mistake in your purchase.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by althebuilder

I've never heard of these length police but there are strict limitations to the length of vehicle or combined vehicles allowed on motorways all over the place this would be enforced by MTO DOT etc depending on nation, permits are available if you must move an oversized load by width or length.

The "length police" is a euphemism for forum members who harp on tow vehicle length to be appropriate for trailer length. There are "rules of thumb" to determine how likely to SWAY (travel trailers mostly since sway happens in a 5th wheel only when it is improperly loaded - light on the pin weight) a camper will be.

A short wheel base tow vehicle (TV) and a relatively long trailer will be more subject to dynamic sway than a properly long TV and a trailer of the same length.

Much is made by "naysayers" about tractor trailers towing long trailers, but I think they forget that they have 10 tires in contact with the earth; not 4. They are also have the "5th wheel" advantage, with the pin weight on the drive wheels; not like travel trailers where the tongue load is on the extreme tail of the tow vehicle (well behind the drive wheels).

[youroo]

Originally Posted by herk7769

The "length police" is a euphemism for forum members who harp on tow vehicle length to be appropriate for trailer length. There are "rules of thumb" to determine how likely to SWAY (travel trailers mostly since sway happens in a 5th wheel only when it is improperly loaded - light on the pin weight) a camper will be.

A short wheel base tow vehicle (TV) and a relatively long trailer will be more subject to dynamic sway than a properly long TV and a trailer of the same length.

Much is made by "naysayers" about tractor trailers towing long trailers, but I think they forget that they have 10 tires in contact with the earth; not 4. They are also have the "5th wheel" advantage, with the pin weight on the drive wheels; not like travel trailers where the tongue load is on the extreme tail of the tow vehicle (well behind the drive wheels).

Mfg.home movers are stubby little semi trucks with only (6) tires on the ground and pulling from a ball hitch at the rear of truck! Youroo!!

[flyrotor]

Originally Posted by youroo

Mfg.home movers are stubby little semi trucks with only (6) tires on the ground and pulling from a ball hitch at the rear of truck! Youroo!!

Needless to say they have 32 chinese tires under the frame and another 30 tires on a rack ready to replace as they blow out!

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by youroo

Mfg.home movers are stubby little semi trucks with only (6) tires on the ground and pulling from a ball hitch at the rear of truck! Youroo!!

When was the last time you saw one of those passing you on the Interstate? Sway is a function of speed; load management; and longitudinal (along the length) physics. Some combinations are inherently more stable than others.

"Rules of Thumb" are just that. A guide. No cop will pull you over for a rig that looks goofy; just one that is unsafe. Youroo!

[youroo]

Originally Posted by flyrotor

Needless to say they have 32 chinese tires under the frame and another 30 tires on a rack ready to replace as they blow out!

I said (Mfg. homes-House Trailers) not (House movers) house trailers,double wides,have three or four axles under them. House movers have lots and lots of double axles and tires (20+ plys). House movers use (Big trucks),House trailer movers use (Short trucks)! Youroo!!

[youroo]

Originally Posted by herk7769

When was the last time you saw one of those passing you on the Interstate? Sway is a function of speed; load management; and longitudinal (along the length) physics. Some combinations are inherently more stable than others.

"Rules of Thumb" are just that. A guide. No cop will pull you over for a rig that looks goofy; just one that is unsafe. Youroo!

I saw one yesterday on (I-75) he had a truck with flags& lights ahead and behind him. They take up more than (1) lane of Interstate and go at a high rate of speed! I dont know if they are breaking the law or not,just facts. They are on house trailer frames and they pull them with a ball hitch from the rear of the truck,not a (Crappy) fifth wheel setup like you posted! Youroo!!

[Len & Cheri]

The southeast has lots of Mobile Homes and around here they haul those things at crazy speeds on the interstate. I give them plenty of space when I see them.

[flyrotor]

Originally Posted by youroo

I said (Mfg. homes-House Trailers) not (House movers) house trailers,double wides,have three or four axles under them. House movers have lots and lots of double axles and tires (20+ plys). House movers use (Big trucks),House trailer movers use (Short trucks)! Youroo!!

I was referring to the trailers, not the truck, just slamming chinese tires, lol

[althebuilder]

I think some people are taking this towing stuff way more seriously than others. on the serious side of things, it's important to make sure that your power unit is equipped not just to motivate the towed unit(s) but also to stop, steer, control and maneuver them over paved and unpaved roadways, construction zones, tight turns, heavy traffic, emergency stops, etc etc. This is not a function of length or weight of vehicles alone, but of a dynamic system that involves your tires, axels, suspension, centre of mass, centre of gravity, contact patch area with road surface, tread depth, engine and transmission function, ability to brake with service brakes, jake break, variable vane turbo engine breaking, down shifting, up shifting, attention to the road, traffic and reaction time of the driver. If length or weight were the only concerns then life would be simple.

Can that blazer move that fiver? I'm sure if that thing runs it would move it down the road a few feet or more, but it would handle like seven plates of jello balanced on the end of a broom stick. It would stop like an orca whale break dancing in a rock garden, and if they wanted that thing to work they would have installed the hitch to the frame over the rear axel. We all hope I'm sure that this is a photo shop joke or just for fun picture.

You probably can't tow seven boxcars full of lead with a unicycle, you and almost definitely tow a hand cart with a kenworth, but both concepts are absurd and therefore quite amusing if you are of a certain mindset (like mine)

On a less serious note who has lashed pontoons onto their fiver incase of prolonged inclement weather? If you've done so what sort of motor did you use? inboard or outboard?

I hope you all have many happy miles in any rig you are comfortable driving. (if you are nervous about it, it can't really be right)

[07ultra]

do not see a problem , ah you are not in Michigan are you