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Old 08-13-2018, 04:14 PM   #1
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Trailer Length vs. Maneuverability?

What are the differential effects (if any) of driving and parking travel trailers? Is running around with a 25' trailer any easier or harder than with a 35' trailer?

For purposes of this discussion, please ignore fuel cost and finding campsites that fit. We just want to discuss handling issues where they are different. This may seem like a silly question to some, but we are newbs at pulling a trailer.

Thanks in advance for your help.
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Old 08-13-2018, 04:34 PM   #2
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Ive Gone 14' 27' 29' 33' to 43' in the past 8 years. Pulling around my 43 foot 5th wheel is not fun in city traffic or trying to back/park maneuvering tight campgrounds etc. It pulls in a straight line down the road just fine cause my truck can handle the weight but common sense would say bigger is harder. (space constrictions not actual backing)
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Old 08-13-2018, 04:54 PM   #3
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We went from a 32 to a 40 foot fifth wheel a few years ago. Not much difference going down the highway. Backing into spaces is effected more by your truck wheelbase and turning radius, and the distance from your hitch to the trailer tires. The longer trailers have more tail swing behind the trailer tires. Our maunverability was affected more by going from a short bed, extended cab truck to a long bed crew cab truck because the wheelbase is so much longer on the truck.
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Old 08-13-2018, 04:55 PM   #4
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People say that backing in a longer trailer is easier. Go with the size that fits your family’s needs and your bank account.
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Old 08-13-2018, 04:56 PM   #5
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Naturally the longer the RV, it's going to be to somewhat harder to maneuver in certain situations. They're going to be about the same going straight down the highway, but when maneuvering around streets, trying to park in restaurants, etc., or maneuvering in and around campgrounds you're going to have to be more careful and observant with a longer rig.

We've owned several from a 19' unit that we never gave a second thought about where we went to a 32' tag-a-long that required some planning when we wanted to stop along the way to spend the night, or at a restaurant, even to fuel up required a little more planning. Now that we have a fifth wheel, we have to be a little more aware of the height as well as the length.
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Old 08-13-2018, 05:02 PM   #6
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the trailer wheel-base length can contribute to either 'easy' maneuvering, or harder. Some with shorter wheel-base may turn quicker, but can also lead to a quicker 'mistake' as well, while a longer wheel-base trailer will turn slower...and not 'follow' the tow vehicle in the same wheel path.
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Old 08-13-2018, 05:26 PM   #7
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I've been a tractor trailer driver with more than 1M miles under my belt. I've also been driving many sorts of trailers behind many sorts of vehicles since I was in my teens, and that was a very long time ago.



General rules of thumb:
Shorter two vehicle, longer trailer easier to work with.



By work with with, I mean to maneuver around obstacles and back up into places.


Well balanced rigs handle best.
long wheel base tow vehicles ride the best, and are the most difficult to back a medium or short wheelbase trailer with.


So...if you are looking to tow a 20 to 25ft trailer, a crew cab long bed truck (tow vehicle), will be your most difficult to back or otherwise maneuver.



Bumper pull v 5th wheel isn't going to make that much of a difference.


If you are going to pull a 35+ foot trailer, with slides (weight added) and height, then a crew cab, long bed, DRW will give you more confidence going forward, but still be more difficult to maneuver with, though with practice you'll get used to it, and be okay.


The key to driving any of these rig configurations is always, always, always, go slowly and be aware of your surroundings. Its much easier to alter the vehicle course going slowly than otherwise.



Also, designate one if any person to assist you in backing or going around an obstacle. Tell everyone else to "shut it". Its just to overwhelming to deal with to many drivers in your seat.



Be safe. Good luck. Practice, practice, practice.
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Old 08-13-2018, 05:39 PM   #8
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In my years of towing, I've found that dual axles are much easier than single axles, much more responsive in all facets, especially backing and cornering while backing. Probably makes a difference where the axles are located on the trailer, too, but in general, that is something I have noticed. Single axles are far less forgiving.

My large trailers have handled well on the road, as have my small ones. In addition to the design of your rig, it also has a lot to do with how well you balance your load and how well matched your TT is to your TV.

And it is an apples to apples comparison as I have used the same TV to tow all sorts of TTs, from the shortest to the longest.

I agree that you should shop for what suits your family and needs best, and then adjust to the conditions to get the best driving and camping experience possible. Happy Camping!
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Old 08-13-2018, 10:02 PM   #9
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Also, designate one if any person to assist you in backing or going around an obstacle. Tell everyone else to "shut it". Its just to overwhelming to deal with to many drivers in your seat.

I agree 100%. To many helpers is not helpful.
Many times I have looked in the mirrors to see my wife saying go left. My dad saying go right. The kids saying straight back. And my mother in law telling me to move forward...........
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Old 08-13-2018, 10:20 PM   #10
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Trailer Length vs. Maneuverability?

Here are the times it is tricky to get around with my 32’. My storage lot as it is pretty packed then they will put empty uhaul trailers on corners-tough to thread the needle. Convenient store gas stations where the pumps are close to the building- so we look for truck stops as much as we can. And campgrounds that you have to use their tent loop to turn around to get out/to your spot. That causes stress as tires drop off pavement or someone’s vehicle is a little too far out in their spot.
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Old 08-13-2018, 10:24 PM   #11
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With longer TT's or 5'vers you will have less choices for gas stations.

No more Costco or in town away from highway with cheaper prices gas stations when hitched up.

However, no matter what you get, if you can back up a shorter trailer...you'll figure out the bigger one soon enough!
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Old 08-13-2018, 10:41 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by CurtPutnam View Post
What are the differential effects (if any) of driving and parking travel trailers? Is running around with a 25' trailer any easier or harder than with a 35' trailer?

For purposes of this discussion, please ignore fuel cost and finding campsites that fit. We just want to discuss handling issues where they are different. This may seem like a silly question to some, but we are newbs at pulling a trailer.

Thanks in advance for your help.
I'm interested in this, as well. My current (& first) trailer is 24' 11", ball to bumper. It is easier than I expected it would be to tow it, from a maneuverability standpoint. Uphill weight is the difficult issue (5000lb at 6% grade puts me in the blinking flasher club, currently)

Thinking about going 5ft bigger with the next one (and I'm changing out my TV, to a 3/4 ton crew cab / 6.5 ft bed). So I'm wondering - at what trailer length, generally, do things like tail swing & tracking in turns (both left / right) become issues? (and I know that this is partially dependent on axle placement, so it can vary.)

I do realize that handling (crosswinds, etc.) can change as well, but I'm thinking those are secondary issues, compared to the maneuverability aspects.

Perhaps I haven't experienced strong enough crosswinds with the current TT, but right now, the biggest handling issue I've noticed is when a semi is passing on my left at highway speeds - just before, and as he begins to overtake me, I can feel the rig being pulled toward him (vortex). It's not severe, but it's noticeable enough to mention.

Expecting to hear that this gets worse with added length, if anything. Guessing it could be lessened with added weight on my end, but it would have to be a lot of added weight.
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Old 08-13-2018, 10:59 PM   #13
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What mfen said 100%.

I have a smaller work trailer that is much shorter (10ft) than my 30ft TT. I can jackknife the small one quickly but the TT is easy to control. Both are dual axle so it is an easier comparison. Single axles are much less forgiving.

Getting in and out of gas stations with the TT is not fun. I would rather back out or wait for an end spot than try to swing by traffic in front of the pump. Patience works here. Truck stops are easier for diesel drivers but gassers still have to fight around the pumps even at truck stops. The work trailer I just zip in and out with it and don't have a lot of issues.
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Old 08-14-2018, 01:32 PM   #14
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Trailer Manueverability

We went from 24' to 32'. I had a heck of a time until I realized the trailer wheels were in a different location relative to the rear wheels on my TV. Now, I don't look at the rear of the trailer when spotting it. I look at the location of the wheels. Makes all the difference in the world.
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Old 08-14-2018, 01:40 PM   #15
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"Is running around with a 25' trailer any easier or harder than with a 35' trailer?"



Yes.
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Old 08-14-2018, 02:02 PM   #16
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I have a smaller work trailer that is much shorter (10ft) than my 30ft TT. I can jackknife the small one quickly but the TT is easy to control. Both are dual axle so it is an easier comparison. Single axles are much less forgiving.
I agree with dbledan mostly

I think the distance from the pivot point (ball or pin) to the wheels (middle of tandem or axle on single) is the factor that matters. The greater this distance the wider turn you'll need to make going forward and the greater input you need backing up. A shorter distance means the trailer will track closer to the tracks of the TV but backing can be tricky...much less steering input for the same or greater trailer response. It just take a bit of time to get the feel.
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Old 08-14-2018, 02:26 PM   #17
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After 25 years of over the road pulling all lengths of trailers, I assure you that Longer is better. Especially Backing up and Parking. Just choose your fueling stations wisely and always GOAL, get out and look.
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Old 08-14-2018, 02:31 PM   #18
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We just downsized from 36’ tongue to bumper to 26’ tongue to bumper - much nicer to get in and out of everywhere! No question about it. Towing down the road is no diffferent, except weight both pulled fine. It’s gas stations, campsites and the back roads where it’s so much easier.
The other aspect is how far back the trailer axles are located and how far they spread apart. Beyond that ease of maneuvering is based on the TV, 4x4 long wheel base etc.
Another thing to note that’s nice about shorter trailer is when the campsite is unlevel it generally takes less blocking to level front to back....
It also takes up much less room in my home driveway.
No regrets about downsizing at all here!
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Old 08-14-2018, 05:59 PM   #19
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People say that backing in a longer trailer is easier. Go with the size that fits your family’s needs and your bank account.
X2. We have owned three trailers--a 10-foot Apache pop-up, a 29-foot Wildwood and a 30-foot Rockwood. Backing up with the pop-up was always more challenging than either of the longer trailers--a small adjustment in the steering wheel would cause a big change in direction of the trailer when backing up.

What my wife and I can't figure out is how we camped with six of us in the pop-up, but find it crowded for just the two of us in our 30-foot Rockwood with two slides. 😨
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Old 08-14-2018, 08:00 PM   #20
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Specifically on backing - very, very short trailers are difficult to back because of how fast the trailer jacks. Unless you are very slow, precise and not too aggressive turning you will have to keep pulling forward to straighten the rig back up. A medium length trailer say 25-30 foot seems to be the sweet spot with a good balance between easier to maneuver and not overly intimidating. A very long trailer say 40+ foot can get a little difficult in tight spaces and requires wide turns. Turning in small, busy intersections requires a little patience and backing in small campsites can be difficult. Get out and look or have an experienced and good spotter like my DW. Your worst enemy is getting in a hurry or fear of blocking traffic. Better to be slow and inconvenience someone sometimes than to get in a hurry and tear something up.
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