# Trailer Length Vs. Wheelbase



## thefulminator

I've read in various places that an acceptable length of trailer vs. tow vehicle wheelbase is 20' of trailer for the first 110" of wheelbase. You can then add an additional 1' of trailer for each additional 4" of wheelbase. I've also read where that is assumed to be using a hitch without sway control. My question is for those with shorter wheelbase tow vehicles and relatively longer trailers.

What is your wheelbase, trailer length and what are your experience with the combination?

Do you feel comfortable, a little uneasy or drive with white knuckles when you tow?


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## hautevue

My 2008 Ford Expedition EL has a wheelbase of 131".

I tow a 268RL which has an overall length of 29'11". My TT weight, towing (not the shipping weight), is approx 7900#. I almost never tow with the fresh tank having more than ~10 gallons in it. No sense hauling extra weight around when more fresh water is available at the upcoming campground.

I have a Husky WDH with one friction sway-bar.

I am very satisfied with the overall rig, and have experienced the Tractor-Trailer-Blows-My-Doors-Off passing of big trucks going 65 - 70 mph when I was going 55 - 60. The entire unit did feel the air blast, but the TT stayed in line and my steering correction was very minimal.

I have towed in winds across the midwest, and the irregular pushing of the winds is noticeable, but the TV and TT move very little and are easy to keep in line.

Summary: I feel comfortable when I drive.


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## Insomniak

When we first began this journey in 2005, we were pulling our very first 22 foot, 4,000 pound trailer with my wife's Sequoia which has a wheelbase of 119 inches. That wheelbase should have given us an allowable trailer length of around 22 feet, and the Sequoia is rated to pull 7,000 some-odd pounds if I remember correctly. It only took a few trips with some white knuckles to prove that the setup needed help. Driving more than 60mph felt unstable, and we had a lot of sway. I already had the Reese weight distributing hitch, so I added the anti-sway components and that made a huge difference when being passed by big-rigs.

When we upgraded to our 2006 23RS, we gained about 3 feet and probably 1,000 pounds. The Sequoia actually did ok, but it wasn't long before we decided to get an even bigger trailer, and ended up with a 2008 28RSDS. That gained us yet another 5 feet and 1,000 pounds, and that's when I bought the Tundra with a 145 inch wheelbase. The Sequoia would have been maxed out on both length and weight. The Tundra's wheelbase says that I can pull up to about 29 feet, and the 28RSDS was a little over 30 feet. We pulled that trailer all over Hell's half acre with no sway and no problems. Of course, we now have a 301BQ that has a length of 33-1/2 feet, so once again I'm over the length that the "rules" dictate by a few feet. Our loaded weight is probably about 8,500 pounds and the Tundra can pull 10,100 pounds so we're ok there. Still no problems towing, no sway even in windy conditions or when next to big-rigs.

I guess what I'm getting at with this long-winded response is that with a good weight distributing hitch and anti-sway controls, you can break the length rules by a few feet and do just fine.


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## willingtonpaul

i would agree with the above posters that wheelbases that are on the bubble or slightly under guidelines will do ok with a quality WDH with anti sway properties that is properly set up. the "properly set up" part is most often the achilles heel in that discussion, given the fact that many dealer techs are not as versed as they should be in setting up a WDH.

but given that, there are two things that are irrefutable truths in towing, IMHO: there is no replacement for displacement (turbos inclusive), and more wheelbase is always better. i have towed 30' bumper pulls with standard cab long boxes, crew cab short boxes and crew cab long boxes, all with the same reese dual cam (set up differently of course, hence why i have 3 sets of WD bars). these trucks were one gasser and 3 diesels. the longest wheelbase, like i have now (which was the same with my 2005 PSD) is 172". towing with a truck that long is just awesome, period. everything just works like it is supposed to; you are never fighting a setup and trying to tweak it for marginal gains to get around the fundamental laws of physics.

back in 2005 the turning radius of my crew cab long box was just horrible. my 2006 CC short box was sure better, but it did not tow as well from a stability standpoint. just fine, of course, and plenty safe, but it was a noticeable difference; but the truck was easier to get around town for sure. i have not towed the outback with my 2012 crew cab long box yet, but i can't believe how much improved the turning radius is; it is better than the short box i just sold, i am not kidding. the improvements all the manufacturers have made to the front ends have really made these trucks easier to get around town. my 2006 was 156" and now my 2012 is back to the 172". that makes a big difference towing, but no difference parking. i would highly recommend that if you are going to a heavy duty truck, get the long box. with ford, it is an extra $195 to get the long box. just $195, that is all. and you get a much bigger fuel tank, longer wheelbase and so much more cargo area it is not funny. drive both, and you will see there really is no difference in parking, it is all in your head.

but with a 5'er it is easier to get away with much less wheelbase of course. and also, properly loading a trailer is critical. like my own rig is very light on the nose, so i basically have to travel with the fresh water tank full to get enough hitch weight for proper balance. aside from the hitches not being set up correctly, i would say that trailers loaded incorrectly is the right up there as the other big problem. can't fit it in the garage ? park it outside. it is a small price to pay, IMHO.


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## CamperAndy

Wheel base is only a rule of thumb, goes back to when people used their thumbs to measure things and since everyone's thumb was a little different in size they would all come up with different results.

So with that in mind, I feel longer is better on the truck, there are other very important consideration but I would always opt for the longest reasonable wheel base. My Megacab has a 160 inch wheel base and is very stable but have still had to pull over when the wind was gusting to about 50 mph from front quarter. On the interstate going 65 this resulted in an effective wind speed of over 100 and these trailers do not like being towed in those kinds of winds. So that is my result and yours may vary.


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## 4RovingSongsters

I'm still green to this: we bought our 28RSDS last June and have only made two trips so far (a planned third trip was cancelled by the hurricane in August) but will weigh in and provide updates.

TV: all-stock (so far) '02 Suburban K1500 4x4 with Z82 trailering suspension package, HD tranny cooler, 5.3L Flex-Fuel with the 4-speed electronic locking trans and 3.73 rear; it's rated for 7500 towed weight, GVWR=7200 (4000 rear, 3600 front) and GCWR=13000. It already has 154000 miles on it with careful maintenance. We're using a Prodigy proportional brake controller. The wheelbase of 131" suggests a max trailer length of 25'-3".

TT: '06 28RSDS weighing 5500# empty and grossing 7200. It's overall length is 30'-8". As we load it, it runs about 6500 with dry tanks. We use a Reese WDH, which I set aggressively to keep good downforce on the front axle (by measuring the front fender height before and after connecting) and a friction sway control set pretty stiff. Tongue weight is about 800. Weighed with full tanks prior to a dump we had GCVW=13100 with three adults in the truck.

Road experience so far: in the rolling terrain of eastern PA and CT/MA we work on hills. The biggest part of safety is behind the wheel, so we run a little slower with the TT, seldom breaking 70. I sometimes actively manage the throttle to keep it in lockup as much as poss., even if it means dropping more speed on climbs; other times I let the tranny's Tow/Haul mode do the work. The fuel economy is pretty much the same either way at 10-11 mpg. Temps have remained favorably manageable, and except for downshifting and revving when climbing, pulling power has not been a concern. BUT I would surely love to have a 6.0L; I don't like racing this older engine.

Stability has been good so far. Passing big rigs are felt, but don't upset us, and the TT stays in line in winds and varying road surfaces. Perhaps the new radial tires I put on help with that. I think it's critical to optimize the tongue weight, and balance the WD well so the front end has enough grip and steering load. It helps too that this trailer is a relative lightweight for its length. We have exceeded the rule-of thumb for length by 5-1/2 feet, but haven't suffered for it because, I think, the forces are well balanced and we're safely within our limits.

In July we safely negotiated the Bear Mountain Parkway in NY, and while the narrow roads called for close attention and one dare not fall behind the braking curve, the rig was well-behaved. We haven't yet encountered any truly challenging conditions, so can't report results of any real trials other than to our courage at Bear Mtn. That day will come soon enough, and no hurry.


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## raynardo

Just about everyone agrees that there are no hard and fast rules regarding any of this, just guidelines.

With that in mind, I offer *THIS* as my guideline.


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## mudmaker

I think one should consider the weight of the TV as well.

I picked up our 28BHS we recently purchased the other night. I towed it home in nasty cross winds (30-40mph) and it was very solid without the distribution hitch running 65-70 mph. My pickup is just an extended cab, but its tipping the scales at around 9000 lbs without the trailer on. I had been a little concerned about the trip home without the distribution hitch on the pickup, but it handled fine. I have a hitch for my Excursion I will use, but am happy that it handled so well without behind my pickup, as my pickup is not going to be my normal TV.


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## rsm7

I towed a 33' Outback at first with an extended cab 1/2 ton GMC. I dont remeber but I think the wb is around 137? It was OK for the most part. A little weak on power, a little squirly but nothing scary. We stayed close to home and mostly flat terrain. If your TV is a little undersized then backing off on the speed makes a ton of difference. If you can tolerate 55 mph you'll be fine for sure. But 65 is probably doable the majority of the time.


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