How Long is Long Enough?

[Oxen]

It has been mentioned by many that the wheelbase of the TV should be long. Well, how long is long enough for a 2016 25' or 27' FC FB? I may buy both a TV and an AS.

Jer

[CRH]

I have a 25 ft. My TV has a wheel base of 133". It does a fine job.

[Garfield]

The wheelbase of a TV does not NEED to be long but shorter wheelbase vehicles tend to bounce more and often need superior sway control so may require the use of a more expensive/sophisticated anti-sway hitch. On the positive side it's MUCH easier to back trailer into tight spots with a short wheelbase TV. On the flip side longer wheelbase TV's tend to ride nicer and may not require uber sophisticated sway control. In the end you can make anything work.

[Mrjkq]

This is a subject of the ages. Gary & Debbie above spent thousands of $$$ on hitch & set up to make it "right". A half ton crew cab truck will serve you well & the tail will not wag the dog. Not having already purchased a TV puts you in the perfect position to make your decision.

[KJRitchie]

I've towed my 25fb with a Tundra and now a 2015 Ram. The Tundra has a 144" wb and the Ram 149". Both have been fine using the Equalizer. I'm glad the Ram is a bit shorter wb than other 3/4T trucks. Makes it easier to park and drive around solo.

Kelvin

[ShinyPete]

Our recent experience is only one quick 70 mile each way test tow, but I can tell you that our new 2015 F150 Crew longbed (157" wheelbase) seemed more stable than our 2013 F150 Crew shortbed (145" wheelbase). We tow a 27fb Flying Cloud with a PPP hitch.

Of course, the new truck is 4wd, and has stiffer (although still P rated) tires that hold up to 55 psi where the 2wd tires topped out at 44 psi. Bottom line, lots of variables between the trucks, but seat of the pants it just felt better, more controlled, more stable.

I also recently towed our coach to Alachua and back 12 days apart for some last chance warranty work with my father-in-laws' '05 F250 4wd extracab 8' bed 6.0 powerstroke. I know this truck well, he bought it new, I drive it regularly, and I don't care for the ride. Pete didn't like it either! (Sorry, I know I'll be in hot water with 3/4 ton owners) It's just too stiff a ride for me and the coach. But, the 'ole 6.0 is a torque producer! He got lucky and got a good one.............

[overlander63]

This should be almost long enough to tow a Bambi:
http://www.starlightlimo.com/images/...hummer-lg1.jpg

[BoldAdventure]

My Crew Cab Ram is 149 inches. It's stable since the hitch and wd/anti-sway are all dialed in with about a dozen trips to the Cat Scales.

[dkottum]

Vehicle design is more important than wheelbase. A 114" wheelbase Porsche Cayenne may be the most stable vehicle capable of towing a 25/27' Airstream. But it's load carrying capacity for many people would be too limited.

A 114" wheelbase pickup may have enough load carrying capacity but would be a very unstable tow vehicle due to vehicle design. Pickups aren't designed for stability, they're designed to carry loads.

So we do things to pickups to make them more stable and still carry enough load for our Airstreaming. We have a 120" wheelbase pickup which is inherently unstable while towing, but a Hensley/ProPride hitch, excellent weight distribution, lower profile tires to hold it all steady, and proper truck and trailer loading make it absolutely rock solid in any side wind, semi bow wave, or quick accident avoidance maneuver.

[Len n Jeanne]

There are some other considerations besides the stability of a longer wheel base. The nice thing about a pickup with a cap (canopy) on the back is that you can haul all kinds of camping gear in it with room to spare. We have a 2014 Tundra crew cab and like it a lot: the very comfy interior is a real plus on long multi-day trips.

[PaulnGina]

I really like our 1995 Ford F250 extended cab pickup with an 8' bed on it. It has a 155" wheel base, tows our 34' Avion well, and has plenty of room for "stuff". I'll take those features any day in trade for the lack of maneuverability in tight spaces.

The walk from a further-out parking space never hurts!

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I towed my 25' trailer for over ten years with a 119" wheel base Lincoln Navigator. I now tow with a 145" wheel base F-150. Never had any problems. [no magic hitch either]

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Vehicle design is more important than wheelbase.
[snip]

Sorry for this OT post and quote, doug, but I am wondering if you attached your photo using a file from your computer, or is it from a third-party hosting site? I have not been able to attach any photos from my Apple Mac laptop, or iPad Mini, all week. This site's Support is working on it, but after a week, I am trying to get a sense of how widespread the problem is.

Are you Mac based or PC? If you have any suggestions, perhaps you could chime in on the following thread.

Thanks,

Peter

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f138...es-141750.html

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Sorry for this OT post and quote, doug, but I am wondering if you attached your photo using a file from your computer, or is it from a third-party hosting site? I have not been able to attach any photos from my Apple Mac laptop, or iPad Mini, all week. This site's Support is working on it, but after a week, I am trying to get a sense of how widespread the problem is.

Are you Mac based or PC? If you have any suggestions, perhaps you could chime in on the following thread.

Thanks,

Peter

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f138...es-141750.html

i'll see if I can upload a photo of something from my ipad:

[OTRA15]

Thanks Terry, are using the full site on your iPad, or the App?

[Punch]

Another factor is overhang. Years ago I sold my half ton Chevy pickup and bought an'88 Suburban. The Suburban had a very long overhang behind the rear axle compared to the truck and I had all kinds of sway issues, ending up with two swaybars, which finally cured the problem. And yes, I had good tongue weight the whole time. When I went on to a 1990 F250, no need for sway bars any more.

[dkottum]

Rear overhang of the truck, or distance from the trailer pivot point and wheelbase length must be considered together. They are inseparable for controlling horizontal rotation (yaw) of the trailer around it's axles (such as caused by a semi bow wave or strong side wind).

The trailer pivot point distance to the truck rear axle is a lever. When pushed to the side by the trailer, the truck wants to rotate on its rear axle, leveraging the side force to the truck's steering axle. The longer that rear overhang, the greater force leveraged to the front. The longer the wheelbase, the greater the resistance to that force.

Except in the case of fifth wheel trailers (or semi's) and Hensley style hitches the effective distance of trailer ball pivot point to the truck's rear axle is reduced to near zero, and there is no yaw force leveraged to the truck's steering axle. Wheelbase makes little to no difference as there is no yaw force to control, it's all stopped at the truck's rear axle.

An additional benefit of the Hensley/ProPride hitch design is the trailer cannot be pushed out of straight alignment with the truck on its own, only the truck can initiate a turn.

So you don't need long wheelbase to control trailer yaw, you would choose it for other reasons such as more passenger space, more cargo space, or more load carrying capacity.

We don't need the cargo space and find that we carry less gear when on a six month trip than we did on a two week trip. Our photo in this thread is last week, we won't be home until April next year. So we chose a short wheelbase truck for maneuverability with and without the Airstream attached, much easier to get around with.

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by dkottum

We don't need the cargo space and find that we carry less gear when on a six month trip than we did on a two week trip. Our photo in this thread is last week, we won't be home until April next year. So we chose a short wheelbase truck for maneuverability with and without the Airstream attached, much easier to get around with.

We're the same way. I don't keep much in my truck, but what I do keep is very organized. Someone once asked to see the bed of my truck because they didn't believe how we could full time and make do with a half ton. Here ya go.



I actually keep the grille under the dinette now on travel days because I didn't like it sliding around the bed.

And while I'm on the subject, I am not a fan of the truck cap. Everyone I met this year with one has complained about digging around for stuff. I enjoy my RamBoxes for ease of organization and access to my tools and road gear.

[dkottum]

Hey Bold, you are organized and efficient. Way to go. Ever notice how handy the Zip Dee awning pull down rod is for reaching stuff in the front of truck bed and pulling it back to you.

OTR15, we use MacBook Air, and photos from it on the Airstream site. Don't ask more, I can barely manage that. Not a computer guy, I understand the electronics inside much better than the operations outside of it.

[Ohiobrits]

I tow a 27FB with a Porsche Cayenne at 114" WB.

Picture below is with an Eaz-Lift that I used for a while. I upgraded to a PP earlier this year which was a subtle but very worthwhile upgrade in my opinion - total stability in all conditions.