Length related problems: 29' vs 32' & 34'

[femuse]

We have been living in our 29 ft Airstream for the last 6 years and want to move to a larger one. We are looking at 32ft.
We had ruled out 34 ft for reasons listed below. We are anxious to hear from people who have experience in this matter.

We do vending at outdoor events from mid May to September. The terrain and other conditions, such as available space, vary considerably. (one is on the slope of a ski resort - moguls everywhere - we ran hard aground last year, it took 30mn to free the hitch from the grass & rocks). To complicate matters, our tow vehicle is 26ft long and it is rare that we can position our rig without a lot of care and work.

QUESTIONS:

1) Tail Dragging : We are worried about dragging the tail. Our 29 footer has already had its tail dragged in numerous situations. How much worse will it be with a 32ft or a 34 ?

2) The Triple Axle: We believe the triple axle will be more trouble due to the "scrubbing" of the tires when maneuvering in those tight situations.

3) Adding more problems? There is a 50% increase in the potential number of axle related mechanical problems, bearing, brakes, tires, etc. Of course the upside is that your have a 50% increase in braking power and load capacity (not that we really lack brakes, the truck has plenty of that).

Knowledgeable opinions appreciated on these points and other matters relating to 32' vs 34'.

Thank you,
Mike & Chantal

[ipso_facto]

femuse,

In your situation, I would not choose 34', for the reasons you stated. It is nice to live in but I would not want to deal with the triple axle.

In my opinion, the ideal length is 32'. The longest you can get with 2 axles.
It is more difficult to tow than say 25'. If you are going to tow a lot, going from place to place every few weeks, get the smallest sizes you can live in comfortably. Otherwise, err on the other side of the length spectrum. If 29' doesn't work for you, then yes, get 32'. It's perfect, not too huge not too small.

[femuse]

I'm glad to see you agree with our final decision...... we bought a 32' about 2 weeks ago.
We came to the conclusion that the main problem with the 34' was the twisting of the axles when doing a lot of maneuvering.

[ipso_facto]

Good to hear that. It's all about compromise. A 34' wide body would surely be nice to stay in extensively but I doubt I would want to tow it all the time. With anything, even with a F350 dually PSD.

If I had to tow all the time, I would choose a 29'' older body. Maybe even 25'. Not as good for full timing but will fit where 30' will not. These remote campgrounds, etc. Additionally, with 25' you could probably use a normal 1/2 ton truck. So it is all about what you need and your circumstances.

[MtnCamper07]

Interesting discussion... I have a 30" TT and I like it a lot. I do a fair amount of towing and I find the size/length/weight of my TT to be ideal. I also have a Ford F350 PSD, so the combined rig can be a bit long and awkward (especially in parking lots). I have towed trailers as long as 38' and I know that you will have more problems as a trailer gets longer. Does anyone know if anyone has ever modified an AS to be longer than a 34'? Just curious.