Advice on towing a 33 Classic

[Brilliam]

I'm new here but am considering a 33 classic. The longest trailer I ever towed is about 25Ft. Kind of intimidated about the length. I'll be towing it with a 2021 Ram 2500 Diesel. I know in general not to go down to a dead end roads or going into a small gas station no matter how cheap the diesel is .
How does the 33 tow in general and do I need to do extra wide turns. Any tips will be apricated. This will be my first Airstream also. Thank you in advance.

[n2916s]

I’ve found the longer trailers easier to back and more stable when traveling at speed.

You will occasionally need to look a little harder to find a campsite that will accommodate a 33 but that is about the only down side. Well, getting into a gas station can be a mite more challenging.

I moved from a 31’ to a 27’ — not a huge difference but noticeable, especially closet space. 33’ sounds really good…

[jaybauman]

Originally Posted by Brilliam

I'm new here but am considering a 33 classic. The longest trailer I ever towed is about 25Ft. Kind of intimidated about the length. I'll be towing it with a 2021 Ram 2500 Diesel. I know in general not to go down to a dead end roads or going into a small gas station no matter how cheap the diesel is .
How does the 33 tow in general and do I need to do extra wide turns. Any tips will be apricated. This will be my first Airstream also. Thank you in advance.

I have a Classic 33. While this is the longest trailer that Airstream currently makes, it doesn't really feel like a long trailer. Take a look at a picture of the side profile and you'll see that the axles are closer to the center of the trailer than to the rear. This means the trailer turns more sharply than, say, a tractor-trailer with the axles very near the back of the trailer. As already mentioned, the longer trailers are much more forgiving when backing up. If you can tow a 25-footer, you'll be just fine with a 33-footer. Finding suitable campground lots, however, may be more of a challenge....

[Alreddawg19]

We went from a 23ft to 30ft to now a 33ft classic. If anything the ride is a lot more stable. We tow with a similar vehicle, f250.

As others, the biggest thing for us is maneuvers in campgrounds. A slot can say 35ft length but can have some tight maneuvers to get properly set up!

Good luck, you will love the trailer, the heating system is top notch even heat (IMHO)

[Brilliam]

Thanks for all the replies. I did find a similar discussion in the Classic forum. Sounds like finding a campsite to accommodate is more of a concern then the towing. Thanks again.

[JDG]

I have a 33 and love it. Very easy to tow and maneuver. Campground site length isn’t as limiting as ground clearance getting into the sites (at least in some with a slope). Getting a lift kit installed next month and hopefully that will help. I have the RAM with the 6.7 diesel, which has plenty of power and smooth ride. Gen Y hitch recommend. Best of luck in your adventures.

[AnnaBelle33]

I have a 2021 Classic 33 with a 2019 RAM 2500 Diesel Limited. I noticed at 65 mph - the rpms are almost the same on a flat road - with or without trailer. It doesn’t back up and turn like my 5th wheel used to but we’ve camped a bunch of times the past six months with zero issues getting into spots.

I did have @GMFL do a 3” lift and it was the best money I’ve spent on the AS. Highly recommend, especially on the 33.

Safe travels!

[SilvaStreama]

I currently tow a 2020 33' Classic. The rear camera is a life saver for backing into tight campsites. I've found that the narrow "roads" that separate the lanes of campsites to be tough especially if people park their vehicles in front of their campers. Makes for multiple adjustments getting parked. But, as always, take your time, don't be afraid to ask for help, and get out and look! I also find that right hand turns you need to take a little wider to prevent taking street signs with you

[KC5ME]

I have a 30' Classic that I tow with a Chevrolet 3500 four door diesel and 8" bed. I don't even try to get fuel anywhere except truck stops. Have a Flying J/Pilot fuel card to activate the pump and get cash prices.

[s1000pre]

Yes: agree...only truck stops...pilot, flying j etc.

I just moved up from a 25’ to a 30’...need to be very aware that your rear end swings out a bit more... watch out for posts & trees on the outside of your turn.

I’m going to highly recommend the Hensley Arrow or ProPride sway elimination hitch. I wish I had used it when I purchased my 25’... it’s nothing short of awesome!

[gator.bigfoot]

Originally Posted by KC5ME

I have a 30' Classic that I tow with a Chevrolet 3500 four door diesel and 8" bed. I don't even try to get fuel anywhere except truck stops. Have a Flying J/Pilot fuel card to activate the pump and get cash prices.

Good luck in finding truck stops in some places. You better get good at using regular stations. Where I go I'm glad just to find diesel never mind if it's a truck stop. Lol.

[JonDNC]

Also a truck stop fan with a TSD card when available. I find that when in areas with no big truck stops the rural fuel stations tend to not have tight island’s but rather parallel to the road so doable with the trailer.

[zims]

I have 2109 33' Classic with a Hensley Hitch and 2018 Silverado 2500. No issue puling. You have to be careful backing as you can mess the bars on Hensley up if you crank it too tight of turn. I find it a little difficult to back and I find it getting easier as times goes on. Takes more room past the site to back into your site and people parking in the road definitely don't help matters. We tend to make sure site is big enough prior to getting there and try to pick sites with better line of site. Not sure about others but the Silverado mirrors pulled out for towing are still not wide enough for me to see straight down vehicle. Soon as I make a turn backing I can see but whenever I get to trying to back straight up its tough.

[Gkiesel]

We have a 31ft. Classic. I would say from experience to just watch the amount of tail swing when in tight spaces. Al lot more rear overhang than out 24ft.

[sbacon]

I have a 33' tri-axle 'Norman Rockwell' which I have towed to the west coast and back to
Tn. with a 5.7 Tundra. I do have to pull at a slightly lower speed, but had no problems with
the mountains. It's heavy, so make sure your brakes are good. Be careful about where you
pull this trailer in parking lots because sometimes it's hard to get out. Take your time while
pulling this trailer and don't get in a hurry. I love it, but it is a 'beast' and may not be best
for a first trailer. 'Norman' is now for sale and I'll be using my 25' AS.

[JohnandDonna]

We have a 30' International that we tow with a Ram 2500 MegaCab that has the 6.4 Hemi. Tows great, nice and stable. The biggest challenge has been gas stations. Unlike the diesel guys who can go where the 18 wheelers go, I need to find trailer friendly gas stations. Love the stations that have the pumps parallel to the road. The perpendicular pumps often time do not allow enough room for my 52' land train. Also has anyone else experienced people parking at the pumps and disappearing into the store/bathroom/shop/whatever for a length of time. Always seems to happen at the pumps on the end that I need to use. Whatever happened to fill your vehicle and then move to a parking spot instead of blocking a pumps that others need to use? Also for those who have had their AS lifted, how did it affect stability on the road?

[Classic Life]

We own a 2021 33’ Classic, and live in one of the most populated areas in the U.S....CALIFORNIA. The traffic here is awful. In fact we just got back from an area north or Santa Barbara, which was about 4 hrs out. When coming back it took us 8 hrs in traffic. Your tow vehicle is going to make the experience better if you have the right set up. I have an F350 long bed, 6” lift with 37” tires, so it’s a beast, big and 10,000 lbs but I have no problems towing...even in traffic. But as you mentioned, don’t go thinking your going to be able to get off the freeway and just start maneuvering 33’ in and out of tight spots. It’s long, so on long straight trips, or semi curved roads there are no issues. Remember GVWR, and don’t focus on what the truck can pull, know what the combined weight is before getting your rig.

[Classic Life]

Something else to think about....an option in desperate times. Many gas stations that you find out in the middle of nowhere or out of the city usually have areas across the street where you can simply unhitch and drive your truck to the station. I know others will say “plan ahead” or “I would never leave my rig unattended.” Valid points and you should plan, but sometimes life has a funny way of changing your original plan. That’s when the wife and I switch, I stay with the rig and she gets fuel. You can usually fuel up in 10 minutes and hook up in 5 min, just an option that some newbies don’t think about.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

We have a 30'. I would say that in all the years we have been using it (many hundreds of nights of camping) there have been *maybe* two sites that a 33 would not have fit in / getting to. That's a maybe. All the rest, no problem.

Gas stations ... yikes !!!!

Never pull into a station that you can't see a way out of. Indeed don't commit to that turn off into the station if you can't see the way in. Do as I say, not as I do. Those right angle turns between buildings on that turn off .... I still don't know how we made it.

If you have to drive by a station to get a view, so be it. If this is the fifth station you have looked at, that does *not* mean it's the one. Again, do as I say ....

Fuel on the interstates generally is not a big deal. There will be stations set up for trucks. Simply understand that in dense urban areas, those stations get mighty scarce. Fill up before you hit a highly urbanized area.

Backing out from a fuel pump ... nope. There will *always* be a dozen vehicles in line behind you any time you would want to try that. Just like there will be a dozen vehicles behind you on that turn off all wondering (with their horns) why you aren't going 45 mph around the blind curves .....

Be sure ahead of time that your co-pilot understands the issues of getting the trailer from here to there. They will be a big part of deciding if this or that place looks like it can be used. (Yes, you really do need a co-pilot ....).

If your fuel tank is big enough and your drives are short enough, fill up while un-hooked. Far easier / safer than doing it with the trailer. We pretty much always pull out of the campground with a full load of fuel.

Fun !!!

Bob

[sarge12212]

The longer the trailer, the easier it is to back. G.O.A.L. (Get Out And Look) and have a plan. As has been said, watch the rear-end swing swingout. You have the right truck, so a quality hitch is all you need. (like Gen-Y GH-525, with the dual sway control attachment. My Excella 500 came with dual sway connections already installed, so I use dual linear-brake sway controls. ��