If this question should be in towing, I apologize. I don't have a feel yet for what the spirit of forum distribution is here.My property has a branch off the main driveway that goes to the barns. Pretty tight area back there for turning around because of topography. For farm equipment, I usually just open a gate and turn around in the pasture so I can get the rig facing out the drive. Since my 5th wheel is going to be stored back there, I need to make provisions for turning it around that don't involve an off-road excursion or cow manure on the tires.I plan to build a loop in the drive which will involve moving fence and adding some gravel. My plan was to just turn the rig around a few times without going 90 degrees to see what a reasonable turn is. Then I'll mark the grass and make a road. I'm planning on a kind of offset teardrop so I can turn slowly at first when I'm near a building, then once the back end of the trailer clears I can turn faster.But what if I get a bigger trailer or different truck? I don't want to do it all over again. Any thoughts on how adding length from pin box to axle would affect "comfortable" turning radius? Or is there a rule of thumb that would guide me? I don't want to go crazy since the further I extend the loop, the deeper the gravel will need to be to keep the road level from side to side.

Can you calculate it - yes; but it would be so difficult that you don't want to. (it would involve turn radius of the truck, distance from wheels to hitch, distance from hitch to axles, etc.)Better to just go to a open parking lot and chalk mark it on the pavement and measure the diameter you need.

troubledwaters wrote:Can you calculate it - yes; but it would be so difficult that you don't want to. (it would involve turn radius of the truck, distance from wheels to hitch, distance from hitch to axles, etc.)Better to just go to a open parking lot and chalk mark it on the pavement and measure the diameter you need.Add to that how acute an angle you can get with the truck and trailer and keep the front cap from hitting the back of the truck (variables: front cap design, position of pin box to front cap, position of hitch in truck bed, itch-to-cab distance, etc.). Every truck/trailer/hitch combo is different. Rob

Build scale models of differing dimensions.

Do a google search for turning templates for trucks. You should be able to find something similar to the length you are working with.

I would say measure from the pinbox to the rear of the trailer plus the width of the truck, but if you have the room add another 10'. I have turned mine past 90 degrees in tight areas.

Turning Radius -- Can it be calculated/estimated?

korbe
Explorer
Jul 13, 2017
CarnationSailor wrote:
Going to a parking lot with a piece of chalk is all you need to do. And you can leave the 5th wheel at home. Since the 5th wheel's tires turn inside the arc of the truck's tires, it is the turning radius of the truck that defines the minimum diameter you need.

I was thinking that too, but was wondering if the sharp turn may bring the 5er nose near the truck cab.
CarnationSailor
Nomad
Jul 13, 2017
korbe wrote:
CarnationSailor wrote:
Going to a parking lot with a piece of chalk is all you need to do. And you can leave the 5th wheel at home. Since the 5th wheel's tires turn inside the arc of the truck's tires, it is the turning radius of the truck that defines the minimum diameter you need.

I was thinking that too, but was wondering if the sharp turn may bring the 5er nose near the truck cab.

Good point. The OP will need to take that into consideration. Also, since he's going to build a road, he will need the 5th wheel hooked up to determine how wide the road will need to be. It will have to be wider (a lot wider) than just the turn marked by the truck.
one_strange_tex
Explorer
Jul 14, 2017
I took my fifth wheel to a local trailer hitch service/repair shop for an annual inspection. I was planning on backing out, but the technician told me 18 wheelers turn around in their lot after inspection, which surprised me. I was able to turn around. I went home and checked the distance using the distance measure tool in Google Earth, then noted it. You might try the same thing in something like a school or mall parking lot, even using traffic cones and a long tape measure if necessary.
Dave_and_Sue
Explorer
Jul 15, 2017
Man it makes my old head hurt thinking about all the calculations. Just hook it up and go makes some turns in your area.Build your road or drive.This takes in all of the special angles you have there,not out in a open parking lot or playing with toy trucks(Not bad with the Grand kids)LOL.

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Turning Radius -- Can it be calculated/estimated?

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