Need drop receiver and receiver extension
Just bought a Class C, and I'm planning on towing an '03 Jeep Wrangler. Have the base plate on, got it wired, bought a Demco tow bar, and now the issue. The RV is way low, and the jeep is way high. ...
Forum Discussion
For the backing and tail swing part of it, and what happens with a 31-footer.
Our Chassis "was" an E450 with 158" wheelbase. Stretched to 218" a full 05 feet. Our rear overhang (axle to bumper) is nearly 11 feet, so there's plenty of chance to swing it into things.
But... The wheels on E-Series only cut to 25 degrees from center. Ron's 158" will seem maneuverable, but our 218" needs four lanes and a shoulder or two to make a U-Turn. This means the Coach causes more trouble in tight quarters than the Toad does. We can't back with the Toad, and I simply don't try, even an inch. But when we have to un-hitch, it's more because the Coach can't make its moves and not so much because the Toad is back there.
Here's what happened to us with the short coach (158" WB) that we started out with: Say its a U-Turn to the Left. Coach turns Left but Rear swings Right. Toad steers Right. Coach straightens out by turning hard Right and Rear swings Left. TOAD GETS TRAPPED STEERING RIGHT. Scrubs Toad Tires Sideways. Locked Right but being pulled Straight.
We had a Mitsubishi mini truck and a Toyota Tercel at the time. The Mitsu never did that, but Tercel did enough that I towed with both doors unlocked. A couple times I had to stop, jump out, and straighten the wheels. Others have written about this and commented that it happens on sand or gravel like in campgrounds, but I had it happen on pavement. Couldn't make a 90 degree right turn from right lane to right lane.
This probably won't happen to you, it's pretty rare, but try some sharp turns where the coach suddenly reverses direction as part of your parking lot toad exercise. We were lucky when we practiced maneuvering a 37-foot fifth wheel for the first time. Had access to an unused runway taxiway on a USAF base that had handled B-52's...
Our Chassis "was" an E450 with 158" wheelbase. Stretched to 218" a full 05 feet. Our rear overhang (axle to bumper) is nearly 11 feet, so there's plenty of chance to swing it into things.
But... The wheels on E-Series only cut to 25 degrees from center. Ron's 158" will seem maneuverable, but our 218" needs four lanes and a shoulder or two to make a U-Turn. This means the Coach causes more trouble in tight quarters than the Toad does. We can't back with the Toad, and I simply don't try, even an inch. But when we have to un-hitch, it's more because the Coach can't make its moves and not so much because the Toad is back there.
Here's what happened to us with the short coach (158" WB) that we started out with: Say its a U-Turn to the Left. Coach turns Left but Rear swings Right. Toad steers Right. Coach straightens out by turning hard Right and Rear swings Left. TOAD GETS TRAPPED STEERING RIGHT. Scrubs Toad Tires Sideways. Locked Right but being pulled Straight.
We had a Mitsubishi mini truck and a Toyota Tercel at the time. The Mitsu never did that, but Tercel did enough that I towed with both doors unlocked. A couple times I had to stop, jump out, and straighten the wheels. Others have written about this and commented that it happens on sand or gravel like in campgrounds, but I had it happen on pavement. Couldn't make a 90 degree right turn from right lane to right lane.
This probably won't happen to you, it's pretty rare, but try some sharp turns where the coach suddenly reverses direction as part of your parking lot toad exercise. We were lucky when we practiced maneuvering a 37-foot fifth wheel for the first time. Had access to an unused runway taxiway on a USAF base that had handled B-52's...
