how is a trailer length measured?
I'm looking at TTs and find many that have interior floor lengths of 21, 22 etc feet but then it seems you have to add 4-5 feet for the hitch and the rear bumper or ladder. Then that often takes these...
Forum Discussion
If it's the highway patrol that's measuring, it's generally from the pin to the back end (or, for a combined length, from the front of the tow vehicle to the back of the towed vehicle). Sometimes things are based on the pin to axle length or other measurements, but that's usually pretty clearly specified.
The manufacturer model numbers may or may not relate to any particular measurement, and if they do it's often in a rather loose fashion. I think it's best to think of them simply as model numbers and pretend that they do not have anything to do with length. My Coachmen Santara 315QB is just about exactly 32 feet long overall, front bumper to back bumper. (Since it's a class C motorhome, there is no hitch coupler or tongue to worry about.)
Looking up the Alabama laws here, I think the AAA guide is wrong. It looks to me like the limit for a vehicle (trailer or otherwise) is 40 feet, without any general legal limit on combined lengths that would apply to a travel trailer. A call to the DMV or equivalent should give more official information.
The manufacturer model numbers may or may not relate to any particular measurement, and if they do it's often in a rather loose fashion. I think it's best to think of them simply as model numbers and pretend that they do not have anything to do with length. My Coachmen Santara 315QB is just about exactly 32 feet long overall, front bumper to back bumper. (Since it's a class C motorhome, there is no hitch coupler or tongue to worry about.)
Looking up the Alabama laws here, I think the AAA guide is wrong. It looks to me like the limit for a vehicle (trailer or otherwise) is 40 feet, without any general legal limit on combined lengths that would apply to a travel trailer. A call to the DMV or equivalent should give more official information.
