Turning With A Long Bumper Pull Trailer

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I think I would more concerned with the length and possible excessive weight for a 250/2500 truck. That's a LOT of tail wagging the Dog!!!

Semi-tractor required?

GVWR is only 9k on the trailer he lists...a 3/4 ton should be fine.

valhalla360 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I think I would more concerned with the length and possible excessive weight for a 250/2500 truck. That's a LOT of tail wagging the Dog!!!

Semi-tractor required?

GVWR is only 9k on the trailer he lists...a 3/4 ton should be fine.

Always use a Kenworth semi tractor for anything larger than a red flyer wagon we had as kids. That's an internet rule when discussing towing!!!

valhalla360 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I think I would more concerned with the length and possible excessive weight for a 250/2500 truck. That's a LOT of tail wagging the Dog!!!

Semi-tractor required?

GVWR is only 9k on the trailer he lists...a 3/4 ton should be fine.

Did not see the weight. I would use weight distributing setup.

valhalla360 wrote:
Pull out as far as you can but with a 38ft trailer, your front wheels will be in the far side ditch before you can start the turn if you wait for the trailer axles to reach the road.

That's for sure.
We made the trip out of the park today and it was not too difficult. I stopped several times to get a look at how much space I had and I always had a lot of clearance. I try to plan my trips from park to park so that I don't have any tight right turns. Some people like to get off the highways, but I would rather stay on the big highways and have easier turns. I pulled into a nice campground, but it was more wooded and my last couple of turns were tight, but I stopped and checked when I needed and it went pretty well.
As for my test of how the trailer tracks the truck, it doesn't track as close as I had hoped. On my right turn test out of my campground space it was probably a couple of feet inside the truck track. I'll just have to stay left and swing out as much as I can when I have a tight turn like when I leave this space in 2 days.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I think I would more concerned with the length and possible excessive weight for a 250/2500 truck. That's a LOT of tail wagging the Dog!!!

It’s a travel trailer….

If your trailer has a long overhang behind the rear axle, your rear bumper's gonna swing out a bit during a sharp turn, so you may need to allow space for that as well. And you'll definitely need an adult spotter watching all four corners of the rig from the outside.

TCBear wrote:
If your trailer has a long overhang behind the rear axle, your rear bumper's gonna swing out a bit during a sharp turn, so you may need to allow space for that as well. And you'll definitely need an adult spotter watching all four corners of the rig from the outside.

This is the biggest hazard as to damage.

Combined length on my rig is 62’ (RV Max is 65’ in Texas last I checked). 35’ TT & 163” WB pickup.

“Rear swing” gets my attention more than anything else. One swings wide to make a u-turn in a tight area, for instance, there’s a moment the trailer will back itself slightly. That’s one way how things get hit. (U-turns not recommended; a firing offense if on a public road some truck firms).

Backing into a spot is where it’s easy to lose track of one side of the trailer or the other.

Some tow vehicles worse than others for “wheel cut”. (Tighter is better; expressed in degrees). This determines how to set up the backing maneuver.

The rest isn’t bad. Backing or RH turns are usually where problems surface. (Always inspect starboard tires at every stop).

The hoary joke among truck drivers is that anyone can get them down the road. They’re paid to get them backed in.

Doesn’t matter how many attempts necessary to get backed, in a manner of speaking. Some days one is a whiz. Other days, a schmoe.

Your pickup “steers” from the rear axle (circle of the turn). Your trailer just alters that dimension farther rearward. See, “Ackermann Angle” as applied to trailers (Ackermann Steering Geometry).

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valhalla360 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I think I would more concerned with the length and possible excessive weight for a 250/2500 truck. That's a LOT of tail wagging the Dog!!!

Semi-tractor required?

GVWR is only 9k on the trailer he lists...a 3/4 ton should be fine.

Half ton would be fine for a vacationer versus a full-timer. DD duty is always the priority. Power-to-weight favors 1/2T.

Take both to scale and get true weights (loaded for camping trip with pax aboard)

My combined gross stays between 17-18k, both heavily loaded. Empty, both together were just under 14k.

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BackOfThePack wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I think I would more concerned with the length and possible excessive weight for a 250/2500 truck. That's a LOT of tail wagging the Dog!!!

Semi-tractor required?

GVWR is only 9k on the trailer he lists...a 3/4 ton should be fine.

Half ton would be fine for a vacationer versus a full-timer. DD duty is always the priority. Power-to-weight favors 1/2T.

Take both to scale and get true weights (loaded for camping trip with pax aboard)

My combined gross stays between 17-18k, both heavily loaded. Empty, both together were just under 14k.

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1/2ton would be borderline. I know some claim a 10k tow rating but 1/2 ton is built wildly different from the 3/4-1ton trucks.

Keep in mind the tow ratings are typically based on a flatbed trailer with minimal wind resistance and a 10% hitch weight. A 9k travel trailer is going to have a lot of wind resistance and a hitch weight on the order of 1200-1400lb. Most 1/2ton trucks will be over payload by the time you are ready to roll.

In a pinch to get it 20-30miles home, I would consider it but as a general tow vehicle, that's up into 3/4 ton range.

OP has a very capable TV, so no issue there.

He just needs to get more towing time, to get more actual experience, gain confidence, and know of things to watch out for (reason for his post). Some helpful tips were given.

Jerry