I have a 38 foot bumper pull trailer and I will be pulling out of my summer park in 2 days. I hope some of the experienced pros here can give me some guidance. I've taken 3 short trips in the new truck (F-250 long bed, full cab, a long truck) and trailer, but it's been 6 months now and that's all the experience I had. When I came into this park I had a left turn off a divided road so that was pretty easy. This time I need to take a right turn onto the same divided road. It's only 1 lane each side with a center lane for turning. I've got a little cheat room on the right side of the exit from the park, but only about 2 or 3 feet. If I took a left turn I'd have to go 10 or 20 minutes out of my way, plus it's a tighter road going left. Can you guide me on how far out into the street I have to get before I start turning the wheel of the truck? I can't go to a parking lot to practice so I have to give this my best shot. I suppose if I have other right turns the same will apply, but I'm trying to avoid them except out in the country when I get to the next park.

Drive out until the tires of your trailer are even with the edge of the road, then turn the direction you need to go. You might be able to start turning a little before they are at the edge depending on how much room from the tires to the edge of the road, so if you stay to the left of the drive, you have more room to start your turn earlier. You might need to have someone stop traffic or just wait for a large enough gap so you can use both lanes of the road.

swing as wide as possible......not much other advice to give

Thermoguy wrote:Drive out until the tires of your trailer are even with the edge of the road, then turn the direction you need to go. You might be able to start turning a little before they are at the edge depending on how much room from the tires to the edge of the road, so if you stay to the left of the drive, you have more room to start your turn earlier. You might need to have someone stop traffic or just wait for a large enough gap so you can use both lanes of the road.Thanks. I'll move as far to the left as I can before I start my turn. I think there's enough room because I've seen at least 2 other long trailers pull out that way without even slowing down much like they weren't worried about it at all. I'll take it slow and keep checking my mirrors.

I don't stand under how you expect anybody to spot you around a corner when can't see corner or rig. All I can say is start the turn as far left in driveway you can, and don't turn wheel until turning as short as the pickup will cut puts it as far to left as safe. In other words, use all driveway, and as much road as can get.

What Dallas Steve said, and what you replied.

Turning With A Long Bumper Pull Trailer | Good Sam Community

wnjj
Explorer II
Oct 13, 2023
If you need just a bit more room, when you start to pull out you can even steer left with the truck until the point where you will need to crank it back to the right. This will shift the rear of the truck (and hitch ball) further left and make the trailer track a little closer to where your truck would have in a normal turn. It's not much but you may find yourself needing every bit someday.

This assumes clearance to the left of you as you pull out to not cause tail swing issues.

If you even need to make an even sharper right turn where you aren't pulling into traffic pull to the far side of the road you are entering, even to the point where you cannot complete the turn with the truck. Then back carefully into a more jackknifed position before taking back off again. That is the least inside tracking you can make a trailer do with a right turn.
nickthehunter
Nomad II
Oct 14, 2023
Just to point out one thing, tow ratings on any truck tested to SAEJ2807 standard (which is pretty much all trucks) are not based upon towing a flatbed trailer. The max trailer weight rating of vehicles is partly determined by testing towing trailers with Frontal areas that are a minimum of 40 sft for 5000 lbs trailers up to 75 sft for very large triaxle trailers. You don’t meet the standard for pulling a 5000 lbs trailer with 40 sft frontal area, you don’t get to rate your truck for that max trailer tow weight rating.
Clicky
Ford tells you what the max frontal area limitations for their vehicles are See pg 17
blt2ski
Moderator
Oct 14, 2023
nickthehunter wrote:
Just to point out one thing, tow ratings on any truck tested to SAEJ2807 standard (which is pretty much all trucks) are not based upon towing a flatbed trailer. The max trailer weight rating of vehicles is partly determined by testing towing trailers with Frontal areas that are a minimum of 40 sft for 5000 lbs trailers up to 75 sft for very large triaxle trailers. You don’t meet the standard for pulling a 5000 lbs trailer with 40 sft frontal area, you don’t get to rate your truck for that max trailer tow weight rating.
Clicky
Ford tells you what the max frontal area limitations for their vehicles are See pg 17

Back in 92, I saw a poster in an RV dealership. It had max tow ratings for Ford.
F250/350 rigs had a max of 10K lbs at the time, same with GM/Dodge. That assumed you had no more than 80sqft of frontal area. 80.1-100 was lowered to 7500, 100.1-120 was lowered yet again to 5000, over 120 was not recommended to be towed by an F series truck.

The Ranger/Aerostar was maxed at 6000 iirc to 60sqft, lowered to 4500 from 60-70, lowered again to 3000 from 70-80, A trailer over 80 sq ft was not recommended being towed by Ford.

ALL the manufactures should be showing the effects, lowering of ratings etc if you go over the base weights, frontal area drag components etc. MANY of US are in actuality, over the ratings!

Marty
nickthehunter
Nomad II
Oct 14, 2023
blt2ski wrote:
nickthehunter wrote:
Just to point out one thing, tow ratings on any truck tested to SAEJ2807 standard (which is pretty much all trucks) are not based upon towing a flatbed trailer. The max trailer weight rating of vehicles is partly determined by testing towing trailers with Frontal areas that are a minimum of 40 sft for 5000 lbs trailers up to 75 sft for very large triaxle trailers. You don’t meet the standard for pulling a 5000 lbs trailer with 40 sft frontal area, you don’t get to rate your truck for that max trailer tow weight rating.
Clicky
Ford tells you what the max frontal area limitations for their vehicles are See pg 17

Back in 92, I saw a poster in an RV dealership. It had max tow ratings for Ford.
F250/350 rigs had a max of 10K lbs at the time, same with GM/Dodge. That assumed you had no more than 80sqft of frontal area. 80.1-100 was lowered to 7500, 100.1-120 was lowered yet again to 5000, over 120 was not recommended to be towed by an F series truck.

The Ranger/Aerostar was maxed at 6000 iirc to 60sqft, lowered to 4500 from 60-70, lowered again to 3000 from 70-80, A trailer over 80 sq ft was not recommended being towed by Ford.

ALL the manufactures should be showing the effects, lowering of ratings etc if you go over the base weights, frontal area drag components etc. MANY of US are in actuality, over the ratings!

Marty
I agree, that would be useful information to know.
gottashiner
Explorer
Dec 25, 2023
I pull a 40+ horse trailer with living quarters & I take up the whole road when making a tight right turn, even if I have to wait for vehicles to get out of the way. One time I didn’t have enough room to turn & had to have help (6 guys & equipment). Always take more road than you think you need!

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