How Long Can I go?

You should be able to simply back the trailer in. Gives you an easy alternative if you find others parked on the circle. Always have a "plan B" when it matters

If You are in a long cul de sac you should be able to drive in and then back it in to your driveway in order to execute a turnaround the same as you might do in a campground,backing into a site. I live on a cul de sac and with my trailer hooked to my truck I am 58 feet. The cul de sac has a 105 feet diameter which is a lot larger, but I know I could turn around in a lot smaller diameter by driving into my neighbour's drive and then backing into my driveway. I live in the bottom of the cul de sac and do not have any difficulty backing into my driveway. My guess is you could easily turn a 25 footer around in the end of the cul de sac but you may have to maneuver forward and back a couple of times.
You may have some friendly neighbours that don't mind if you drive into their driveways to accomplish the turnaround?

It will not make a difference for standard TT lengths to turn in the cul de sac as long as your truck can make the turn. The trailer will track along the trucks swing. Can't help you out with the mailboxes, I have no idea where they are.

Homecrew wrote:
Can anyone help with the calculations to determine how long of a trailer we can buy?

These would not be easy calculations, and no one here will be able to give you a definitive enough answer on the basis of which you'd likely feel comfortable enough to spend thousands of dollars on a purchase. At least I wouldn't be comfortable with that.

It would be easier if you get a large piece of graph paper, take some measurements of the roadway in your cul de sac and eyeball the locations of mailboxes with respect to curbs, then create some cut outs for the truck and trailers - all to scale. Whether or not you can do it may become quite obvious from this model exercise.

Just my 2 cents ....

Homecrew wrote:
Thanks to everyone in advance!

We are looking at travel trailers - but we live in the middle of a long cul-de-sac and are concerned about getting the trailer around the cul-de-sac.

We have a F-150 with a 157" wheelbase and a turning radius of 50.4 feet. The cul-de-sac diameter is 55 feet and there are mailboxes at the curb.

Can anyone help with the calculations to determine how long of a trailer we can buy?

Be more concerned with a trailer that is correct weight for your F-150.
Get truck weighed ready to go camping.....you, passengers, any stuff in truck or truck bed.
Use that actual weight number to figure what you can tow (available payload.....tow capacity). See ratings on data plate.

Mail boxes at curb......that is a concern regardless of length due to tail swing

I friend of mine bought a boat dependent on whether or not he could fit it on the side of his house. Perhaps you could get who ever your buying it from to let you take it on a test-park, even if they had to accompany you.

I am assuming you will wanting to park your trailer there as well... I would also check with your county laws if that is what you have in mind - it may be no trailers allowed at all there especially if you want to park beside your garage off of the circle drive...