Is "wheelbase" relative or fixed?

Good question, and I guess it is relative to the class of vehicle.

My F450 single-cab dually had a 'short' base of 144".

wilber1 wrote:
If a manufacturer makes a model with two different lengths, one is short and the other is long.

Pretty much sums it up. In terms of a TV pretty much everything but a pickup will have a short WB, the exception possibly being the excursion and suburban.

My truck has a 160.5" wheelbase, which I consider long and the short-bed version is 140.5". My dad's '97 K2500 burb is 131.5", so while long for a SUV it's still shorter than a QC SB Dodge. The Excursion comes in at 137.5", and a reg cab Dodge is also 140.5".

I had a 4Runner which I towed a 21 foot trailer with. The wheelbase was"short" at 109.5"

I guess wheelbase can be relative in the sense it really dictates what you can tow.

Francesca Knowles wrote:
Trying to understand the meaning of the term "short wheelbase vehicle". Looked all over the 'net and can't seem to find an answer.

I know that wheelbase itself is the distance from front-to-back wheel centers; but what defines short versus long?

Is it a matter of percentage-of-total length? Length vs. height? Amount of rear overhang? Or is it just that everything below a certain wheelbase length is considered "short wheelbase"?

Thanks for any enlightenment provided...

What is a short wheelbase? Depends on the type of vehicle.

My 4dr Sedan has a 109" wheelbase, which is NOT considered "short".

Some Mid-Size SUV's have wheelbases of 109", and ARE considered "short".

The Chevy Tahoe has a 116" wheelbase, which is still considered "short".

So, for trucks and SUV's, I'd have to say anything over 120" falls out of the "short wheelbase" classification, even though I drive a large SUV with a 123" wheelbase, and some still call it short. I'd say that's more like "medium wheelbase"! LOL

But look at makes up the majority of tow vehicles on this site to which they compare. We have mostly Large and long trucks here, some with 160+ LONG wheelbase!

If a manufacturer makes a model with two different lengths, one is short and the other is long.

Here is a 'wheel base chart' (sorta).........LINK

Kinda like apples/oranges as EACH MFG. has their own.

No real definition as per.......this mean this. :B