Travel Trailer - When is it too long ??
Hi all, I'm a newbie to this forum but I've been towing campers and other trailers for many years, first a pop-up, then 26' class c MH, and now a 20' hybrid. In all the years, about 25' is the long...
Forum Discussion
I towed a pup, an 18 foot Dutchmen, a 31 foot Springdale, and now a 35 and 1/2 foot Outback (tip of tongue to end of bumper. I will say, the longer they are really makes no difference when driving straight forward. And I find backing in on the passenger side is actually easier on the 35 footer than the 18 or the 31 footer. I don't know what the difference is, but it just seems easier.
I never noticed the difference in the 'sail' size with cross winds. Maybe I'm not towing in high enough winds to really tell. The thing to watch with the longer trailer is turning corners. Two things to watch for, is the trailer tracking, you can cut too short. And the swing of the rear of the trailer (you could potentially hit something with the swing if you turn too soon. BUT after a few hours behind the wheel, this gets figured out pretty quick. I find backing the longest one the easiest (on either side).
More important than the length of the trailer is the tow vehicle itself. I towed our 18 foot Dutchmen with a 1500 Suburban with weight distribution and ha no problems (until I destroyed the transmission). Then I learned how to tow correctly with the next truck. But going from a mini-van to a suburban, to a 1 ton dually gas, to a 1 ton dually diesel, and then a new 1 ton dually diesel, each step-up with the tow vehicles got better and better.
Our current rig configuration tows absolutely sweet. You don't even know the trailer is there until you turn a corner and look in your mirrors.
Campgrounds? Never had an issue with campgrounds. Although some of those state parks in Wisconsin we visited with the 18 foot Dutchmen, there is absolutely no way we'd ever get in with a 35 foot Outback with 3 slides! So when reserving our campsites, we always specify 30 feet and we've never had any problems getting into any campsite. The days of the more "primitive" camping in the thick of the trees is pretty much over for us, especially when surrounded by trees we can't get satellite television reception! So we don't mind bypassing those tight campsites now anyway!
I never noticed the difference in the 'sail' size with cross winds. Maybe I'm not towing in high enough winds to really tell. The thing to watch with the longer trailer is turning corners. Two things to watch for, is the trailer tracking, you can cut too short. And the swing of the rear of the trailer (you could potentially hit something with the swing if you turn too soon. BUT after a few hours behind the wheel, this gets figured out pretty quick. I find backing the longest one the easiest (on either side).
More important than the length of the trailer is the tow vehicle itself. I towed our 18 foot Dutchmen with a 1500 Suburban with weight distribution and ha no problems (until I destroyed the transmission). Then I learned how to tow correctly with the next truck. But going from a mini-van to a suburban, to a 1 ton dually gas, to a 1 ton dually diesel, and then a new 1 ton dually diesel, each step-up with the tow vehicles got better and better.
Our current rig configuration tows absolutely sweet. You don't even know the trailer is there until you turn a corner and look in your mirrors.
Campgrounds? Never had an issue with campgrounds. Although some of those state parks in Wisconsin we visited with the 18 foot Dutchmen, there is absolutely no way we'd ever get in with a 35 foot Outback with 3 slides! So when reserving our campsites, we always specify 30 feet and we've never had any problems getting into any campsite. The days of the more "primitive" camping in the thick of the trees is pretty much over for us, especially when surrounded by trees we can't get satellite television reception! So we don't mind bypassing those tight campsites now anyway!
