Trailer Length definition

[RichieW]

I just bought my first trailer. The seller called it a 26-footer. But the model is a 250T, which implies 25 feet to me. The actual box of the trailer measures about 23.5 and the length from bumper to tongue is about 27.5.

Is there any general system for what measurement is the length of a trailer?

When I see campsites that say "no trailers over 30 feet", are they referring to the actual length, or the nominal length?

[Doug33]

Model numbers generally indicate box length with obvious exceptions. As someone else said, add about 3.5 for the front frame. My 24 Jag was about 28' total and my 28' Bullet is 31.5' long. I had to measure it closely because I didn't have any room to spare on the side of the house.

No CG has every indicated what specific type of length they asked for. For my 28' TT I usually just say 30'. But I also try and use Google maps to see not only how long the site is, but how wide. It is sometimes an issue finding space to park the TV if the site is smaller.

[TomG2]

mileshuff wrote:
A trailers model number and length are independent. My trailer is a 26FWRKS but the outside length is 30'.

Right. That would be like expecting a 747 airplane to be 747 feet long? Model numbers are just that.

[mileshuff]

A trailers model number and length are independent. My trailer is a 26FWRKS but the outside length is 30'.

[kevden]

thomasmnile wrote:

path1 wrote:

When I see campsites that say "no trailers over 30 feet", are they referring to the actual length, or the nominal length?

Your not going to like this answer...

It depends on who is measuring and measuring what. Many times campsite will say no trailers over (fill in a number) but when you actually get to the site there is a ton of room because you can back over the end of camping spot until rear tires run out of room. And at times you can't because of some obstacle (a barrier they put up or trees etc). And we've seen places that have said say no trailers over so big because of the road getting into the campground.

What has helped me is to look on google and see what others talk about and also look at the campground in the map section.

Also works the other way for bigger rv's. Before we down sized many times a campground would say max trailer listing at 40 foot or "pull thru's" but when you actually get there they might have a few that fit that description, but most are small.

It pays to do your homework the best you can before getting to campground.

But as far as measuring goes I do have a "fisherman's" tape measure that helps in my fish stories.

The length can definitely make a difference in a Federal campground. Reserved a site in the Ocala Nat'l Forest that was (I thought) adequate length for trailer and unhitched TV. It wasn't and the TV wasn't fully on the asphalt. Camp host came by and told me I would either have to reposition TV to get it all on the asphalt or would have to park it in the remote parking area. Repositioned the truck so the engine, tranny and rear axle (it's fluid leaks on the ground they worry about) were on the asphalt. Camp host was OK with it but warned me if a ranger came by I could be ticketed or ordered to move the truck. Now know to go 'bigger'...........

Same thing happened to us at ocala this spring. Arrived late after driving 2 days, had a site reserved but had a hard time getting onto the one they assigned us. It was a curved pull thru, got parked but the host came by and said we would get a ticket if any tire was off the pavement. Tried for 1/2 hour to get positioned just right, finally gave up and took another site that I pulled right in and shut the truck off, no problem. When we woke up in the am it was a monsoon outside, so we did not get to explore any of the park anyway.

[dave54]

RichieW wrote:
I just bought my first trailer. The seller called it a 26-footer. But the model is a 250T, which implies 25 feet to me. The actual box of the trailer measures about 23.5 and the length from bumper to tongue is about 27.5.

Is there any general system for what measurement is the length of a trailer?

When I see campsites that say "no trailers over 30 feet", are they referring to the actual length, or the nominal length?

I think the manufacturers use a random number generator when it comes to posted length. Some use the box, some include the bumper, some include the tongue, others -- who knows what they are measuring??? There does not seem to be an industry standard.

The campground limits may come from several factors, including the access road, how tight a turn to back into the sites, and pad length. As noted above, often you can get a rig into a shorter site by hanging over the rear of the paved pad. Sometimes there is a tree in the way and you cannot. I also suspect some of the length limits are from 20-30 years ago and not updated even though the campground has been remodeled/rebuilt for bigger rigs.

[AH64ID]

The campground length thing sucks... But I usually fib on the short side and hang over the end of the parking pad. Luckily we only rarely camp in campgrounds.

I'll be taking my 50' overall setup to Yellowstone this year, in a 40' spot at canyon. I have done it 7' shorter with LOTS of room to spare.

Mike Up wrote:

ah64id wrote:

I thought we were talking about box size vs model, not total length?

The box size will be around 3' to 3.5' less than the total length as that is the length of the tongue. The variance is from some boxes overlapping the tongue. So that gives you a box size of 26'7" to 26'1", much longer than the model's 22 number as I stated. However as stated above, the box is 25' for this specific model.

And most makers do not measure box lengths as it doesn't matter for anything. Only the total length matters for storage, campsites, and vehicle towing based on the tow vehicle's wheelbase.

I think there's 1 or 2 makers that measure boxes and that's about it. Different when you are talking pop ups though. 😉

My current TT has the shortest tongue I have ever seen, or measured, on a TT and I am 3' to the inch shorter on the box than the total length. I am so short up front that 6v batteries don't fit and the battery boxes for 2 G24's required modification. The current model of my TT is 8" longer and still on the short side of average.

My point is I don't see many trailers is the 3-3.5' shorter range, most are 4-5' by the time you consider tongue and bumper. My previous TT had as average tongue and it was a 4' difference.

Both of my trailers have had the shortest tongues of all the TT's we regularly camp around.

I still say that most trailer model numbers are based on box size; however, a few aren't. There is also a difference in where they measure. Is it the interior floor length, the exterior max length, or interior max length? There are trailers where those 3 would have over a foot of variance. Additionally since most mfgrs don't publish their box size who knows how people are measuring them. I measured the exterior max length, but someone else may measure the interior floor length.

One thing is for sure, there is no industry standard... But box size does play a role in model numbering.

[thomasmnile]

path1 wrote:

When I see campsites that say "no trailers over 30 feet", are they referring to the actual length, or the nominal length?

Your not going to like this answer...

It depends on who is measuring and measuring what. Many times campsite will say no trailers over (fill in a number) but when you actually get to the site there is a ton of room because you can back over the end of camping spot until rear tires run out of room. And at times you can't because of some obstacle (a barrier they put up or trees etc). And we've seen places that have said say no trailers over so big because of the road getting into the campground.

What has helped me is to look on google and see what others talk about and also look at the campground in the map section.

Also works the other way for bigger rv's. Before we down sized many times a campground would say max trailer listing at 40 foot or "pull thru's" but when you actually get there they might have a few that fit that description, but most are small.

It pays to do your homework the best you can before getting to campground.

But as far as measuring goes I do have a "fisherman's" tape measure that helps in my fish stories.

The length can definitely make a difference in a Federal campground. Reserved a site in the Ocala Nat'l Forest that was (I thought) adequate length for trailer and unhitched TV. It wasn't and the TV wasn't fully on the asphalt. Camp host came by and told me I would either have to reposition TV to get it all on the asphalt or would have to park it in the remote parking area. Repositioned the truck so the engine, tranny and rear axle (it's fluid leaks on the ground they worry about) were on the asphalt. Camp host was OK with it but warned me if a ranger came by I could be ticketed or ordered to move the truck. Now know to go 'bigger'...........

[Mike_Up]

ah64id wrote:

I thought we were talking about box size vs model, not total length?

The box size will be around 3' to 3.5' less than the total length as that is the length of the tongue. The variance is from some boxes overlapping the tongue. So that gives you a box size of 26'7" to 26'1", much longer than the model's 22 number as I stated. However as stated above, the box is 25' for this specific model.

And most makers do not measure box lengths as it doesn't matter for anything. Only the total length matters for storage, campsites, and vehicle towing based on the tow vehicle's wheelbase.

I think there's 1 or 2 makers that measure boxes and that's about it. Different when you are talking pop ups though. 😉

[NY_RVer]

I would measure the trailer from hitch to bumper, and that would be the length of the trailer. Some say it's not all usable space, as opposed to a 5th wheel. I consider it all usable space as I, for one, would not want to have two 30lb propane tanks, and two batteries taking up space any other place in the trailer.

[TomG2]

This is a carryover from the old mobile home days. Many 12 X 60 units shrank four or five feet when the hitch was removed. Really, what is the big deal? If the floorplan works, they can call it model 7 or 700 as far as I am concerned.

[AH64ID]

Mike Up wrote:

ah64id wrote:
Any examples of a 22 model that is 30' long?

HERE

'nuff said :W

I thought we were talking about box size vs model, not total length?

Are there going to be exceptions? Absolutely. Some manufactures do things a little different, but by and large the model number is talking about the box size.

It's hard to compare many models online as total length is generally listed, but it seems the 18-28 models are very close, as the model number gets over 31 there is a little more apparent error.. Maybe they want 37 foot trailers to seem smaller because that's a really big TT.

BubbaChris wrote:

ah64id wrote:

Any examples of a 22 model that is 30' long?

"Raising hand"

My 22FBS model has a 25' box and an overall length of 30'.

I appologize, I should've been more clear. We where discussing model vs box size, not total length. That is a beautiful trailer!

[BubbaChris]

ah64id wrote:

Any examples of a 22 model that is 30' long?

"Raising hand"

My 22FBS model has a 25' box and an overall length of 30'

As someone else mentioned, the smaller model number got us to look at this trailer when we were primarily shopping for a 19' style (e.g. a top contender was Lance 1985). Once we walked in and saw the extra sofa, great counter space, AND ability to access bathroom and use the kitchen with the slide in, we were hooked.

And the jump in size translated into shopping for a new TV. Oh well, we've already had 20 nights of camping this year (about 2,000 miles towing).

I'm starting to fudge up on size with some CG reservations so I end up with something large enough. Some of those 30-foot sites are really snug.

[Mike_Up]

ah64id wrote:
Any examples of a 22 model that is 30' long?

HERE

'nuff said :W

[GrandpaKip]

When asked for trailer length, I've always given 23', which is the brochure length, the model number, and the actual box size. No problems so far.

[mooky_stinks]

Our model number is a 277. The box is 31ft. and it's 34' 10" overall. Splain that!