Travel Trailer size question

I'm in the process of researching and ultimately purchasing our first TT. I have been on information overload for the last couple of months with all the stuff out there to read. I recently purchased a book call "How to tow safely" published by the RV consumer group, also known as RV.org. In it, they have a chart showing the maximum length of towables based upon the wheel base of the tow vehicle. My new Ford 250 with the 6.7 diesel has a WB of 156 inches. According to the chart my max tow length is 31-1/2 ft. Now the chart doesn't talk about interior dimensions vs outside dimension; doesn't talk about characteristics of the tow vehicle, types of hitches, WDH's, sway control; none of that.We have been thinking in terms of 32-34 feet for our new unit, which this kind of throws a monkey wrench into. I'm beginning to think I should have bought a 350 with duallys !

Any thoughts on the credibility of this chart and  what would be the issues with towing something a bit longer than what the chart indicates is max ?  Hitch wise, I'm thinking Equalizer, Hensley  or Propride.

You really need to giver serious thought to a TT that long.  They are really unstable going down the road.  They can be made stable, but its hard and expensive to do.  Towed a 30 foot TT for a few years, but never again.  Just to squirrly.  Add to the basic fact that for every foot over about 25 the availableity of camp sites goes down dramatically.  Now if your going to drag it to a seasonal site and let it sit for months at a time, great, go big.  If your planning to travel and camp a lot, think smaller so you have more available camping sites.

What kind of trailer(s) are you considering, and in what kind of terrain?  I tow a 32' bunkhouse TT (35' with tongue) with my 3/4 gas Suburban that is 22 years old, but in excellent condition.  Your diesel F-250 should be pretty capable as long as you are within your weight limits.

I've not seen too many discussions here on tow vehicle wheelbase being THAT big of a consideration for trailer length.  I mean, yes we often warn against short-wheelbase trucks or SUV's (like a Chevy Tahoe) being used to pull 30+ foot trailers, because on a windy day that trailer would "walk" the tow vehicle all over the road.  "Tail wagging the dog" is how we refer to that sometimes!

Towing weight capacity is usually the first hurdle to overcome, but it's not the only consideration.  With a 3/4 ton (your F250) or 1 ton tow vehicle, you not only have a bigger/better engine, but also heavier-duty suspension, brakes, engine cooling, and transmission that will make towing a heavy trailer much easier.

A longer trailer will be heavier, so I would think that a larger trailer would "outweigh" your F250, before length becomes as much of a factor.

I would be more concerned with floorplan and weight than length. There aren't very many TT that are longer than 32 ft anyways the market sweet spot seems to be 24-28.
I recommend the Pro pride or Hensley.

I recently purchased a book call "How to tow safely" published by the RV consumer group, also known as RV.org. In it, they have a chart showing the maximum length of towables based upon the wheel base of the tow vehicle. My new Ford 250 with the 6.7 diesel has a WB of 156 inches. According to the chart my max tow length is 31-1/2 ft.

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RV.org is not a particularly knowledgeable source and is basically a mouthpiece for owner JD Gallant's opinions on RV safety. They do not road test RVs or anything else. Instead they use some algorithms devised by Gallant to make pronouncements based on vehicle specs. One of their favorites is the wheelbase-to-overall length ratio, which they claim should always be at least 50%. It has some validity for motorhomes, but applying that same logic trailer towing seems dubious [to me].  That said, overall length is a consideration, and the longer the trailer the more susceptible it is to sway and external forces.

Now the chart doesn't talk about interior dimensions vs outside dimension; doesn't talk about characteristics of the tow vehicle, types of hitches, WDH's, sway control; none of that.

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Exactly. Making such a pronouncement based solely on one numerical ratio is ludicrous.

We have been thinking in terms of 32-34 feet for our new unit, which this kind of throws a monkey wrench into. I'm beginning to think I should have bought a 350 with duallys !

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Maybe not a dually, but depending on the 250's exact configuration, you might wish you had "more truck".

I think you can probably haul a 32-34 foot travel trailer with that truck, but you will have to get down to specifics to determine that. Both truck capability (payload and GCWR) and trailer weight & length.

I have a 2011 F250  CC  4x4 Diesel with the 156" wheelbase and tow a 34 1/2' Toy Hauler.  I also use a Blue Ox brand W.D. hitch with 1500 lb.spring bars.  I had a sway issue my first time out and as it turns out, I didn't have enough tongue weight because of the weight that was loaded in the garage area...motorcycle, scooter, roll around tool box, 30 gallons of onboard fuel, concrete weights for the pop up canopy etc,etc.  I was at exactly 10% on tongue weight because of the rear loading.  When I bought the T.H. and towed it home (375 miles) of course it was empty and towed effortlessly behind the truck.  I would not sweat being over the 31 foot Mark too much.  To me, it's more about having enough towing capacity, not being over weight in any of the numbers (GVWR, GVCWR, Axle weights, payload or CCC, Etc), and getting a good setup on a quality W.D. hitch, along with proper distribution of the weight in the trailer.

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xrated said:

I have a 2011 F250  CC  4x4 Diesel with the 156" wheelbase and tow a 34 1/2' Toy Hauler.  I also use a Blue Ox brand W.D. hitch with 1500 lb.spring bars.  I had a sway issue my first time out and as it turns out, I didn't have enough tongue weight because of the weight that was loaded in the garage area...motorcycle, scooter, roll around tool box, 30 gallons of onboard fuel, concrete weights for the pop up canopy etc,etc.  I was at exactly 10% on tongue weight because of the rear loading.  When I bought the T.H. and towed it home (375 miles) of course it was empty and towed effortlessly behind the truck.  I would not sweat being over the 31 foot Mark too much.  To me, it's more about having enough towing capacity, not being over weight in any of the numbers (GVWR, GVCWR, Axle weights, payload or CCC, Etc), and getting a good setup on a quality W.D. hitch, along with proper distribution of the weight in the trailer.

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Many thanks, as always, to all for your responses and expertise.

Ed