What Trailer length is too long

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Rvtravelers

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Sep 28, 2018
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Hello,
My wife and I have been looking at getting a different camper.  We currently have a 24 ft hybrid but want one with a walk around bed. My TV is a 2015 ram with 5.7 hemi. I have looked at several that I can tow but am concerned about towing one that is to long. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
 
I have a 34' Sunnybrooke  Brookside with a walk around bed and a full bath in the rear.  I hate towing it.
 

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We have a 24 trailrunner SLE with a walk around Queen Bed.

I would recommend one with a slide..... Maybe a TR 272 RBS
 
I tow with a 1500. Don?t want anything over 30 ft. Just not sure I should even tow that length or try to stay in the 26-28 ft range.
 
Rvtravelers said:
I tow with a 1500. Don?t want anything over 30 ft. Just not sure I should even tow that length or try to stay in the 26-28 ft range.
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That being the case Then I would recommend 24 trailrunner SLE. The only problem it's a little tight between the kitchen and table Which is why I also recommend getting  slide. The only change we made was upgrading to a reg. Queen mattress.
 
Tom Hoffman said:
I have a 34' Sunnybrooke  Brookside with a walk around bed and a full bath in the rear.  I hate towing it.
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I'm sure you do hate towing that trailer, you have too much truck.



That's a joke ya'll, One of the exceptional times someone can say that. Can't get an emoji to post for some reason.
 
Usually the better question is "what trailer is not too heavy for my truck".  The answer can be found on the weight sticker on the drivers side door pillar. Check what the Gross Combo Weight Rating (GCWR) is for your truck, then take it to a scale and see how much it weighs. The difference in those two numbers will tell you the max amount a fully loaded trailer can safely tow. 

By staying under that number you will be less likely to feel like the trailer is "pushing the truck around" pulling it down the road, and especially in windy conditions. And not only being able to  pull it, the truck needs to be able to stop it. 

Find out max trailer weight number, then shop for a trailer that fits your budget, tastes, and living requirements.
 
I towed a 36' TT for 3 years with an F-150 Lariat rated for 11,500lbs. I was within specs as TT weighed in loaded at just under 9,000 lbs. I did drive a tractor trailer years ago and the length was not a problem for me. Once you get going you don't even know it is back there. Do crosswinds and large trucks move you around, Of course but I now have a 250 Lariat and I still get the same effect when crosswinds and trucks pass by. When I drove a 48' tractor trailer even loaded I would feel the effects as well. So it is whatever you are comfortable driving and assuming you are within the weight restrictions of your TV. In my opinion, and it is only my opinion, that a 28', 30', 32' are all going to be affected by crosswinds and large trucks passing by.
 
I have a 2001 SunnyBrook 27FKS with a rear walk-around queen bed and a 12 ft. superslide in the front living room/kitchen.  Dry weight is 6400 lbs, with a 9632 lb GVWR.  When I weighed it fully loaded last year the actual weight was about 8,000 lbs.  My truck is a 1999 Ford F350 crew cab shortbed with the 7.3 Powerstroke.

The loaded weight of the trailer, along with all of the truck's tire and axle weights with the trailer attached, are at or below 80% of the truck's ratings.  I rarely notice gusts from passing trucks and it tows very well.
 

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In looking for a new camper have seen several ads for 1/2 ton towable 5 th wheels. I?d love one but have read various opinions on this. I have a Ram 1500 with the 5.7 l hemi. Payload is a little over 1700lbs.  Can I safely tow one. Also what hitch weight would be max for me.
 
The key here is the payload. Knock 150-200# off to allow for the hitch and you have 1500 left. If the pin weight is 20% of the total, common for a fiver, you would be limited to a maximum of 7500 which means a small unit. Very few are that light. 1/2 ton towable is misleading, any fiver can be hooked to a light truck and moved down the road but not necessarily safely. Our first one was within the rated capacity of our truck (barely), two trips in the mountains convinced us this was not a good idea.
 
I really want a 35 footer but I know it will restrict me from going to some of my favorite backcountry mountain boondock sites.  My current is 30 foot long and is perfect for triple towing my ATV trailer but I wish it had 2 slides in the living area and a bedroom slide.  If I can find something that is 30-32 feet long with 3 slides, I'd probably buy it.

 
Not to thread jack, but I have a specific question about trailer length and figure it?s best to reply here because it is the same topic. I am comparing a 25 and 28 foot model of a bumper pull trailer, (not including the hitch). I plan to get a 3/4 ton tow vehicle so it should be overkill on weight limits. My question is, will the extra 3? make a difference when driving on narrow, winding roads? I want to be able to explore remote areas and if the extra 3? would make enough difference that I would miss out on otherwise accessible areas, it might make a difference in my decision.
Thank you!
 
Unfortunately three foot is a MAJOR difference in some areas,, tight turn and shorter parking spots will dictate those parameters.>>>Dan  ( It also is problematic when you poke your nose into these places only to find its too tight for you,, then have to turn around to get out.. We all have had this problem at one time or other. You having too long a trailer is better than me having to unhitch a 4 down towed when in a tight spot)
 
Utclmjmpr said:
Unfortunately three foot is a MAJOR difference in some areas,, tight turn and shorter parking spots will dictate those parameters.>>>Dan  ( It also is problematic when you poke your nose into these places only to find its too tight for you,, then have to turn around to get out.. We all have had this problem at one time or other. You having too long a trailer is better than me having to unhitch a 4 down towed when in a tight spot)
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So mostly for parking? What about driving on winding roads?
 
Porkchopexpress said:
So mostly for parking? What about driving on winding roads?
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That applies to trailers as well. When you see a sign that says "Restricted to vehicles 30' from king pin to rear axle, that would be the distance from your hitch ball to the rear axle of your trailer.  That means that the turns are too tight and trailers over that length will cross over into on coming traffic.
 
Porkchopexpress said:
I am comparing a 25 and 28 foot model of a bumper pull trailer, (not including the hitch). I plan to get a 3/4 ton tow vehicle so it should be overkill on weight limits. My question is, will the extra 3? make a difference when driving on narrow, winding roads? I want to be able to explore remote areas and if the extra 3? would make enough difference that I would miss out on otherwise accessible areas, it might make a difference in my decision.
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The difference in how the trailer tracks behind the tow vehicle is related to the hitch to the axle centerline distance, not the overall length of the trailer.

RV trailers have the axles located close to the midpoint of the trailer, while commercial trailers usually have them at or close to the rear of the box.

Assuming the 25 ft and 28 ft. trailers have similar axle placements with regard to their overall lengths, you're only looking at a 12" to 18" difference in hitch to axle distance between them.  You can verify this with a tape measure while you're looking at the actual trailers.

Of greater concern if you're looking at exploring remote areas is the trailer's rear approach and departure angles.  This is how sharp of an incline you can climb without dragging the rear axle or the plumbing, etc. hanging behind the rear axle.  Stretch a string from the bottom of the rear tire to the rear bumper and see if anything hangs below it.  This will also show you the relative angle you can traverse before scraping the bumper - compare this to your truck's rear axle and the lowest point on the hitch.
 
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