Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

David LeBlanc wrote:

...
> Next, the longer the wheel base, the better the vehicle will be able to
> resist side forces, and you don't end up with the tail wagging the dog. This
> is another reason to go for a longer wheel base.

This isn't necessarily so, there are many other factors involved.  Look 
at how short the wheelbase of many 18-wheeler tractors are compared to 
the length of their trailers.

I used to pull with a crew-cab longbed, and now I pull with a club-cab 
shortbed, and I find the stability of the shorter truck to be at least 
as good if not better than the long truck.

> Now for _your_ trailer, _your_ truck might match up just fine, and be
> completely safe. People keep asking the wrong question, which is "what will
> it pull?" The right question is what will it stop, and what happens if I
> have to nail the brakes going downhill - will I still be in control of my
> vehicle?

Good advice.

> The way to answer these questions is by understanding GCVW and GVWR. The
> first is what the combined truck, trailer, horses, tack, hay, water, and
> people weigh all together. The second gives you an idea of the load you can
> put on the bed of the truck.
>
> The next question is just geometry - so if the gooseneck ball has to be just
> forward of the rear axle, can we put the truck at a 45 degree angle to the
> trailer, and not hit? If that works, can we get to a 90 degree angle and
> still not hit? Do you want a truck that only pulls your trailer, or one that
> pulls any gooseneck? Effectively, this means you need just over 4 feet (48")
> between the ball and the back of the truck cab. The Super Duty 8' cargo bed
> handles this just fine - it's 98" long. The shorter bed style may not,
> depending on where the axle is relative to the bed - it's only 82" long. I'm
> using Ford as an example because I can easily find the specs, but the same
> thing applies to any manufacturer.

As I have no intention to ever pull one of those eight-feet-wide 
square-nosed camper trailers, I have no need to have a truck that 
accommodates them.  Which is why I bought a shortbed, and am very happy 
with it.  I can back my LQ gooseneck a full ninety degrees without 
interference.

> Another consideration is this - say you have the truck at 45 angle to the
> trailer, and then you put one side of the trailer in a hole, and it is
> tipped over. The outside corner of the trailer nose comes down. If you have
> something on the bed, is there clearance for this? We unfortunately didn't
> figure on this part until we were on our way to our first ride and
> rearranged one of the toolboxes =8-O

This is an important consideration with any gooseneck.  You don't want 
the trailer to contact the tailgate when going over humps or through 
dips, and you don't want the trailer to contact the bed sidewalls when 
it rolls on uneven ground.  More clearance here is generally better than 
less, but you must always use care when pulling through such terrain. 
Proper adjustment of the height of the gooseneck is important, too.

--
Joe Long
jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


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