Roadtrek 1 Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 (edited) See this article for more details, it explains why this is important.... https://axleaddict.com/rvs/Why-RV-Wheel-Base-Ratio-Is-Important You don't want to have your RV drive "like a house"....and be challenging every time you're behind the wheel....as in this video below.... Space is important, but..... https://www.motor1.com/reviews/140845/thor-outlaw-rv-why-buy/ Apparently, a longer wheelbase is an advantage. Edited April 6, 2019 by Roadtrek 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 Longer Is Safer To a great degree, this is also true for the wheelbase of a vehicle that tows a trailer RV. While I have never seen a formula for determining the proper ratio between tow vehicle wheelbase and trailer length, there really should be one. I can assure you that even when towing a small travel trailer, the longer & heavier the tow vehicle is the less impact wind and road conditions have on the handling. Quote Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadtrek 1 Posted April 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 9 hours ago, Kirk W said: Longer Is Safer To a great degree, this is also true for the wheelbase of a vehicle that tows a trailer RV. While I have never seen a formula for determining the proper ratio between tow vehicle wheelbase and trailer length, there really should be one. I can assure you that even when towing a small travel trailer, the longer & heavier the tow vehicle is the less impact wind and road conditions have on the handling. Kirk, I would agree and found this for you; https://www.transwest.com/kansas-city/7-features-you-should-look-for-when-shopping-for-a-towing-vehicle When I originally posted this article on wheelbase, I was primarily speaking of RVs of any size. The article gives people a calculation to determine their ratio. RVs with a relatively short wheelbase for their overall length are difficult and fatiguing to drive requiring a lot of steering corrections.... In general, I think it's more risky to tow a vehicle such as a trailer than just driving a single vehicle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailertraveler Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 13 hours ago, Kirk W said: To a great degree, this is also true for the wheelbase of a vehicle that tows a trailer RV. While I have never seen a formula for determining the proper ratio between tow vehicle wheelbase and trailer length, there really should be one. The RV Consumers Group developed a guideline years ago for the relationship between tow vehicle wheelbase and trailer length. It is discussed in this article which I have linked to a number of times on this forum. The article also discusses a second guideline, Quote The distance from the coupler to the rear trailer axle should be no more than twice the wheelbase of the tow vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FL-JOE Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 I read several related articles a few years ago to learn about this ratio between wheel base and overall length when it comes to motorhomes. We were in the process of shopping for our first gas coach for past timing. We had driven a Jayco product that was hard to even keep in a lane of traffic. It turned out it was way under the recommended ratio. Ended up with a gently used Thor Challenger 37GT that had a better ratio but still tired you out after 300 or 350 miles a day. IMHO that ratio is the most important thing but type of suspension runs a close second. Quote Joe & Cindy Newmar 4369 Ventana Pulling 24' enclosed (Mini Cooper, Harley, 2 Kayaks) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 Thanks to all of you for posting links to those articles. Actually two of them I had previously seen but had lost the links to. I especially like the one from RVCG as it addresses both types of towing. The other factor that can have a great impact on the handling when towing a small travel trailer is the issue of 1 axle or 2 axles. Because it costs less, the lower priced, short, lite weight travel trailers typically come with only 1 axle but handling is much improved for the same towing combination if the trailer has 2 axles because of the effect the trailer rocking has on the tow vehicle. The second axle lessens that effect. Quote Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadtrek 1 Posted April 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 5 hours ago, Kirk W said: Thanks to all of you for posting links to those articles. Actually two of them I had previously seen but had lost the links to. I especially like the one from RVCG as it addresses both types of towing. The other factor that can have a great impact on the handling when towing a small travel trailer is the issue of 1 axle or 2 axles. Because it costs less, the lower priced, short, lite weight travel trailers typically come with only 1 axle but handling is much improved for the same towing combination if the trailer has 2 axles because of the effect the trailer rocking has on the tow vehicle. The second axle lessens that effect. Kirk, just curious, I've seen some trailers with two wheels one in front of the other on each side vs. dual wheels on one axle.... I don't know which is more secure? Could you please tell me about that? Which can handle more weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 3 minutes ago, Roadtrek 1 said: I don't know which is more secure? Offhand, I can't think of any travel trailers that have a single axle with dual wheels. Having 2 axles and tandem wheels not only increases the weight carrying capacity, but it also improves handling and control because tandem axles increase the ground & aft as it travels over rough roads. I can't recall ever having seen dual wheel configured tires on any fifth wheel either, while 3 axles are becoming more common with the increased length and weight, especially with toy haulers. Quote Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mptjelgin Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 Newmar outfitted their big fifth wheel trailers with tandem wheels. They had eight tires on two axles. They were very well built trailers that weighed north of 20k pounds. Quote Mark & Teri 2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350 Mark & Teri's Travels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaydrvr Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 (edited) 33 minutes ago, mptjelgin said: Newmar outfitted their big fifth wheel trailers with tandem wheels. They had eight tires on two axles. They were very well built trailers that weighed north of 20k pounds. The substantial over engineering and ample tire/wheel/axle capacity is what attracted us to the Newmar fiver. Jay Edited April 7, 2019 by Jaydrvr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis M Posted April 8, 2019 Report Share Posted April 8, 2019 4 hours ago, Jaydrvr said: The substantial over engineering and ample tire/wheel/axle capacity is what attracted us to the Newmar fiver. Jay Same here and it's still going strong after 14 years and 100k miles plus. Quote Dennis & NancyTucson, AZ in winter, on the road in summer.1999 Volvo 610 "Bud" 425 HP Volvo, Super 10 spd.2005 Mountain Aire 35 BLKS2013 smart fortwo CityFlame riding on Bud(Replaced '05 smart first loaded in '06 and '11 smart that gave it's life to save me!)Our Travel Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenningsr85 Posted July 30, 2020 Report Share Posted July 30, 2020 My motorhome is 28'5" long, wheel base is 158.7", what is my wheelbase ratio %? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly2low Posted July 30, 2020 Report Share Posted July 30, 2020 .46 or 46% less than ideal Quote Rich and Carol 2007 Dynamax DQ 340 XL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted July 30, 2020 Report Share Posted July 30, 2020 5 hours ago, jenningsr85 said: My motorhome is 28'5" long, wheel base is 158.7", what is my wheelbase ratio %? Convert the length into inches which is 341". Next divide the wheelbase by the length. 158.7 / 341 = 46.5% Quote Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rls7201 Posted August 1, 2020 Report Share Posted August 1, 2020 So much to do about so little. My 33' MH, 190" wheel base, 13' of overhang, on a 17,000 chassis would be considered by some as a disaster waiting to happen. It drives great for an office building on wheels. Only one gadget added to the suspension. A front Pan Hard Bar. Toe is set correctly and no rags for tires. I'll still work part time in the front end business and am very fussy about the way my vehicles drive. Richard Quote Richard Shields Gladstone, MO 95 Bounder 32H F53 460/528 stroker engine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted August 2, 2020 Report Share Posted August 2, 2020 12 hours ago, rls7201 said: So much to do about so little Yup. Much like the wearing of a mask or a seat-belt. Quote Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlyJames Posted August 2, 2020 Report Share Posted August 2, 2020 Nice article! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rls7201 Posted August 10, 2020 Report Share Posted August 10, 2020 (edited) On 8/2/2020 at 6:38 AM, Kirk W said: Yup. Much like the wearing of a mask or a seat-belt. And what does wearing a mask or seat belt have to do with chassis frame ratio and driveability? What are your qualifications for determining driveability? Please share them. How many hundreds of vehicle of various configuration have you experienced and corrected their short cummings. Or are you just repeating what others have said? Richard Edited August 10, 2020 by rls7201 Quote Richard Shields Gladstone, MO 95 Bounder 32H F53 460/528 stroker engine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray,IN Posted August 12, 2020 Report Share Posted August 12, 2020 I agree, this ratio is vital to successful towing. Remember the old 1/2T 10 passenger Ford extended vans? They were notorious for poor handling, both alone and towing a trailer. On 8/1/2020 at 6:37 PM, rls7201 said: So much to do about so little. My 33' MH, 190" wheel base, 13' of overhang, on a 17,000 chassis would be considered by some as a disaster waiting to happen. It drives great for an office building on wheels. Only one gadget added to the suspension. A front Pan Hard Bar. Toe is set correctly and no rags for tires. I'll still work part time in the front end business and am very fussy about the way my vehicles drive. Richard Richard, this is the original article about wheel-base ratio: https://rv.org/blogs/news/short-wheelbases-and-accidents-go-hand-in-hand Quote 2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie&Jim's Carrilite Posted August 13, 2020 Report Share Posted August 13, 2020 21 hours ago, Ray,IN said: I agree, this ratio is vital to successful towing. Remember the old 1/2T 10 passenger Ford extended vans? They were notorious for poor handling, both alone and towing a trailer. Richard, this is the original article about wheel-base ratio: https://rv.org/blogs/news/short-wheelbases-and-accidents-go-hand-in-hand Near the end of the article, it mentions that 5th wheels don't have as much issue due to the 20-25% pin weight. Unfortunately that is no longer true. DRV has moved the axles forward do that the standard 350/3500 pickup can carry the pin. Our 46ft, DRV weighed 21420 empty with a pin weight of just 2830.... 13.4%. That was with full propane and 2 batteries. Towed like crap empty. We loaded as much of our personal belongings into the front of axle area to transfer weight forward. Quote Jim's Adventures Old Spacecraft.... Who knows whats next Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray,IN Posted August 16, 2020 Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 On 8/12/2020 at 9:01 PM, Alie&Jim's Carrilite said: Near the end of the article, it mentions that 5th wheels don't have as much issue due to the 20-25% pin weight. Unfortunately that is no longer true. DRV has moved the axles forward do that the standard 350/3500 pickup can carry the pin. Our 46ft, DRV weighed 21420 empty with a pin weight of just 2830.... 13.4%. That was with full propane and 2 batteries. Towed like crap empty. We loaded as much of our personal belongings into the front of axle area to transfer weight forward. Our last 5er was a Dutchmen Grand Junction, when I changed to bigger diameter tires I had the rear axle moved back 3". Although the 5er towed fine before the axle move, it towed better afterward. Quote 2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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