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RE: Length Concerns
It is not just the wheelbase issue. The closer the hitch to the rear axel the more stable. Also it depends on what percentage of the trailer weight is away from the trailer axels. if 100% of the trailer weight was within one foot of the axel there would be no sway except for what ever the wind would induce against the bigger trailler. bigger trailer the more wind effect but it is that weight away from the axels that starts to magnify things. In engineering terms this is referred to as moment of inertia. the further away from the axels you put a 100 lb sack of sand the more it can contribute to sway because the moment of inertia has been increased in proportion to the distance away from the axel.
there are a number of ways that a short wheelbase vehicle can be configured to do a good job of towing. Unfortunately most of them just aren't practical.
I had a short wheelbase dodge van once that I rigged a hitch ball just forward of the rear bumper about 4" because I was pulling a long trailer. The rear bumper was closer to the rear axel than most vehicles and with the ball 4" forward it could tow really long trailers without a hint of wag. I got the idea from the pullrite hitch design. All it does is pivot the hitch close to the rear axel.
Off course my setup did not allow for very short turns and only worked for me because it did what I wanted it to do. Just throwing out some ideas for you to work with to see if something works for you. Do not be intimidated unnecessarily by the short is bad idea. it is just that longer is better. Most people need to seriously consider just getting a really good TV and let it go at that but there are other ways to deal with the sway and length issue such as getting a trailler with a low moment of inertia. Its not the length it's the moment of inertia and total weight that you are really dealing with. Longer usually means higher moment of inertia but not necessarily.
My current 27 foot kodiak has a center kitchen and all the heavy stuff is very close to the axels. I haven't tried it but I think I could pull this thing with a jeep. It has no where near the tendency to sway as other similar length trailers I have dealt with.
A hensley hitch will do wonders for a short wheel TV. I have seen some F350's and F450's in some nasty wrecks so the fact that a hensley hitched trailer wrecked means little in the overall scheme of things.
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85AllegroSam
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06/27/08 09:52am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Its been two years.........
Bought my trailer a Kodiak by Skamper 27CDSL precisely because of the floor plan we liked that a lot of other trailers had similarly but this trailer is only one step. I am reasonably active, no stiff knees, but I still thoroughly enjoy the freedom to go in and out of the trailer so easily. When cooking outside there are numerous trips in coordinating the meal and I really appreciated the one step. My previous experience was a motorhome that had four steps. It really got old going up and down.
I see all sorts of older folks that otherwise can't go up and down steps in these 5 step fifth wheels and no wonder somehow they just don't enjoy the trip like they want to because of those steps. My two cents.:)
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85AllegroSam
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05/14/08 09:03pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: finding frame members (stud finder)
Right on Mickeyxx -- that is the way it will probbly get done. I bought a new Zircon i700 stud finder because it had a metal detection mode which would be an improvement for my house projects. I think it would do fine detecting the metal in the trailer but it is so big I kept running out of space to slide the finder. It can't locate the metal accurately enough for you to be able to drill a hole and hit it until you have scaned from the left and the right. Somehow it takes an average and homes in on the stud by repeating this process. There is a cabinet or something to hit just about everywhere but at least I can confirm that I am approaching a metal beam and use a bit of logic and press a little here and a little there as you say:) I would say the stud finder helped but still have to feel it out and take a shot. I missed one and had to get up the courage and move over a bit and drill another hole.
On to the next phase:R
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85AllegroSam
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05/13/08 06:18pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Pullrite or ProPride
For years I said I would get a PullRite whenever I bought a travel trailer but when the time came the cost and universal nature of the ProPride won me over and it tows every bit as good as far as I can tell.
Sam,
Do you HAVE your 3P already? Mine is expected to arrive in a couple weeks... I'm anxious to hear/read some reviews from folks that have it installed and are using it.
Thanks!
Jeff
No I do not but am expecting shipment any day now. I base my estimate of it's effectiveness on known good performance of the Hensley and the pictures I have seen of the ProPride. I am a mechanical engineer so I can vouch for the principle or theory of operation. It is not snake oil. The theory is proven. I am sure ProPride will be every bit as good if not better. We will see won't we? I will post what I learn.
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85AllegroSam
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05/09/08 09:51pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: finding frame members (stud finder)
Sounds like you are telling us that they do work:W
Seriously, there is absolutely no flex in most of my walls. that layer of styrofoam won't let the skin move even a smidge until you reach the point of pressing so hard something is being damaged. My interior walls are easy to work with by thumping and flexing. The places I do feel flex in my exterior walls seems to be where the frame is. There is a little hollow space there. At least that is what turned out in one situation. I had to drill a second hole to hit the center of the frame. The other one I filled with wood filler but it shows. Don't want too many of those.
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85AllegroSam
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05/09/08 03:56pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: finding frame members (stud finder)
Hey djevans, who is talking about accuracy:) Right now I have no idea where any of my framing is located. One nice frosty morning I am going to have a whole better idea where to look when I get inside. I feel clever already, even if I didn't figure it out by myself.
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85AllegroSam
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05/09/08 01:48pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Pullrite or ProPride
Something else to think about. The ProPride can be moved from trailer to trailer and works on any vehicle with a 2' hitch receiver. The PullRite adds permanent weight to the TV, requires vehicle modifications in many cases and each Pull Rite hitch only fits a category of vehicles so you may not be able to use it when you change tow vehicles. With the ProPride any properly weight rated TV can back up to the ProPride hitch, and drive away.
The ProPride will cost less also. For years I said I would get a PullRite whenever I bought a travel trailer but when the time came the cost and universal nature of the ProPride won me over and it tows every bit as good as far as I can tell.
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85AllegroSam
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05/09/08 11:23am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: finding frame members (stud finder)
Forgot to mention that I am going to now be the nutcase that is always staring at the sides of the trailer after rains to see he can get a mental picture of of his frame:)
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85AllegroSam
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05/09/08 10:42am |
Tech Issues
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RE: finding frame members (stud finder)
Thanks all. Just needed to know i wasn't looking for a left handed monkey wrench or something like that. I will start shopping shortly and I will repost when I have found the finder of my dreams:)
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85AllegroSam
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05/09/08 10:35am |
Tech Issues
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finding frame members (stud finder)
This topic has been moved to another forum.
You can read it here: 21389338
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85AllegroSam
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05/09/08 05:51am |
Forum Technical Support
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finding frame members (stud finder)
My home type stud finder does not give a clue in my trailer as to where aluminum, or steel frame members are. There must be a trick to finding the frame members in our RV's so we can drill into structural points for hanging things on the walls.
Any tricks, or devices? My home type stud finder is an older one from Sears. Will the newer ones work for aluminum or steel etc? magnets do not work on the aluminum.
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85AllegroSam
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05/09/08 05:51am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lets talk fuel economy and ways to improve.
Don't forget tires. Most trailers have bias ply tires. I was flabbergasted when I learned that. Haven't, until lately, had a trailer since early 1980's so I just assumed that trailer tire technology rode along with other tires. Bias ply tires take serious amounts of extra energy to roll as compared to radials especially good radials. It takes a good bit or research to quantify this and I haven't looked at it for years. I don't know whether anyone has bothered to compare the rolling resistance effect on trailers since most people are resigned to coughing up lots of extra gas money to pull a trailer with it'w extra wind resistance, weight etc. And for just a few trips a year, what difference does it make? Not much but if you seriously like to travel a lot then the gas expense matters. I hope someone can enlighten us on this milage thing.
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85AllegroSam
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04/12/08 02:18pm |
Travel Trailers
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