How much does truck length affect towing stability?

[Renze]

In my personal experience, duel rear tires make the biggest difference that I've experienced. It's like the rear end of the truck and the trailer are locked into the road. You just feel the difference, and it's significant.

Keep in mind that DRW vehicles usually have stiffer springs and stiffer rollbars which make the biggest difference. We once put the springs of a DRW sprinter on a SRW and it was the nicest driving vehicle we had: it was less prone to aquaplaning on wet roads when empty because of higher road contact pressure, and as stabile as a DRW when towing. The DRW still has a thicker rollbar, but a SRW has the spring stance wider, which cancels each other out.

 

[dennis103]

I have a Grand L6060 w/hoe that weighs close to 10000lbs, w/trailer 13000 to 14000 lbs. I have towed it with a 3/4 ton Dodge reg cab 8' bed and a F250 Crew cab short bed (6'7"). The difference in length is about 20" according to specs. I do notice a difference in stability being the longer truck seems more stable. Would a Crew cab 8' bed tow even better? Maybe, but I feel the agrevation of another 15" of truck to deal with in every day, not towing driving wouldn't be worth it to me. Keep a steady hand on the wheel and be a defensive driver when towing and most trucks with the proper weight rating for the towed load will be safe and comfortable.

 

[Renze]

I do notice a difference in stability being the longer truck seems more stable. Would a Crew cab 8' bed tow even better?

A vehicle often bought to pull the full legal trailer weight limit for non-CDL of 3500kg (8000 pound) in Europe, is the Nissan Patrol. Unknowing people often buy the three door short wheelbase version, which has a shorter wheelbase than a compact sedan. Together with a high center of gravity, high aspect ratio tires (80 series, with sidewall height 80% of tire width) it tows like **** actually, a large sedan handles it better.

A guy traded his SWB patrol for a Mercedes ML SUV with a longer wheelbase, 18 inch rims with 60 series tires, and found a day and night difference in towing stability between the two, hauling exclusive used cars over the German Autobahn.

Interesting enough, the Euro Sprinter dually is sold on 195/65R16 while the US sprinter (at least the previous model) was sold on 205/75R15 tires. The higher sidewall and smaller rim do not benefit towing stability and crosswind stability, but it does help sell it to the American buyer who might think there isnt enough rubber in the wheel well.

For firm handling and towing stability, you need low aspect ratio tires like a sports car. But you need high aspect ratio tires to smoothen the ride when bouncing around on heavy leaf springs with extra capacity to carry a load. Thats why we converted a lot of Sprinters that either drive empty, or with a heavy 5th wheel, to self leveling full air suspension. The low aspect ratio tires give firm contact with the road, and the airbags filter all vibrations transmitted from the road, regardless of load.

Theres still plenty to gain in towing stability, if existing design conventions are abandoned.

 

[4570Man]

There’s no chance of that happening. To many Americans do this to their “trucks”.

 

[zzvyb6]

Sure, low aspect tires if you are hauling a pushmower on a snowmobile trailer. But there are NO truck tires that are safe for loads well above 10,000 lbs and for going 2000 miles each way, as is common here in the States.

 

[Renze]

There痴 no chance of that happening. To many Americans do this to their 鍍rucks? View attachment 613403

That looks pretty low sidewall to me.. should be stabile... just damage prone when going offroad, both rim edge as well as tire.

Sure, low aspect tires if you are hauling a pushmower on a snowmobile trailer. But there are NO truck tires that are safe for loads well above 10,000 lbs and for going 2000 miles each way, as is common here in the States.

As i said, the Euro Sprinter dually was on 195/65R16 tires and has a 5 ton GVW. As a 5th wheel tractor we often put a low deck trailer behind it on 205/65R17.5 truck tires, they are two inches higher but carry 7.5 ton per axle, dually.

Anyways, your opinion just proved that Mercedes was smart putting the American Sprinter on 205 or 215/75R15 for non-technical reasons

In Europe you can even opt for 60 series 17 inch wheels under the sprinter....

 

[4570Man]

That looks pretty low sidewall to me.. should be stabile... just damage prone when going offroad, both rim edge as well as tire.



As i said, the Euro Sprinter dually was on 195/65R16 tires and has a 5 ton GVW. As a 5th wheel tractor we often put a low deck trailer behind it on 205/65R17.5 truck tires, they are two inches higher but carry 7.5 ton per axle, dually.

Anyways, your opinion just proved that Mercedes was smart putting the American Sprinter on 205 or 215/75R15 for non-technical reasons

In Europe you can even opt for 60 series 17 inch wheels under the sprinter....

Any stability he might have gained was more than lost in the lift. And I think the previous poster meant heavy trucks not pickups. Sometimes medium duty trucks have 19.5s but all heavy trucks are 22.5s or bigger.

 

[prof fate]

I've towed the same 2 trailers with 3 different vehicles - a Ford Expedition, a silverado 4 door (2' more wb than the expy) and an F350 single cab/8' bed.

The expy and 350 had 10 ply tires, the silverado 4 ply "P" tires. All had 5.4/5.3 gas engines.


one trailer is a 6x12 cargo, no brakes. second is a 30' camping trailer, 6k lbs or so, w/ brakes, and I've pulled a few flatbeds with cars/tractors on them with the chevy and f350, and a horse trailer with the F350.


the expy pogo'd a lot with the camper on it (750 lb tounge weight, short wb). But otherwise felt stable.
the P rated tires on the silverado SUCKED for towing. MUCH better ride than 10 ply LT tires BY FAR though. Towing it felt like you're on 4 blocks of jello. YOu get used to it...eventually. No 'pogo' on the suspension. The silverado was at it's max weight though - 7000gvwr and empty it hit the scales at 5700 lb...800ish tounge weight and you gotta have skinny passengers and no cargo.

The F350 - holy ****, it's a whole nuther ball game. The brake controller wiring was hacked by the previous owner and I've not gotten it to work right yet (also have a/c issues at times...). ANYway, HUGE brakes, heavier frame and of course shitloads of suspension - 10,500 gvwr and I can't see it being over 6k in weight..so TWO TONS of load capacity. Don't need the weight dist hitch on teh camper - the rear of the truck drops 3/4 of an inch...the silverdo dropped nearly 3 plus the front went up as much.

W/O the brake contoller it's ONLY the truck brakes stopping the 6k truck and 6k trailer...no issues, no fears. same for a 22' flatbed with tractor and the horse trailer. The cargo trailer is not even there.

had a friend with a 4 door 8' bed for his construcion biz...yeah, you park in the boonies.
teh F350 has a VERY sharp steering radius. Better than the silverado, which while tight in some places worked well almost everywhere. avoid parking garages though.

 

[Renze]

Any stability he might have gained was more than lost in the lift.

very true.. when panhard rods and wishbones arent level, it jolts from side to side during spring action...

Here in Holland a contractor had a 3 axle manure tank behind a John Deere with TLS front suspension. The lateral movement while traveling in the front axle suspension, caused the trailer steering to react. The result was a very wobbly combination, they changed the JD for a New Holland with a different front suspension.

And I think the previous poster meant heavy trucks not pickups. Sometimes medium duty trucks have 19.5s but all heavy trucks are 22.5s or bigger.

A common tire for European heavy truck high volume trailers (3x 9 ton axles on the trailer, with a two axle tractor in front of it, is the typical European configuration) is the 385/55R22.5

https://www.cargobull.com/nl/media_download/1732

The more typical trailer (standard floor height.and tires, bigger rolling circumference so higher tire mileage) has 385/65R22.5 tires

https://www.cargobull.com/nl/media_download/1733