Dave Hall wrote in message . ..
On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 21:16:13 -0400, Harry Krause
wrote:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know...size matters.

But I'd appreciate it if someone would explain why the length of a
towing vehicle...pickup truck or whatever...seems to matter in towing a
boat.

I was looking at a shortbed truck today, and one of my trailerboating
buddies said, "Hey...get the long bed model...it tows better."

Assuming two vehicles weigh about the same, have the same engines and
transmissions, and so forth, and one simply is a foot or two longer than
the other...why would the longer vehicle be a "better" tower?

And how does one factor in tow vehicle width? Is it as important? Would
a wider footprint truck tow better than a narrower truck?


I don't tow long distances, or even at highway speeds, but I am
interested in the arcana of it all, so to speak.

So...who knows?

I don't.


Think : "Tail wagging the dog".

A short bed tow vehicle is much better for lot maneuvering, but when
on the highway, the trailer can then transfer a greater amount of
physical motion to a short bed vehicle.

It's a matter of physics and leverage.

Often wondered why I don't see more fifth wheel boat trailers for
larger boats. I have seen people pulling cabin cruisers big enough to
require permits, and they're towing from the "bumper". If I was
looking at towing a 35+ foot trailer (28ft boat and trailer) that was
approaching 10K lbs, I can legally do it with a rear hitch, but I'd
want a looong wheelbase on my tow vehicle. You could quite safely and
comfortably use a shorter wheelbased truck with the load further
forward on a fifth wheel.