On Mon, 05 Jan 2004 16:39:40 -0500, jon@dakota-truck.net wrote:
>"BARRY OLIVER" <DHSPA58@dhs.state.il.us> wrote:
>: Wow, I wouldn't have thought about the turning radius...hey, wait a
>: minute, why wouldn't you be able to turn as sharply? it seems like you
>: would gain turning radius over a similar standard hookup...
>
>
> I think what he meant was a smaller turning radius as compared
>to a full size towing the same trailer. The smaller (i.e. usually
>shorter) bed would put the cab closer to the trailer and might
>make contact earliser. (Although the decreased width would
>probably offset that somewhat.) It seems like most of the
>full size trucks I have seen towing 5th wheels have been long
>beds, which you can't even get anymore in a Dak. So its probably
>reasonable to assume that in general, a Dak might have a larger
>turning radius than a full size, with the same trailer.
That's more or less what I'm talking about.
The discussions I've seen about 5th wheels (combined with the fast
that almost every 5th wheel tow vehicle I've seen has been a long bed)
have pointed to the fact that if you turn too sharply with a short bed
tow vehicle, the trailer can smack into the cab.
With a long bed, your hitch sits quite a bit further back in the bed,
thereby moving the trailer further away from the cab.
I've never towed with a 5th wheel setup, but I can imagine that it
must be nice. I'd like to be able to look out the back window and see
precisely where I'm lining up the hitch and trailer.
-Bill
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Feb 01 2004 - 16:29:48 EST