Maneuvering a TT with a long bed TV

[5arnolds]

I currently have a TV with a 5 1/2' bed. If I switched to a RV with an 8' bed, is having that longer wheelbase going to make it allot more challenging to maneuver a TT into its spot (larger turning radius, etc)? I have to believe it will be more challenging to a certain extent, but I just don't want to regret going with something too long. The benefit of having the longer wheelbase, of course, is more pulling stability.

[havnfun]

I have pulled with both and have a long bed now. It is different than a short bed but I wouldn't say it's challenging. It is just different and you will adjust to it very quickly. I like the long bed much better due to the stability as you mentioned and more importantly for me, it increased the tow load maximum.
BTW- after 4 trailers and many years of towing, I still stink at backing up into a spot, unless I get lucky. LOL

[Kellys]

I pulled with both i do like the short best

[UPCamper]

I haven't driven a long bed in a while, but I have a 6.5' bed in my F350. It's the short bed of the super duty line up. I have no interest in having a long bed. This truck drives and turns fine and I tow a fiver no problem. I'm not really limited from anything.

[D&MAKAFUN]

I just sold our F350, crew, dually, long bed. The secret to any backing maneuver is to know where your pivot point is and go SLOOOOOOOOOW. Adjust your mirrors, not for forward driving but tilted so you can see your pivot point ie, your trailer axle. Turn your steering wheel enough to give the trailer the opportunity to begin changing directions. ALWAYS, have a spotter that knows good signals and uses them. If in doubt even with a spotter GOAL=Get Out And Look.
It's not difficult, it's different.

[tinlizzie23]

We have an F350 crew SRW long bed, and tow a 33 foot 5er with ease. As Darrell pointed out, you have to know your pivot point, and when to start turning. This is our first 5er, and it took a couple of camping trips to get used to the way a 5er manuvers differently from a TT, but it wasn't a problem, and I learned quickly. I would not be without a long bed, both for stability and the fact that the long wheelbase makes for a much smoother ride.

[cekkk]

D&M has it right both on watching your pivot point and having a spotter. DW and I share that job, although my turn always seems to come when it's raining. Our TT is about 37' long, ball to bumper. The only time we have trouble is when someone jumps in to "help." As for the short bed, I've never had one. Either way, practice is important.

[Parcany]

Find a big parking lot, set up cones and practice. Make sure there are not any cars in the lot. Watch your pivot points and have fun, this will also give you and your spotter time to get the signals down. What I would also do is take your weight dist bars off so that if you get crossed up you won't hurt anything on the truck or trailer. I don't think that the longer wheelbase will make that much of a difference.

[buckeyejim]

i carry 8 small orange cones & mark the site, you can see the cones, makes backing easier. For night, put a small flashlight in the cones, and your know where your site boarder is located. I tow a 34ft Eagle trailer with a Ram 2500 Mega Cab, 6.5 bed no problem. I also adjust my mirrors for backing. As everyone as said, practice makes perfect. Have fun!!
BuckeyeJim
Columbus Ohio

[D&MAKAFUN]

That is a great way to mark your perimeter buckeyejim. That way you know where you want to aim your pivot point. It also gives you the opportunity to survey the site for space for slides, utility hookups, fire ring, picnic table, low hanging branches etc. We'll have 5arnolds backing like a pro.

[Lifespalette]

Here's some pointers from a few years OTR truck driving.

1. Practice, practice, practice.....a big empty parking lot and five orange cones are your friends. There's not that big of a difference between the handling of a short bed or long bed TV, as far as backing the trailer. Your king pin point isn't going to be that different. It's more mental at this point and that's why I said practice. I think you'll be surprised once (if) you go that route as to how little the difference is going to be.

2. Never fixate on just one point (pivot point or king pin). You have 2 points that are pivoting. The first is your king pin in your bed, the second is your axles on the trailer. Neither of which is going to hit anything. The back end of your trailer is going to crunch before either of those comes into play. The back end is a good 10' beyond your rear axle. This is the point you need to pay attention to.......remember, you're pushing the back end where you want it to go.......everything has to follow.

3. Slow going is the key........it's not a speed contest. Once you get the back end going in the direction you want it to go, it will continuing in that direction until the force (turning movement) is counter acted. You have to get back under (TV lined backup) your trailer. In your practice sessions, observe how much movement you get with the back end with a full turn of the steering wheel, then a 1/2 turn, then a 1/4 turn.....get to know and understand the response of your trailer end with each increment of steering. Keep in mind that nothing goes anyplace that the back end doesn't.

4. Know your surroundings and the objects you wish to avoid. If your trailer is 8' wide (usual) and the slot you're trying to back into is 12' or 10' wide then you know how much distance you need on both sides to successfully slip it in. If you've got 2' clearance on the driver side, then you know you've got 2' clearance on the passenger side of your trailer without looking (assuming your space is 12' wide). Your point of reference is going to be the danger side (direction side you are backing in from)........which brings us to the last point.

5. Try to avoid "blind side" backing (i.e. from the passenger side). Especially if your passenger mirror has that warning on it..."Objects are ......". You want as little distortion as possible, driver side backing is always best whenever possible even if it means an extra maneuver is required to set yourself up. With that said, you should practice backing in from both sides ..... sometimes it's not possible to get the driver side position.

6. And one last point............get out and look GOAL! It's no shame. I drove for a company that required you to get out and look at your entry point (that point where the trailer entered the slot) and once again when you were under the trailer lined up to get completely in the slot. In the event you had an incident, the first question they asked was did you GOAL........usually followed by if you did, then how did you hit that bollard or side of the building or that other trailer....and trust me, the last thing you wanted to do at midnight in some god forsaken truck stop was hit the trailer next to your slot and wake up some sleeping driver......that's how the fight begins.

[5arnolds]

I settled this morning on a 2001 F250 Lariat Crew Cab 6.8L with long bed (8 foot) this morning to replace my F150 Crew 5 1/2' bed. What a beast. It's a local one-owner truck that had been garage kept its entire life....it's in fabulous shape!

The last time we camped, it was quite a squeeze to get my TT maneuvered into a rather tight spot, but I have quickly learned in the 3 years I've camped that other RV'ers are patient and very helpful. I had a small line of vehicles that wanted to continue around the camping loop but I received no dirty looks.

Thanks for the suggestion about the use of cones...makes perfect sense, both when backing into a campsite and when backing into its storage spot.

[D&MAKAFUN]

Congratulations 5arnolds on your new TV. Sounds like a super deal. You will really like the torque.
Happy camping

[cekkk]

LIFESPALLETE, I'm saving that excellent tutorial Every time I think I've got it mastered, I get a wake up call.