----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Wigston" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> In my experience, you can use shorter wheelbase if you have your trailer
set
> up correctly, and I don't mean using a load distributing hitch. I tow a
> power cat on a very long trailer (the tongue is long, in order to get the
> boat far enough back into the water so it floats off easily, and the
trailer
> wheels are a long way back from the tow hitch). This set up has NEVER
swayed
> in the slightest bit, pulling with my (relatively) short wheelbase Tahoe.
> Its the heaviest load I have towed, but it is the most stable on the road.
> Also proof that there is more to it than wheelbase comes from my
comparison
> of my first Suburban (1999) with my shorter wheelbase 1997 Tahoe. The
latter
> handles trailering much better, largely due to a better suspension I
think.
Interesting. Among all the "trailer towing articles" I have read in the
meantime (one pretty good one http://www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm), it says
very little about wheel-base. However, suspension of the tow vehicle is
somewhat and tongue weight is absolutely crucial. So for instance for a
tandem trailer tongue weight is 9% to 15% of GW. My f-31's GW is 5300lbs. so
TW should be at least 477lbs. Well, it is just around 400, which would
explain the occasional sway when going over 60mph. Though it is not possible
to move my boat further forward so perhaps a trailer sway control device
might help. Having seen many f-boats sitting on trailers, I am willing to
bet that a large percentage of them have a "light" tongue.
In any case, I do conclude that some of the latest quite powerful SUV's like
the Touareg V-8, the 5.7L Grand Cherokee, the Nissan Armada, Toyota Land
Cruiser (though a bit underpowered, we do have some folks pulling f-boats
with these) are capable tow vehicles, especially if a trailer sway control
device can be added.
Felix K
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