Tandem v. Triple Axle Trailers

[nlouthan]

How does this work if triple axle and short wheelbase tow vehicle are no go?  Bumper pull and a 46' boat.

Hey @IXFE:  do you still have the Denali and are you using the same hitch in both vehicles?  If so, measure the heights of the receivers.  I bet the F250 is higher and the real reason it tows down the highway nicer is that the trailer is sitting more level.  On grades, curves and while stopping, there's no doubt the F250 is superior in every way.

[MadMan]

8 minutes ago, nlouthan said:

How does this work if triple axle and short wheelbase tow vehicle are no go?  Bumper pull and a 46' boat.

 

The hitch is only a few inches cantilevered out behind the tires instead of a few feet.  This makes it closer to a 5th-wheels performance. 

[spikew919]

14 minutes ago, MadMan said:

The hitch is only a few inches cantilevered out behind the tires instead of a few feet.  This makes it closer to a 5th-wheels performance. 

I agree semis are not a good comparison. But the logic behind that statement would imply that a long wheel base  yukon or a short wheel base would make no difference due to distance from center of axle to hitch would be the same on both. Isn’t that true? And that’s definitely not accurate. Long  my wheel base will tow more stable  than short for sure. 

[IXFE]

13 minutes ago, nlouthan said:

Hey @IXFE:  do you still have the Denali and are you using the same hitch in both vehicles?  If so, measure the heights of the receivers.  I bet the F250 is higher and the real reason it tows down the highway nicer is that the trailer is sitting more level.  On grades, curves and while stopping, there's no doubt the F250 is superior in every way.

Nope, don't own the Yuk anymore, but I think you're forgetting the GM SUV's have an unusually high hitch compared to trucks.  

I seriously can't believe you're arguing wheelbase doesn't matter when towing.  Just proves that people will argue with @IXFE on even the most obvious topics.  

[MLBurns]

My enclosed trailer empty will scare the crap out of you behind the Yukon. Put it on a pickup or Yukon XL and the wife can pull it. The wheelbase makes a huge difference, ask the guys that move mobile homes with the short trucks.

[Stevo]

2 hours ago, nlouthan said:

 If so, measure the heights of the receivers.  I bet the F250 is higher and the real reason it tows down the highway nicer is that the trailer is sitting more level.  On grades, curves and while stopping, there's no doubt the F250 is superior in every way.

 

It’s not...(I don’t own a Yukon anymore , but I have 2 6 inch drop hitches I don’t use anymore, now that I own a 350)

Pic 1 F350 with 2inch drop 

Pic 2 with the same 2inch drop flipped. 

Still getting a little sag in the back, but I think it pulled smoother, definitely handles better coming down the grade into the valley

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2018 by Stevo

[boardjnky4]

Sag won't change, because leveling the trailer doesn't change tongue weight. Tongue weight should ALWAYS be 10-15% of the total trailer weight.

This is best video to show why you want appropriate tongue weight.

Sag is OK as long as it's within the limits of the vehicle's design. You can always add airbags, but that still won't change the amount of weight over each axle. Only a WDH can change how weight is distributed onto the tow vehicle.

Edited June 4, 2018 by boardjnky4

[Stevo]

3 hours ago, boardjnky4 said:

Sag won't change, because leveling the trailer doesn't change tongue weight. Tongue weight should ALWAYS be 10-15% of the total trailer weight.

This is best video to show why you want appropriate tongue weight.

Sag is OK as long as it's within the limits of the vehicle's design. You can always add airbags, but that still won't change the amount of weight over each axle. Only a WDH can change how weight is distributed onto the tow vehicle.

I’m more concerned with the look , I know I have plenty of tongue weight to spare

[spikew919]

On the left is a 2015 yukon with  air suspension and a 1” drop hitch. On right is ram 2500 with rear air suspension also. That’s 4.5” rise where it’s set to pull my malibu 3 axle trailer. Just for perspective. 

It’s a real pain since I have to turn hitch back over for every other trailer I have or want to pull. Maybe I need to buy a truck to leave hooked to boat all the time 🤔

Edited June 4, 2018 by spikew919

[oldjeep]

39 minutes ago, Stevo said:

I’m more concerned with the look , I know I have plenty of tongue weight to spare

Guessing that truck has been levelled? 

[MadMan]

6 hours ago, spikew919 said:

I agree semis are not a good comparison. But the logic behind that statement would imply that a long wheel base  yukon or a short wheel base would make no difference due to distance from center of axle to hitch would be the same on both. Isn’t that true? And that’s definitely not accurate. Long  my wheel base will tow more stable  than short for sure. 

I agree, the longer wheelbase acts as a longer "lever", which can better control a hitch mounted behind the axle pushing the tow vehicle around (same effect as the bumper pull hitch hanging out the back only in reverse.

Another benefit of the longer wheelbase with a bumper pull is that it lessens the front end rise,  which unloads the front tires.  This is that longer lever again at work.

Edited June 5, 2018 by MadMan

[spikew919]

2 hours ago, oldjeep said:

Guessing that truck has been levelled? 

Nope it’s bone stock  suspension. Except new shocks. They have just started coming out with leveling kits for the ones with rear air ride but I tow too much to be leveling. 

[boardjnky4]

3 hours ago, Stevo said:

I’m more concerned with the look , I know I have plenty of tongue weight to spare

Right on