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Originally Posted by Cobra500
As long as the trailer has sufficient weight on the ball/axles, what difference does the TV wheelbase make? Most semi truck/trailers have a very short wheelbase on the TV.
The biggest problem (in my experience) with trailers involves imbalance, putting too much weight behind the trailer's axle, that tends to steer the TV and sets up left/right oscillations.
A short wheelbase makes backing the rig much easier.
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Not true and true. Semi tractors have the weight mounted just in front of the rear axles and the wheels on the trailer are alllll the way back. Thus putting equal weight on the truck frame (all wheels) and the trailer wheels at the rear of the rig. The tractor width is the same as the trailer width. These rigs are built for towing! Not so with what you and I buy. Our TVs are thinner than the trailer, most often much lighter than the trailer and built to ride smooth with little weight in them. There are things we can do that will help some of the problems but little will totally correct them. (Have you noticed that Freightliner, Peterbuilt, and other big tractor builders are now marketing to RVers? There is a reason.)
You are 100% right is stating that too much weight behind the axle on the trailer will cause problems. So will uneven weight side to side. So will sizeable weight changes in the axles of the TV.
Now how does wheel base suggest what size trailer one should tow? First, it serves as a guide to the overall weight of the TV. Second, there is less leverage room from the front wheels to the rear with weight displaced behind the rear. Both of these are major control factors.
He stated that he had enough hp and proper gearing to pull a 5 to 7.5 K trailer. That means he could tow any TM if the wheel base was of a size to control the trailer. I don't think it is. He might get by with the 3023 but he would feel, and rightly so that the trailer was in control more than he was, this might be fine most of the time. But, what about that once, just once, when it was not?
And boy are you right about the shorter wheelbase and backing, my longer WB is a killer is trying to get into tight spots, like my driveway with a car parked in the street right in front of it.