[G-V_Driver]

Equivalent to what?

I am unabashedly skeptical of comparisons and claims, especially those rendered by telemarketers, info-mercials, politicians, consultants, airplane manufacturers, resume-writers and some TV preachers, so it's easy to extend the list to trailer-makers.

The top line of the spec sheet for my 3124KS says "Equivalent Travel Trailer Size--Open" is 31'.

The next line says "Towing Length--Closed" is 24' 3".

Next line says "Body Length--Open" is 27' 11". (Say 28' for simplicity)

A skeptic might ask how they come up with the additional 3', since it appears the most they can measure is about 28.' The most-obvious answer is that it must be the "equivalency."

The secret lies in the fold-out beds and/or the slide out Sofas, but where? The company gives itself the benefit of the doubt by saying that the front bed and-or slideout extends the usable space by whatever the dimension of those components may be, even though it doesn't increase the over-all length of the trailer. Why? Because the space gained is above the tongue of the trailer (the length of which was included in the closed towing length above.)

Since they obviously assume (and I have no reason to doubt) that the tongue length is generally included in the published dimensions of travel trailers, then the space gained (and included in the calcuations) by converting the space above the tongue to usable space is real. They don't dwell on the fact that the space isn't floor-to-ceiling (if its a bed that folds out) but since most people probably don't think of the space under their beds as usable anyway, it would be nit-picking to fault TM for remaining silent on this issue. In our unit, the slide-out living area makes most all of the space usable, so the argument is moot.

Starting from the back of my 3124KS, the king-size bed extends 4' past the bottom portion of the trailer, because the two storage spaces (one accessed internally and one externally) are located under about 3' of the bed. But since the bed protrudes a full 7' from the end of the interior hallway, the company gives itself an "equivalency" of the full 7' when developing the sales literature.

I measured our trailer, and found the basic bottom box is about 18' 8" in length. The slide out adds another 3' 9" and the overhang of the front shell adds another 1' 6" at the top. Added together, the total open length is exactly as advertised:

4' 0" Bed overhang
18' 8" Box
3' 9" Slider
1' 6" Additional Front Shell Overhang
27' 11" Total Length Open

So where are the three feet that make up the the "equivalency" between the ~28' measured and the 31' claimed by the manufacturer? To paraphrase the campaign strategy of a former President, "It's the storage, stupid."

The ~three-foot depth of the storage space under the bed is double counted. It is included in the length of the trailer (verified by the yardstick) and also counted in the bed dimension, since it is inarguable that when you reach the end of the hallway between the wardrobe and the bathroom, the only place you can go is up on the bed, which is 7' long.

And as Paul Harvey likes to say, " . . . and now you know the rest of the story."