PolarrrBearrr
New member
I've been lurking around here for a while, and spring I purchased a trailer built from the rear of a '87-'96 Ford pickup bed (I have a 1988 Ford Bronco and wanted matching luggage). At any rate, the trailer was ready to go when I got it - it had a contractor top with barn doors, and everything seemed correct. It was a bit heavy, with a low and large rear bumper, needs a little body work (typical of Fords) but other than that it seemed fine.
Since the I got the news my wife was pregnant last year, I went and bought a 1996 Suburban 2500 with the 350, which is currently the tow vehicle. I am a Scout leader, and really bought if for that purpose - I have to take a lot of gear to a week of summer camp, and I refuse to drive a van (mostly because the previous leader did). With the trailer and the Suburban, I can take 7 Scouts, and their gear with one vehicle. After the ride to camp, I realized I had to make a few changes.
I need a new hitch. The ball hitch scares the crap out of me on camp road (dirt, and by the time I get there, potholed to hell as well as being crazy with switchbacks, dips and inclines) and I have no desire in collecting equipment and what's left of a trailer from the bottom of a ravine. In researching a new hitch, I came across the formula for determining my tongue length. Now, I didn't question the length before, simply because I assumed (yeah, I know what that does) that it was correct from the PO. However, the PO was using it as a contractor, and probably never took it on roads like I do.
According to the formula, the length of the tongue should be 2.5x the width of the axle. The width of the rear on the Ford axle is 79". That means, that from the center of the axle to the end of the hitch, should be 197.5" which is 16' and change. That seems absurdly long to me. Can this be correct? I've also read that if your tongue is too short, it makes backing up difficult. While I have this issue, I am not sure if it is the tongue, the trailer combined with the Suburban, or my lack of experience. I haven't had a chance to measure, but I am pretty sure that my tongue is not 16' long. I gave it a rough measure based off my stride, and I guess it is more than likely around 8 - 10'.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Since the I got the news my wife was pregnant last year, I went and bought a 1996 Suburban 2500 with the 350, which is currently the tow vehicle. I am a Scout leader, and really bought if for that purpose - I have to take a lot of gear to a week of summer camp, and I refuse to drive a van (mostly because the previous leader did). With the trailer and the Suburban, I can take 7 Scouts, and their gear with one vehicle. After the ride to camp, I realized I had to make a few changes.
I need a new hitch. The ball hitch scares the crap out of me on camp road (dirt, and by the time I get there, potholed to hell as well as being crazy with switchbacks, dips and inclines) and I have no desire in collecting equipment and what's left of a trailer from the bottom of a ravine. In researching a new hitch, I came across the formula for determining my tongue length. Now, I didn't question the length before, simply because I assumed (yeah, I know what that does) that it was correct from the PO. However, the PO was using it as a contractor, and probably never took it on roads like I do.
According to the formula, the length of the tongue should be 2.5x the width of the axle. The width of the rear on the Ford axle is 79". That means, that from the center of the axle to the end of the hitch, should be 197.5" which is 16' and change. That seems absurdly long to me. Can this be correct? I've also read that if your tongue is too short, it makes backing up difficult. While I have this issue, I am not sure if it is the tongue, the trailer combined with the Suburban, or my lack of experience. I haven't had a chance to measure, but I am pretty sure that my tongue is not 16' long. I gave it a rough measure based off my stride, and I guess it is more than likely around 8 - 10'.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
