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Old 05-28-2018, 12:09 PM   #1
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Quick handling question

Will a shorter wheelbase, wider unit have a larger curb to curb radius than a longer wheelbase unit but more narrow?

Ex:

178" Wb 100" wide 29 feet long
Versus

188" wb 94" wide 27 feet long

I guess it may be impossible to calculate?
Thanks
These are actual numbers btw

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Old 05-28-2018, 01:24 PM   #2
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Do you mean turning radius?

A shorter wheelbase will have a tighter turning radius than a longer one (thus the Axis/Vegas at 188" will have a slightly larger turning radius than the shorter Class C at 178"..it may not be that noticeable given that the difference is only 10").
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Old 05-28-2018, 01:31 PM   #3
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from my experience, in transporting all lengths of coaches, and owning my own Palazzo diesel, with a less than 18' wheel base, the wheelbase is your 'tighter' turning radius no matter the 'length' of the coach.
Tail swing is a concern for some, but a shorter wheelbase takes care of many issues when turning, backing, and generally making maneuvers, especially in tight campgrounds and state and national parks.

A driver that is confident in their abilities, and has years/miles of experience can easily handle either, but 'driving' them is different. Longer 45' tag axle coaches tend to have their rear wheels much farther back on the chassis, with much less 'overhang' to worry about, leaving the rear wheels as the 'pivot' point when turning.
Longer Class A GAS chassis' have the most 'issues', since their rear wheels are typically much farther forward, and they have much longer tail swings, which is where the problems arise - gas stations, to be exact.

The transport industry sees more issues with Class A Gas longer units for rear damages during the entry/exit of fueling stations.
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Old 05-28-2018, 01:58 PM   #4
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TurnerFam is spot on. If you look at RVs (all of them from bumper pulls to Class As), most of the dents, dings and complete wipe outs are in the middle or at the very end of the vehicle. In the case of pull behinds the off track (trailer wheels cutting inside of tow vehicle wheels) or in the case of motorhomes (class a, b or c) the "overhang" behind the rear wheels. Most incidents occur in gas stations when you are watching the front very closely and the back gets away from you.

Now here is some info to consider for on the road handling. It is called "wheel base ratio". Simply put as a general rule the higher the ratio the better the road handling goes. Check this link for some additional info.

https://axleaddict.com/rvs/Why-RV-Wh...o-Is-Important
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Old 05-28-2018, 02:55 PM   #5
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Thanks all
That helps tremendously
Well I'm calculating since these Rvs in the shorter length class a range are scarcer than hens teeth if a shorter length but longer wheelbase and less wide unit is tighter turning than a shorter wheelbase LONGER unit but wider
A-ha y'all!
EXCELLENT
Even though I should trust the feel of the unit (hard without a lot of big rig miles under belt-not unlike a 100 hr pilot vs 1000 hr)
I was looking for quantifiable way to measure
(think col.boyd energy management curve and manoeverabity)
Thanks again all
PS the on road handling is what concerns me since I will be at increased speed
I may irritate some but so slow I will go around turns gas stations etc
So confirms my choice of axis 188 larger wb vs 178 wb but longer overall bigger rig
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Old 05-28-2018, 04:21 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Summerwind View Post

.....cut....
Well I'm calculating since these Rvs in the shorter length class a range are scarcer than hens teeth if a shorter length but longer wheelbase and less wide unit is tighter turning than a shorter wheelbase LONGER unit but wider
A-ha y'all!
.....cut...
I’m not sure what information you’re really after, but to your original question of “curb-to-curb”, the way I’ve seen it measured by manufacturers, the vehicle length nor the body width influence that measurement.

Think of it as going to an empty parking lot, turning the steering all the way, and then drive a big circle. What determines the size of the circle (at curb level) are the wheelbase, and also the front wheel cut. Extra vehicle body width nor extra rear overhang affects the curb-to-curb measurement. Extra length at rear always falls inside circle.

Sometimes we see a wall-to-wall dimension which is affected by front overhang and also body width, but this format is less common because chassis manufacturers don’t know what final body builder will manufacture on their chassis.


Regarding your first post, I imagine the shorter RV you mentioned may be built on an F-53 chassis, which I believe has a greater wheel cut than the E-Series. That combined with shorter wheelbase should have a tighter curb-to-curb dimension.
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Old 05-29-2018, 02:20 AM   #7
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So the question of the hour.

(Which you could anticipate is)
Which is easier for a newbie to handle in a congested area ?
Haha and don't fill up take a gas can and go in your sedan
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