Quote:
Originally Posted by 16ACE27
The discussion is about turning radius and trailer tracking, not stability. What I said was absolutely true.
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I think you're getting trailer tongue versus hitch extension confused. When you say "the further behind the rear axle the pivot point is for the trailer/TOAD, the better" - you're talking about a hitch extension.
Longer tongue = very good
Longer hitch = bad to very bad
Facts:
A sufficiently long hitch will "wag" your tow rig and could cause you to get stuck in a harmonic resonance with the trailer, causing a loss of steering, running you off the road, or worst flipping you.
Any sort of hitch extension reduces your departure angle.
Any hitch extension reduces your effective tongue weight capacity (as Gritz pointed out) and effectively increases your tongue weight. This is not simple - it can be multiplicative because the force is on a lever not directly on the hitch (as the hitch is designed to be used).
Any hitch extension makes it more difficult to back up.
Any hitch extension moves the tracking of the axle of the trailer towards the outside of the tow vehicle. A longer tongue length accomplishes the same thing but makes the trailer more stable and can even decrease the weight on the hitch.
How are you getting that a longer hitch extension / a pivot point further behind the rear axle helps turning radius? I guess it means you're less likely to jacknife? I can't really see any other advantage, and see tons of disadvantages.
I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm trying to understand. I tow a LOT and if I could be doing something better I'd like to know.