"Tail swing" is the term used to describe the
effects of the length of a motorhome or trailer's overhang beyond the rear
axle. Many an RVer has learned the hard way that pulling a sharp turn away from
a fuel pump (or other object close to the side of the rig) that tail swing is a
reality to be reckoned with. Repair bills for crunched corners are not fun.
Not sure how much tail swing your rig has? Find an empty
parking lot and pull your rig's right side parallel to a paint stripe. With a
spotter, turn your steering wheel to a hard left, and slowly pull forward. Have
the spotter stop you when your right rear corner reaches the farthest distance
"over" the line. This is your tail swing distance, and it can be much
more than you expect.
Thanks very much for this information.
ReplyDeleteThis did not make any sense to me at all UNTIL we gassed up one day and were very close to the pump.
There was not much forward room to pull up before starting to turn. Luckily one of us watched the back end to make SURE the coach cleared the gas pumps! It was a tight left turn to get out the driveway.
This could have been a VERY bad day. Now Tailswing IS watched very closely.
Isn't there a ratio for length of RV overhanging the rear axle to tail swing that can be applied to any vehicle. I was told 3 to 1 - three feet of swing for each foot of vehicle behind the back axle. Might not work if there are two pivots (two tires in line) rather than side by side duals.
ReplyDeleteActually, it would be the opposite, one foot of tail swing for every three feet of distance behind the center of the axle or center of two axles. A 10 foot overhang would produce approximately 3.3 feet of tail swing in a hard left or right turn. Also depends on the turning radius of the vehicle.
DeleteTook out my mailbox recently because of tail swing. Another lesson learned the hard way.
ReplyDeleteI'm awaiting shipment of a new rear bumper to replace the one I partially removed thanks to tail swing. Just got too close to the gas pump and tangled with the iron hoop at the end of the pump island when I turned to drive away. I had to secure the torn-up bumper with an entire roll of duct tape wound around it, and a bungee cord tying it to the ladder for good measure. Tail swing is definitely something to be aware of!
ReplyDelete