dimension questions

[Newton]

Hi, I was wondering what the minimum distance from the back of a vehicle to the front of the trailer shell could be. I was also wondering what the minimum road clearance could be for onroad pavement use. Somewhere I've read that a Corvettes road clearance is somewhere around 4.5 inches for example.

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[asianflava]

You can have the trailer as close to the tow vehicle as you want. The problem is you won't be able to turn.

Ideally, you want the distance to be half the width of the tow vehicle. That way, if you happen to jack knife the trailer during backing, it doesn't damage the car.

You also want the tow ball to be higher because if it is too low, you could easily get hung up when driving up a step driveway.

[doug hodder]

I'm with Rocky + if towing with a pickup, it's handy to allow some room so that you can load with the tear attached with the tailgate down. As far as low to the ground, I've got a 4" drop axle with the springs underslung and 15" tires. I've got 5" between the spring plate and the ground. How low you can go is sort of dependent on how long you make your trailer and where you position your axle. The more rear body extension, the greater the chance of dragging or god forbid tearing off a stabilizer jack if you have them. I always attempt to exit parking lots with a street gutter at an angle to minimize damage and potential dragging. Just watch for those big scrapes in the asphalt and think ahead so you don't leave one! Doug