Trailer and towing basics

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Trailer and towing basics

Post by huccl » 28 Jun 2017, 10:33 am

Hi guys,

This is really and on-road question but I guess this is the best spot.

Not putting this into practice yet but getting my understanding of things before I do something stupid.... :lol:

About loading up a trailer... Logically I guess the get practice is to centre the weight as much as possible over the axles, and not overly load it towards the front or back.

Is there anything more complicated to it than that?
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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by Daddybang » 28 Jun 2017, 11:02 am

Yep that's about it. If for some reason you do have to spread the weight put it forward so it's putting downward pressure on the tow point rather than trying to lift :thumbsup:
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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by Supaduke » 28 Jun 2017, 11:17 am

Incorrect, load your trailer towards the front. Two reasons, it reduces leverage on the tow vehicle and in the event of hard braking the load is butted up against the front of the trailer. Shifting loads can be fatal. I've been in transport for 20 years.

Here is a short video that demonstrates the principle perfectly

https://youtu.be/4jk9H5AB4lM
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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by Gamerancher » 28 Jun 2017, 11:30 pm

The disclaimer to this is, do not exceed the maximum downward load on your tow hitch. I've spent over 30 years on the highway in heavy transport and have seen more people than I can remember come unstuck due to incorrect / overloaded towing set up. Most manufacturers grossly over rate the towing capacity of their vehicles. Have a look at the diclaimers in fine print in your owners manual. 3.5 ton behind a 2 ton ute, good luck with that. :unknown:
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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by Mitch » 29 Jun 2017, 5:16 am

Gamerancher wrote:The disclaimer to this is, do not exceed the maximum downward load on your tow hitch. I've spent over 30 years on the highway in heavy transport and have seen more people than I can remember come unstuck due to incorrect / overloaded towing set up. Most manufacturers grossly over rate the towing capacity of their vehicles. Have a look at the diclaimers in fine print in your owners manual. 3.5 ton behind a 2 ton ute, good luck with that. :unknown:


Plus most do not realise that the 200kg ball weight comes off your payload. Cant carry a tonne in the ute and tow or would be over.
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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by Oldbloke » 29 Jun 2017, 6:04 am

Daddybang wrote:Yep that's about it. If for some reason you do have to spread the weight put it forward so it's putting downward pressure on the tow point rather than trying to lift :thumbsup:


To just to clarify. Majority over the axel and some toward the front. About 10% should be on the toe ball. E. G. If the, trailer weighs 1000kg loaded then 100kg should be on the tow ball.

Most trailers are designed with the axel a little to the rear, so if you load evenly you will get the 10% down on the tow ball. Caravans are much the same.
PS never the reverse, ,will tow very badly.
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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by coroboreeboy » 29 Jun 2017, 7:41 am

About 40 years ago, I borrowed a car trailer and drove 60 miles to Wagga to pick up a Mk VII Jaguar for a friend of mine. When I got to the old car, it was in a backyard and the only way that I could load it was to back up to it and winch it on backwards, that is with the engine of the Jag over the rear of the trailer. Not knowing anything about weight distribution, I didn't foresee any problems. Well, I drove all the way through Wagga at town speeds without incident, but when I got out of town and sped up over 60kph, the trailer started to fishtail and I went from one side of the road to the other; luckily nothing was coming the other way or I might not be writing this.
Over the years, have seen 2 accidents due to a trailer/ caravan being loaded with weight to the back.
Interestingly, it came to my notice a few weeks ago, that the authorities (in Qld) have tried to come to grips with this issue in a rather clumsy fashion. Instead of trying to educate drivers as to the correct way to load, they have brought in a new law. The law now requires that when loading a trailer, the distance from the axle to the front of the load, must be greater than the distance from the axle to the rear of the load (paraphrased).
The issue that I have with this; is that someone who knows what they are doing, could load 4x2 timbers on the trailer, overhanging well to the back, and then make things safe by throwing a couple of cement bags on the front. Albeit that they are now in breach of the law.
The person who doesn't know what they are doing, loads legally by overhanging to the front, thinks everything is safe and throws the cement bags on the back!
Although he is now loaded legally, he in his ignorance, has created an unsafe situation; something the new law was designed to avoid.
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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by Daddybang » 29 Jun 2017, 7:48 am

Oldbloke wrote:
Daddybang wrote:Yep that's about it. If for some reason you do have to spread the weight put it forward so it's putting downward pressure on the tow point rather than trying to lift :thumbsup:


To just to clarify. Majority over the axel and some toward the front. About 10% should be on the toe ball. E. G. If the, trailer weighs 1000kg loaded then 100kg should be on the tow ball.

Most trailers are designed with the axel a little to the rear, so if you load evenly you will get the 10% down on the tow ball. Caravans are much the same.
PS never the reverse, ,will tow very badly.


Yep that's about the way I was told to load single axle trailers
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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by Daddybang » 29 Jun 2017, 8:02 am

coroboreeboy wrote:About 40 years ago, I borrowed a car trailer and drove 60 miles to Wagga to pick up a Mk VII Jaguar for a friend of mine. When I got to the old car, it was in a backyard and the only way that I could load it was to back up to it and winch it on backwards, that is with the engine of the Jag over the rear of the trailer. Not knowing anything about weight distribution, I didn't foresee any problems. Well, I drove all the way through Wagga at town speeds without incident, but when I got out of town and sped up over 60kph, the trailer started to fishtail and I went from one side of the road to the other; luckily nothing was coming the other way or I might not be writing this.
Over the years, have seen 2 accidents due to a trailer/ caravan being loaded with weight to the back.
Interestingly, it came to my notice a few weeks ago, that the authorities (in Qld) have tried to come to grips with this issue in a rather clumsy fashion. Instead of trying to educate drivers as to the correct way to load, they have brought in a new law. The law now requires that when loading a trailer, the distance from the axle to the front of the load, must be greater than the distance from the axle to the rear of the load (paraphrased).
The issue that I have with this; is that someone who knows what they are doing, could load 4x2 timbers on the trailer, overhanging well to the back, and then make things safe by throwing a couple of cement bags on the front. Albeit that they are now in breach of the law.
The person who doesn't know what they are doing, loads legally by overhanging to the front, thinks everything is safe and throws the cement bags on the back!
Although he is now loaded legally, he in his ignorance, has created an unsafe situation; something the new law was designed to avoid.


The really stupid part of this law is when towing my horse float there is a bar about a meter back from the front that keeps the horses from moving forward and keeps their weight well back . maybe because it's tandem axles are at the rear of the float?.
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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by coroboreeboy » 29 Jun 2017, 8:10 am

Not just single axle trailers, Friend of mine was bringing a car up from Melbourne to Albury on a 2 axle trailer. Car loaded backwards, got on the open road, trailer starts pushing the towing vehicle all over the road. He got home by taking the front wheels off the trailer; moved the centre of balance far enough back to stop the trailer from fishtailing.
I'm sure that this 10% of the weight is correct, but for all practical purposes I have used as a guide that if you can just lift the drawbar without bursting a poo-poo valve, then you will be OK.
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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by Supaduke » 29 Jun 2017, 9:17 am

Bottom line , keep the weight forward , keep your center of gravity low (ie: heavy things on the bottom) and your load central.

And learn how to tie loads securely.

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Re: Trailer and towing basics

Post by Wobble » 04 Jul 2017, 11:57 am

Supaduke wrote:Here is a short video that demonstrates the principle perfectly


That video is actually pretty amazing.

So simple but a perfect demo.
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