Forum Discussion

LMyers14's avatar
LMyers14
Explorer
Jun 04, 2015

Counter weight for added back storage area/deck

We recently purchased this travel trailer, that had this back storage area on it. We use it to carry firewood and misc things.. My husband was changing the tires and laying underneath the trailer ...
Huntindog's avatar
Huntindog
Explorer
Jun 05, 2015
Muddydogs wrote:
How about an easy way to solve your problem? Load the trailer and rear storage like you want to, leave the cement at home. Go camping this weekend and see how it tows. If the trailer tows fine which it should unless you go crazy with the weight in the rear storage area then problem solved. If by chance it doesn't tow so well then move some of the wood you carry to the back of the tow rig or front of the trailer, have fun camping and rethink the problem before the next trip. Carrying 600 pounds or cement for ballast is just crazy no matter how you look at it, if you need that much weight to balance out the trailer then one would need to rethink what you really need to carry while camping.

Can you use the ballast compartment for storage of the little used items?
DANGER!! WARNING!!!!
Years ago before the internet.. I got my first TT.
A 1975 Prowler. DW wanted a generator and a quiet one. I got the best one available at that time. A Honda 3300S. Big and heavy. I built a rear paltform for it and wired it up to start from inside. It worked slick. I had heard that TW may be an issue with this mod. So I went for a "test tow". It was a deserted stretch of Interstate, which was a really good thing. It was fine until 45-55 or so. Then it started swaying uncontrolably. The TT brakes helped me get it back under control, but I sill needed both lanes and the emergency apron to do so.

I then stopped and put a bunch of weight up front. It then towed fine.

From then on I packed it heavy in the front, and never had another problem.

So yes, this type of setup can be inherently unstable, but it can be worked around. I would find something more usefull than concrete to haul around though. It is likely the PO had a bad experience, and fixed it with the concrete
As for the thinking that 1# on the rear removes 2# from the front.... Not normally. The pic doesn't show the side very well, but most TTs have the axles mounted more than halfway back. So it can be closer to 2# on the rear removes 1# from the front..

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