Please be gentle with me as I'm fairly inexperienced with towing. I have a small utility trailer with a size small enough that I find it almost impossible to see in my mirrors when backing. Unable to see how it's pivoting, I'm nervous about attempting to back unless I have a spotter (which I don't always have). So what I thought might exist out there is some sort of trailer coupler that works like a regular pivoting ball mount most of the time, but that can be "locked" in to place when required, sort of making it like a non-pivoting extension of the vehicle it's attached to. That way I'd have less to worry about how it's pivoting while backing because I'd know that wherever the corner of my vehicle is (which I can see in the mirror), the trailer is right behind it on the same path. I've been looking in various forums for days and everybody gives me bewildered, "uh, why would you want to do that?" replies. Maybe what I'm thinking of doesn't exist? If that's the case, maybe somebody can educate me on why it would be a bad idea? About the closest I can find so far is something like an anti-sway coupler where you could tighten down the sway bars hard enough that you could lock out most of the pivot. If anyone has advice, I'd appreciate it.

I've never seen one like that. About all you can do if you don't have a back-up camera is to mark the corners of the trailer with poles/pipe that sticks up high enough for you to see when backing and you just watch the poles/pipes. I've seen little fiberglass poles with magnetic mounts that could be used for this purpose. I used to have to back a log splitter that would completely jackknife before you could see what was happening. Not fun.

Thanks. That could very well be why I can't find anything. Something that's never been invented isn't going to be on Amazon. Maybe I'll have to look in to this mounted pole as an alternative.

I used 11/2" plastic pipe and 2 45deg fittings on my wave runner. I didn't glue the outriggers so they were removable. Mark

I did find something called the Hensley Cub hitch, which as I understand it completely locks out the pivot point at the hitch and transfers it to the trailer wheels. But it's also overkill at over $1000. Probably just need to stick to plastic poles.

I have a 4x8 foot utility trailer which is almost impossible to back up without the ramp on and in up position. Boat trailer same problem. Like others said just make a temp flag for the back corners. Will make like life a lot easier.

Trailer with fixed coupler so it doesn't pivot | Good Sam Community

25 Replies

bguy
Explorer
Aug 04, 2019
You will bend or break something. You don't have to see the trailer if you can see it's shadow. Once upon a time I regularly towed a utility trailer with a full size van. I could not see it out the back window and couldn't see it in the mirrors unless it was turning that direction. I got used to it since I knew if I saw the trailer I had to correct. Tech today makes it much easier. Get a high mounted back up camera.
whjco
Explorer
Aug 04, 2019
You could get a set of these. Just stick them on each corner of the trailer before you back up. https://www.harborfreight.com/magnetic-trailer-alignment-kit-69778.html

You could also get a fiberglass rod like a bicycle flag and mount one on each corner and have it stick up high enough to see it.

You might also be able to mount a backup camera on your tow vehicle.
JRscooby
Explorer II
Aug 03, 2019
Groover wrote:
JGage wrote:
opnspaces wrote:
I think you already got it, but the Hensley and the ProPride still pivot when backing up. Otherwise you would never be able to back into a campsite. The Hensley and the ProPride project the pivot point up by the rear axle of the tow vehicle, but there is still a pivot.

Yeah, I've got it enough to understand that what I was originally asking just isn't possible, nor would it likely be desirable. Where I'm still thick in the skull is in trying to visualize why (if I tried something like I was describing) the wheels of the trailer would drag sideways on every turn but then I think of all the two axle vehicles I've seen and driven where that doesn't happen. Is that because on traditional 2-axle vehicles that the two axles are very close together?

That and tires typically have a lot wiggle. Watch more closely and you will see the tires of a tandem axle trailer really flex during a sharp. Sometimes I see axle flex too.

A tandem axle truck or trailer the axles are close together, and there is give in the suspension that will let the axles walk side to side if enough force is applied. On a tight turn, like the start late, turn sharp needed to corner with a long wagon on city street tires have a short life.
Groover
Explorer II
Aug 03, 2019
JGage wrote:
opnspaces wrote:
I think you already got it, but the Hensley and the ProPride still pivot when backing up. Otherwise you would never be able to back into a campsite. The Hensley and the ProPride project the pivot point up by the rear axle of the tow vehicle, but there is still a pivot.

Yeah, I've got it enough to understand that what I was originally asking just isn't possible, nor would it likely be desirable. Where I'm still thick in the skull is in trying to visualize why (if I tried something like I was describing) the wheels of the trailer would drag sideways on every turn but then I think of all the two axle vehicles I've seen and driven where that doesn't happen. Is that because on traditional 2-axle vehicles that the two axles are very close together?

That and tires typically have a lot wiggle. Watch more closely and you will see the tires of a tandem axle trailer really flex during a sharp. Sometimes I see axle flex too.
msmith1_wa
Explorer
Aug 03, 2019
At my work we have a small trailer that can't be seen in the side mirrors. Fortunately it has a long tongue. When backing it up I put the truck tailgate down and I can see everything I need to see in the rearview mirror.
GeoBoy
Explorer
Aug 03, 2019
In order for what you are trying to achieve, you would need a caster type of assembly instead of a straight axle.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Aug 03, 2019
Why do you think semi trailers leave black marks when they make sharp turns? It's because one set of duallys is sliding rather than rolling. If you watch closely you'll see that with two axles, even close together, one tire, usually the trailing tire, is going to scrub, not roll smoothly. Just plain physics, the trailer can't rotate around two points.
JGage
Explorer
Aug 03, 2019
opnspaces wrote:
I think you already got it, but the Hensley and the ProPride still pivot when backing up. Otherwise you would never be able to back into a campsite. The Hensley and the ProPride project the pivot point up by the rear axle of the tow vehicle, but there is still a pivot.

Yeah, I've got it enough to understand that what I was originally asking just isn't possible, nor would it likely be desirable. Where I'm still thick in the skull is in trying to visualize why (if I tried something like I was describing) the wheels of the trailer would drag sideways on every turn but then I think of all the two axle vehicles I've seen and driven where that doesn't happen. Is that because on traditional 2-axle vehicles that the two axles are very close together?
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Aug 03, 2019
Check out Swivel wheel and Idaho Tote. Both use a wheel that pivots and are attached at 2 points on the vehicle.
opnspaces
Navigator III
Aug 03, 2019
I think you already got it, but the Hensley and the ProPride still pivot when backing up. Otherwise you would never be able to back into a campsite. The Hensley and the ProPride project the pivot point up by the rear axle of the tow vehicle, but there is still a pivot.