Why is towing my little trailer so stressful?
We have a 16' vintage trailer that weighs less than 2500 lbs. We pull it with a 2013 Toyota Prerunner (rear wheel drive) double cab V6. It doesn't have the factory tow package, just an after market hi...
Forum Discussion
Lots of good info here, just where to start with it all!
First, get the facts and numbers. How much does your trailer weigh? How much tongue weight is it putting on the TV? What are the tow ratings and Weight ratings of your TV? How much of the payload of your TV is available for use in towing?
All of this will require a bit of time at a scale. Weigh the TV without the trailer, get an axle weigh so you know how much is on each axle. This will allow you to calculate the remaining payload of the TV. Then hook up the trailer and get another axle weigh - a weight for each axle TV front, TV rear, & Trailer. Now you can calculate the trailer and tongue weights. Take the total of the all the axles & subtract the weight you got with the TV by itself. That is your trailer weight. For tongue weight, take the trailer weight and subtract the trailer axle weight. Should be between 10 & 15% of the trailer weight. If you have less than 10%, you need to shift some trailer weight forward. If more that 15%, you need to shift some weight aft in the trailer. I would say stick close to 10% with the limited payload you have.
To determine how much weight is being unloaded from your front axle - the steering axle and transferred to your rear axle by the trailer, subtract the TV & trailer combo TV front axle weight from the TV only front axle weight. This is the amount you are lightening up the TV front end and can be contributing to the poor steering feel you are getting. The only way to get that back is to have a lighter tongue weight or to use a WD hitch to shift some of the weight on your rear axle fwd and aft to the TV front and trailer axles. You are probably overloading the rear axle anyway. A good goal is to get your front TV axle weight back to what it is without the trailer. Another indicator is to get the front fender back down to the normal ride height. Be sure to weigh the combination with the WD hitch set up to be sure you haven't shifted too much weight and are overloading the trailer axle or tires.
All of this does require the correct tires, correctly inflated. Make sure you aren't overloading them.
That leaves the trailer suspension. Since the springs are old and rusted, and you mentioned side to side rolling, suggesting that the springs may need to be replaced, or even upgraded. Old vehicles are notorious for gaining weight over the years. Another reason for needing the trailer weight. If you have any trailer tire wear problems, a bent or misaligned axle could be contributing. I have also added shock kits to my trailers since I raise them for ground clearance and that seems to help the rolling tendency.
Hope you are challenged by a project, and let us know what works for you.
First, get the facts and numbers. How much does your trailer weigh? How much tongue weight is it putting on the TV? What are the tow ratings and Weight ratings of your TV? How much of the payload of your TV is available for use in towing?
All of this will require a bit of time at a scale. Weigh the TV without the trailer, get an axle weigh so you know how much is on each axle. This will allow you to calculate the remaining payload of the TV. Then hook up the trailer and get another axle weigh - a weight for each axle TV front, TV rear, & Trailer. Now you can calculate the trailer and tongue weights. Take the total of the all the axles & subtract the weight you got with the TV by itself. That is your trailer weight. For tongue weight, take the trailer weight and subtract the trailer axle weight. Should be between 10 & 15% of the trailer weight. If you have less than 10%, you need to shift some trailer weight forward. If more that 15%, you need to shift some weight aft in the trailer. I would say stick close to 10% with the limited payload you have.
To determine how much weight is being unloaded from your front axle - the steering axle and transferred to your rear axle by the trailer, subtract the TV & trailer combo TV front axle weight from the TV only front axle weight. This is the amount you are lightening up the TV front end and can be contributing to the poor steering feel you are getting. The only way to get that back is to have a lighter tongue weight or to use a WD hitch to shift some of the weight on your rear axle fwd and aft to the TV front and trailer axles. You are probably overloading the rear axle anyway. A good goal is to get your front TV axle weight back to what it is without the trailer. Another indicator is to get the front fender back down to the normal ride height. Be sure to weigh the combination with the WD hitch set up to be sure you haven't shifted too much weight and are overloading the trailer axle or tires.
All of this does require the correct tires, correctly inflated. Make sure you aren't overloading them.
That leaves the trailer suspension. Since the springs are old and rusted, and you mentioned side to side rolling, suggesting that the springs may need to be replaced, or even upgraded. Old vehicles are notorious for gaining weight over the years. Another reason for needing the trailer weight. If you have any trailer tire wear problems, a bent or misaligned axle could be contributing. I have also added shock kits to my trailers since I raise them for ground clearance and that seems to help the rolling tendency.
Hope you are challenged by a project, and let us know what works for you.
