My grandsons and friends have completed a really nice 300 to 400 square foot tiny home. Very energy efficient. Completely off grid self sufficient. They are real craftsman. But not engineers. The problem with the three axle custom built trailer is that they speced the axles just a little too far forward and so I've towed it at 50 mpg and above that they get good sway. Though I wish we could just move the axles back, that is not practical given the way the home is built. The home is not made to move around a lot. It's not a travel trailer. Very little consideration was given to weight saving. It was the solidity of construction that was paramount. It comes in at around 15,000 pounds. Though it won't be moved much, it needs to be safe when it is moved. Anyway, this what I have suggested. Right now I believe the tongue weight is around 1100 lbs. They have yet to mount a fresh water tank. I believe we can get accurate weight measurements and then mount the tank ahead of the axles, around a hundred gallons, and calculate its proper placement to add four hundred pounds of tongue weight. Again it won't be moved often but whenever it is we would always fill the tank as a ballast. What do you think?

Water, batteries, generator and propane tank(s) are all heavy things that could be installed ahead of the axles.Sounds like a cool project, please share a picture if you can.

Just make sure the tank is full. A half tank sloshing around can cause problems too.

Yes. I would make one of those"your life is in danger"signs to stay with the trailer.

It will be an interesting math question to calculate where to put the tank.

When we worked the ranch and had that problem we would put one or two bags of sand on the tongue to make it safe.Even had an old road sign bolted on to aid us.

Need more tongue weight. Will a water tank up front do?

GordonThree
Explorer
Feb 19, 2017
Maybe this idea is crazy but here goes...

Cut the tongue off the front and weld it on the back?
westend
Explorer
Feb 19, 2017
Yeah, I can see that tiny house being tail heavy. The other thing working against good towing aerodynamics is that roof line. Those clerestory roofs will surely push itself around at higher speed. I've seen halves of double-wide mobile homes with a roof slope less than that being towed and they were all moving slow. I'd bet your top speed with that will be under 55 mph.

Do you need to be permitted for that?

BTW, tell the Grandson and the boys they did a nice job putting that together.
mike-s
Explorer
Feb 19, 2017
Note that it's not really tongue weight, stability depends on how the mass is distributed. Tongue weight is just something which is easy to measure, and works as a rule-of-thumb.

Take an extreme example: a trailer which balances (so no tongue weight). It will be very unstable. Now put a lot of weight directly over the ball. You've added tongue weight, but made almost no change to stability. Someone did the math, and as I recall, the best place to add weight is about 1/2 way between the axle and the coupler.
howardwheeler
Explorer
Feb 19, 2017
Here's the trailer they built. They have it this weekend at a Mother Earth News Fair in central Texas. The little trailer in the background is their portable power plant. The trailer can be run completely of solar but has wind and generator backup.
Hannibal
Explorer
Feb 19, 2017
Adjustable tag axle behind tri axle? Shorter diameter tires on front trailer axle? Call local elevator company and see if you can rent test weights for the trip? They're small at 50 lbs each, easy to move, stack, they're dry and portable. Two at 100 lbs are about the size of a concrete block.
keymastr
Explorer
Feb 18, 2017
If that is a 5th wheel style trailer frame you need about 3000 pounds on the pin. If it is a bumper pull style trailer you still need close to 2000 pounds on the tongue. Unless you mount that tank right on the tongue you will not get there that way. 1000 pounds mounted 2 feet ahead of the axles probably only adds 150 pounds to the tongue so placing it as far forward as possible is crucial.

Easier to move axles.
time2roll
Nomad
Feb 18, 2017
Are you looking for 10% tongue? That is 1500 or 400 more pounds needed. That would be 60 gallon tank minimum.
Are they using a weight distribution and sway control hitch? Or is this a pintle hook?
Consider adding shocks and/or a sway bar.

What is pulling? Maybe hire a pro with a bigger truck when it moves.
westend
Explorer
Feb 18, 2017
howardwheeler wrote:
I was thinking of an Icon rotocast 100 gallon one.

Yeah, full, that will get you 800 lbs of weight. 800 lbs on a 15K load shouldn't be that much more. Too bad they didn't do the weight design better but it is what it is.
azdryheat
Explorer
Feb 18, 2017
Throw some sandbags up front.
howardwheeler
Explorer
Feb 17, 2017
I was thinking of an Icon rotocast 100 gallon one.