Lets talk small utility trailers,78 inches wide x 14 feet long.

[Markcuda]

Wow, it actually jumped out, holy cow.
Mine is a 2x10, actually 9.1/4 inches wide.
I don't see mine jumping out ever, but, I guess stranger things can happen.

 

[Markcuda]

I put new safety chains on my trailer, can some one tell me if they are to long?
They are 4 inches off the ground.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I put new safety chains on my trailer, can some one tell me if they are to long?
They are 4 inches off the ground.
<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=418756"/>
<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=418757"/>
<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=418758"/>

I don't see a problem per say but can I ask why you use that hitch extension? It's going to degrade your towing experience.

Chris

 

[Markcuda]

can I ask why you use that hitch extension? It's going to degrade your towing experience.

I wanted a foot longer tongue added to the trailer but the factory could not do it.
I thought a longer hitch would be the same?
Tell me what I will experience going this route.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I wanted a foot longer tongue added to the trailer but the factory could not do it.
I thought a longer hitch would be the same?
Tell me what I will experience going this route.

You place the hitch point back a foot on your vehicle. This acts as a lever arm on your suspension. When you hit a bump all forces will be multiplied by that much making the tow vehicle that much more unstable causing steering and braking losses and increased sway. Very dangerous.

Think of it this way. It's a lever. Much like using a standard ratchet vs a 24" breaker bar.

Chris

 

[Markcuda]

Thank you for the explanation, things I did not know.

 

[dieselcrawler]

Hitch extention just adds to the cantilevered leverage the tounge weight has on the rear of your tow vehicle. Will also make steering input more sensitive when backing up. More of an issue the shorter the trailer.

Safety chains can be adjusted as needed to suit the load/tounge sag by putting a few twists in each chain to tighten up slack. My 20' deckover has chains that always need a few twist to not drag, even unloaded. Another trick is to cross them, right chain hooked to left on bumper, left chain to right hook point, makes an x under tounge. Does two things. One, you can tighten up each chain with more twist and less sag because they will get more sag when you turn, and two, if the hitch comes off the ball the crossed chains make a sling to catch the tounge instead of it falling through the straight chains to the ground due to loser chains, catching and snagging and over powering the chains and just ripping them off, and becoming totally detached.

Trailer towing is an art of its own. Good luck... nice trailer by the way...

 

[dieselcrawler]

Lol diamond pilot beat me to it and said it better!

 

[Markcuda]

Greg, and thank you for the reply/explanation.
I got more hours into this trailer since I bought it making it my way than it took
the manufacturer to build it.lol

 

[Diamondpilot]

Lol diamond pilot beat me to it and said it better!

You brought up some good points I forgot. Especially crossing the chains.

Chris