Why so much tongue weight on 22' car hauler trailers?

[NonTypicalCPA]

I'm in the market for a 22' car hauler for my Kubota. What I've been noticing is that most of the trailer length is in front of the axles, putting a lot of weight on the hitch. What am I missing here? My last 22' trailer had the same problem and I recently sold it. I was constantly being flashed at night for high pointing headlights. Any manufacturers that put their axles a little more towards the front?

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

Here's just one example.

 

[bcp]

Designed-in sway control?

Bruce

 

[WranglerX]

Learn to balance your load on trailer.... Personally I would not except anything that did not have axles near center of trailer bed....

 

[George2615]

What kind of tongue weight does the trailer have? What vehicle are you towing with?
Have you checked your trailer hitch label . They recommend using a weight distribution hitch at certain weights. Maybe your truck rear suspension needs improving.
My tilt bed PJ empty tongue weight is 1195 lb. I'm sure my trailer has more tongue weight than the pic of the aluminum trailer you posted. My truck barely moves when I hook it up. Back of truck will go down some as trailer is loaded but not enough to raise the headlights to blind oncoming traffic. As mentioned, learn to balance the load on trailer.

 

[sea2summit]

My trailer is similar to the ones pictured. When it’s not loaded I can easily lift the tongue onto a hitch. Y hand because the ramps are that heavy. I hate to tow it empty and usually fill a 55 gal drum with water at the front of the trailer if it’s going to be 100+ miles empty then dump the water when I pick up my load. Otherwise as long as you pay attention to your load you’ll be fine, especially if your tractor has a FEL which needs a ton of space but really doesn’t have any weight.

 

[CliffordK]

I've got an 18 ft cargo/equipment trailer like that.
My interpretation is they are designed to be towed behind one ton pickups and commercial trucks that don't sag with a load rather than half ton pickups.
The other issue with some trailer designs is that they are significantly weaker behind the axles. So adding a few more feet behind the axles would put the trailer under significant stress.
I usually use equalizer bars on it.
It tows fine empty. I am always conscious about weight distribution when loading

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

If you put a car on them, the tow nicely

A tractor with a loader I figure wouldn't have enough tounge weight

My car hauler is homemade an has the axles too close to the middle. I am always trying to ADD tounge weight

But then again I'm towing with a dually with air bags

 

[RjCorazza]

I never really looked at car haulers, but that looks like a problem for my type of towing. All of the equipment trailers I have looked at had the axles more centered.
Is it possible that aluminum trailers are so light that they need more tongue weight when unloaded?

 

[dodge man]

I thought mine wasn’t built that way but it is, the axles are more towards the back. It a 16 foot deck with a 2 foot dovetail. It seems to balance ok for me.

 

[Beaver Cove Deere]

Much easier to back up the trailer with the axels to the rear is another benefit.
10% tongue weight minimum.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I thought most all trailers were built with the axles rear of the center of trailer, seems pretty common.

 

[CliffordK]

Much easier to back up the trailer with the axels to the rear is another benefit.
10% tongue weight minimum.

It may help a little bit, but also the further forward the axles are, the closer the trailer will follow in the tow vehicle's tracks. Less cutting the corners.

I thought most all trailers were built with the axles rear of the center of trailer, seems pretty common.

All axles should be slightly behind center. But, one can often compensate by putting the engine forward,

It seems to be the larger equipment trailers that have the axes so far back.

 

[LD1]

Never had a tongue weight issue. You absolutly do NOT want negative or too little tongue weight. 10-15% is about right. And just about any trailer made today....even though you think is too much tongue weight....can be loaded just fine if the trailer is sized appropriately as well as the truck.

So perhaps elaborate a little....what trailer, what truck, and what load? Some pictures would do wonders.

You dont have to always pull a load all the way forward.

 

[Peter 315]

My 22 foot load trail .....

 

[Rockbadchild]

You where getting flash wile pulling the trailer empty ? do you have a leveling kit? and if so did you adjust your lights ?

You want tongue weight, one can adjust your tongue weight by lowering or lifting your hitch, too much tongue weight when empty lift up your hitch higher, if too little lower it... when loaded the trailer should be level to sightly angle up with most of the load in front of the axels.

You can see it perfectly with sea2summint picture with a tractor with a FEL the rear wheel is behind the rear axel and 3/4 of the tractor is in front if the rear axel the trailer is sightly angle up. If the axels would be in the middle most of the weight would be in the back resulting in a negative tongue weight resulting in intensive swaying.

 

[zzvyb6]

If you want to know the REAL reason, listen up:

If the axles were more centered, the center of gravity of the rig would be right around the center of the 2 axles. With a load placed on it, this location would pretty much be the same. Given the total mass of trailer + load, the yawing frequency would be (lets say) F_sub_yaw.

With the axles placed farther back, the yaw inertia is a higher value because of the 'axis translation' theorem (I_zz = I_zz + M*r^2). R being the altered distance. This LOWERS the natural yaw (tongue swing frequency) so it will be much more manageable. It it gets higher than about 1 Hz. you're probably not going to be able to save it if it starts oscillating above the critical speed.

Another way of saying it is that the swinging tendency will happen at a much higher speed.

That's my typical expert witness court-room testimony.

 

[msb1766]

Here is a goog video in tougne weight:

 

[4570Man]

Trailer axels in the center of the trailer are dangerous. Semi trailers have the axels almost all the way at the back. Pickups can’t feasibly do that but at the 2/3s back or so mark is good. 10 percent tongue weight is the absolute bare minimum.

 

[sd455dan]

I'm in the market for a 22' car hauler for my Kubota. What I've been noticing is that most of the trailer length is in front of the axles, putting a lot of weight on the hitch. What am I missing here? My last 22' trailer had the same problem and I recently sold it. I was constantly being flashed at night for high pointing headlights. Any manufacturers that put their axles a little more towards the front?

Although a 5th wheel my older Wilson 20' tilt bed is more forward than some of the BP trailers pictured. Never had the tail wag the dog with it yet, but as others posted- get the tongue weight correct.

ps. really old pic, I use chains to secure the tractor these days and straps for hay