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

[Rockbadchild]

View attachment 855646

So I guess you love it as much as me when folks put stuff like = F_sub_yaw. and (I_zz = I_zz + M*r^2). without specifying what any the letters means... other the R of course he specified that one.

yeah it check out...

 

[wojofam7431]

I second your concern based on the image. If you’re buying new, then I’d be very selective.

Bandaids could include installing airbags or an add-a-leaf, but going that route wouldn’t be my Plan-A.

How is that going to help tongue weight?

 

[composter55]

I have a 20' carhauler w/ dovetail that I use to haul pallets of firewood or logs and a Toro Dingo to load with. I pull with a 2003 Suburban 1500, and have to balance load critically: too much in front, and the hitch will scrape on speed bumps, even slight driveways, etc. Too far back, and sway will
be dangerous!
I did purchase a hitchball that included a weight scale. For many uses, that would be excellent, but since I load the firewood (or logs), then load the Dingo, it's hard to adjust balance at that point. (too late to adjust the front load) Do have a very little front/back adjustment room for the Dingo. Plan to change to a Deckover to get more flexibility, but that entails a much higher (and more dangerous) loading ramp.

 

[kozal01]

Tongue weight is your friend, not your enemy. Either run airbags (or a WDH if the tongue weight will exceed the non WDH rating) or buy a truck that can handle the weight without dragging its bumper.

 

[BlueKnife]

Tongue weight is your friend, not your enemy. Either run airbags or a WDH or buy a truck that can handle the weight without dragging its bumper.

That depends. Too much tongue weight can cause the same kinds of problems as too little, with lack of steering also thrown into the mix. Here's an example I saw parked at Home Depot a while back. Toyota Tundra with a tandem dually trailer with concrete perma column posts loaded at the very front of the trailer. I think I could have lifted the front of the pickup off of the ground by hand.

 

[kozal01]

That depends. Too much tongue weight can cause the same kinds of problems as too little, with lack of steering also thrown into the mix. Here's an example I saw parked at Home Depot a while back. Toyota Tundra with a tandem dually trailer with concrete perma column posts loaded at the very front of the trailer. I think I could have lifted the front of the pickup off of the ground by hand. View attachment 855876

Of course, it needs to be within the rating of the truck. Kind of common sense, or it should be.

 

[Rockbadchild]

That depends. Too much tongue weight can cause the same kinds of problems as too little, with lack of steering also thrown into the mix. Here's an example I saw parked at Home Depot a while back. Toyota Tundra with a tandem dually trailer with concrete perma column posts loaded at the very front of the trailer. I think I could have lifted the front of the pickup off of the ground by hand. View attachment 855876

lol that photo belong in the ''Pics of people hauling or towing something wrong'' tread, a toy truck hauling a real truck load is the problem here not too much tonged weight.

 

[BlueKnife]

lol that photo belong in the ''Pics of people hauling or towing something wrong'' tread, a toy truck hauling a real truck load is the problem here not too much tonged weight.

True. The principle still applies though. Even if the trailer is at or lighter than the rated capacity of the tow vehicle (unlike the one in that photo), too much tongue weight can cause big problems.

 

[Rockbadchild]

True. The principle still applies though. Even if the trailer is at or lighter than the rated capacity of the tow vehicle (unlike the one in that photo), too much tongue weight can cause big problems.

I agree to your point you don't want to exceed the truck bed capacity weight on the hitch.

 

[BlueKnife]

I agree to your point you don't want to exceed the truck bed capacity weight on the hitch.

The weight a pickup can safely take on the hitch is significantly less than what it can take evenly distributed or centered in the bed. That's a big part of the reason that gooseneck trailers can haul so much more than tag trailers.

 

[kozal01]

This is why everyone who plans to tow with their truck needs to know its capacities. At least on my F-150 its listed very clearly on the hitch what the hitch is rated for with and without a WDH. Then you need to stay within the hitch rating AND total payload of the truck. Pictures like that Tundra prove that some are clueless to that, but like I said earlier some of it should be common sense. Anyone with two braincells left to rub together can see that Tundra is ready to fold in half, except the owner.

 

[Rockbadchild]

The weight a pickup can safely take on the hitch is significantly less than what it can take evenly distributed in the bed.

yeah usually about half I be interested on testing it out to see how unsafe it is but if you stick to 10 to 15% of the trailer weight as hitch weight and don't go over your towing capacity you don't have to go there. Most people don't have a scale so you go by eye and by feel and you call it good enough.

 

[dadster4]

20' Rice 10K trailer loaded with everything precious to me
Pulled with 1/4 ton F150 and weight distribution hitch. Rear sat 2" lower (which actually leveled the truck) and front raised 1/2" ... if front lifts any higher you have to adjust load.

 

[Flogger]

Most car trailers are designed on a 60/40 weight distribution. As you move into equipment trailers that changes. I have a 16' 10k rated trailer with the axles mounted closer to a 70/30 design. The equipment trailer is designed to be loaded in a manner that distributes the weight according to design limits. With only 16' of deck that can be a challenge at times. On my 32' trailer it's a piece of cake.

 

[Texasmark]

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?

Having (been following) seen a friend coming home from work one day with a 16' tandem, bumper pull trailer, loaded with 4 concrete culverts (approx 3' in diameter) loaded behind the tandem on the trailer, and watching as he came down a hill, hit a bridge and having watched the trailer instantaneously slam back and forth smashing both sides of the rear of the truck, one realizes that having the trailer front heavy makes for seamless pulling.

If you have a bumper pull a load equalizer adapter (torsion bars from the trailer to the tow vehicle) helps to mitigate this problem and otherwise gives a smoother ride, but isn't a cure-all.

A GVW weight of the tow vehicle including the tongue weight is a good thing to think about I would think.

 

[MH8675309]

If you have too much weight behind the axles it can - more than likely will - cause you to lose control swerving all over the road. I had one about 30 years ago with the axles in the middle and it did that to me with a heavy load on. I talked with several of my friends who said there was too much weight behind the axles and that I should move the axles back - which I did. Never had a problem with that again. The modern half tons crouch down really easy but id rather the truck was squatting then going in the ditch.

 

[MH8675309]

Your biggest issue is too small a truck for a loaded 22’ trailer.
The new 1/2 ton trucks are weak and poor load haulers, they are known as grocery getters for a reason.
I built trailers for several years in my younger days and the front spring hangar should be in the middle of the bed less the tongue.
Long trailers look funny but that is how long bumper trailers are built.
Good trailers have an adjustable height hitch for this reason.
A shorter trailer or bigger truck would help solve your issue.
Proper load weight position is extremely important.

The new 1/2 ton trucks are weak and poor load haulers, they are known as grocery getters for a reason. Aint it the truth

 

[MH8675309]

I respectfully disagree. Weight distributing hitches are widely used in the RV market and make it possible to tow a trailer that is well within the total tow weight rating of the tow vehicle but is front heavy making the total hitch weight too high.

OK thats right but the difference in handling is like night and day

 

[TMGT]

If you have too much weight behind the axles it can - more than likely will - cause you to lose control swerving all over the road. I had one about 30 years ago with the axles in the middle and it did that to me with a heavy load on. I talked with several of my friends who said there was too much weight behind the axles and that I should move the axles back - which I did. Never had a problem with that again. The modern half tons crouch down really easy but id rather the truck was squatting then going in the ditch.

I have a 15ft open center deck car trailer that I converted to a full deck equipment trailer. The axles were almost centered (enough that you didn't need a tongue jack on level ground) and was miserable to tow empty and hard to load correctly.

I ended up adding 3ft to the front of the trailer which gave it a 60/40 a le placement and its been a fantastic trailer since.

I wouldn't want the axles any further forward then about 60/40, unless all I did was haul front heavy cars with light duty tow vehicles.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Just saw a chevy 1500 towing a cheap 2 axle car hauler with what appeared to be a 1066 or similar international on it.

Truck was sitting on the ground and the rear 2 wheels were missing on the trailer.

Someone with a proper goose neck had showed up to help him out

I wish it was dark or I would of snapped a picture.