Why don't trailers have tongue casters?

[clemsonfor]

it would need to be sring loaded with tension, if you went over a big bump your suspension would cycle the back of the vehicle down lowering the trailer tounge or putting force on that area. It would then either break your caster off bend it or rip the trailer off the ball on the hitch. Just my thoughts.

 

[Renze]

I have no affiliation and no idea if this is what you have in mind but check it out.

OK but this is certainly NOT a caster !! judging from the pic where it is cornering, this wheel only moves horizontally. and YES in that case is better than a sway bar because it adds lateral stability.

Interesting concept. it will just wear some tires when cornering as it will skid.

 

[The Haymaker]

The other thing I noticed it had, but forgot to mention, was a set of stabilizers so it wouldn't "whip", which I'm sure would happen if the drawbar was short. I'd still like to know what this thing was! "Camper converter dolly" search brings up nothing.

 

[some zilch]

Not necessarily. If you look at the trailer that I posted a picture of, you can see that'd put much tongue weight on any truck. If you have a truck truck that can haul even just 8,000 pounds with a 1,000 pound tongue weight limit, even a little Kubota BX on that trailer would exceed the tongue weight, but still be well within the towing capacity of the truck.

that little tractor cant weigh more than 1500lbs. i would not hesitate to put that in the pickup bed of a 1-ton truck. my 1-ton 1997 chevy can take 1850lbs of tongue weight, as per the hitch. i could hang that tractor off my receiver, and be within spec. no matter where you put it on the trailer, the trailer axles are going to take some of the weight. you cannot seriously tell me that you believe that putting a bx tractor on the front of that trailer is going to "technically" --(or otherwise)--overload a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. the tractor does not need all the way to the extreme front of the trailer anyhow.

--on a side note, that trailer is very poorly designed with the axles all the way to the back. it is not going to have the road manners people used to towing car trailers expect, due to axle placement and turning behavior. its set up more like a lowboy semi trailer (axle placement wise).

 

[aczlan]

on a side note, that trailer is very poorly designed with the axles all the way to the back. it is not going to have the road manners people used to towing car trailers expect, due to axle placement and turning behavior. its set up more like a lowboy semi trailer (axle placement wise).

It looks like someone took off the front axle and moved it to behind the rear axle.
Looks like it would be good if you had a lot of weight in the box on the back, but it would be a pain to load anything largish onto.

Aaron Z

 

[Duffster]

It looks like someone took off the front axle and moved it to behind the rear axle.
Looks like it would be good if you had a lot of weight in the box on the back, but it would be a pain to load anything largish onto.

Aaron Z

Trailer like that is really only meant to haul a Z type mower in.

 

[Duffster]

that trailer is very poorly designed with the axles all the way to the back.

That trailer is very well designed. It is a purpose built trailer and is built the way it needs to be for that specific purpose.

 

[wvpolekat]

Not necessarily. If you look at the trailer that I posted a picture of, you can see that'd put much tongue weight on any truck. If you have a truck truck that can haul even just 8,000 pounds with a 1,000 pound tongue weight limit, even a little Kubota BX on that trailer would exceed the tongue weight, but still be well within the towing capacity of the truck.

If you are exceeding the tongue weight, you are exceeding one do the tow capacities of the truck. They are band-aids. If you cannot load the trailer to not do that, it is time for a gooseneck or a weight distribution hitch.

 

[The Haymaker]

I have no affiliation and no idea if this is what you have in mind but check it out.

Sorry I missed this, but I think you got it. The one I saw had one wheel on each side bu they turned so you wouldn't get the tire scuffing. Your site explains the odd channels on the front that I saw. It was pretty fancy with fenders and a spare tire on top, along with the steering dampers I mentioned. VERY interesting concept, but how would you deal with GVW if you were running heavy enough to need one?

 

[The Haymaker]

My next question is concerning weight distribution hitches. How much stress does that put on the rear frame section of the truck? I would thing they would be considerably higher than what a normal hitch, even at max GVW, would apply because of the leverage.

I ask that due to it being fresh in my mind after repairing the rear frame of my sisters '98 1/2 pickup that she uses to haul a 24' enclosed dirtbike/camper trailer.