I'm not an expert, but some of these recommendations sound like too
little weight on the trailer tongue to me. You don't want to drive
over some bumps and dips and have a lot of upward pressure on your
trailer hitch ball. If you take a look at the hitch mechanism you'll
see that it's not made to withstand a lot of lifting (upward)
pressure. It's designed to withstand a load from above. If you've
ever forgotten to release the ball before you used your tongue jack on
a boat trailer, you know how easy it is to pop the trailer tongue off
the ball.

Also, my understanding is that the weight of the trailer is supposed
to be included in your calculations.

A suggestion: Call a boat manufacturer (or a travel trailer
manufacturer) who sells a rig with dual axles, and of approximately
the same over all weight and length as the rig you're putting
together. Ask them what the tongue weight is on their trailer. I'm
not saying to copy that. But it may give you a practical place to
start.

GL

wrote:

I'm not an expert, but some of these recommendations sound like too
little weight on the trailer tongue to me. You don't want to drive
over some bumps and dips and have a lot of upward pressure on your
trailer hitch ball. If you take a look at the hitch mechanism you'll
see that it's not made to withstand a lot of lifting (upward)
pressure. It's designed to withstand a load from above. If you've
ever forgotten to release the ball before you used your tongue jack on
a boat trailer, you know how easy it is to pop the trailer tongue off
the ball.

Also, my understanding is that the weight of the trailer is supposed
to be included in your calculations.

A suggestion: Call a boat manufacturer (or a travel trailer
manufacturer) who sells a rig with dual axles, and of approximately
the same over all weight and length as the rig you're putting
together. Ask them what the tongue weight is on their trailer. I'm
not saying to copy that. But it may give you a practical place to
start.

GL

Holy christ
you can pop your hitch off with just a trailer jack!
I HAVE jacked the rear wheels of a car off the ground using the trailer
jockywheel and the hitch never looked like coming loose (mind you it did
take a few blocks to do it)

Then its time you got a new ball! the ball and socket system is very
strong when the locking tag is working correctly you should NOT be able
to pop a hitch off. a proper hitch and ball combo can take the full
weight of the unit that it is carrying and if it does fail then that's
why the chains are there to stop it taking off on its own.
Too much weight on the hitch is one of the reasons you see trailers
swaying all over the place. When i have a tandem trailer setup correctly
i can and have towed in excess of 100 mph. not that i recommend it to
any one or condone it but i have done it and will probley do it again if
i ever get another car capable of doing it.

My trailers have ranged from small 8x4 tandems 16x8 tandems and my 24'
trailersailer in among the trailers i have had are a few custom made
units that when first made i was told could never carry the load.
i used to transport vintage cars for clients and some of those suckers
are heavy but i soon proved them wrong (was made from cold rolled c
section 1.6 mm).
The thing that is more important is the placement of the axles in
relation to the tow hitch.
mount the tow hitch then from the tow hitch bring a string line back to
the axle mount on both sides and measure, both sides should be exactly
the same distance from the center of the hitch.

mind you as the other poster said call a local manufacturer and get the
guff on your laws
Shaun

"shaun" wrote in message

et.au...

When i have a tandem trailer setup correctly
i can and have towed in excess of 100 mph.

I sure hope this is Bull**** bragging and that you really
didn't do something that stupid.

SBV

Scotty wrote:
"shaun" wrote in message

et.au...

When i have a tandem trailer setup correctly
i can and have towed in excess of 100 mph.


I sure hope this is Bull**** bragging and that you really
didn't do something that stupid.

SBV



Not bragging
i was major ****ed at my brother and had to pick his car up of the side
of the road where he had rolled it.
had it on the trailer and was returning to his home.
At the time i was so ****ed off at him that i did not stop to think what
i was doing and just put the boot in and the car i had was so well setup
that it did not even feel like there was a car trailer on the back.
At that stage i had been working near on eight weeks with out a break,
14 hour days and it was the first day that i had off in that whole
time....so yeah it was stupid and irresponsible but i said it to prove
that a well setup trailer can be stable at near any speed.

but then again what is stupid for one person is perfectly normal for
another. With the correct setting up and experience the is no reason
that you cant tow at high speed.....not counting the law's of
course...laws are made to keep the lowest common denominator safe or to
prevent them costing the state more than is acceptable to the insurance
companys.. It does not mean that it can't be done or that it is
impossable to do.
Take these people that cross the atlantic in a fifteen foot boat or less
99% of boaters would call them stupid.....
What i have done in the past does not count for what i do now apart from
the experiance that i have from doing those things. Its quite possable
that you would say it can't be done most likely along with most of the
other people out there but the truth is it can be done REGARDLESS of how
stupid it was at the time.
Forgive me if you think that's the sort of thing that should condemn a
man for the rest of there life. Besides have you a clue as to the roads
or the conditions at the time it happened. I think not.
After having said my piece i am going to leave it at that and if you
wish to call me stupid then go ahead but i know what i know and if i
don't i will say so.
shaun

"shaun" wrote in message

et.au...
Scotty wrote:
"shaun" wrote in
message


et.au...

When i have a tandem trailer setup correctly
i can and have towed in excess of 100 mph.


I sure hope this is Bull**** bragging and that you
really
didn't do something that stupid.

SBV



Not bragging
so yeah it was stupid and irresponsible


Glad you agree with me.


After having said my piece i am going to leave it at that
and if you
wish to call me stupid then go ahead but i know what i
know and if i
don't i will say so.


I didn't say you were stupid, what you did was.

Scotty