Re: Trailer scare

[John Hofstetter <hofs@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Friday, June 27, 2003, at 06:55  PM, joel brodsky wrote:

> --okay, Traveler with trailer brakes, Traveler on the
> trailer.  Trailer is about #2k.
>
> @55mph starts waving around side to side.  Truck is
> held to trailer with chains and ratchet tie downs (the
> real big kind for autos...).  So, too much tongue
> weight, too little, crosswind?  what?  It did this
> about 3 years ago when I tried it then, and I never
> figured it out that time either.  That time was a
> Scout II on the trailer towing with a Travelall.
>
> Please let me know, I have to drive 400 miles with it
> tomorrow!
>
> Joel
Joel,

For the future you need an equalizer hitch.

For now, I would guess that you have too much tongue weight which would
take the weight off the front wheels of the tow vehicle making it very
unstable.  No way for me to be sure without being there to see it, but
thats my best guess. I would suggest having someone watch the rear of
the tower and the front of the towed.  Pretty much like you do so well
on the teeter totter, what you want to do is move the load forward on
the trailer until the tongue of the trailer and the hitch start to
slump.  This is assuming that the ball is the right height for the
trailer when the trailer is level.  When the rear of the tower sags
about as much as it would if Allan E. were standing on it, youll know
that you have an appropriate amount of weight on the tongue.

John Hofstetter