Along with securing your load, proper weight distribution important also. I don't understand why people feel the need to put majority of weight at front of the trailer, placing to much weight on the tongue & truck. Move the load back over the trailer wheels & let the trailer do the work, keep it balanced & it will tow & handle so much better!
- Thread starter EarlyB
- Start date
Welding man
Well-known Member
- Location
- West Virginia
The right amount of tongue weight is very important. A little added tongue weight has helped me from getting stuck on soft ground more than once. Not enough tongue weight and the tail will wag the dog. I have air bags on my truck. I load a little tongue heavy, add a little air and my rig rides level and smooth.
BarnyardEngineering
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rochester, NY
To be fair, the "most people" you are talking about have no idea what anything weighs or where the weight is "centered" in the machine they're moving, so they just guess.
Sometimes trailer length and/or load size dictate where a load goes, but the best rule of thumb I've come across for hauling a single tractor is to pull it on and park the rear wheels directly over the trailer axles.
I know a lot of guys go by the "squat method." They watch the truck's rear squat as they pull on. When it drops below the empty trailer level, and the machine is loaded, good to go.
Sometimes trailer length and/or load size dictate where a load goes, but the best rule of thumb I've come across for hauling a single tractor is to pull it on and park the rear wheels directly over the trailer axles.
I know a lot of guys go by the "squat method." They watch the truck's rear squat as they pull on. When it drops below the empty trailer level, and the machine is loaded, good to go.
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
That is true to a point however the weight shouldn't be completely over the axles. There needs to be enough weight on the tongue to prevent trailer sway. That is far worse than overloading the rear axle of the tow vehicle.
BarnyardEngineering
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rochester, NY
It's not physically possible to put the weight completely over the axles.
Parking the tractor with the rear wheels directly over the axles puts the front end well ahead of the axles. Plenty of tongue weight.
Ultradog MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Twin Cities
A lot of knowledge but a lot of info left out in this thread.
There are so many factors to pulling a tractor on a trailer.
GVW of tow vehicle, ie, 1/2, 3/4, 1 ton?
Wheel base of tow vehicle? Bumper pull or 5th wheel?
Length of trailer? Distance between hitch point and center of axles?
GVW of trailer? Weight of tractor?
All those things are variables and all make a big difference.
There are so many factors to pulling a tractor on a trailer.
GVW of tow vehicle, ie, 1/2, 3/4, 1 ton?
Wheel base of tow vehicle? Bumper pull or 5th wheel?
Length of trailer? Distance between hitch point and center of axles?
GVW of trailer? Weight of tractor?
All those things are variables and all make a big difference.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
When you say "keep it balanced" to me that means no tongue weight, and i'ts recommended to have 9 to 15% of the gross trailer weight on the tongue. I do what coshoo does, drive forward until the ball hitch comes down a couple of inches.
Wow! Wonder what brought this topic up? Naw, I really don't care. Yes, on a bumper pull trailer 10% of the trailer weight on the hitch. And contrary to others, More is NOT better. On a gooseneck 10-15%.
15 yrs ago I hauled Dad's '51 M with Stan-Hoist loader 200 miles home on Labor Day weekend. I tried the "watch how much the hitch drops" method as I drove the tractor on the trailer. It was WAY too heavy on the hitch. I only drove the truck & trailer maybe 5 miles and parked it at my Brother-in-Law's, I moved the tractor BACK about 4-5 inches and chained it down again. Next morning I was just out on the blacktop past my brother-in-law's farm and knew I had the hitch weight right. Guy that stored the M told me the seedcorn company I detassled for as a kid had an 80 ft long platform semi-truck scale. I completely axled my truck & trailer out, 10% hitch weight on the nose, no axle or set of tires over-loaded, trailer handled beautifully.
Son and I loaded two trailers about 2 weeks ago. I learned years ago SON ignores most things I tell him, so I don't even say anything anymore. He WAY over-loaded the hitch on the 28 ft enclosed trailer he pulled with my old F250. He pulled the trailer about 80 miles and the reciever hitch BENT Down, welds didn't crack but I don't know why. He also loaded most of my U-Haul 12 ft enclosed trailer, yep, got it too heavy on the hitch too, but it weighed about 6000-7000# and my truck & hitch is rated 10,000# trailer 1500# hitch.
Son forgets I drove over-the-road for 3-4 years, and had about 5 years other truck driving experience, I know how to load trucks & trailers. I get the impression most of you guys are just guessing by your comments.
15 yrs ago I hauled Dad's '51 M with Stan-Hoist loader 200 miles home on Labor Day weekend. I tried the "watch how much the hitch drops" method as I drove the tractor on the trailer. It was WAY too heavy on the hitch. I only drove the truck & trailer maybe 5 miles and parked it at my Brother-in-Law's, I moved the tractor BACK about 4-5 inches and chained it down again. Next morning I was just out on the blacktop past my brother-in-law's farm and knew I had the hitch weight right. Guy that stored the M told me the seedcorn company I detassled for as a kid had an 80 ft long platform semi-truck scale. I completely axled my truck & trailer out, 10% hitch weight on the nose, no axle or set of tires over-loaded, trailer handled beautifully.
Son and I loaded two trailers about 2 weeks ago. I learned years ago SON ignores most things I tell him, so I don't even say anything anymore. He WAY over-loaded the hitch on the 28 ft enclosed trailer he pulled with my old F250. He pulled the trailer about 80 miles and the reciever hitch BENT Down, welds didn't crack but I don't know why. He also loaded most of my U-Haul 12 ft enclosed trailer, yep, got it too heavy on the hitch too, but it weighed about 6000-7000# and my truck & hitch is rated 10,000# trailer 1500# hitch.
Son forgets I drove over-the-road for 3-4 years, and had about 5 years other truck driving experience, I know how to load trucks & trailers. I get the impression most of you guys are just guessing by your comments.
DownNDirty
Member
I found with my Dodge 2500 and Ram 3500 with a gooseneck that they pull best if I get the overload springs to just touch. If they do, then it rides and pulls perfect. If not, it is the worst ride you've ever had.
BarnyardEngineering
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rochester, NY
Nobody ever said "no tongue weight." Keep it balanced, as in there is a balance between too much and too little tongue weight.
The axles are too far back on most trailers to feasibly "balance" a single tractor on the trailer axles so there's no tongue weight anyway.
https://www.trailersoftheeastcoast.com/blog/whats-the-tongue-weight-am-i-safe-enjoy-piece-of-mind-with-the-weigh-safe-hitch--1739
10 to 15%
Or... a minimum of 300 lbs on a small trailer to tow it safely.
Also the trailer should be "level" when loaded as it connects to the ball on the tow vehicle to avoid problems when stopping.
My neighbor would measure with a tape. 8-10 inches down was good. He would get out his tape and measure while I pulled the tractor ahead. Pulled a 4020 back from Ohio with his bumper pull trailer and my 76 3/4 ton Chevrolet , with no issues. It did have add on overload springs and an after market RV type cam in a 60 over 454 and of course the 4.11 gears with no overdrive.
All trailers and loads have a sweet spot. Because the distance from the hitch point to the first axle is different on most trailers, it's hard to generalize on where the load should be placed. When placed in the right spot it pulls nice, when in the wrong spot hang on.
showcrop
Well-known Member
Earlyb, you are not detailed enough to tell for sure but your advice could be taken in a way that would be dangerous. As others are saying you need tongue weight. A good amount. I will sometimes have a load on my 34 foot tandem dual that looks like it is on the back, yet I have it far enough forward to push the back of my truck down around three inches. Telling someone to balance it on the trailer could be taken as No weight on the tow vehicle.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
If you drive on until there is no tongue weight, then all the weight is on the trailer axles! As if you loaded the tractor when the trailer is not hooked to anything, and drive ahead until it balances, all the weight is on the trailer axles.
Sorry for the confusion, by balance I meant the "sweet spot " (that some have called it) between to much & not enough tongue weight, yes some weight on the truck is import, but, just my abservason, I've seen alot of trucks with the rear bumper about dragging the ground wheen there was clearly room on the trailer to move the load rewards
showcrop
Well-known Member
I am pretty sure that what sotxbill is meaning to say is that your drawbar needs to be one that puts the hitch point at the proper height so the trailer ends up level. or if the hitch height of the trailer is adjustable as many heavier trailers are, to adjust it to the correct height. There are many different drawbars available for receiver hitches to make this possible.
yes... under heavy braking... the trailer needs to be level.. If the trailer is hooked up where its high or pointed up in the front where it attaches to the tow vehicle,,,, it will try to lift the rear end of the truck and severely reduce the stopping distance reduce traction on the rear wheels and greatly increase chances of a jack knife. The trailer will also test the ball connection and try to pop off if it can. If the trailer is pointing down where it attaches, under hard braking, it will try to pick up the front of the tow vehicle up, loosing steering control and braking of front wheels... (reminds me of all the late 50s and early 60s cars trying to pull a vacation trailer on a temporary bumper clamp hitch, with no safety chains..... when I was a kid)
SO.. they make different height receiver hitches, adjustable hitches to allow you to make sure your trailer is ""level when loaded"" and hooked to the towing vehicle. This way it pushes from momentum, but does not change the geometry of the tow vehicle in brake mode. So simply paying attention to the "level" of the trailer can help greatly as hooked to a particular vehicle. Heavier the trailer, lighter the tow vehicle, the more important this is.
Rollie NE PA
Well-known Member
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-how-to-determine-trailer-tongue-weight.aspx
Proper tongue weight is important not only for tow vehicle handling but most tow hitches have a tongue weight rating/capacity.
The above link give instructions on how to determine where to place the load. I used the procedure for my trailer and show tractor and I have never had a issue.
Proper tongue weight is important not only for tow vehicle handling but most tow hitches have a tongue weight rating/capacity.
The above link give instructions on how to determine where to place the load. I used the procedure for my trailer and show tractor and I have never had a issue.
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
A month or so ago I hauled my tractor 50 miles to do some work for my son. Going there I had no problem. Coming back the chain came somewhat loose and the tractor moved back 4" and I had so much trailer sway it was all I could do to get it off the road. Re-positioned
the tractor and chained it down again and didn't have any more trouble. The front loader prevented me from really getting the tractor forward enough.
the tractor and chained it down again and didn't have any more trouble. The front loader prevented me from really getting the tractor forward enough.
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