(By Greg Rourke) – Today we’re here to educate you rather than entertain you. Our subject is trailer loading.
My day job is in the rental industry, among the items we rent are trailers. Every day we send out people who have never hauled a trailer but are now hauling a 7500 pound Bobcat on a 2700 pound trailer, their only qualification is the shiny new pick-em-up truck they bought has a big enough hitch. I try to keep them from killing themselves and innocent motorists. Correct loading is key.
The concept is simple. Tongue weight, the weight pushing down on the back of the tow vehicle, must be ten percent of the total trailer weight, which includes the load. Too much weight unloads the front wheels on the truck, which screws with the steering geometry and headlight aim. Plus the front brakes are more likely to lock up. Too little tongue weight and you get sway, as illustrated in the linked videos.
Some knuckleheads think they can drive through the sway, by speeding up. Incorrect. Slamming on the brakes will also show you you’re wrong. The best thing to do is to ease off the throttle, letting you slow down and stop the tail from wagging the dog. Then reload the trailer correctly.
There are sway controls you can purchase, which can cost hundreds of dollars and take hours to install correctly. I’ve installed dozens of them. They won’t totally eliminate sway from an improperly loaded trailer. The best remedy is to plan loading of the cargo.
So there we have it. Visual aids on the videos, there may be a quiz later. I’ll try to find something more entertaining next time.
Check out these videos below for a model and real life example!
Load your trailer heavier in the front, reduce your normal driving speed, and as always, wear your seatbelt
I made the mistake once of loading the trailer with the heavier end of the car toward the back. Got up to 55 and damn! Lucky my truck or trailer didn’t tipped over but sure was close!