Show Trailer!

[Margali]

Driving it to and from sheep show wasn't great. I believe it is due to tongue weight being above the Highlander capacity. I reviewed scale ticket and calculated roughly 526lbs tongue weight with empty trailer based on Highlander weight, etc. The loadout for showing sheep was ~250lbs in nose compartment that would mostly end up on tongue.

I'm looking at trading to same size tandem which should have less tongue weight issues. This one doesn't have escape doors since it is slightly shorter length.

 

[Weldman]

Axle placement is the determining factor in tongue weight, 60/40 is the average trailer. Sixty percent on trailer, forty on tongue. You unbalance that minimum weight/ ratio it will wobble side to side eventually flipping if not stopped in time.
Basically your trailer tires will start steering and not following.

 

[Margali]

So tandem with front about centerline will be much better than what I have. It is single axle pushed to very rear of trailer.

 

[Weldman]

Yeah and if you see it sway, trailer brake it don’t lock the wheels up, let off accelerator and then slow it down as normal to get off the road and put a lamb up front or more.

 

[farmerjan]

They also make a load leveling tow hitch with the ball, and the anti sway bars the distribute the weight more on to the truck axle... can't really explain it but had it on the 4 horse tow behind trailer I had years ago and it was a fantastic way to pull it with my 2wd pickup without any drag on the hitch and subsequent "unleveling"... but it was a dual axle trailer... had to be for the length and weight of it.

 

[Ridgetop]

Driving it to and from sheep show wasn't great. I believe it is due to tongue weight being above the Highlander capacity.

They also make a load leveling tow hitch with the ball, and the anti sway bars the distribute the weight more on to the truck axle...

Check with hitch people about what can be done to stabilize the tailer. 40 years ago we pulled a 30' bumper hitch house trailer with Ford XLT station wagon (remember those). We had a load leveling hitch and anti-sway bars on it in order to pull that weight. See how much those would cost to install before trading in the trailer since there is no guaranty the Highlander will be able to pull the next trailer any better. For more stability pulling a trailer with heavy weight you may need a larger vehicle built for towing, more likely a truck.

 

[Weldman]

As the saying goes in my world, anything can pull anything, but can it be stopped in an emergency. That little blue wire isn't always playing nice after being bounce, jounced and pounced around.

 

[Margali]

Introducing Take 2
It is unbelievable how much better this tows that the single axle. It's 57" (15" narrower) and 72" (6" shorter front to back) inside the box than the single axle trailer.

Best of all, straight swap from gentleman whose pair of horses refused to be squeezed. It needs about same level of TLC.

 

[Weldman]

Forgive me but those don't look like trailer tires, looks like passenger tires. Should say ST on them as Firestone doesn't make ST tires. Trailer tires have stronger sidewall,more UV resistant, and few other things such as turning is less rubbing on tandem axles. Nice trailer though! I need something like that.

 

[Margali]

Plan is taking it to trailer shop for axle inspection, bearing greasing, etc. I will make a point of asking about the tires.

Please point out things! I'm pumps and tanks not mobile equipment savvy.