Hot Rod Forum banner

Car on a Car Trailer

2K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  57halfton 
#1 ·
A few times over a period of many years I have driven the vehicle that towed a car on a tandem axle car trailer, mostly everything towed just fine but a few times i have had the trailer whip back and forth at highway speeds, I didn't have far to go so I never gave it much thought. Now I have to trailer my car a couple of hundred miles to a new home. Where is it recommended to place the weight of the car on the trailer (tongue weight) for a pleasant ride down the freeway?
 
#2 ·
Increase tongue weight by moving the payload forward.

The amount of tongue weight is dependent on several factors including the truck and it's wheel base, hitch type and rating, trailer length and where the axle are mounted in relation but a very general rule of thumb is 15 percent of the total trailer weight with the payload needs to be on the tongue.
Weighing everything is kinda hard though so you can eyeball it by moving the payload forward on the trailer until the truck squats about 2". It's not ideal but people have been doing it for years.

If you get into a whipping effect then don't hit the brakes, instead mat the gas so the truck is pulling the trailer rather then the trailer pushing the truck. If you have trailer brakes even better. Just apply them to straighten it out.
 
#3 ·
Increase tongue weight by moving the payload forward.

The amount of tongue weight is dependent on several factors including the truck and it's wheel base, hitch type and rating, trailer length and where the axle are mounted in relation but a very general rule of thumb is 60 percent of the total trailer weight with the payload needs to be on the tongue.
Weighing everything is kinda hard though so you can eyeball it by moving the payload forward on the trailer until the truck squats about 2".

If you get into a whipping effect then don't hit the brakes, instead mat the gas so the truck is pulling the trailer rather then the trailer pushing the truck. If you have trailer brakes even better. Just apply them to straighten it out.
Yep, learned that lesson when I was young and dumb. Towing a tandem axle trailer with my S-10 and it started whipping around. At the worst of it, I was taking up both lanes of the interstate, as well as a good portion of the emergency lane while the trailer was whipping around trying to drag my truck with it. ALMOST lost everything on that one. To say that you could not have driven a greased toothpick in my backside with a sledgehammer would be an understatement. I think the Good Lord was protecting me in my stupidity because nothing was wrecked, and no one was injured. I learned a very valuable lesson in tongue weights and vehicle limitations that day. Now I'm older, and almost as dumb. :D
 
#4 ·
One time long ago I pulled a 12' tandom axle loaded with a 16" race car in it using a SWB Chevy.
About half way there that thing got to whipping so bad the trucks rear tires were leaving semi circle black markes on the asphalt going down a long hill. I was sure I was a goner and I think the folks in the semi behind me thought they had just killed a guy. Somehow it didn't roll over and I'm not sure how but it for sure it made me not doubt the miracles of an angel.
 
#5 ·
Not to butt in here as you guys are in the States, but Canada to be legal is 10% of total weight on tongue. So trailer(2000 lbs) and loaded car (4000 lbs) total 6000 lbs = 600 lbs on tongue. Seems light an infacted l don't agree with it, but that's legal.

Most use leveler bars or sway bars on there trailers, and what a difference they make.

Most trailers are build 60% in front of center of tandem axles an 40% to the rear. And yes it depends on the loaded vehicle, l have a 26' tandem an most cars can drive right on but my Camaro goes on backwards as 3/4 of its weight is in front.

Just some thoughts !!
 
#11 ·
:) Many years ago I had an occasion where I pulled a (borrowed) loaded trailer with the weights well within the required limits.:D No matter how you loaded it, the result was the same, swaying to and fro.:pain: After much head scratching the axle was checked. Much to our dismay it wasn't running 90* to the trailer itself.:confused: Once we aligned the axle we could then motor at well over 70mph with no sway.:thumbup: Just my 2 cents.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top