Towing a trailer

Rob30 · #1 12/19/05, 02:33 PM

I brought an old dairy cow to the butcher for my nieghbour this morning. The regular guys truck broke. I used an old horse trailer they had. It towed pretty good, but once and a while the cow would move around making the trailer wander. It also wandered around a bit on the snow covered back roads.
How do the guys withh little SUVs and mini vans do it? As soon as the trailer starts wandering I start sweating. I never lost control, or even came close, but I didn't like the feeling.
Any ideas on how to stabalize these small trailers? I am looking for my own horse trailer.

michiganfarmer · #2 12/19/05, 02:37 PM

I dont think its the trailor. Its the tires on your truck. My dad has a big 5th wheel camper. it pushes his truck around a little. he has talked to guys wiht duellies and they say they dont get any sway. You might try some 10 ply tires on your truck that can be aired up to 80 psi.

as for the people with the small suv's and minivans....well I'll be nice

gspig · #3 12/19/05, 02:46 PM

Check the tires on the trailer. They should be marked ST for trailer tires. I'll bet they are car or truck radials. Trailer tires have a stiffer sidewall. Also, tow vehicle wheelbase will make a difference. The longer the wheelbase, the longer the lever that will stabilize the trailer.

**Cabin Fever** · #4 12/19/05, 03:17 PM

Too low of tongue weight can often times induce sway. The tongue weight on your hitch should be at least 15% of the gross trailer weight. In other words, if the trailer weighed 2000 lbs and the cow weighed 1000 lbs, the gross trailer weight would be 3000 lbs. In this example, you’d want at least 450 lbs (15% of 3000) on your truck’s hitch.

**Ross** · #5 12/19/05, 03:24 PM

Great advice tongue weight and tires are the key to keeping small trailers under control. You know any trailer with a gross vehicle weight over 2000 lbs needs electric brakes, and every trailer over 10,000 lbs needs an A class licence on the truck and driver right? At least in Ontario.

John Schneider · #6 12/19/05, 03:45 PM

Beyond the proper tires, tire air pressure and tongue weight, the only other thing you could do is to add one of those leveler kits. I looked into a kit for my horse trailer and will do it soon. The torsion bars allow you to put a good load on the tongue and yet it won't sag the back end of your vehicle.

ace admirer · #7 12/19/05, 04:05 PM

well my short answer is that they are probably very lucky. wonder what the gvw is on a small truck? my truck has a gvw of 20,000lbs -7500 truck weight only leaves 12500 for trailer and trailer load. one trip from up state NY to southern virginia i probably was overweight by another 1500 lbs.. it was no picknick and i was lucky.

Ken in Maine · #8 12/19/05, 06:40 PM

Rented a Hudson 5 ton equipment trailer to bring my Kubota tractor in for service. I tried to position the tractor over the dual trailer wheels to keep everything level. Needless to say going down hill caused the trailer to fishtail. On the way back the dealer moved the tractor ahead about 4 inches on the trailer and I was able to cruise at 65 MPH with no difficulty at all. That tongue weight is crucial.

**fordson major** · #9 12/19/05, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob30

How do the guys withh little SUVs and mini vans do it?

more brass than brains!

never see these guys upside down in a ditch after a light snowfall?

bare · #10 12/19/05, 07:49 PM

Well cripes, pulling a 1000 pound cow, presuming on one side of a horse trailer is gonna make any trailer feel unsafe.

::bare, who regularly pulls a double horse trailer with a 1/4 ton Astro van without problems::

john in la · #11 12/19/05, 08:32 PM

The first thing that comes to my mind more than tires and tongue weight is live load. A large animal can change the tongue weight from to little to; to much and back again in seconds.

Rob30 · #12 12/20/05, 05:34 AM

I have a big truck. GMC extended cab long box with a 350 vortec and auto trans.
The cow was moving on the way to the butcher, but I still did a little fish tailing on the way home. Usually om the snow covered roads when I stopped concentrating and went up to 50-60km/h. On the paved roads I was fine, except when the cow started break dancing in the trailer.
The cow weighed 1500lbs plus the trailer so I should of had brakes, however I never had a problem stopping. When I find a trailer it will have brakes put on.
I should say to that my truck moved very little. Just the trailer, but still felt uncomfortable.