Underloaded trailer
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Joined: Jan 2006
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From: British Columbia
Underloaded trailer
coming home from work the other day I saw a perfect reason to explain that having a trailer UNDER weighted is just as dangerous as an overloaded one. An older model nissan suv was towing about a 5x6 foot utility trailer with (apparently quite stiff) leaf spring suspension. As he hit a fairly large highway-wide bump in the road around a corner the thing bounced up off the hitch, rolled, and the driver panicked and ended up rolling his own vehicle and taking out another car in the process. What a mess that was.
luckily no one was killed or seriously injured, but it just goes to show you that underloaded trailers are just as dangerous as overloaded trucks/trailers. Wish I had the digital with me to show the damage that tiny trailer did. And of course, the trailer looked completely fine
Tanner
luckily no one was killed or seriously injured, but it just goes to show you that underloaded trailers are just as dangerous as overloaded trucks/trailers. Wish I had the digital with me to show the damage that tiny trailer did. And of course, the trailer looked completely fine
Tanner
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Recenty I took a 1500 mile round trip to retrieve a vehicle. I picked up a tilt bed car hauler from work, and headed out. Roughly 750 miles one-way.
That truck road like a bitch with nothing on the trailer. The trailer had WAY too much weight behind the trailer axles, and every time Id hit a decent bump, the trailer would try top lift the rear of the truck, decompressing the rear suspension, and effecting steering dramatically.
VERY strange feeling.
After 50 miles or so, I wound up moving my large bed mounted box of tools and recovery gear to the front of the trailer, to give it some tongue weight. Made it a bit better, but it was still to *** heavy, putting a negative load on the tongue a good amount of the way.
Once the car was loaded up, it handled like it should.
That truck road like a bitch with nothing on the trailer. The trailer had WAY too much weight behind the trailer axles, and every time Id hit a decent bump, the trailer would try top lift the rear of the truck, decompressing the rear suspension, and effecting steering dramatically.
VERY strange feeling.
After 50 miles or so, I wound up moving my large bed mounted box of tools and recovery gear to the front of the trailer, to give it some tongue weight. Made it a bit better, but it was still to *** heavy, putting a negative load on the tongue a good amount of the way.
Once the car was loaded up, it handled like it should.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 337
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From: San Diego, CA
I've had it ride badly unloaded, but never anything that cause any problems other than discomfort.
I can second the trailer causing a lot of damage. My friend and I were towing a racecar and some stupid lady rear ended it (how you fail to notice a bright yellow racecar on a trailer is beyond me, not to mention how you fail to stop faster than a truck towing a trailer) and the trailer and car were fine. The only thing that happened to the trailer was some scratched paint and the nylon straps that were hit by the car broke (another reason you might want to use chains, luckily I had made him put a chain on the rear axle underneath the car). The hitch got bent up a little, but we were able to continue on with the tow after replacing the straps (he used the money from the insurance settlement to get a new one). The car (newer Mecerdes C class) was a total mess. It intruded on the car so far that it pushed the car's wheels into the back of the fender area, popping both tires and bending both wheels. Car was totaled to say the least. It still hurt a little because the trailer and the truck didn't absorb much impact energy.
Worst part was the lady tried to say we backed into her on the insurance report. My friend's response: "you find me a guy who can do 30mph in traffic in reverse with a trailer and I'll gladly admit fault."
I can second the trailer causing a lot of damage. My friend and I were towing a racecar and some stupid lady rear ended it (how you fail to notice a bright yellow racecar on a trailer is beyond me, not to mention how you fail to stop faster than a truck towing a trailer) and the trailer and car were fine. The only thing that happened to the trailer was some scratched paint and the nylon straps that were hit by the car broke (another reason you might want to use chains, luckily I had made him put a chain on the rear axle underneath the car). The hitch got bent up a little, but we were able to continue on with the tow after replacing the straps (he used the money from the insurance settlement to get a new one). The car (newer Mecerdes C class) was a total mess. It intruded on the car so far that it pushed the car's wheels into the back of the fender area, popping both tires and bending both wheels. Car was totaled to say the least. It still hurt a little because the trailer and the truck didn't absorb much impact energy.
Worst part was the lady tried to say we backed into her on the insurance report. My friend's response: "you find me a guy who can do 30mph in traffic in reverse with a trailer and I'll gladly admit fault."