Hiya Folks,
I'm not new to towing stuff but did have one question after towing my recently acquired trailer. Loaded with the ATV it pulls great. Empty however, I can't get above 60 mph without it starting to wobble (ie. Tail wagging the dog). Is this a function of tongue angle? Meaning the tongue is not horizontal but actually angled upward or is something else going on here? Thanks for any insight.
Cheers,
cc

 

I noticed when i had more weight near the rear of the trailer it would wag like that. Try putting some sandbags or something on the front to give it tounge weight and itll trail beautifully

 

Yes tongue angle can cause this problem. The trailer should be level or slightly angled down when hooked up empty. You may need to get a stinger that has the right amount of "drop" to it to get it to set right when hooked up.

 

Thanks folks. On one hand I'm relieved that I didn't buy a dud trailer. On the other, it means I gotta figure out how to lower the tongue down. I already have a 6" drop on the hitch bar so I probably need to be looking for more. If all else fails, I'll just add weight to the front when trailering it empty as suggested.
Cheers,
cc

 

the angle will not affect the wobble like that. an empty trailer should point the tounge slightly in the air. the problem is the axle is not in the right place. there is a 2/3rds rule for axle placement. if it is off by more than an inch the trailer will wobble. sometimes putting a load on it (like in your case) it will stop the wobble. i worked for a trailer manufacturing company for 5 years just incase somebody doesnt think that this information is from a creditable source

 

Hmmm. Not what I wanted to hear but if that's the case, then I'd better just plan to always have it loaded with something. It seems to pull very well when loaded and I forget it's even back there. Is the wobble indicative of the axle being too far forward or too far rearward? Reason I ask is there are provisions to move the axle back a bit by moving the springs to different hangers (which are installed).
Cheers,
cc

 

it generally indicates that its too far forward and not putting enough weight on the axle itself.

 

Sorry folks for dredging this post back up but I'm looking at possibly moving the axle rearward on the trailer. The trailer has a ramp that slides in the rear....heavy as hell. When the trailer is empty, it wobbles all over the place above 45. If I remove the ramp, it trailers great so I reckon the weight of the ramp behind the axle is causing the problem. Interestingly enough, I climbed under it yesterday to see what options I had and discovered that for whatever reason, the axle was moved forward about a foot by a previous owner (I can tell this by the spring perch that was cut off). I understand tongue weight needs to be about 10% when fully loaded....how about when empty? I'm assuming 10% of the trailer's weight. I also understand that to properly set up a trailer, you should make adjustments with it fully loaded. I find myself having to haul the trailer around empty quite often and would like it not to wobble. Moving the axle rearward will put more weight on the tongue which I think will correct the problem but I don't want to overdo it so the tongue weight is too heavy when loaded. Any suggestions on how to find this sweet spot for the axle? Thanks much for all your time.
Cheers,
cc

 

10 to 15% is a good place to be.
As you have found out, if your tongue light, bad things can happen.

Cut the axel loose and get out the bathroom scale. Put the tongue on the scale and start moving the axel back until you get a 10 to 15% figue.

If you can move the ramps to the front, that would do the trick also. You can also weld an old truck tool box on the front if you have room. That way you can carry your gas or tool or...............beer. Mmmmm b...e...e...r.

 

Yeah, unfortunately, I can't move the ramp to the front. I have a spare up there already which I'm sure is helping but I need more weight up there. Of more concern though, is I just took some measurements and the previous owner re-located the axle to the dead center of the trailer. Clearly it needs to move back. It's a 10' long trailer so a good starting point would be 6' from the front which I think I'll do. Now looking for hangers in my neighborhood. I may have to go a bit further back given the extra weight of the ramp but I'll use the bathroom scale approach as you mentioned to figure it all out. Thanks for the help!!! The problem with loading the tongue down with beer is as the beer is uh, consumed, the trailer becomes that much lighter on the tonge.......hmmmm.
Cheers,
cc