Just got a new Alterra 450. Although the machine has a towing capacity of 1050 pounds and the rear rack has a 150 pound capacity, the max. tongue weight is only 35 pounds. The dealer can't give me a good explanation about it. Does anybody have the reason why the tongue weight is so low?

 

Tongue weight is not computed as rear rack or towing capacities. It is only how much weight the maker recommends being put on the hitch. It could have something to do with how the hitch is mounted. If it's tied into the rear differential that might be part of it. Generally speaking tongue weight shouldn't be more than 1/10th of the weight of the loaded trailer if I remember right.

The more I think about it, I don't know that I've ever seen a quad where they rate the tongue weight of the quad.

I looked at the AC website and I didn't see anything there that suggests any tongue weight specifications.

 

Thanks MooseHenden. AC made it a point of the weight limits in the manual as well as stickers on the receiver hitch. The dealer did really know but I figured it had something to do the way it was hooked up. Does seem strange thou that to be able to pull 1050 lbs. and yet only take 35 lbs.down pressure on the receiver. Hauling a heavy load over uneven ground would change that receiver weight anyway so go figure.

 

The way they are braced into the machine is not the greatest. I bent mine up slightly when i was going up a ditch and the hitch taged a rock..

 

I think, given what AC says, that if you want to use a trailer, you should find one that has the load balanced evenly over the axle. Some examples are: Single Axle ATV Trailers and ATV Carts for off-road use by Country ATV.
Bush Buggy Trailer
CERKA ATV TRAILER , Northport Trailers Northport Auto & Trailer

I have one of the Bush Buggy trailers. It has been excellent with zero issues. I've taken it many times on trail cleanups, trail making projects, and for heavy wet firewood taken off our property in the hills of VT.

 

And they're probably conservatively rated as well. We pulled an 18 ft car trailer with a Grizzly 660 before. Granted it was on a paved road but it most certainly exceeded the recommended tongue weight. Probably the towing capacity as well, a Grizzly 660 is rated for 1225 lbs I believe, that trailer was more like 2000 lbs. Other than the rear end squatting a lot, power was not an issue as it pulled it easily. Its probably more to protect your rear differential by using a lighter tongue weight and the hitch itself. As Zrock implies, it doesn't take much to damage one of them on rough terrain. I would think a smaller standard 4x8 or 5x8 utility trailer would be fine though, just make sure you keep the majority of the weight off the front of the trailer to keep a lighter tongue weight. Its hard to do that with stuff like gravel and dirt though, would almost need to put some sort of barrier on the trailer to keep the load from sliding to the front of the trailer.

 

Personally i think the tandem axle atv trailers are the best. We tugged one around the bush and it was like it was never their

 

My 2001 AC 500 has the mount bolted to the straight rear axle. I use it to move boat trailers with 300 lb tongue weight, no problem. Also use to pull logs out. I can see where too much weight on the new style hitch will over compress the rear springs, but 35 lbs, doesn't sound right.