Greetings,

I am hauling a Recon and a 450ES on a 6x12 trailer, single axle. The Recon fits sideways with the 450ES lengthwise. Should I put the Recon up front to get all of its weight ahead of the axle, or should I pull the 450ES forward with the Recon crossways behind. The Recon weighs about 400 lbs., the 450ES about 600 lbs.

 

The key to trailering, is to have a 50/50 weight split. Try to get most of the weight equal, with the most you can get directly over the axle. This way you do not have more or less weight on the tongue then normal, which can cause bad handling in the tow vehicle.
In my opinion, the Recon up front with the 450 in the rear sounds better then the other way around. Especially if the 450 is somewhat over the axle when strapped down.

 

lurch77 is right it is also more important when you have a smaller truck/car/van if it is bigger then it won't matter as much

 

Greetings,

Just for the record, I tow with a Durango. It has a 360 V-8 and so far has been stable and capable -- especially given the mountains I cross.

One thing though, I get a bumping sound from the hitch when the trailer is empty. Is this most likely the shaft/draw bar in the hitch sleeve or could it be the hitch on the ball? I guess I should ride out back for a few minutes sometime to see if I can determine the source.

 

I don't have a power house for a vehicle....I pull with an Isuzu Amigo....and a 8x10 trailer.

I have the same problem....with a chattering noise coming from the trailer when it is empty....

My problem was cause by an unequal balance of the trailer....meaning that the rear of the trailer (when empty) was just a bit heavier than the front.....this causes the tongue of the trailer to lift a bit on the ball... When the quads are on it...it is fine..... what I did to offset the weight a bit....Was to build a chest onto the front of trailer....the extra weight of the storage unit....made the trailer better balanced...Plus it is nice to be able to put my gear or gas cans on the trailer instead of in the vehicle.

 

TO ALL:
I tend to disagree with the 50/50 thing. If you load the trailer 50/50 in theory the tongue should not touch the ground. It should be balanced, correct. This equals NO tongue weight. This is NOT the way to travel. I prefer to shoot for the 60/40 split. Or somewhere close. Personally I would put the 450 up front and the Recon in the back. And since you load the front one sideways, the weight will be closer to the axle, and the rear one length ways it spreads the weight back farther away from the axle. This to me sounds like the ideal way to tow these two quads. If you have no or LOW tongue weight your trailer will tend to sway, and depending on your tyow vehicle will depend on how much you fell this action.
These are my opinions only, and is related to towing experience myself. Just how I would do it..

p.s. We all get the rattling noise when towing an empty trailer.. Noramlly its the receiver in the hitch, Safety chains..etc..

 

I agree with EXER_95 tongue weight should be 10 - 15% of the gross weight of the trailer.
Otherwise the trailer will sway all over the place,unless your tow vehicle is considerably
heavier than the load,it will effect handling of both vehicles.
Call any trailer dealer/manufacturer and ask them.
bnp

 

I agree with EXER_95 also. I trailer an RSE Sportsman and a 425 Xpedition on a 5x10 single axle trailer, and have tried every configuration. If you want to avoid extreme blood pressure put the heavier quad to the front.
Brian

 

They are all correct, 10 to 15% is best on the tongue. BUT, on your 12' trailer, by putting the recon sideways in the very front, and having the 450 after that, you should have the correct weight distribution. The 450 should be mostly over the axle if your trailer is a 12 footer. And with the weight of the recon in front, you will have good distribution. Here is a good page for trailering info.
www.rvsafety.com/towtips.htm

 

When I tow the both of mine, The sportsman goes up front(670 lbs) then the Xplorer(534). My trailer is 6 1/2x 10. Both are loaded from the side, all the way forward, leaving 2 feet left at the back of the trailer. I like the tongue weight, it keeps the trailer from pushing the back of the truck around and I get NO sway. My trailer also rattles to beat the band when it's empty, It's just the hitch in the reciever. The trailer bounces around more when empty.