You have probably seen them, trailers that just don't tow very stable. Sometimes it is a little scary following one down the road. Even worse if it happens to be your trailer!
Here is a quick video we captured along the highway showing some trailer tow wagging instability. This is not a bad case, but I am sure it is working the driver a little and maybe making them a little nervous as they round corners and pass other cars.
Perhaps you experience also has some trailer tow instability? Check out the video, then we will discuss the reasons below.
Trailer Tow Video
Fortunately the car (a medium size SUV) in this video is heavy enough that the trailer does not seem to waggle the car too much. With a smaller, lighter car, a semi-stable trailer condition like this might be a hair raising experience. Yet, trailer towing does not have to be work, and the trailer does not need to waggle like this. Making a trailer tow stable is fairly straightforward.
What Makes A Stable Trailer?
Usually a stable trailer is matter of making things true (axle, wheels, frame), then loading the trailer with the proper weight proportions. (Distribution of weight on the trailer, not weight distribution hitches - though they can help sometimes, but that is another discussion.)
In the situation in the video, the trailer loading appears to be the problem. There could be other things, of course, but it is hard to tell just rolling down the highway. Yet, if you look, there are several heavy items where the weight tends toward the center and back.
- The motorcycles, for instance, exceed the length of the trailer bed. Would the weight better distribute if they put the motorcycles in backward? Geometrically, the motorcycle center of mass is a little behind the linear center.
- The wheelchair is probably not that heavy, but could it strap at the front instead?
- I can't tell what is at the front area of the trailer, but in general, loading heavier objects toward the front, and low is the best choice.
- It is, of course, just a guess, but I think that for this trailer, moving some weight forward will make this trailer stable.
Avoiding these towing issues makes pulling a trailer a bunch more fun. And a stable trailer is much more fun to pull.
Please read our article on Trailer Stability for a lot more information on towing, and what makes some trailers tow stable.
More Information About Trailers
We have a lot of great info about trailers both on this site and our DIY site. Try these articles about Good Trailer Design and insights as Tips for Purchasing a Utility Trailer. You might also be interested in our Towing Tips for a bunch of helpful thoughts about making your trailer tow tasks both safer and more pleasant.
If you want to BUILD a trailer, you have also come to the right place - almost. We have a whole website dedicated to DIY builders, and that includes trailers. Please visit Mechanical Elements for a variety of trailer plans, and specifically we invite you to read the Mechanic's Post for tips and tricks on building, and on better DIY construction. And, there are even articles about trailer towing success. Some of the articles are general DIY stuff, but many of them are specific to trailers and building them. The website has plans, but the real purpose is to share information. It is all there for you.
More From Synthesis
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