Weight Distribution 101.........................

[WIMUSKY]

Disclaimer

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Back to the basics...... Credits to the Tall Canadian......

Edit: removed link

New link: https://youtu.be/4jk9H5AB4lM

 

[GA_Boater]

It's all about tongue weight as moving the weights shows.

 

[brian4321]

Great demonstration...a tandem axle trailer won't fishtail as bad but the correct amount of tongue weight is still very important

 

[alldodge]

Got that one many years ago coming back from Chicago with a Cushman. It was wobbling all over the place. Stopped, pulled some concrete blocks out of the bed of the truck (brought them along to brace things when doing other things) and put them in the front of the trailer, smoothed everything out

 

[89retta]

I saw this and wondered if someone would post it here. Good demo for newbies. This should be pinned

 

[Alumarine]

Good video.
The text below the video is misleading.
Big outboards have nothing to do with it. Proper weight distribution which includes axle placement does.

 

[SeaDooSam]

Great demonstration...a tandem axle trailer won't fishtail as bad but the correct amount of tongue weight is still very important

+1 it is a cool demonstration.

 

[MH Hawker]

if you have ever had the tail wag the dog you dont ever want to again

 

[redneck joe]

Beat me to it i found it last night.

 

[WIMUSKY]

I thought the mention about making this a stickie was a good idea. It doesn't get any simpler explaining weight distribution when towing.

 

[brian4321]

I thought the mention about making this a stickie was a good idea. It doesn't get any simpler explaining weight distribution when towing.

Yes

 

[bruceb58]

Too bad they didn't show what percentage of weight was on the tongue for various tests to see how stability was affected.

 

[dlngr]

A friend of mine a few years ago,picked up two car hoists and loaded them on a tandem car trailer. They were not loaded correctly,and he started fishtailing on an onramp to the interstate.Tore out the guard rail,damaged both hoists,totaled his trailer,and totaled the brand new Harley Davidson f-150 he was pulling it with.
​ Another friend loaded his wifes Lincoln backwards on a tandem car trailer,and put his Chevy pickup,trailer and Licoln in the ditch.
​ So no,tandem trailers aren't immune from being wagged either.

 

[shaw520]

so this video proves it,... never tow a boat with a mustang

 

[Wolfe64]

That's a good video and I just found this one.

Mark

https://youtu.be/nd-hUX8memY

 

[Titanium48]

I experienced that instability with a small utility trailer (made from an old tent trailer). Set in as I got to about 90 km/h down a small hill on the way home from a run to the dump. Fortunately the trailer is only ~600 lb so I had a chance to slow down before things got out of control. When I got home I realized I had forgotten to offload the set of old brake rotors in the back which reduced the tongue weight to about 10 lb.