Dolly Trailer to hold Tongue Weight

[AustinBoston]

If the wheels on the dolly pivot, it would not be a "traction point", it would just go with the tounge. If they don't pivot, you better put those spring bars somwhere else, you want all the weight on the tires for traction.

Does the second drive axle on a tractor trailer pivot WRT the first drive axle?  This thing will be closer (on most vehicles) to the rear axle than the two axles on a tractor trailer.

And in order for the wheels to not suppress sway, they would have to pivot a lot - like 30-40 degrees.  I would not expect it to have to pivot more than 5-10 degrees to properly track the tow vehicle.

BTW a van on 3 lane interstate can be hairy,but try grossing 90, running 70, on a two lane blacktop, and have the pin that holds one side of the tounge in the 35,000lb trailer. I got stopped, mostly on the road, nobody hurt, but the cab of that truck smelled for months!

I had to gather courage to drive the 3 miles to the exit, and stayed below 50 MPH the whole way.  In my case it was a combination of a number of things that caught up to me (including trailer issues, inexperience, ignorance, and plain old stupidity).

Austin

[fallsrider]

Do most of you set a limit as to how fast you tow? I've decided on 65, since I'm not using sway control, don't have trailer brakes and I have a short-wheelbase suv.

My PUP only weighs about 2,000 lbs., though, and it has a nice hitch weight of about 210 lbs.

[AustinBoston]

Do most of you set a limit as to how fast you tow? I've decided on 65, since I'm not using sway control, don't have trailer brakes and I have a short-wheelbase suv.

My PUP only weighs about 2,000 lbs., though, and it has a nice hitch weight of about 210 lbs.

I usually aim at 65 or traffic speed, whichever is slower.  On rural interstates in good condition, I may go 70, but gas mileage really suffers.  In 28,000 miles towing with this trailer, I don't think it's seen more than 5 minutes over 71 MPH.  

I have trailer brakes, sway control, weight distribution, and a medium wheelbase mid-sized van, and I am still only willing to go 5 mph faster than you, but my trailer is heavier (3250 lbs) and is known for stability issues.

Austin

[fallsrider]

Another benefit I noticed this past Saturday as I was towing our PUP for about 2 hours on the interstate was that with my cruise set at 65, I RARELY had to tap my brakes to slow down because I was moving slower than traffic. They were all passing me and moving out of my way. That makes for much less stressful driving. If it takes me 10 or 15 more minutes to reach my destination, so be it!

I'm not sure, though, on a very long trip if I would have the discipline to keep my cruise set at 65. I guess I will find out next year.

[wavery]

Do most of you set a limit as to how fast you tow? I've decided on 65, since I'm not using sway control, don't have trailer brakes and I have a short-wheelbase suv.

My PUP only weighs about 2,000 lbs., though, and it has a nice hitch weight of about 210 lbs.

55MPH.......60 if I am passing. California law is 55 for a vehicle towing a trailer (although one would think that it is 85).

We won't talk about my TV as it irritates some people here  :% . I have never had any sway issues. I even drove 75MPH once, when I was doing a brake fade test. I have no sway bars or weight distribution devices. I have trailer brakes.

My trailer weighed out at 2975# fully loaded. Tongue weight is 332# (with 2 - 29 series batteries and full a propane tank).

[ScoobyDoo]

Fallsrider, when I'm not working, I mostly run 65 or less, mostly below speed limits. Last year I ran 1 tank of gas at 55MPH got almost 17MPG. I wish I could stand to do that all the time. Most of the time I'm towing (or driving) I'm more worried about how long it will take me to stop then how fast I am going.
   BTW the drive axles on a tractor do walk some in relation to each other,(rubber bushings) the trailor pivots center of axles or forward of center.
    I don't know if the wheels on the dolly pivot or not, don't care the thing still looks like it is made to try to drive a spike with a tack hammer.

[flyfisherman]

I'm not sure, though, on a very long trip if I would have the discipline to keep my cruise set at 65. I guess I will find out next year.

In the course of owning and traveling some respectable distances with my present PU, with a consistent towing weight of a tad over 2,000 lbs, plus a TV rated to handle much more, I've settled on a 65 mph speed. Although in hilly country will pick up a little more speed downhill (like to maybe 70) so as to easier climb the following hill, but overall target 65 except, of course, where lower speeds are necessary. Obviously the benifits of that speed are a much more relaxed, having good control, atmosphere ... AND ... good gas mileage!
Whatsmore, the time/distance factor is just not that different.



Fly

[edwardr132]

We won't talk about my TV as it irritates some people here  :% . QUOTE]


Ok Wavery, I'll bite....   What kind of TV are you using?

[mike4947]

Way back in the 50's these were fairly common as cars were used for TV's a lot more than trucks and a lot of them couldn't handle the tongue weight and WD hitches weren't really available. The main problem with that rig is the axle does not pivot. It replaces the drawbar so it's rigid to the rear of the TV. So every time you turn the tires scrub. Ask any one with a dual axle trailer which tires wear out more. With this axle several feet from the rear axle scrubbing would be a real issue.

[ScoobyDoo]

I must of lived in a diffrent world.
   
   Way back in the 50's these were fairly common as cars were used for TV's a lot more than trucks and a lot of them couldn't handle the tongue weight

   IMO the average car from the 50's would handle as tongue weight as the modern "1/2ton truck" AND pull it on a bumper hitch.

[AustinBoston]

IMO the average car from the 50's would handle as tongue weight as the modern "1/2ton truck" AND pull it on a bumper hitch.

I could agree with the average 50's car being able to tow as much as a 1/2 ton truck, but not quite the tongue weight.  The reason is that before reaching the limits of the average car's towing ability, the tongue weight would be high enough to remove all traction from the front wheels.  I have little doubt that most cars could take that without damage, too.

Austin

[flyfisherman]

I must of lived in a diffrent world.
   
   Way back in the 50's these were fairly common as cars were used for TV's a lot more than trucks and a lot of them couldn't handle the tongue weight

   IMO the average car from the 50's would handle as tongue weight as the modern "1/2ton truck" AND pull it on a bumper hitch.

In that the 50's were my heyday and I owned some of those full framed, rear wheel drive, V-8's ... AND ... somewhere along the line I become hooked on pick-up trucks, even till to-date, not so sure the average full sized sedan of that era would compare to today's full sized pick'em-ups for laod capacity. True, today's run-of-the-mill pick-up is more attuned to a softer, spongy ride than their counterparts of yesteryear, the average sedan or station wagon of the 50's was still softer sprung in the rear. I base this on my experience of doing some trailer towing in the 50's; had to beef-up some rear suspensions in order to handle the tounge weight. Today's pickups, like I've already acknowledged, are softer in the rear than their couterparts of years back, but I'd still give the edge to today's pick-up over the 50's sedan in that it is designed to carry more weight.




Fly