Questions about trailers and towing a trailer

[MinivanFan]

I so I'm starting to haul loads of wood but I have a few questions.

1 What is a safe speed to pull a trailer at? Empty I can do 45mph but I don't like going any faster. Loaded if the road is in good shape I can do 40 but most of the time I doing more like 30. I see guys with landscaping trailers going faster but then again they have a truck and brakes on their trailers.

2 Is it normal for a trailer to rattle and bang (and sometimes jump in the air a little) when it hits even small dips in the road? Maybe too much air in the tires? I have the tires at 48psi and the tires say 50psi on them. It is a pain driving through quite areas with a trailer making crashing sounds every few seconds.

3 the trailer I'm using has a ramp but also tilts (part of the reason way it makes so much noise), would it be a good idea to weld it so it doesn't tilt? Because it has the ramp the back is heavier then the front.

4 sometimes (mainly at higher speed) after hitting a bump the trailer will start to sway back and forth. Should I look into getting one of those swaybar things?

5 What would be the best brake system to put on the trailer? I don't want to spend a whole lot of money but I think considering I'm towing with a minivan it really would be a good idea to get brakes.

One other thing, my dad had new tires put on the voyager not too long ago and now it rides a little lower which means the hitch is lower. how inportend is it that the trailer be level?

Any ideas/thought/comments?

 

[RAMROD48]

1. I would bet that alot of those landscape trailer jockeys, are NOT owner operators, but employees who dont care because its not theirs...

2. Travel at a speed that is resonable to road conditions. and that you can stop in a short distance.

3. as soon as you weld the trailer you will need it to tilt...

4. with a trailer that small I wouldnt bother with a sway bar...just slow down going over the rough stuff...
4.a) Yes it is normal for the trailer to bounce, no the pressure isnt wrong, it will do it with FLAT tires...

5. Dont bother with the trailer brakes. you can probably get a trailer with brakes USED, for what it will cost you to install electric brakes to the axle....

6. try and get the trailer as level as possible...

7. your gathering this wood for yourself or selling it? if selling it, I think you may need to rethink the vehicle...

Hope some of this helps...

 

[Art Vandelay]

It's always been my experience that it's not how fast you can drive with a trailer but how fast can you stop. Cruising down the road at any speed in no big deal as long as no one pulls out in front of you. Depending on how much your trailers weighs full compared to your van, you may need some trailer brakes.

 

[Torin]

What is the GVW of the trailer? If the axle doesn't have the backer plates for the brakes & you don't weld, do you know someone who does?

 

[CWME]

Not part of your questions but thought I would throw out a best practice.

Make sure you have a spare tire for the trailer. And more important than having the spare, make sure you can get the old one off. That means having the correct tools on board and also that the studs have not rusted into a useless glob.

Here in Maine if the trailer hits the road anytime during the winter Months you can be sure by spring the lug nuts or studs will be so coroded you can't get them off. They use so much salt here to treat the roads that everything rots out.

I can't keep tires on my trailers, always a flat on one of them. I jsut changed the hubs on my sled trailer. Had to use the cutting torch to get the tire off.

 

[gandrimp]

1. I would bet that alot of those landscape trailer jockeys, are NOT owner operators, but employees who dont care because its not theirs...

2. Travel at a speed that is resonable to road conditions. and that you can stop in a short distance.

3. as soon as you weld the trailer you will need it to tilt...

4. with a trailer that small I wouldnt bother with a sway bar...just slow down going over the rough stuff...
4.a) Yes it is normal for the trailer to bounce, no the pressure isnt wrong, it will do it with FLAT tires...

5. Dont bother with the trailer brakes. you can probably get a trailer with brakes USED, for what it will cost you to install electric brakes to the axle....

6. try and get the trailer as level as possible...

7. your gathering this wood for yourself or selling it? if selling it, I think you may need to rethink the vehicle...

Hope some of this helps...

All very good info!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Side note.......... the sway comes from the back of the trailer being heavier than the front or to near balanced.

 

[svon89]

You can use some heavy bungee cords to keep the tailgate from rattling, can also do the same with the tilt pin. Once it is loaded the rattle from the tilt pin should stop.

Is your hitch on the van a receiver type? You can get different inserts that raise or lower the height of the trailer ball. Level is a good place to start.

Make sure you have enough weight on the front of the trailer to control the sway. You want some, but not so much that the rear of the van drags.

Wish I could help more, the only thing we tow with the mini van is a small enclosed trailer hauling camping gear.

 

[DJ4wd]

Getting the trailer as level as possible is a great ideas. When its loaded down it will tow better and more quite, trailers are noisy that the way it is. If it's the ramps making noise try taking an inexpensive ratchet strap and snugging them down.

 

[Pain Cow]

Masterlock makes an adjustable height ball hitch that fits into your receiver. It's what I have- you can get them at wal mart or most parts stores. I don't know how to post pics or I'd show you mine. What it does is you lock the masterlock ball mount into your (cough) minivan's receiver then attach your trailer. Since your ride height is different when your trailer is empty vs loaded you use a wrench or ratchet on top of the unit to adjust the height of your ball, thus you're able to level your trailer with the turn of a wrench, with each varying weight you might be hauling around. And a level trailer means little or no trailer sway. Maybe google masterlock adjustable hitch. Mine works great.

 

[Circle B MN]

I so I'm starting to haul loads of wood but I have a few questions.

1 What is a safe speed to pull a trailer at? Empty I can do 45mph but I don't like going any faster. Loaded if the road is in good shape I can do 40 but most of the time I doing more like 30. I see guys with landscaping trailers going faster but then again they have a truck and brakes on their trailers.

Speed is relevant to the vehicle and it's load. I can run 70 MPH easy down the highway loaded. I also have a dually, and a trailer equipped with brakes. Keep it to a speed that feels safe to you. Better to get there a little later, than not get there at all.

2 Is it normal for a trailer to rattle and bang (and sometimes jump in the air a little) when it hits even small dips in the road? Maybe too much air in the tires? I have the tires at 48psi and the tires say 50psi on them. It is a pain driving through quite areas with a trailer making crashing sounds every few seconds.

Most all trailer will bang, rattle, and perhaps hop if they are empty and there is anything loose on them. It's kind of a good thing, because when you quit hearing it you'll know you lost the trailer... Keep your tires aired to the specs on the sidewall. Low tire pressure generates heat and will result in a blowout.

3 the trailer I'm using has a ramp but also tilts (part of the reason way it makes so much noise), would it be a good idea to weld it so it doesn't tilt? Because it has the ramp the back is heavier then the front.

I would leave the tilt option because you may need it one day. If the ramps cause negative tongue weight when empty, strap them to the deck up front. You want some tongue weight to prevent wagging.

4 sometimes (mainly at higher speed) after hitting a bump the trailer will start to sway back and forth. Should I look into getting one of those swaybar things?

See answer to #3. I'd skip the swaybar for your setup, but do make sure the receiver hitch on your vehicle is rated for the trailer and load you are towing.

5 What would be the best brake system to put on the trailer? I don't want to spend a whole lot of money but I think considering I'm towing with a minivan it really would be a good idea to get brakes.

Electric brakes. Could be a little pricey to add on if the trailer is not setup for them already.

One other thing, my dad had new tires put on the voyager not too long ago and now it rides a little lower which means the hitch is lower. how inportend is it that the trailer be level?

If the tongue angles down towards the rear of the van you may have some clearance issues. Otherwise it's not really a big problem.

Any ideas/thought/comments?

It's good that you are getting your van and trailer setup to tow right, but beore spending any money on add-on brakes, sway bars, etc. I would lookin into buying a $500 beater truck. $200 a year for insurance and your more than likely better setup to haul your wood.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

You need 10% to 15% of the combined weight of the trailer and load to be on the tongue or it will not pull strait. And will start to wag back and forth usually as you let off the gas or go down hill and get worse when you step on the breaks. In severe cases of being tongue light you can feel it push the back of the truck side to side. When I load a trailer and am not sure of the weight balance. I will speed up 5-10 mph let off the gas as see if it starts to wag and repeat until I am up to my cruising speed.

I have been using my brothers 5x10 trailer to haul firewood. It too was a tilt bed trailer and the axle was 4" forward of the center line of the bed. Which moves the weight balance backwards. I had to leave a row and a half wood off the back of the trailer to get my weight balance right. I broke a spring and while I was changing it I got new spring shackles and welded them on moving the axle back 12" and now I can load the trailer even and the weight balance is correct too.

I cross my chains under the tongue when I hook them to the tow vehicle. That way if the trailer pops off it will cradle the tongue and help hold it up some.

I almost always use a lock or bolt to lock the tongue so it cannot vibrate up.

Check to see that the coupler hold on the ball good. I have had two trailers I have had to tighten the nut on the bottom of the ball shoe because it was so loose it would almost pop off with it in the locked down position.

Billy

 

[Rookie1]

Im surprised nobody has said it yet. We need pics. Lets see your firewood rig.

 

[JJuday]

One thing that has been neglected is tires. Do not take the cheap route on tires, I mainly say this in regards to the safety of the general public. Even an unloaded trailer can be deadly to oncoming traffic. Get a load range that matches your GCVW of the trailer. JJuday

 

[banshee67]

perfectexample of needing more tongue weight:
not sure if the donkeys suspension could handle it though

 

[les-or-more]

You have gotten good advise so far but proper loading can't be stressed enough. A few years ago i worked for a company that built custom trailers. I had to leave early on friday and the boss finished the trailer i was working on.The customer picked it up on sunday, when i got there monday morning the trailer was sitting in the yard with the coupler twisted off. The customer had loaded a tractor behind the axle center, and when he went over a bridge the bump caused the trailer to lift the back axle of the truck off the ground.Truck came back down side ways in the road and went into the ditch,and rolling over.Luckily no one was hurt but it messed up his truck the new trailer and his tractor.

 

[tibikedad]

I user an anti-seize compound on all my tire lug nuts. Never had one rust. If you are using it on the car, be careful not to use too much, or it could get into the brakes, and then they won't work. For the trailer, it doesn't matter unless you have trailer brakes.

 

[MinivanFan]

What is the GVW of the trailer? If the axle doesn't have the backer plates for the brakes & you don't weld, do you know someone who does?

Not 100% sure but it can't be more then 3500lb since it only has one axle. The axle does have mounting plates for brakes.

Not part of your questions but thought I would throw out a best practice.

Make sure you have a spare tire for the trailer. And more important than having the spare, make sure you can get the old one off.

Already learned this one the hard way, had put a new fender on the one side but it was getting dark and I didn't see the one bolt was too long and would rub the tire. next time we hualed a load of wood the tire blew out had rubbed through the inner sidewall) but luckly we were only doing 5 or 10 mph. ended up jacking up that side of the trailer with the car jack from the minivan. Since then we always carry a 3 ton floor jack in the van.

I user an anti-seize compound on all my tire lug nuts. Never had one rust. If you are using it on the car, be careful not to use too much, or it could get into the brakes, and then they won't work. For the trailer, it doesn't matter unless you have trailer brakes.

Never-Seize, great stuff.

 

[redprospector]

Just my opinion, but I've been pulling trailers all my life. So take it for what it's worth.
Brakes are very important on a trailer, especially when pulling with a small vehicle.
Follow the advice given earlier about loading the trailer. Tongue weight is important to stability, especially on a single axle trailer.

As far as how fast to drive? I was taught to never drive faster than you are comfortable. If you're doing 50 mph. and you get a little nervous.........slow down. Heck, if you're driving 30 mph. and get a little nervous, slow down. This applies to driving in general, whether you're pulling a trailer or not.

Andy

 

[vt625]

I've got a small tilt utility trailer and don't use the tilt. I replaced the pin with a bolt and snugged it up tight. That got rid of some of the banging noises. I can still use it for tilt later if I want too.

 

[Kingsley]

Why not a truck? Minivans are people movers, and are not even close to a semi serious wood hauler. Just the same as you don't use a sawzall in place of your chainsaw.

Making noise with your trailer? As long as everything is strucally sound, who cares. Remember you pay taxes too.