Fighting Sway From Wind With Light Weight Enclosed Cargo Trailer

Question:

I just purchased a new Interstate 6foot x 12foot enclosed cargo trailer my first trailer ever. Im trying to get educated about safety. Its a single Dexter axle, with brakes and the Tekonsha P2 brake controller installed in the truck. Pulling it home it feels like its hardly there. Im a ham radio operator and my intended usage is as a rough and ready camper and for hauling ham radio gear to remote locations where I need to set up a station in the middle of nowhere, such as for a disaster. Ill be going to QuartzFest in January in Quartzsite, AZ. Im concerned that my load might be too light. I plan to stay at 55 mph as I dont believe in taking chances. Im guessing my radio and camping gear probably weight in at perhaps 500 lbs, including weight bags for canopy and tripods. A lot of that weight is going to be up at the front of the trailer. I have about 8 30 lb sandbags and am wondering if I need to add weight to the trailer for safety, or perhaps, not stack the transport cases and instead put lighter items on top or spread the load to the back. I know the rule about 10 weight on the tongue, and 60 forward of the axle, Im just not sure how to achieve that. Another topic Im having trouble finding information about is at what windspeed does towing become unsafe? Or is the answer, it depends? If so, what are the dependencies? Any advice you have would be welcome. BTW, I got the info on the brake controller from your website. That was a huge help!

asked by: Rich

Helpful Expert Reply:

It seems like you've got a pretty good grasp on this! I will make one slight change or clarification to you- approximately 10-15% of the total loaded weight of the trailer is what you want as your tongue weight. It won't actually change the 60% that you want forward of the axle, and it's something that you'll likely want to purchase a tongue weight scale to make sure that you're not under/overloaded at the tongue. For this, I recommend using a ball mount scale like the Weigh Safe # WSUN-1 since it serves a dual purpose for you.

As for loading your trailer safely, you'll want to make sure your load is centered and you can always use those sandbags to help put some weight on the rear of the trailer and even things out. If you've got 400-450 of that 500-lbs in front of the axle (heaviest items over or closest to the axle if possible), you'll need 240-lbs of sand behind the rear axle with the rest of the gear to keep your trailer from being too heavy on the front end. When loading, you'll just want to make sure you've got your load evenly spaced and secured so that things don't shift around and cause the trailer to become unstable. If you can add more sand bags or something else that can add some weight and disperse things a little more that would always be helpful.

When it comes to the wind, your safe driving is already going to help you keep the trailer manageable and they'll typically close down the roads if the winds become an issue that it creates unsafe conditions for drivers. With that being said, it never hurts to add some extra protection for cases where you expect that high winds may be a factor during travel. I will say this, if you ever get into a situation where you feel like you're being blown all over the road and can't control your vehicle and trailer, that's a sign to pull over and try to wait it out- but there are some ways to help fight this. Since you don't have a heavy trailer you won't need a weight distribution system which oftentimes comes equipped with trailer sway control, but there is something you can use.

For this, I recommend using the Tuson Electronic Sway Control System # 335TSC-1000 to provide you with an electronic sway control system that works much better than a friction sway control bar mounted on the trailer frame. This system works to correct trailer sway by activating your electric brakes on the trailer to get ahead of sway events before they get started- it really is an awesome system that will help you tow more safely in any condition-including fighting off the sway created by tractor trailers speeding by. Something else you'll find helpful is that the unit automatically disables over rough terrain to prevent unnecessary braking, and then re-engages itself when it senses it's back on flat ground- which makes it the perfect add-on for what your application.

I've added a video that explains more about the Tuson Electronic Sway Control system as well as the Weigh Safe Ball for you to have a look at and show you a bit more about how they work.

expert reply by: Erik B