Bouncy trailer
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
Bouncy trailer
I finally got to pull my trailer yesterday, and it's performance under a load was great. Holding about 3500lbs, it tracked down the highway straight, true, and smoothly.
Empty is another story. It bounced. Horribly, so bad I almost aborted the trip. The trailer also wanted to follow any little deviation in the road, especially grooved pavement, and ruts.
I built the trailer using mobile home axles and springs, angle, channel, and ship channel with electric brakes and a 2 5/16" hitch. The structure of the trailer is trussed, very stiff, and the trailer light weight is about 1800lbs. It's a 16'x6.5' deck, 24" beavertail, and all the steel is 1/4" or thicker. Here's a picture from when I was wrapping it up. The driveway is sloped, and the yard is fairly level, plus the truck is twisted a bit, but the trailer is straight.
Should I look into ballasting it heavier, remove the front tires for empty travel, or any other ideas? I want to avoid soft springs, I need to keep the 12k gross weight and have it be stable there.
Empty is another story. It bounced. Horribly, so bad I almost aborted the trip. The trailer also wanted to follow any little deviation in the road, especially grooved pavement, and ruts.
I built the trailer using mobile home axles and springs, angle, channel, and ship channel with electric brakes and a 2 5/16" hitch. The structure of the trailer is trussed, very stiff, and the trailer light weight is about 1800lbs. It's a 16'x6.5' deck, 24" beavertail, and all the steel is 1/4" or thicker. Here's a picture from when I was wrapping it up. The driveway is sloped, and the yard is fairly level, plus the truck is twisted a bit, but the trailer is straight.
Should I look into ballasting it heavier, remove the front tires for empty travel, or any other ideas? I want to avoid soft springs, I need to keep the 12k gross weight and have it be stable there.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Pierce Fl usa
Welcome to mobile home axles. They are able to handle heavy weights, inexpence to purchase and easy to work with. they are not smooth and quiet. Lift the trailer side by side, spin the wheels, one by one, losen the bolts and try to balance the wheel to the center. That will help.
The tires are high rated 12 to 14 ply and will hold up. Many people say the MH axle should not be used, it is a one time use axle. I have been dragging my trailer around with all sorts of junk for only about 14 years. Loaded she's great, empty it's a loud bouncy ride.
It's OK I've been trainned, I HAVE KIDS!
Good Luck
MT
The tires are high rated 12 to 14 ply and will hold up. Many people say the MH axle should not be used, it is a one time use axle. I have been dragging my trailer around with all sorts of junk for only about 14 years. Loaded she's great, empty it's a loud bouncy ride.
It's OK I've been trainned, I HAVE KIDS!
Good Luck
MT
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
Jared, You can lower the tire pressure to about 20lbs empty and stop most of that dreaded bounce. Re-inflate the tires before loading it and you might be pleasantly surprised at the difference.
Try it and experience the difference.
John
Try it and experience the difference.
John
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
I played with that a bit. Empty, it has about 100lbs of tongue weight. I strapped both my spares to the tongue (about 70lb each), and had no change. I built it to be somewhat balanced for hauling gravel and loose steel scrap (once I finish the deck), the centerline of the deck is over the forward axle.
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: NW burbs of chicago
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
Jared, I have never dealt with tires that held that much pressure on a trailer, but there is no give room and so you have bounce. I expect you will have bounce with the deck on.
I can't imagine a load that you would be pulling with a pickup that required that much tire air. If you don't find a way to deal with it, it will beat your tires up badly, taking the round off them.
John
I can't imagine a load that you would be pulling with a pickup that required that much tire air. If you don't find a way to deal with it, it will beat your tires up badly, taking the round off them.
John
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 3
From: Simpsonville, KY
100psi? That's a lot for your average tire. Heck, my horse trailer's tires, rated for a GWVR of 14,000lbs, are only 65psi. Do you really need that much pressure for a (relatively) light load?
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
No shocks, but there is no suspension flex at the light weight. I can jump on this thing and it doesn't move 1/2". Loaded it doesn't seem to need shocks, there is no bounce at all.
For mobile home tires, 10ply tires are 85psi, 12ply are 105psi, 14ply are 115psi usually.
I'm running the tires up near their max so it will be stable under load. Less air, and as the tires compress and squish around, the trailer will wallow uncontrollably. I had fun with this on a uhaul trailer when I moved here, seems someone though the tires only needed about 30psi when they were marked 65 on the sidewall.
On the plus side, the tires barely even got warm on the trip back, doing 60-65 on the highway.
For mobile home tires, 10ply tires are 85psi, 12ply are 105psi, 14ply are 115psi usually.
I'm running the tires up near their max so it will be stable under load. Less air, and as the tires compress and squish around, the trailer will wallow uncontrollably. I had fun with this on a uhaul trailer when I moved here, seems someone though the tires only needed about 30psi when they were marked 65 on the sidewall.
On the plus side, the tires barely even got warm on the trip back, doing 60-65 on the highway.
Last edited by Ford_Six; Sep 5, 2007 at 12:16 PM.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 170
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From: Alberta, Canada
Just a suggestion -
Do you have a weight distributing hitch that you can try with the trailer?
When I pull my flatdeck - 18' with tandem 7000 lb axles - I always put that hitch on and use the spring bars because of the way the spring bars work, they also prevent the trailer from bouncing as bad. I do this so I don't have to listen to the ramps bouncing around when the trailer is empty.
Do you have a weight distributing hitch that you can try with the trailer?
When I pull my flatdeck - 18' with tandem 7000 lb axles - I always put that hitch on and use the spring bars because of the way the spring bars work, they also prevent the trailer from bouncing as bad. I do this so I don't have to listen to the ramps bouncing around when the trailer is empty.
Moderator
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 22,436
Likes: 17
From: Louisville,Ky.
Originally Posted by badlar
Just a suggestion -
Do you have a weight distributing hitch that you can try with the trailer?
When I pull my flatdeck - 18' with tandem 7000 lb axles - I always put that hitch on and use the spring bars because of the way the spring bars work, they also prevent the trailer from bouncing as bad. I do this so I don't have to listen to the ramps bouncing around when the trailer is empty.
Do you have a weight distributing hitch that you can try with the trailer?
When I pull my flatdeck - 18' with tandem 7000 lb axles - I always put that hitch on and use the spring bars because of the way the spring bars work, they also prevent the trailer from bouncing as bad. I do this so I don't have to listen to the ramps bouncing around when the trailer is empty.
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
Figured I should post my solution- I made the same exact trip again this year to get another truck, and had a nice smooth ride without modifying anything on the truck or trailer-
I simply took off the front tires. On just the rear axle, it had a little bit more tongue weight, and more weight on the axle on the ground.
The trip back was still nice-
At some point I may actually paint the trailer, have it inspected so it can be registered, and maybe even put some new fenders on. For now though, it seems to work.
I simply took off the front tires. On just the rear axle, it had a little bit more tongue weight, and more weight on the axle on the ground.
The trip back was still nice-
At some point I may actually paint the trailer, have it inspected so it can be registered, and maybe even put some new fenders on. For now though, it seems to work.