Uncertain about towing performance

Do you have an explanation for that? All the old dudes on my vintage trailer forum recommend slightly nose low for more stable towing. Mine is pretty flat on a flat surface with a 5 inch drop to the 12" trailer height.

 

Just going by what I see. Get an adjustable hitch, that way you can set it up perfectly. I do have millions of miles towing a trailer though. If you were local I would let you use my adjustable hitch, they just make it easier and cheaper in the long run to know where your trailer pulls best.

 

I'd just chalk that up to the trailer characteristics and balance of the load. I really don't think you need a weight distribution hitch if that's really all it weighs.

I recently got a 16' tandem landscape trailer, about 1740# empty, to haul a Kubota BX23, about 2700#. With fuel, chains, binders, etc, that's minimum 4500#. You can certainly tell it's back there, but it rides pretty nice. On the other hand I've pulled single axle trailers with loads where the total weight couldn't have been more than 2200-2500#, likely not well balanced, and it wasn't fun to tow at all.

Tires, trailer suspension, single vs double axle, balance of the load on those axles, etc, etc, etc... Lots of variables. Bottom line, I wouldn't say it's the Tacoma.

 

I'm not talking wdh, just the adjustable hitch that can be moved up or down by just pulling out a pin. 18 wheelers we slide the tandems to balance the load, for his problem an adjustable hitch will do the same thing.

 

Right, I agree with that. My post wasn't specifically in reply to yours.

 

Trailer is probably tongue heavy with only one axle. Needs RV towing kit.

 

Check your trailer tire sidewalls. Don't guess between 30-35, air them to the psi they're rated. My guess is they should be at 50 psi, but the sidewalls will be the source of truth. Same with your tow vehicle. Air up since you're adding weight.

 

They are 35lb rated. I aired down 5psi to try and reduce the bounce, but I'll air them back up next time.

 

Every other person I've gotten advice from says it's probably too tongue light and I tend to agree, though adding weight here is not easy.

 

Adding air to truck tires is incorrect, if setup is correct. Think about tongue weight.. Only a few hundred pounds on the very back end? Let's say a fat friend of yours gets in the truck. Do you change tire pressure for that? Of course not.

Drag and weight aren't the same thing. If you add, you'd go up like a pound or two. Get a motionpro air gage xD

 

Definitely sounds like to little tongue weight. The weight doesn't have to be on the frame tongue forward the front of the trailer. Adding tongue weight can be inside the trailer so long as it's forward of the trailer axel. The closer the weight is to the hitch the more weight it will give on the tongue, the closer to the axle, but still in front of it, is just lower % in that weight because the axel is carrying more of it. If you go behind the axel you take away tongue weight.

 

Seems me like it would be because one axle. I'm not saying that the weight is excessive. But, most of weight is transferred to tongue because of one axle an makes it hard to control. Or there is absolutely very little weight on tongue an it is wondering around a lot. Because one axle. Trying shifting weight around in trailer an see if it helps. If not you need a stabilizer bars an sway control arm to keep it from running around back there.

 

Not to belabor the point, but it's not unstable or swaying which is what your recommendation might fix. It's too much up and down bounce and I think it's the combo of slightly light tongue and shitty Tacoma springs that still can't carry the rated load even after a full recall. Next trip, I'll probably build a camp kitchen box and stow everything we need in the trailer instead of the bed when towing.

 

More likely to have sway issues with a level trailer than one that is slightly nose down.

 

Do as you wish doesn't bother me. Good luck with you issue.