R6 3/30/2017
Page 44
4 L
OADING THE
T
RAILER
Improper trailer loading causes many accidents and
deaths. To safely load a trailer, you must consider:
•
Overall load weight;
•
Load weight distribution;
•
Proper tongue weight; and
•
Securing the load properly.
To determine that you have loaded the trailer within
its rating, you must consider the
distribution
of
weight, as well as the total weight of the trailer and
its contents. The trailer axles carry most of the total
weight of the trailer and its contents (Gross Vehicle
Weight, or “GVW”).
The remainder of the total weight is carried by the
tow vehicle hitch. It is essential for safe towing that
the trailer tongue and tow vehicle hitch carry the
proper amount of the loaded trailer weight,
otherwise the trailer can develop an undesirable
sway at towing speeds, or the rear of the towing
vehicle can be overloaded. Read the “Tongue
Weight” section that follows.
The load distribution must be such that no
component part of the trailer is loaded beyond its
rating. This means that you must consider the
rating of the tires, wheels and axles. For tandem
and triple axle trailers, you must make sure that the
front-to-rear load distribution does not result in
overloading any axle.
Towing stability also depends on keeping the center
of gravity as low as possible. Load heavy items on
the floor and over the axles. When loading
additional items, be sure to maintain even side-to-
side weight distribution and proper tongue weight.
The total weight of the trailer and its contents must
never exceed the total weight rating of the trailer
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, or “GVWR”).
^ WARNING
An overloaded trailer can result in failure or
in loss of control of the trailer, leading to
death or serious injury.
Never load a trailer so that the weight on
any tire exceeds its rating.
Never exceed the trailer Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR).
Never exceed an axle Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR).
Tongue Weight
It is critical to have a portion of the trailer load
carried by the tow vehicle. That is, the trailer
tongue must exert a downward force on the hitch.
This is necessary for two reasons. First, the proper
amount of tongue weight is necessary for the tow
vehicle to be able to maintain control of the tow
vehicle/trailer system. If, for example, the tongue
exerts an upward pull on the hitch, instead of
pushing down on it (because the trailer is
overloaded behind its axle(s)), the rear wheel of the
tow vehicle can lose traction or grip and cause loss
of control. Also, even if there is some weight on
the tongue, but not enough weight on the tongue,
the trailer can become unstable at high speeds.
Remember, the faster you go, the more likely the
trailer is to sway.
If, on the other hand, there is too much tongue
weight, the tow vehicle is prone to jack-knife.
Furthermore, the front wheels of the tow vehicle
can be too lightly loaded and cause loss of steering
control and traction, if the front wheels are driving.
In addition to tow vehicle control, tongue weight is
necessary to insure that the trailer axle(s) do not
exceed their Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
In the following table, the second column notes the
rule of thumb percentage of total weight of the
trailer plus its cargo (Gross Vehicle Weight, or
“GVW”) that should appear on the tongue of the
trailer. For example, a trailer with a gooseneck
hitch, with a loaded weight of 12,000 pounds,
should have 20-25% of 12,000 pounds on the
Summary of Contents for Horse Trailer
Page 1: ...OWNER S MANUAL ENCLOSED TRAILERS...
Page 4: ......
