Lance 1130, Owner'S Manual

Page: 55 / 132

55
LOADING THE TRAILER
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 con-
tents. 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 tow-
ing 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 compo-
nent part of the trailer is loaded beyond its rating.
This means that you must consider the rating of the
tires, wheels and axles. You must make sure that
the front-to-rear load distribution does not result in
overloading any axle. Proper load distribution is also
essential to provide predictable handling. If you load
the trailer with too little tongue weight, the trailer will
be inclined to suddenly begin to sway when towed at
highway speed.
Towing stability also depends on keeping the center
of gravity as low as possible. When loading addi-
tional 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”).
Your trailer has independent suspension. There-
fore the trailer must be level front to rear to main-
tain equal weight distribution on the axles while
towing.
If the front of the trailer is higher then the rear, you
can overload the rear axles. If the front of the trailer is
lower then the rear, the front axles can be overloaded.
This will overload the axle, wheels and tires and can
cause failure to one of these components.
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 ex-
ert 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 axles, the rear wheel of
the tow vehicle can loose traction or grip and cause
loss of traction. 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. Remem-
ber, 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. Further-
more, 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 axles do not ex-
ceed their Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).