New trailer questions

[TDYE522]

Hey everyone.

I ended up getting a trailer over the weekend. It is a 2010 Maxey 18' steel floor with dovetail and slide out ramps. 3500 lb axles with disk brakes on both and load range D tires. It also has a tool box mounted on it already.

I loaded my jeep up today to see how it pulled and I am very impressed with how well it pulls. It doesn't seem like my truck is working as hard to pull. Granted the trailer that I was using from my work was a very heavy duty equipment hauler. But I have had my jeep on 3 other trailers that are close to equal with my new one. Does that have to do with the bearings or what?

One thing that I did notice is the jeep had some forward and backward movement while driving down the road. I had the straps as tight as I could get them. I have never had a problem on any of the other trailers I have had my jeep on. since it is a steel floor, the hooks are flush mounted on the floor prob about a foot from the edge on all corners. The front straps are hitting on the tool box that is mounted on the floor in the front center. I could move the jeep further to the back but then I'm worried I would have too much weight in the back. And the rear straps I hook to one of the holes in the frame in the rear fender well. And the tie down on the trailer is a few feet behind that so my straps are streached outward and not really pulling down to compress the suspension. And all of the straps are coming straight out from the jeep as where on all the other trailers the straps were at an angle due to the tie down points being on the very outside of those trailers. Any help with this would be awesome!

The new trailer also has an emgency brake system that if it comes apart from the truck a pin is pulled and the brakes are applied with a battery mounted on the tounge. How is that battery charged??

And the last thing is the spare. It doesn't have one. Nor does it have a place to mount one once I get it. Any ideas on a good place and how to mount?

Thanks for helping the noob.

[TDYE522]

[lagnaf]

nice lookn trailer!

I'm sure this could start a big debate, but you may be getting movement because you aren't strapping to you axles. The susp. on your jeep may be alowing your jeep to "shift" back/forth.
I always strap to my axles in a criss cross pattern and have had zero problems.

Dan

oh. and the battery on your trailer for the breakaway brakes will be charged from your truck when it's hooked up for the trailer lights/brakes.

[spunebil]

looks like the tounge weight is rather high ! can you roll jeep back some ? and that dovetail looks more like a swallow tail (aint much to it ! LOL )

I just looked at your strappng and when suspension compresses the straps will be too long and the jeep will roll/move .

and strap/chain your axles either both sides or criss cross like dan said and your jeep will be secure !

I drove flatbed all over this country with all types if loads and never had anything fall off ! :pbj:

[TDYE522]

All that I have ever done is strap it just like it is in the pictures and I have never had a problem with it. So I'm just trying to figure out why it's different for this trailer. Also I don't have axle straps.

And I thought you wanted to have tongue weight? And is it bad if my rear tires are placed on the "swallow tail?"

[rjh]

You want about 10% tongue weight; I agree it looks like you're up about 6-12" too close to the front in that last picture. Too much tongue weight can make the steering in the truck squirley, as it tends to push down in the rear and lift the front somewhat. Too little and the trailer can sway going down the highway. If your truck's big enough, it probably won't matter much either way. I know when I towed with my 1/2 ton Trailblazer, if I didn't have the Jeep set within an inch or two of perfect, it would sway or steer poorly. With my 3/4 ton Suburban it doesn't seem to matter much where it sits on the trailer.

You can stop in to Croft Trailer in Olathe and pick up 4 axle straps - they'll set you back something like $5-10 apiece. Put them over the axle (preferably UNDER the hard brake line so you don't crimp it), on either side of your rear diff. Then criss-cross the straps so the left strap on the left side of the diff is strapped to the right side of the trailer, and vice-versa.

I can't cross the front because there's way too much steering stuff in the way. I just go through the knuckles and over the axles shafts, then fairly straight to the front of the trailer. I haven't had any issues doing it this way.

I used to compress my suspension as well, but the axle strapping works much better. Granted, if you look in the mirror while cornering, you'll see the body of your jeep swaying around, but it stays put on the trailer. When you compress the suspension, you'll never get it tight enough that a big bump won't "jounce" it loose a bit. And then you're shock loading your straps... I've seen guys lose straps that way when the jeep bounces and they snap like they're made of wet paper. :)

Also make sure your straps aren't rubbing anything like the tool box; if they're in contact with metal like that, they'll abrade fairly fast, be weaker and end up snapping one day. Probably wouldn't hurt to throw an extra strap or two into that tool box just in case you lose one going down the road.

The other thing I did that's a HUGE time saver was to strap everything down, unroll the extra strap and cut off all but about a foot of that tail. Melt the nylon edge with a lighter to keep it from fraying. This way you don't have a bunch of stuff flying around behind you and it's a lot less strap to mess with. You won't be able to use them for much else other than your Jeep once you do that, but it's not that expensive to have a set of straps dedicated to your Jeep anyway, and it saves a bunch of time wrapping up & tying down loose ends every time you go out.

[jagular7]

In looking your setup, you have too much length in the straps to put any kind of force on the suspension. If you want to strap to your frame, you need to bring the strap closer to the mounting point on the Jeep's frame. This will provide a 'pull' down force on the suspension. That is how the flat bed towers do it. But they also only go for short distances.

I added mounts to the sides of my trailer to secure axle straps to my axles on my Jeep. I have a 18' as well and a large tool box like you. The rear mounts are offset in the center of the dovetail. My axle straps go through the knuckles in the front and around the diff tube's ears on the rear axle (under the hard brake lines).

In your particular situation, I would look online for strap ends similar to that of a tow truck. These fit into your frame holes. Add mounts on the sides of your trailer closer to the location on the Jeep's frame. These will make you loading and unloading your Jeep a lot easier. Also, I would move your Jeep forward another 1' or so. The center of gravity on most vehicles (rear wheel drive) is located near the top of the trans just off the bellhousing. I'd put that point just forward of the front axle.

To add, I don't think you have disc brakes. That would be too costly. Most trailer brakes are magnetic and they are a drum design. Disc brakes can come on trailers, but they would need the surge brake system on the tongue.

[TDYE522]

Well I have some good info. Thanks for everyones input.

And I have no idea why I said it has disk brakes. I knew that it didn't. Haha.

So I like the idea of the axle straps because when used on the front and hooked to the knuckles the straps would then clear my tool box. But is use of the axles straps going to done with only one hand? I'm sure that if I can ride a motorcycle at 170mph with only one hand I can surely put axle straps on my jeep but I figured I would check.

But as far as jeep placement on the trailer.....one says move it to the rear a foot, another says forward a foot. My truck is a 2500HD that has been leveled. Meaning the factory rake is gone. So when it is loaded you can notice the sag alot more. That being said it is just like Rich's burb in that it doesn't matter where I place the jeep there is no sway or light steering.

Rich and Mike do you both have pictures of your jeeps loaded to show strap placement and jeep placement? I feel like that may help more than anything.

And any feedback on placement and mounting of the spare when I get one?

[spunebil]

ya can strap it down ( with just four plain straps, or chains) very secure without any extra straps, but I would need to show you as I have failed in describing it to ya !

actually i could do it with just two straps/chains but ya would really need to know how to do it and not worry !

[Guest]

Just to help answer one of your questions....

I use axle straps and matching ratcheting tie down (got them down at the farm store in Paola) and on many occasions I've stood on the ground and reached in with one hand and hooked everything up. So is that the easiest way? No. Is it possible? Certainly.

[jagular7]

The axle wrap straps I've referred to I saw on Austin's dual Jeep trailer setup. He said he got them off ebay. The wrap has a flat hook with a locking clasp. It loops around whatever you want, and connects to a sewn in loop in the strap. So its only one hook and since it has a clasp, it stays hooked in the loop. The end of the strap goes through the tightening mechanism like a regular strap. The base end also has a locking clasp hook so that won't come loose from the clevis.

My straps have an open hook on both ends and the axle straps have the 'd-ring' sewn in. The straps hooks do come out of the axle strap if there is enough slack in the strap or I move it too much....and its a PITA to reconnect since I'm triangulating it (opposite side trailer mount to axle mount).

Can't find any pics of my Jeep loaded on the trailer.

[rjh]

Here are a few pictures of my trailer and one of Mike's with the jeeps loaded. Sorry, they're the best I could find - no good closeups of the attachments. Click 'em to see bigger versions.

IMG_9889.jpg IMG_9891.jpg IMG_9890.jpg100_1193.jpg

My axle straps are just pieces of nylon about 2 feet long, with a black heavy duty "sleeve" over them to protect the strap from abrasions where it's in contact with the metal axles. Each end has a D-ring sewn into the strap. You loop it around the axle, line the two rings up together, and hook you ratchet strap hook through them and tighten it down.

I would say the hardest part one-handed will be working the ratchet strap... the axle straps are cake. You can see how we've crossed them in the rear, and the fronts you can kind of make out how they go straight out to the front of the trailer....

[kyle7108]

tow straps

Here is a web site for axle straps http://www.truckntow.com/pc-19255-14...ent-strap.aspx

[Guest]

Another option could be axle hooks like they use on wreckers...

[FH-JT]8HD+15HD.jpg

[TDYE522]

Here is a web site for axle straps http://www.truckntow.com/pc-19255-14...ent-strap.aspx

Oooo I like those. Seem like a pretty simple setup.