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In support of Ray Gibbon's excellent dissertation on towing, I have this
tip to add for those who always tow the same load on the same trailer;
In 5 years of towing the Bugeye to Mexico every spring, the one
thing that greatly simplified the job of loading the car up was two
adhesive-backed letters "V", turned upside down and affixed to the
either side of the trailer to indicate where the center of the wheel
should be positioned for proper balance. Have someone spot you as you
drive onto the trailer and you're done.
To determine where this point would be, after calculating how much
tongue weight is correct for your application, with the load positioned
forward of the trailer's balance point, disconnect the hitch and using a
scissor jack placed on a suitable floor scale and as far forward on the
trailer tongue as is safely possible, attempt to lift the tongue from
the hitch. Once the tongue is "free" from the hitch, CAREFULLY(* see
below) adjust the position of the load on the trailer until the scale
reads what you have calculated the tongue weight should be, minus the
weight of the scissor jack. This is where you want to mark your load's
position. Just so that the error was in my favor, I marked a point
slightly forward of this, and now worry not when I pull Redcar up.
cheers-
daren
* I kept the front lash attached to the car, s l o w l y letting it out
and allowing the car roll backwards.
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