On Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 9:02:37 AM UTC-7, Eric Greenwell wrote:
2G wrote on 9/7/2020 9:31 PM:
On Monday, September 7, 2020 at 4:36:06 PM UTC-7, Eric Greenwell wrote:
wrote on 9/7/2020 2:51 PM:
On Monday, September 7, 2020 at 11:30:06 AM UTC-6, Nick Hoare wrote:
To get back to the original posters question the only thing I would say is
that really they are for make a good combination better not a bad
combination good. If it is not safe without an anti-sway hitch it probably
won't be safe with one, you will just be going a bit faster when it all
goes wrong.

Nick is entirely correct. You can't fix an unstable trailer with an antisway device, but you can make up for a (slightly) unsatisfactory tow vehicle. Once again, MASS + longer wheelbase = better stability. And adding weight to the tow vehicle does NOTHING to increase the stability of the trailer, and the higher loading on the vehicle's rear wheels is likely to make a sway problem worse. (Think: Moment of Inertia.)

That being said, some weight on a lightly loaded rear axle will help with traction, but not stability.

Generally, it's the characteristics of the tow vehicle and trailer that determines
the stability of the combination. We all know a trailer might tow better with one
vehicle but not the other one. My motorhome and mini-van illustrate this principle
well: the motorhome can tow the trailer much faster for the same wiggle than the
van can.

So, by adding weight to the tow vehicle (usually between the axles but favoring
the rear axle), then raising the tire pressures to match the new weight, can yield
a more stable combination. Using a friction damping device like the Cobra clamp
coupler can also increase the stability of the combination. There are other
devices to increase the damping that are frequently used on travel trailers, but
the Cobra unit is easy to use.
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

Adding weight to the tow vehicle won't much difference except to slow down its rate of acceleration. This is because the suspension and tires aren't designed to handle this extra weight. A trailer-vehicle combination is a very complex spring-mass mechanical system. Such systems will have a natural

... Eric's suggestion was to add weight to the car to move the CG rearward. This
is a self-limiting trick because you are always dealing with the maximum combined
vehicle weight, which you will be pushing with these smaller cars.

My suggestion was in the context of towing with a pickup or a minivan, both of
which can have a wide range of weight from empty to fully laden; for my minivan,
that is over 1000 pounds, and the pickups I've owned it can be as much as 3000
lbs. So, it is possible to add significant weight to these vehicles, which can aid
in increasing the stability of the vehicle/trailer combination, and still obey the
vehicle weight ratings. Please note I'm not saying this is the best way to achieve
higher-speed stability, but only that it is a workable method.


--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

It is important to actually weigh the loaded tow vehicle and trailer to ensure that you are within the GCVW - most people don't. This rating is NOT arbitrary. I actually had one manager of an RV trailer dealership tell me I could exceed the rated tow capacity by a large amount!

Tom