"Grider Pirate" wrote in message
...


Summarizing, line up your axles, put at least 15 percent of the total
trailer weight on the tongue, and tow as safe as you can steer and stop.
Sway should never be a factor.
--
Jim in NC

I'm certainly not an expert, but I've never heard a recommendation as
high as 15% of gross on the tongue. My Komet single axls has a squeek
under 10% (175 lbs on the tongue, 1,876 gross), and is rock steady at
all legal towing speeds (and well beyond).

I went online and found a few sites as documentation, quickly. It would
seem you are at the lower recommended tongue weight, and I was using the
higher limit. As long as glider trailers are, that contribute to poor
handling, I would think being closer to the upper limit would be wise. It
seems as though you have found your weight to be satisfactory, though. I
won't argue with your success, but will argue with people using ridiculous
light tongue weights, then wondering why they have sway problems when they
push the driving speeds.

Again, I will say that you (everyone) should be able to drive a trailer
faster than you feel comfortable driving for the traffic and highway
conditions, and never experience sway. There is no reason to put up with it
when it is so easy to prevent, totally.

**From an online travel trailer site
http://changingears.com/rv-sec-tow-vehicles-understand.shtml#_tongue

Tongue Weight or King Pin Weight
Tongue Weight (also called Tongue Load) is the actual weight pressing down
on the hitch ball by the trailer. The recommended amount of Tongue Weight is
10-15% of the GTW.

**From "How Stuff Works"
http://www.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/towing-capacity/information/tongue-weight.htm

Most experts agree that an acceptable tongue weight for any trailer is
somewhere between 9 and 15 percent of the gross trailer weight (GTW).

***From a Sherline Products web site
http://www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm#refrn9

RECOMMENDED HITCH WEIGHT PERCENTAGES
TYPE OF TRAILER
PERCENT OF WT. ON TONGUE

Single Axle
10% minimum/15% maximum

Tandem Axle
9% to 15%

Travel Trailer
11% to 12%

5th Wheel
15% to 25%