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20 ft trailer
I think it is a standard hitch… not extended… Will this cause a problem? Also it has 2 3500lb axles..my car weighs 4000lbs..?
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27 Replies
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What is the weight of the trailer itself? That will eat into the 3k left over from the weight of the car.
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The problem not having an extended tongue is that on very sharp turns you risk the trailer coming into contact with the back of the coach. That problem seems to happen more often in campgrounds or tight parking lots.
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Backing up also causes of unintended meetings of coach and trailer
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Are you looking to buy a trailer? or have you already bought a trailer?
If you haven’t bought a trailer yet, you really need to look at trailers with the extended tongues. Otherwise as mentioned above, you will eventually have contact between the trailer and the coach. Not good.
If you’re looking to buy a trailer, let us know. I just did a year ago and can give you some pointers in spec’ing out a trailer to be pulled by a coach.
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Dick, see the first two words of his first post on his other thread – “just bought”.
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On the weight issue, my enclosed Pace trailer is totally outfitted and is a 22 foot body with a 6 foot tongue. It weights 4200 pounds. I have carried a Suburban in it before but I recommend staying below the 10,000 pounds limit …I self impose.
Use a short ball hitch insert… the closer to the bumper the better, from my view.I also use a solid metal ball hitch insert that can handle 20M pounds…
NOTE: I have double electric brakes… Really needed when they are NEEDED.
Pres
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What are double electric brakes?
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Is the trailer aluminum or steel? Does it have any cabinets inside? Is it finished inside? Will you have any “stuff” in the trailer beside the car? Who is the manufacturer?
See if you can find the empty weight of the trailer or have it weighed. You can take it to a truck stop and weigh it, or if know of anyone who races they probably have a set of scales and you can weigh it in 15 minutes.
How far do you intend to haul your car in the trailer? Short trips? Back and forth to Florida? Across the country? Do you have previous experience hauling a car in a trailer any distance?
I trust that the D-rings in the floor for tying the car down are secured to a heavy steel plate welded to the frame of the trailer.
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What I meant by “double” electric brakes was that each reversed axle has a set of brakes on it versus the front axle only having a set of brakes…. These are “drum brakes” not disc and this may be more common than I understand it to be… it is just the way I built the trailer some time ago… I am at 7500 ( + – ) pounds with a sports car like a Corvette in the trailer…
I have a double axle custom trailer for our ski boat …and the brakes are on the front axle only. It is a surge system. I also pull it behind the coach on occassions…. don’t ask how we launch…
As I stated…the “double” may be more common than I know…..I just want stopping power when I need it… and I have needed it on several occassions …as many of our trailer pulling compadres know…
Pres
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Both the 1999 Team Spirit 24′ enclosed trailer we had and the new 2015 26′ Bravo we got last spring have drum brakes on both axles controlled by the brake controller that Jeff Rowe installed. I didn’t realize surge brakes were still allowed, for some reason I thought they were outlawed.
Actually I would prefer surge brakes when pulling with the 50 some thousand pound coach. I would expect them not to lock up easily. I can’t “feel” the trailer with the coach like I could with the Suburban and I’m concerned if I set the controller too “tight” I’ll lock the tires up while will quickly flat spot them. So I purposely set the controller a little “loose”.
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To set drag on electric brakes is simple. When the trailer is loaded release your bus brake and let the bus move forward without stepping on the gas.
After your rolling a couple feet at idle pull or slide the handle under your brake controller all the way and if you feel a drag without any wheels locking up you are fine.
The electric brakes will not stop the bus, only tug it. If you are empty bump it down a number or 2 on your controller when traveling.
What I would make sure of is if you have automatic slack adjusters or manual ones where you have to adjust them with a brake spoon thru the dust cap.
If you have manual slack adjusters the 1st thing I would do is pull them and replace with auto adjusters. They have kits for $800 an axle to fit every trailer made.
Once you feel it tug, you will know where your at for adjustment.
Later
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Bernie: Huh … excellent advice. I will try that nice time I pull the trailer with the coach.
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Dick, I do the same thing…and when comming down the mountain….I can just touch the service brake on the bus without actually activating them. But the trailer brakes will tug. Geo.
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Brakes on both axles are required in some states, if the trailer has 2 or more axles. That’s the way it is in Georgia.
Another tip I can give you on pulling a trailer with electric brakes is………..IF your coach activates your brake lights when you use the retarder or the Jake brake, without applying the foot brakes, You may want to deactivate that feature. If you don’t, every time you let your foot off the gas, it will apply the trailer brakes too, and will wear them out quick.
Most electric brake controllers are activated by the brake lights coming on.
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Jerry is correct…That relay is pulled wether towing or not. Geo.
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