Towing Level Question

[Boots1956]

Hi, we have a truck and hitch that makes our 21’ trailer a bit high in the front/low in the back while hooked up (and towing). Is it necessary for the trailer to be level front/back when towing? We can flip the hitch ball over to make it lower, if needed.

[Iowa Dave]

In my experience, Towing level or very Slightly nose down, an inch or two, gives the greatest stability, evens the load on the tires, reduces the occurrence of porpoising or sway and is being “honest” with hitch weight recommendations. In some cases on some trailers adjustments to the load behind or ahead of the axles can modify the level attitude of the trailer. And finally, a tow rig going down the road, dead level looks a lot safer to the highway patrol and the rest of the people on the road, and it gives you credit for knowing what you are doing.
YMMV
Iowa Dave

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by Boots1956

Hi, we have a truck and hitch that makes our 21’ trailer a bit high in the front/low in the back while hooked up (and towing). Is it necessary for the trailer to be level front/back when towing? We can flip the hitch ball over to make it lower, if needed.

Yes, the trailer should be level when towing.

[Boots1956]

Thank you ��

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

In my experience, Towing level or very Slightly nose down, an inch or two, gives the greatest stability, evens the load on the tires, reduces the occurrence of porpoising or sway and is being “honest” with hitch weight recommendations. In some cases on some trailers adjustments to the load behind or ahead of the axles can modify the level attitude of the trailer. And finally, a tow rig going down the road, dead level looks a lot safer to the highway patrol and the rest of the people on the road, and it gives you credit for knowing what you are doing.

Yup, you're better off slightly nose down than nose up. Our Casita did not like nose up.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by Perryb67

Yup, you're better off slightly nose down than nose up. Our Casita did not like nose up.

Enjoy,

Perry

Really? I thought Reace said being slightly nose up was best if not able to get completely level.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

In my experience, Towing level or very Slightly nose down, an inch or two, gives the greatest stability, evens the load on the tires, reduces the occurrence of porpoising or sway and is being “honest” with hitch weight recommendations. In some cases on some trailers adjustments to the load behind or ahead of the axles can modify the level attitude of the trailer. And finally, a tow rig going down the road, dead level looks a lot safer to the highway patrol and the rest of the people on the road, and it gives you credit for knowing what you are doing.
YMMV
Iowa Dave

Hi: Iowa Dave... Honestly... Level and stability doesn't only apply to trailering!!! Double axle trailers need to have them for both axles to carry the weight evenly, but no one wants to be "Dead level"!!! That's about as bad as being "Dead right". Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[dbailey]

If you're talking about towing a tandem trailer with a normal hitch (i.e. not a fifth wheel), slightly low in the front reduces the hitch weight -- not a good thing for stability. Better go slightly high in front if you're pulling a 19 or 21.



For single-axle 13/15/17, it's not as important.



I have no idea how hitch weight affects stability with a fifth wheel hitch, so can't comment there.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Perryb67

Yup, you're better off slightly nose down than nose up. Our Casita did not like nose up.

But the Casita is a single-axle trailer, and that matters.

Originally Posted by Rossue

Really? I thought Reace said being slightly nose up was best if not able to get completely level.

True, for a tandem-axle trailer - especially with a non-equalized suspension such as the Torflex used by Escape - slightly nose-up is better.

Originally Posted by dbailey

If you're talking about towing a tandem trailer with a normal hitch (i.e. not a fifth wheel), slightly low in the front reduces the hitch weight -- not a good thing for stability. Better go slightly high in front if you're pulling a 19 or 21.

True.
Nose-down means that the leading axle suspension is more compressed than the trailing axle suspension, so the leading axle takes more load, making the effective axle position further forward... which is less stable and reduces tongue weight.

Originally Posted by dbailey

For single-axle 13/15/17, it's not as important.

It can be very important for single-axle trailers, but for different reasons than with a tandem.

Originally Posted by dbailey

I have no idea how hitch weight affects stability with a fifth wheel hitch, so can't comment there.

It's the same as a conventional trailer with the same axle configuration. People just don't really notice, because fifth-wheels are usually so stable. It seems to me that fifth-wheels are much more commonly towed nose-high, but only because the box sides of recent pickups are so stupidly high that the trailers (especially older ones built for use with older trucks) are not tall enough for them.