Let me start by saying this is my first post and if it’s in the wrong place or someone has done the same thing, I apologize (I did search for a solution to my needs before going down this path).
I have a m416 trailer which I have pulled behind my 2014 Jeep JK Unlimited for years. The trailer is great for camping and most small hauling jobs. My favorite attribute of the trailer is that it is so easy to move by hand. However, where the trailer doesn’t do well is hauling lumber or ATV’s, that is why I purchased a M116 generator trailer. The added length and width of the trailer is just what I needed and I really like the surge brakes (although I really don’t need them for 95% of my uses). My main issues with this trailer are that it is too tall for my Jeep and the tongue weight makes it very difficult to move by hand. I search the forums for a solution that would let me correct the ride height, while still providing great ground clearance and allowing me to open the back door of my Jeep with the trailer attached. I never did find a solution online, however I am sure it’s out there somewhere, so I thought I would post my solution. Ultimately, I removed the surge brake and then modified the existing bracket, flipped it upside down and welded in a new mount made with 2x3 3/16 wall rectangle tubing. The result is a lunette that is free to rotate just like on my m416 and a corrected ride height that allows me to open the back door of the Jeep with the trailer attached. While it did give up on the surge brake, I removed 78 pounds off the front of the trailer. The replacement did add back in 23 pounds, but the overall savings of 55 pounds is very noticeable when moving the trailer by hand. All told this is also a fairly inexpensive solution too, $38 for the lunette on Ebay and a couple of feet of rectangle tubing.
P.S. The reason I flipped the bracket was to create as much space as possible for the trailer jack. I wanted to get it as far forward as possible to make space for a future tongue box or mount for a propane tank.
I have a m416 trailer which I have pulled behind my 2014 Jeep JK Unlimited for years. The trailer is great for camping and most small hauling jobs. My favorite attribute of the trailer is that it is so easy to move by hand. However, where the trailer doesn’t do well is hauling lumber or ATV’s, that is why I purchased a M116 generator trailer. The added length and width of the trailer is just what I needed and I really like the surge brakes (although I really don’t need them for 95% of my uses). My main issues with this trailer are that it is too tall for my Jeep and the tongue weight makes it very difficult to move by hand. I search the forums for a solution that would let me correct the ride height, while still providing great ground clearance and allowing me to open the back door of my Jeep with the trailer attached. I never did find a solution online, however I am sure it’s out there somewhere, so I thought I would post my solution. Ultimately, I removed the surge brake and then modified the existing bracket, flipped it upside down and welded in a new mount made with 2x3 3/16 wall rectangle tubing. The result is a lunette that is free to rotate just like on my m416 and a corrected ride height that allows me to open the back door of the Jeep with the trailer attached. While it did give up on the surge brake, I removed 78 pounds off the front of the trailer. The replacement did add back in 23 pounds, but the overall savings of 55 pounds is very noticeable when moving the trailer by hand. All told this is also a fairly inexpensive solution too, $38 for the lunette on Ebay and a couple of feet of rectangle tubing.
P.S. The reason I flipped the bracket was to create as much space as possible for the trailer jack. I wanted to get it as far forward as possible to make space for a future tongue box or mount for a propane tank.
