Multi axis coupler & trailer roll over?

[NatersXJ6]

So I've been curious to hear if any of you with multi axis couplers (of any flavor) have suffered trailer roll overs?

I used to work in mining around 50 Ton articulated dump trucks, and they seemed to flip the bed over any time you looked cross-eyed at them. The coupler is very similar in function on those trucks, and the terrain and balance situation can be quite similar too.

Any horror stories out there? This is probably going to influence an upcoming purchase, and I really don't have a lot of experience with trailers off road.

Thanks!

Nate

 

[Happy Joe]

A friend (who has always insisted on bringing too much stuff) had a gear/support trailer flop (lay on its side) once on a difficult trail (Hackett Gulch rated 5 or 6, near Lake George and Divide Co., before the Hayman fire).
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=311
Note; this was once in many trips.
...and even he admits that it was driver error (bad bounce and too much speed driving up Hackett rock).
I wouldn't think that there would be much danger of flops or rolls on moderate trails or easier .
Enjoy!

 

[CUoffroad]

It is much easier to upright a trailer roll over versus the entire set-up going over. A ball coupler off road will bend and/or break, or worse yet, pull the tow vehicle over with it. Same with a non-rotating pintle and lunette set up. The bind in a coupler can make a bad situation much worse!

 

[Martyn]

There are a few ways to think about the multi axis coupler.

1) It allows articulation beyond that of a ball coupler without risking becoming detached.
2) It allows the trailer to roll over when a more solid connection may cause the vehicle to also roll, (think off camber situations).

Roll overs happen on occasion with trailers, they are typically associated with:
Off camber situations in combination with a trailer with a high center of mass.
Uncontrolled rebound
Hitting an obstacle, rut or hollow too fast
Taking a curve too fast

Most of us who have pulled trailers off road have never had a roll over situation, and maybe that is because we have experience an "almost roll over" and don't want to go there again, or understand the conditions that lead to it. Mario taught some great clinics at one of the Overland Expo's showing people how use techniques to stabilize their trailers is high off camber situations that could be revisited if the demand was there.

Personally I'd prefer to sacrifice the trailer vs. the tow vehicle.

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

In September as I was planning my trip to The Sierra Nevada range to meet up with friends and tow the Scrap yard M100 over the Rubicon trail a trail video was sent to me. I have a 2" ball setup and have taken it on some moderate stuff and it worked well. I was actually pretty surprised how well it worked. The thought crossed my mind to just run what I have ( kind of a motto of mine ). After all just how tough could the Rubicon be they take stock Rubicon Wranglers on it and I have even seen a Toyota FJC with a roof top tent get through, albeit a slight amount of rock rub but one can expect a little of that right? Well I watched the video of a similar trailer being pulled and it didn't take long before I realized I must be delusional and I would have to rethink this quickly. Having everything I would need to build a multi axis coupler I just couldn't commit to it for this kind of towing so I cut and pieced together a pintle hitch and got a receiver lunette ring. I was fortunate that I used the set up for sure. I didn't have a crew of spotters to keep my trailer upright and it was just necessary that the trailer followed my jeep without any fussing. The ring, though it banged around like a car crusher in a wrecking yard, limited the side-to-side motion and without exaggeration kept my trailer from rolling over onto the tent more times than I can count. More info on this trip can be seen in Crawl Magazine, issue 55 Nov/Dec


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[CUoffroad]

From my experience on the Rubicon trail with a trailer, a low center of gravity is essential. The multi axis coupler allows the trailer to do what it needs to do, either go over it, or move sideways to go around the obstacle.
I have never needed to right my trailer on this trail, but have been in numerous situations where I felt that if the trailer were to help my already off-camber vehicle at the wrong time, could get very ugly very fast!

 

[Korben]

I'm in a similar conundrum, I'm building a trailer with some off-road use in mind and to me this "let it roll" line of thinking always seemed backwards. I don't want the trailer to roll or sway at all, trailers like these that are allowed to rotate are as stable as old three wheelers but with less control. That so many roll overs issues occur with typical ball or pintle setups cause they are allowed to rotate freely to the point where they can't, at which point it's too late the trailer is too far leaned over. If the trailer was kept from rotating at all in the first place it would stay much more stable to begin with and would be much less likely to go over. Yes it would bring the tow vehicle over with it but you'd be able to feel it in the tow vehicle and correct for it. This would require a unique hitch and a trailer with significant suspension articulation to work out but I have some ideas.

 

[Martyn]

A few thoughts for you.

Trailer roll overs are the exception, but they are dramatic when they occur and people like to talk about them. The result is people think they happen all the time.

From experience we can tell you that AT Trailers have been over the Rubicon Trail with multi axis couplers and none have rolled over.

I would argue against stabilizing the rotation of the trailer via a coupler. In an off camber situation it could endanger the vehicle and the occupants.

To keep your trailer wheels down I would suggest:
Remembering you have a trailer behind you, three axles not two (you'd be surprised how many people forget this)
Planning your trail route and tire placement
Checking the rear view mirror to see how your trailer is behaving
Slow down in technical situations
Be aware or side hills, stumps, rocks, bumps and hollows.
Pay attention to the trail.

Buying or designing a trailer with a lower center of gravity
Buying or designing a trailer with a track width similar to your tow vehicle
Loading your trailer correctly

 

[Box Rocket]

I've had my trailer through some fairly technical stuff and been using it regularly for almost 8 years. I've never had a rollover and I agree with Martyn, trailer rollovers are the exception and rarely happen. The closest I've been to having my trailer roll is from an uncontrolled rebound like he described. Hit a large rock at high speed with the trailer than put it into the air. Even then it didn't flip the trailer fortunately. I MUCH prefer a multi-axis coupler to a ball hitch or non-rotating pintle even if the terrain doesn't require it. the connection is much more solid and moves more freely. As has been mentioned I'd rather recover a flipped trailer than put myself in a situation with a fixed coupler that could overturn the tow vehicle as well. Bottom line is the likelihood of flipping a trailer is very low, and a multi-axis hitch is far superior to a ball hitch.

 

[brentbba]

Two great posts of info Martyn.

Only time I came close to flipping the trailer with a lock n roll coupler was purely driver error going too fast over a mild off camber section of road. Guy in the jeep behind me said he shiat in his drawers when one wheel of the trailer went airborne. I saw it in my rear view mirror. Fortunately, the trailer came down on both wheels and all was well. I got lucky, pure and simple!

One of the best pieces of advice was the reminder that you've got three axles to feel over an obstacle, not two!

 

[cwadej]

My old school lock n roll has 60 degree limit. the trailer side also does the lateral rotation on mine. While I've never had it in hairy off camber stuff I've never feared it rolling.

Item 108 is what I have, but mine is 60 degree, not 50.