M416 question

[usadventureracing]

I had a rear hitch receiver installed so I could attach my hitch mounted bike rack. Two weeks ago we packed up and had one bike on the trailer. Within a couple of miles down the road the trailer swayed side to side every time I hit a buMp even at slow speeds. I ended up halling my bike in the trailer and removed the bike rack, after that we had no issues. I am not sure the cause of the sway but I have a feeling it had to do with the weight distribution. Has anyone else experienced this? Any recommendations I need to make in order to use my hitch mounted bike rack on the trailer.

Thanks

 

[jeepfreak81]

Mine has a tongue box on it with my electrical system. I have my spare tire in my rear hitch with a Trasharoo full of firewood and it doesn't sway.

Play with the weight distribution, like putting a cooler ahead of the axle and it should help.

 

[kai38]

Are you still running the military tires?

 

[usadventureracing]

Are you still running the military tires?

Yes running brand new Coker military tires.

 

[kai38]

When I got my m416 20yrs ago I ditched the military tires because I had heard they don't do well at highway speeds.

 

[jgdarcy]

We had the same problem recently. We solved it by stopping at Walmart and buying three bags of play sand. Loaded the bags at the front of the trailer, and the problem was solved.

It all comes down to tongue weight. If the lunette is rattling around in the pintle, you probably need more weight up front.

 

[jeepfreak81]

My M416 does not like any weight hanging off the back. Mine is stock with stock style NDT tires on it. I use it for hauling as well as camping. Years ago I hauled some long lumber in it sticking over the back. I think it made it tongue light. 40mph it went crazy. I've never had a trailer get that wild and do it so quick. It was lifting tires side to side. I had fits getting stopped. I thought it was going to flip. Normally the best way to get rid of trailer sway is the gas pedal. That would have been ugly. Braking was quite skittish. I readjusted the load and went very slow the rest of the way home with no problems. Only time I've ever had a problem with it.

I carry crazy weight in mine with firewood and such. Normally not an issue as long as it's tongue heavy. Even at 70+. One of the best towing trailers I've ever owned as long as you keep the weight 55/45 (60/40) or so. When in doubt weight up front. Tongue heavy has never been an issue. I suspect wind load in the rear from my lumber or your bikes could also do the same as being weight rear. HTH

I have had wind load cause it on mine before I had the tongue box on it.

 

[/dev/ram]

Your M416 is no different than any other trailer - they all sway when the tongue weight is too light. Gotta plan for your load.

 

[DonBeasley]

Ditto to all that has been said. I have a rear receiver and carry bikes, sometimes a cooler, or even a 150 lb+ expired deer. You have got to adjust weight to the front to compensate.

 

[usadventureracing]

Thank you all. Can you have to much in the front?

 

[shogun]

Thank you all. Can you have to much in the front?

Yes.

All this talk about adding weight may be misleading. The whole purpose of the trailer is to get weight OFF the vehicle axles (and in some cases fit outsized cargo). Adding too much weight to the tongue defeats the purpose and reduces the overall capacity of the vehicle/trailer combo, and increases vehicle workload (fuel economy and engine wear).

Tongue should not lift itself up. I do alot of towing with M416 and M101. IMO, 100 pounds tongue weight is probably too much, I would look for 25-50 pounds, something easily one-hand liftable. I've run as light as maybe 10 pounds and it will work, but I like a little more margin.

No, there is nothing wrong with the tire design, they work fine up to maybe 85 mph, which is about as fast as I've done. I also tried the bike rack thing. Bad plan. In your case the wind drag on the bike was probably enough to unweight the tongue, sounds insufficient but it happens. I no longer do that, made a rack with fork clamps for the top of the trailer.

 

[jgdarcy]

Good point on the wind drag with the bike rack. My Tacoma got 14.4 mpg towing the trailer with the bikes on the rack, 18.8 towing the trailer without the bikes and rack. It makes a large impact.

 

[3d fj]

What about angle of the trailer? I was talking to a friend of mine and he had mentioned that pulling the trailer with the tongue angled down rather than level was better. Is there any truth to this?

 

[shogun]

What about angle of the trailer? I was talking to a friend of mine and he had mentioned that pulling the trailer with the tongue angled down rather than level was better. Is there any truth to this?

As close to dead level as possible, fully loaded, without going past level (leaning back).

 

[usadventureracing]

I did just purchase 3 brand new 6ply Coker Tires......they are from the original design and no issues doing 60 -70 on the highway once I removed the bike rack and bike. Thanks for all the replies.....time now to play with the weight distribution to see if I can make this bike rack work.