# Tool Talk > Wheels >  Towing weight distribution display

## Jon

Towing weight distribution display. Not the single most common tow vehicle, but bonus points for repurposing a treadmill.



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cmarlow (Jan 27, 2022),

dubbby (Jun 23, 2020),

gunsgt1863 (Aug 17, 2017),

Mi Tasol (Feb 10, 2019),

NortonDommi (Aug 6, 2017),

Rangi (Jul 10, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (May 5, 2019),

Seedtick (Aug 10, 2017)

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## Jon

Similar concept in real life. 18-second video.




I'm not exactly certain what the correction strategy should be here. I've heard both "foot off the gas" and "speed up".

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cognitdiss (Jul 7, 2022),

dubbby (Jun 23, 2020),

Scotsman Hosie (May 5, 2019),

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## Jon

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dubbby (Jun 23, 2020),

Scotsman Hosie (May 5, 2019)

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## Mi Tasol

[QUOTE=Jon;96840]Towing weight distribution display. Not the single most common tow vehicle, but bonus points for repurposing a treadmill. /QUOTE]

It is a pity they did not show the other common mistake stupid people make - too much load on the tow bar. And another catch is the load CG too high.

I wish I had had a camera a couple of years back. A Ford F150 with a heavily loaded single axle trailer behind and all the load at the front parked at the supermarket. The Ford back springs were fully compressed and the front springs fully unloaded so that the idiot had almost zero weight on the steer wheels and therefore minimal control.

The kicker was the BIG bumper sticker across the front of the bonnet/hood

PUBLIC SERVANT AND PROUD OF IT

Probably 30 years ago now I saw an accident while waiting to enter a highway where a car with caravan with the same issue. When he came over the top of the hill the front wheels became airborne as the caravan CG moved forward in relation to the axle and increased the load on the tow ball. Then the cross wind took control. Fortunately the idiot was only crawling along in the fast lane and no one close behind. The highway was blocked for a long while but no serious injuries though I was late for work as I waited to give the cops my witness statement.

Here in Australia they now occasionally check the weight of trailers/caravans and issue small fines for overload but as far as I know they ignore CG issues even though those are far more serious.

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dubbby (Aug 19, 2020),

Scotsman Hosie (May 5, 2019)

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## Jon

When you do a great job securing a load.

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## suther51

> Similar concept in real life. 18-second video.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not exactly certain what the comrrection strategy should be here. I've heard both "foot off the gas" and "speed up".



I can only imagine hitting the trailer breaks only and only if the trailer does not start to correct using more gas and the trailer breaks. Worked with a fellow that talked about using this approach with a rig when the trailer tried to over take the tractor on slippery roads. By slowing down the trailer will only try to overtake the tow vehicle even more. Can only figure that slowing down would help if cought soon enough, if it can be cought soon enough, have to be very alert and aware of the potential involved. Real glad something like this has never even begun to happen to me. Despite some of the risks I have taken for the boss. No substitute for caution. Or the fortune of beginners.
Eric

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Scotsman Hosie (May 7, 2019)

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## MeJasonT

I worked on a rock dumping vessel with an ROV, we were sent home whilst the ship went to the quarry for more rocks. The ship hit an underwater mountain in the Norwegian fjords, capsized and sank with the loss of half its crew. A few years the ship was recovered and the 3 ton ROV was still strapped to the deck with 2 ton ratchet straps.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Rocknes_(2001)

The Art of Dredging - Rocknes_capsizing

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Alan Purdy (May 7, 2019),

dubbby (Aug 19, 2020),

Toolmaker51 (May 11, 2019)

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## MeJasonT

The tractor on the trailer is quite interesting, the weight is predominantly over the axles (tandem axles), the load capacity of the trailer by appearance only looks to be substantial enough to handle the load. Only two things missing from the equation Pickup truck and driver.

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dubbby (Aug 19, 2020)

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## Toolmaker51

Towing weight is potential capacity, tongue weight is variable. As I find with every load. 
Despite physical measurements and 'good' [?] weight specs, it winds up that I winch [inch, lol] load farther onto bed of my tilt bed single axle. 1602 kg / 3532 lb of vehicle can only do so much. That's why I carry A LOT of ratchet straps. Once I finish the E-track installation, it should improve positioning and tension angles.

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dubbby (Aug 19, 2020)

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## suther51

E track,,, have always wondered if uni-strut could be made into light duty poor man's e track.
Eric

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## Toolmaker51

> E track,,, have always wondered if uni-strut could be made into light duty poor man's e track.
> Eric



I'd considered different pre-formed structure materials like Unistrut, 80/20, and the square street sign tubing with a lot of holes. Concern is attachment footprint is not advantageous being 'inside' the load, unlike E-track. And I found new 10 footers on craigslist for $12. 
And with Unistrut, there aren't convenient matching and load rated accessories.

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## mr95gst

> When you do a great job securing a load.



This was a mile from my house. I passed it on the way home from work. I wanted to get a picture, but I was afraid the cops would catch me playing with my phone.

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## Jon

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baja (Jun 16, 2019),

MeJasonT (Aug 19, 2020),

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## Toolmaker51

Loss of a wonderful rolling POS trailer; certain on a par with goods it contained. Poking along to start with, not realizing every oscillation increased a couple inches right and left. 
"Oh, it'll even out by itself. I haul stuff ALL the time. . .People find out I've got a truck, always want my help".
Well pal, that's been solved, officially off the hook permanently.
Not with 50% payload behind the axle, especially a tilt bed. And not with the tongue so elevated, magnifying errant distribution!

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MeJasonT (Aug 19, 2020)

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## Airstreamer

It's too bad that this happened so quickly that the driver didn't have time to react!  :Lol:

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## Frank S

Kast week we were cleaning up around the place and loaded 5,200 lbs of short iron in my little single axle trailer. I was good with the tires 10 ply rating trailer rated 80 PSI good for 6,400 for the pair and had about 1500 of the weight on the tongue Good with the tongue weight I built the trailer What I wasn't good with was the fact that the receiver hitch I normally use was on the other truck and that truck was 200 miles away. So I had to use my shorty hitch which made the front of the trailer about 10" higher than normal. 
Usually I would be cruising along with a load this size at around 70 to 75MPH with no worries but I was only running along at 45 to sometimes 50 the Wife commented that at this rate it was going to take a couple hours to get to the scrap yard.
I said the little trailer is on good tires and strong stiff springs and following rock steady there is probably only around 4000 lbs on the axle but I don't have my regular receiver so the front is up in the air it make take us a while longer to get there but the key to this is we will get there. 
She said I was just wondering why you weren't driving faster like you usually do is all.

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MeJasonT (Aug 19, 2020)

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## Jon

Nice demonstration of tongue weight.



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that_other_guy (Jul 13, 2019)

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## suther51

Saw a real life demonstration on the thruway the other day. Back heavy trailer that wanted to fishtail when changing lanes. After seeing this thread I knew to stay back :-)

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## MeJasonT

[QUOTE=MeJasonT;133419]I worked on a rock dumping vessel with an ROV, we were sent home whilst the ship went to the quarry for more rocks. The ship hit an underwater mountain in the Norwegian fjords, capsized and sank with the loss of half its crew. A few years the ship was recovered and the 3 ton ROV was still strapped to the deck with 2 ton ratchet straps.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Rocknes_(2001)

***** theartofdredging.com/rocknescapsizing.htm]The Art of Dredging - Rocknes_capsizing ****** is now broken

Sorry guys i had to repost to fix a link

https://www.hydro-international.com/...ying-the-blame

making the point of the beauty of cargo straps, never underestimate these things they are rock solid when used properly
haa ha pun intended.

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Toolmaker51 (Aug 19, 2020)

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## clavius

> E track,,, have always wondered if uni-strut could be made into light duty poor man's e track.
> Eric



I did exactly this with my pickup truck. I have a length of unistrut fastened along the top of each side of the bed. I have a couple of 3/8-16 unistrut nuts in each one with a forged lifting eye in each. This gives me moveable tie-down points along each side of the truck bed and I can add as many as I might need for any given load. I've never gone to the trouble to research the specs on unistrut but I expect that it is probably not suitable for really heavy loads. However it is very handy and plenty strong for securing the sorts of things I toss back there.

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## Toolmaker51

Besides kind of a high profile, Unistrut is satisfactory anchoring material. Initially that was what I'd planned to use also. Bolted down [open side up] 12" to 18" apart, with large diameter washers or strip stock averts bowing or tearing floor. That figured into a trick for strap hooks. I'd keep a bag of Grade 5 carriage bolts [one wrench] and lock nuts handy, placing to accommodate payload through side holes, fit strap hooks through the slot and over the bolt. I suspect a good measure stronger then engaging anchors to the slot alone, and hooks stay in place before tensioning. 
Then a good deal for unused surplus E-Track appeared...

So, before this 'deployment' in California, I'd built a pair of E-track for my 5 x 10 tilt bed. It's single axle, wood floor for 3500 pounds. Original anchors are just 4 wimpy 1/4" wire loops; OK for ATV or a ride-on mower, household goods and such. Always had to hook into openings of angle iron that form side walls too. 
Had very little confidence when it comes to what I've hauled, machinery; tall, heavy, small foot print, often narrow as well. Such things never have built in attachment points, you have to wrap dunnage over sharp edges, bind a strap and cinch up while maintaining desired tending angle. A 36" 3 wheel bandsaw wasn't bad, compared to an earlier 36" 2 wheeler almost 9' high, the press brake of a couple years back, a turret mill, 48" shear, various grinders...
All by myself, Egyptian rolling them on peeler cores, pulled by a high-low geared boat trailer winch. Tilt beds tell you when any load centers over axle, but the axles aren't centered to length of bed, you MUST pull further to raise tongue weight. My method uses estimated weight, and distance from front edge of load over axle to position when trailer tilts up indicating some state of balance. All those tools had huge differences of weight, profile and CG. Can't say a particular tongue weight is the goal, just the higher percentage of weight is forward axle centerline, guesstimating that winds up 60% - 70%. Only the two wheeled saw needed repositioning, wandering as much as the toy in the video clip, right at 60 mph.

PS. Thought I'd google an image of that 3 sided strut material; it IS NOT Unistrut, slotted but without any holes on the sides. The solution mentioned with 3/8-16 tab and screw eye is better there.

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