Quote:
Originally Posted by old timer
I just installed air bags to make the truck and 5th wheel level so I can have the correct weight on both trailer axles. If the trailer isn't level than it puts more weight on one axle than the other. (2 axle trailer) If you tow a light trailer and it doesn't sit lever than you need a drop hitch to make it level. Axle's have camber built into them and if you don't tow level it will wear out the tires. People are having tire issues because they are towing nose up or nose down. That puts more weight on one or the other and causes a over weight condition on that axle. They are having excess heat build up and tires self destruct. Get it as close as you can. I carry a 2 foot level in the trailer. I don't trust the little bubble ones.
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I believe what you're saying is "true to an extent". Towing level is the "ideal" way to orient the trailer/tow vehicle, but it simply isn't always practical. Given the load rating of tires and axles, if you're at or very near the maximum, towing level can have an impact on preserving your tires and axle, but, if you're 1000 pounds under your GVW and a couple of degrees "nose high or nose low", the shifted weight won't put your tires/axles over the limit. As an example, if your axles are rated at 5000 lbs and your tires are rated at 2800 lbs each, and your trailer weighs 7600 pounds empty, assuming you have 760 pounds on the tongue (10%), then you'd have about 6900 pounds on the axles. If you were nose high (let's say 3") and shifted 200 pounds from the front axle to the rear axle, you'd be putting 3300 on the front and 3700 on the rear axle. That certainly wouldn't make either the axle or the tires "overloaded" and still wouldn't be near the weight on either axle that you'd encounter if you loaded with cargo to your GVW.
On the other hand, if you were "at maximum" limits on your axles, then shifting weight from one to the other "could" make you overloaded, but most of us aren't that close to maximum axle weight or to maximum tire load capacity.
As for the number of rigs on the highway that aren't level, I'd say that from what I've seen on this trip, about half the fifth wheels are "nose high" and more than half (probably 60-70%) of the travel trailers are "nose low".
So, while attempting to tow "level" is an objective many would like to achieve, it's not as critical as some would believe.