neu
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msmith1.wa wrote:Moving the battery to the rear was mentioned. If you do this it needs to be connected to the electrical system so that the brake a way can function in case the trailer separates from the yow vehicle.
Thank you, I didn't think about that. Someone already pointed out to me that I will actually be within my limits even with a propane tank and a battery. If need be, I'll just put something heavy in the back of the trailer.
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neu
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Boomerweps wrote:neu wrote:BB_TX wrote:You don't say what you are towing with, or what you are towing. My question: is the trailer tongue weight too much for your tow vehicle making the tow vehicle rear sag too much. You pictures don't show enough to tell.
The car is sagging, but not too much.
I have an Audi Q5, and I understand that it is not the ideal car for towing a trailer, but the tongue weight at the time of the question was within the acceptable limits: 405 pounds out of a maximum of 440 pounds.
I do not plan to exceed the upper limit. In the worst case, I plan to carry the propane tank in the car's trunk or put something heavy behind the rear axle. I have not yet weighed the entire trailer to accurately answer this question.
20# propane tank weighs 17# empty, plus 16# normal propane fill on exchanges, nets you another 33# on your tongue weight for a total of 438#. So you can tow with your propane tank installed, securely mounted. For longer camping, a 30# tank only adds 2 more pounds empty, plus 10 more pounds propane. You’d need to pull a few items from the trailer front storage to do so to be in specs. You might want to consider a LiFePo4 replacement battery. Normal batteries weight about 60-65#, LiFePo4 weighs 25# for a 100AH unit.
Very good point, you are completely right! Thank you!
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Ok have established you’re not killing your fridge even though someone worried aboot that.
You’ve tried 3 hitches and have an electronic scale to measure tongue weight.
And lots of other talking but never replying to how it tows question…
Have you pulled the trailer yet? Seems like you’re procrastinating or ??
It’s not rocket surgery. Your weights are ok.
And moving weight to the rear to reduce tongue weight isn’t always the best thing to do. The more weight further aft of the axle makes the tail wag the dog more. It’s equally as effective as not enough tongue weight at creating trailer sway.
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Boomerweps
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Another reason to go LiFePo4 battery is NO outgassing, so you can mount it anywhere and no liquids so it can be mounted in any orientation.
My emergency trailer brake power is supplied off a bolt on a buss bar exposed behind the front frame crossmember. It’s also where the primary battery cables connect to the trailer 12vdc system. I cut a hole in the floor there and rerouted the existing supply cables into the storage area to remount my battery inside.
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ppine
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Good advice.
Not the greatest tow vehicle.
Propane refirs need to be pretty level.
Your suspension needs to have the trailer pretty level.
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Reisender
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Hi Neu. I am not a fan of packing heavy objects at the rear of the trailer to offset hitch weight. Instead just consider getting them over or slightly behind the axle. Packing heavy items at the very rear of the trailer can introduce a pendulum effect which can cause a sway situation.
Check your manual to see if Audi has a maximum height on how much the ball can be above the mount. I know some manufacturers do including tesla.
Even swapping out the lead acid 12 volt for a lithium battery can help the situation.
Is your Audi a Plug in hybrid or full electric?
Happy camping Neu.
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valhalla360
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neu wrote:
It would make sense for car manufacturers to take into account such "impactful" loads, especially if they have a hitch as low as mine. But how can I be sure now...
Wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a generic disclaimer that covers them.
Really other than lifted pickups, it's not very common to see drop/riser more than 3-5inches. When you operate outside of the norms, they would rather not try to clarify all the details as that can make them responsible and there are too many variables to tie down every possibility.
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neu
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Reisender wrote:Hi Neu. I am not a fan of packing heavy objects at the rear of the trailer to offset hitch weight. Instead just consider getting them over or slightly behind the axle. Packing heavy items at the very rear of the trailer can introduce a pendulum effect which can cause a sway situation.
Check your manual to see if Audi has a maximum height on how much the ball can be above the mount. I know some manufacturers do including tesla.
Even swapping out the lead acid 12 volt for a lithium battery can help the situation.
Is your Audi a Plug in hybrid or full electric?
Happy camping Neu.
Thank you for the tip! And if I place a heavy object in the back of the trailer to reduce the tongue weight to an acceptable level, is that a good idea or still a bad one?
I have a gasoline engine, not a hybrid, 2.0T with 252 hp and 370Nm of torque in stock.
Thanks for the tip on the lithium battery. My battery is actually on its last legs, so I have more than one reason to consider replacing it with a lithium one.
I don't have the user manual at hand, but I have a photo of the sticker on the hitch itself. It seems that the maximum height is 6 1/4. However, I'm not sure what they meant by 1/2. The diagram is confusing to me. Could you help clarify?
UPD: Aaah, now I understand. The maximum lifting height here is 1/2 inch. What am I supposed to do now? Can I drive with the trailer lowered down?
As far as I understand, with a single-axle trailer, I can tow it with the tongue tilted forward. I just need to remember about the tongue weight and the clearance.
![[image]](https://i.postimg.cc/jjWv1gPf/image.png)
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Durb
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It looks as though you are measuring tongue weight at the jack. Keep in mind the shank and hitch ball are resting in your receiver and their weight needs to be calculated in, probably using up your 35 pound margin.
Moving heavy items to the rear of your trailer to offset your tongue weight is problematic, especially with a single axle trailer. This practice will maintain your net tongue weight, but will also reduce your percent of weight on the tongue. This percentage number (12% - 15%) is critical in keeping sway under control. Theoretically, you could reduce your tongue weight to zero by selective loading. Not good, you would be all over the road.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Placing weight at the back of the trailer is still not advisable however although you appear to be ignoring my repeated question of How does it tow? (I’ll try not to read into that), it may be just fine. Re read mine and Reisenders recent responses. If you don’t understand them then it’s trial and error (IE see how it tows) or just resist the urge to induce poor towing behavior by increasing the moment placed on the pivot point (axle) with increased rear weight.
Idk if your hitch diagram means maximum rise. I’d presume that as it’s reasonable. And if I read the poorly interpreted German correctly it may say only “rise” IE not a drop hitch. But that doesn’t matter since the hitch receiver is low enough to tow any trailer without ever needing a drop.
The most important thing you missed is it appears your car/hitch has no rating for weight carrying stingers. Since it’s only rated for weight distributing.
I’ve never towed any trailer with a little car and firmly believe many wdh applications are a ruse by a slimy salesman and an uninformed customer, it appears that your car may actually be recommended or require a wdh for anything substantial.
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