To those of you with smaller rear engined buggies, are you loading them on your trailer backwards (motor towards the front) or normally? Someone was telling me that depending on how far back from center the trailer's axle is, I might have to put my buggy on backwards or there won't be enough tongue weight and it will be unstable.

I have a rear engine car I often pull on a single axle trailer. i pull it on normal but throw a tool box and spare tire in the front for tonge weight (you can also use you gas drum but remember you'll have less on the way home). My trailer is almost neutral tounge weight without those items up front. I like about 150-200 lbs of tounge weight any way you load it

John

My trailer was designed to carry the car facing forwards. The axle is pretty far back and I know that with paddles on my car it only fits in "just the right spot". But with dinky street tires on I can move it forward or back a foot in either direction...and that makes a HUGE difference in how the trailer tows.

With the car as far back on the trailer as it will go with the little tires I can pick the tongue up with one hand and move the trailer around. With the car as far forward as it goes I can't move it at all.

I've towed a trailer with too little tongue weight before and it's not something I ever want to do again. (I literally got flipped 180 degrees and knocked off the road the first time a larger vehicle flew past me - and I was just getting off an on-ramp barely doing 50 at the time.)

Only way to say for sure is to load it up and see how it fits

I would put it on both ways & in different spots on the trailer then see what the tongue acts like. As John said 150-200 lbs is a good start but the general rule is 10-15% of loaded trailer # should be on the tongue. Unless your trailer axle is set pretty far back(like Jason's) I would think backwards as far to the rear as possible would be a safe bet. Without seeing your setup it is hard to say for sure maybe post pics? Good luck & happy towing.

I'd like to see some pictures of your trailers with a single axle. I have a six lug (5000# I persume) axle lying around and I was thinking about make a bare bones trailer for 1 or 2 day trips. Sometimes my toyhualer seems like an overkill for brief trips. I need a light attack trailer.

Here's my trailer:




It's an older photo (before the rail and trailer were fixed up) but here's how the rail fits:


The Manx fits too...but it's harder to find the sweet spot since it's not quite the same size.

Thanks for the photos. That's exactly what I'm talking about. Where did you get all the dimpled Army track ramp metal deck (I can't remember what stuff is actually called)?

i think its temporary runway but i could be wrong

Yeah it's WWII surpluss airfield material. No clue where the guy who built my trailer got it but I love it. Good an grippy but still nice and light.

I did see a BIG stack of it in the back of the BLM office here in Yuma a year or two back. Not sure what they're doing with it or if they'd be willing to part with it (that's the office that managed the Cibola wilderness area.)

I don't have a pic of it now(that I wouldn't have to scan ) but we built a little single axle. It was an small old boat trailer that we added angle iron to the sides & extended out 3-4'. For a deck we used old trommel(sp?) screens & the thing works great! It doesn't go to the sand really anymore(on to bigger & better) but I use it around the place behind the Big Red ALL the time! It has a long tongue(tows great!) & even has a hinged platform. It has a 5'4" or so by 12' platform, weighs 550# but only has 2k axles. It was perfect for a Banshee & Odyssy pulled behind a minivan 15 years ago.