Backing up with a short tongue and lunette and pintle tips?

nastav

Adventurer
I recently purchased a M101CDN (M416, AT Chaser size) trailer to tow behind my jeep JKU to haul stuff and camping supplies.
I have limited trailer towing experience, and what experience I do have has been with larger trailers with longer tongues....with no intention of taking them off-road.
The M101CDN will go off-road and I'd like some tips to counter the short tongue and "loose" lunette when backing up.
I've been practicing and it just seems to get sideways quickly.
Tows like a dream forward though!
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 

tgreening

Expedition Leader
Make sure your pintle hitch is properly sized for the lunette. I've seen people buy 20-ton pintles for the 1/4 ton trailer and then wonder why the hookup is noisy.

It's going to get sideways quickly, no way around that with the stock length A-frame and lunette. The best thing you can do is go slow and make small steering inputs. If you get in a hurry with the steering wheel you'll be twisted up instantly.
 

outpostphx

Member
I've was having the same issue as well. The pintle hitch set up is very sensitive when backing up. I find that if I'm going to back it up, I need to get the vehicle and trailer as lined up as possible in a straight line before backing up. I start to back up just a few inches to get the trailer moving straight, then I start turning the wheel to move the trailer in different angles. If I start backing up with the trailer and vehicle already on an angle to each other, much more difficult. Hope this helps!

Happy trailer reversing!
 

tarditi

Explorer
I've practiced and practiced and sort of resigned to pulling through whenever possible. I have even unhooked, pushed/pulled by hand to position the trailer & jeep, then re-hooked up when needed. I'm not so proud as to not admit this. :)
 

NMC_EXP

Explorer
Sloppy fit Lunette is easy to blame but has nothing to do with the problem.
Its all to do with the distances between axel to coupler & how much turn radius you get started, then matching your car to that. Its easy to get it wrong, hard to & usually impossible to correct.
Practice wont make perfect...
One reason extending drawbars on these little trailers is popular. Another is trailer can strike the truck when starting or ending steep slopes.

I agree that the reason the trailer seems to over react to steering inputs is the distance from its axle to the pivot point (hitch). A ball coupler will not change that characteristic relative to a pintle/lunette.

Best to: (1) start with the vehicle & trailer in line, (2) go slow, and (3) make small steering inputs.

Practice enough and you will improve.
 

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