Off road trailer towing - experiences/tips/tricks/advice

[fireball]

Greetings,

Perhaps there already exists a thread similar to what I am looking for. If so, please point me in the right direction.

As we are debating what kind/type/size of trailer to add to our setup I would be interested to hear others experiences in towing off road. We really want a 5x10 TD with RTT to be able to fit our family of 5, but just not sure if that will be suitable for the trails we have here in the east.

Some of my questions would be:

how much more nimble and easy to run through trails would a Chaser-type trailer be vs. a TD?

how big of a hassle is it towing when it comes time to find parking, make u-turns, etc?

how did you learn how to drive your trailer off road? A few easy trails to start? Any suggestions on how to get more confident and comfortable? Any driving tips or things you need to do differently when towing off road?

Any other thoughts would be welcome!

 

[dusty122]

i'm in the same boat. i was really hoping for some sort of trailer class at overland expo this year because trailers have gotten super popular lately. My teardrop is really the first trailer i've owned and just using it on the streets has helped me a bunch to build confidence with it and understanding how to maneuver it. just basic stuff like taking my time and doing small maneuvers is probably the best advice i can give at my skill level. as well as just driving it around town. the trailers you are mentioning are pretty short in length so they are pretty dang maneuverable when it comes to u turns. Also the ability for you and if you have a spotter when backing up to understand that the turning axis of the trailer is its wheels. Id like to take a training course or at least go on a trail run with an experienced person that takes a trailer out there. Id like to know a lot of the same things. So far most of the trails ive done with my trailer i have pre-run without to make sure there isnt anything super crazy that i would have to back up long distances up a dirt road to avoid.

 

[Pikeman]

I have taught tractor trailer driving and also off road with a trailer to military personnel for a long time. In fact the first vehicle I drove was the family 77 Malibu wagon with a motorcycle trailer attached in the desert at age 9 or 10. My dad said " if I ever crash and you need to get me to the hospital you better not forget the bikes". Anyways one of the best tips I can give is when backing up stay moving(slow controlled speed{just above idle}) so you can see the corrections, making minor corrections. If you are stopped you will almost always over correct when turning your wheels because you cannot see how it affects the trailer movement.

As far as your trailer choices you mentioned I don't think there is a significant enough difference in wheel base to be that noticeable. Where you will notice the difference is the height of the trailer. I have only been on a few trails back East and they were pretty wooded, so you would have to be cognizant of the top of trailer in an off camber situation more with a tear drop. You can learn your trailer so my advise is get the one that is going to fit your family needs best.

Michael

 

[Box Rocket]

Good suggestions so far. I'm like most people on here (I think) and didn't have years of experience towing trailers frequently, or have had training with tractor trailers or the like when I built my offroad trailer and started using it. So there was a lot of "on the job training" I guess you'd say.
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the tips I would suggest is to get as much time dragging the trailer around as you can, even if it's on the road to start. It will help you learn the dimensions of the trailer, where it fits, where it won't, how it behaves during turns or other maneuvers and at different speeds. Then start taking it out to some fire roads etc that you're comfortable with where you can start see where you have clearance issues, like breakover angle below the tongue, at the rear, is there a risk of the trailer contacting the rear of the truck when crossing deep ditches? that kind of thing.
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Most offroad capable trailers have slightly shorter tongue length and shorter wheelbase. As a result they change direction more quickly when backing up. Practice is key to getting used to making small movements with the steering when backing up. Pikeman's suggestion to keep moving while backing up is a good one, although not always possible.
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As far as the type of trailer to get, there is not one right answer for everyone. IMO it's a question of a few things. How much space do you need for gear etc? Can your vehicle safely tow the trailer weight? What kinds of places to you plan to take it? What type of terrain do you want to be able to travel? Personally I think TD trailers are cool but they don't fit my needs. The dimensions of TD trailers are typically larger and harder to get through tight trails or technical terrain. Also, the sleeping area in a TD trailer usually ends up being covered with packed gear while travelling which means you have to unpack gear to clear the space needed to sleep, which is why I prefer a smaller trailer with a RTT. Bottom line is to figure out what you need from a trailer to support your family in the best way for the places you want to go and pick that one. There will likely be sacrifices you need to make either in terms of the trailer, or the places you can go but pick the option that meets the most needs with the fewest amount of compromises.

 

[fireball]

Great responses thus far, thanks to everything this is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for. Adam makes a good point above about everything being a compromise and that's why this is a hard decision for us. We don't want to limit ourselves and are also trying to decide on something that we have no experience with! When we bought the 100 to accomodate the growing family it was pretty clear it was a bit bigger than the 4R, wouldn't fit on all the same trails, would get worse gas mileage, etc. But when deciding on a trailer, having never used one, never towed one, we are only guessing and its a big $$$ guess so we want to try our best to do it right.

Would anyone care to comment on times that you've been towing and things got really hairy or you had issues? How about issues that are inherent to the trailer, stuff that we normally might not think about while just driving our trucks off road.

Also, I believe they were trying to talk Mario/Adventure Trailers into doing a trailer/towing demo at the Vermont Rally last year but it didn't come to fruition. Not sure if that might still be a possibility for the events out east later this year?

 

[Box Rocket]

Another thing to remember is that with a trailer, many things that would be no big deal with just a vehicle can become significantly more challenging. You're essentially dragging a big anchor around with you. Moderate sized ledges that wouldn't be a problem for your Cruiser can take a bit more effort with a trailer, or a different line. Going downhill can be different and requires more caution since you have the weight of a trailer pushing you down the hill. Same goes for off-camber. None of that is too crazy, just takes some getting used to that in my experience actually comes along pretty quickly. The biggest issue I've really experienced was on tight trails where I got stopped by an obstacle and needed to backup and reposition the truck. It's not uncommon for a trailer to cause some real issues in a situation like this. You might need to jackknife the trailer and drag it sideways. Or you might need to unhook it. In most cases with a trailer speed is your enemy. Stopping distances are longer. On trails, speed can get the trailer airborne even on relatively small bumps and if you're not careful can tip the trailer over. Of course there are exceptions, but keep your speed in check and at a comfortable pace for you to stay in control of your vehicle and the trailer and give yourself time to react if you get surprised.

 

[BADDANDY]

My 2 cents;
A trailer no wider than the tow vehicle will prevent worrying about "will it fit thru what the tow vehicle made it thru".
I prefer a trailer with wheels mounted outboard of the box as tires are more forgiving than the panels.
A short tongue length will increase the probably of making a turn around an obstacle like a tree. As the tow vehicle turns, the rear will swing out keeping the trailer in the same arc.
Keeping gear in the tow rig no higher than the bottom of the back windows will allow full view of the trailer when backing up.

 

[Box Rocket]

My 2 cents;
A trailer no wider than the tow vehicle will prevent worrying about "will it fit thru what the tow vehicle made it thru".
I prefer a trailer with wheels mounted outboard of the box as tires are more forgiving than the panels.
A short tongue length will increase the probably of making a turn around an obstacle like a tree. As the tow vehicle turns, the rear will swing out keeping the trailer in the same arc.
Keeping gear in the tow rig no higher than the bottom of the back windows will allow full view of the trailer when backing up.

I like the suggestion of keeping the gear in the tow rig from obstructing the view of the trailer. The comment about trailer width and "will it fit" is good too but not always true. If you're moving straight forward then yeah a trailer of equal or lesser width is going to fit where the tow vehicle just went. If you're making a turn that may or may not be true. Even if the trailer is the same width, if the tongue is too long the trailer will travel in a tighter arc and could contact obstacles on the inside of the turn. Ideally, you have a trailer with the same track width as the tow vehicle and you match the distance between the tow rig's rear axle and the trailer axle to the wheelbase of the tow rig. If you are able to match that wheelbase distance along with the track width, then the trailer should track in the same path as the tow rig.

 

[Box Rocket]

one little bit of clarification to my last comment....it's not always possible to perfectly match track width and wheelbase so don't over-think it or worry too much if your trailer doesn't match those numbers exactly. If it's somewhere close the trailer is going to track really well behind the tow vehicle and fit just about all the same places just fine. So BADDANDY is correct with his suggestion there too. I didn't want it to come across like I'm saying he's wrong.

 

[Oscar Mike]

Good thread, I just purchased a Ruger Trailer and I have been learning my FJs handling characteristics with the new "anchor". I had the trailer set up with my TJ in mind, but alas the TJ took a hit a week ago and is in the shop getting some work done, so I haven't had the opportunity to drag the trailer behind my TJ yet. My FJ barely notices the loaded trailer on the street, it'll be a tad different on the trail I am sure.

 

[Pikeman]

I am also a believer that even though the size and weight of our trailers do not require them that Trailers brakes are a valuable addition. In my opinion electric trailer brakes will help keep it from pushing you down hill. Also with most controllers you have a lever to activate the brakes so you can use them to help in certain situations independently of the vehicle brakes. Not a big fan of hydraulic surge brakes for off-road since a slight downhill with bumps could cause them to activate when you don't want them to causing a jerking motion.


Another tip: When baking up if the trailer starts to turn sideways on you, turn to the trouble(in other words turn to the mirror you see it in) That is of course if you are trying to back straight.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

◙ Keep the trailer as light as possible - Makes everything easier
◙ An off road trailer needs to be able to go 90° to the tow vehicle - This is super important off road when it comes to backing up and u turns. Know how much space you need to U-turn.
◙ Zero off tracking - Trailer must follow the tow vehicle 100%. When off roading you do not want to worry about if your trailer will clear.
◙ Trailer tongue should be as high as possible for clearance and for better trailer stability.
◙ Air down trailer tires when off road - my trailer is light and I run 5-7psi

Using the design above I dont worry about my trailer and feel comfortable taken it 95% of the places my Land Cruiser will go. Correctly set up, no training needed.

 

[jwiereng]

Zero Off tracking is a admirable design goal, however it is rarely possible to have the trailer follow the tow vehicle 100% in all situations. In order for the trailer tires to follow exactly in the tracks for the rear axle of the tow vehicle while negotiation a turn the following conditions must be met. The distance from centre of the rear axle of the tow vehicle to the centre of the coupler is equal to the distance from the centre of the coupler to the centre of the trailer axle. Some logging truck employ "stinger steering" to make sure the trailer does not cheat to corner and meet the ditch.

Some may use a different definition of zero of tracking, such as that the trailer follows in the same swath as the tow vehicle. The swath of the tow vehicle is wider than its width while turning. This is easily accomplished by having a wide Tow vehicle or narrow trailer.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Try to have the trailer tires/wheels match tow vehicle/try to have trailer with MORE ground clearance than tow vehicle/try to have tongue weight less than 100lbs/try to have fully rotateable hitch--(Lock&Roll/pintle/lunette/max)/try to load trailer for tongue weight ratio and-----

The best advice is to have the trailer moveable, unhitched--and that alone can solve most impassable turns/rocks/ruts/vehicle trauma--etc

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Zero Off tracking is a admirable design goal, however it is rarely possible to have the trailer follow the tow vehicle 100% in all situations. In order for the trailer tires to follow exactly in the tracks for the rear axle of the tow vehicle while negotiation a turn the following conditions must be met. The distance from centre of the rear axle of the tow vehicle to the centre of the coupler is equal to the distance from the centre of the coupler to the centre of the trailer axle. Some logging truck employ "stinger steering" to make sure the trailer does not cheat to corner and meet the ditch.


Some may use a different definition of zero of tracking, such as that the trailer follows in the same swath as the tow vehicle. The swath of the tow vehicle is wider than its width while turning. This is easily accomplished by having a wide Tow vehicle or narrow trailer.

The take away from above is it is possible and worth the time invested to have. I never worry about my trailer weaving through trees, rocks or parking lots. If the Land Cruiser clears the trailer clears, no worries. My trailers width is slightly narrower than my Land Cruiser making it easier to obtain.