[TowerTalk] Building a Tower Trailer

[Michael Tope]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "JC Smith" <jc-smith at comcast.net>
To: "'Michael Tope'" <W4EF at dellroy.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 10:36 AM
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Building a Tower Trailer


> Mike,
>
> Your CG problem was more likely the CG too far back as opposed to too high
> (although that's not good either).  More weight on the hitch usually
> prevents the oscillation.  I don't know if you have trailer breaks, but if
> you do you could have used them only, without the tow vehicle breaks, and
> that would have helped you slow down and dampen the oscillations at the 
> same
> time.  Hindsight, I know, but might help in the future.
>
> 73 - JC, K0HPS
>

I have an electric brake controller on my truck, JC, but there are
no brakes on the trailer currently (that would have been a godsend
during the "incident"). And, yes, the tongue was probably light that
year (likely a big factor). We had the generator gas cans lashed up
there going up, but we didn't replace the weight of the consumed gas
when we came back down (dumb things you do when you are tired).
I installed a gull wing tool box just behind the tongue last year so
now the tongue has plenty of weight on it all the time (the box has
plenty of guys stakes and other heavy stuff in it). After coming very
close to being the lead story on the evening news, I have no interest
in tempting fate to see if these changes improved stability at 75
MPH.

73, Mike W4EF.....................................................