Novel little demonstration about weighting of a trailer for stability
youtube.com/watch?v=w9Dgxe584Ss
Juddian:
Novel little demonstration about weighting of a trailer for stability
youtube.com/watch?v=w9Dgxe584Ss
That’s a great example.
Ironically many people think that multi axle trailers provide immunity from those basics regarding the correct nose weight.Which is one of the major flaws in the close coupled outfit configuration.
To which you then have the added complications of what happens when you’ve got loads of weight on ‘both’ the rear ‘and’ the front trailer overhangs as in the case of a truck in which case it also then turns into a lateral pendulum and vertical see saw effect.Also added to by the gross weight and weight distribution of the load on the prime over.Or possibly even the lack of it relative to the gross trailer weight. In which case forget all about the empty but still heavy American pick up pulling a loaded trailer shown in the vid because that ain’t going to work with a truck regardless of noseweight,just like the typical too light car for the caravan,as the driver who I was referring to found out the hard way.Or the other scenario I referred to of the fully freighted,let alone tail heavy,prime mover with the trailer nose weight then dropped onto it.Creating a drive/rear axle overload and a light steer axle.
All of which creates numerous variables and a resulting either/and/or lottery as to how the thing will handle from one type of load to the next.Let alone with a bleedin heavy forklift hanging on the back of the trailer not even on its already compromised unsupported load deck.
As I said realistically the things are an unacceptable liability at HGV type weights and should be legislated off the road in favour of A frames.
I will admit to being one who would not mind having a go with a traditional A frame set up before I hang up the license. Not saying I would be any good, just fancy trying.
Carryfast:
you did the same in addition to driving a bleedin bus in your spare time.
I drive a bus in my spare time?
Odd days:
I will admit to being one who would not mind having a go with a traditional A frame set up before I hang up the license. Not saying I would be any good, just fancy trying.
Yeah you should if you like a challenge but give yourself plenty time. Once you master one of them an artic seems so easy.
I have seen drivers more or less crack an artic in a day or less but an A frame trailer takes time and plenty practice. 
switchlogic:
Carryfast:
you did the same in addition to driving a bleedin bus in your spare time.I drive a bus in my spare time?
It was a joke. You know standard MO I add some knowledge where I think I can help you try to shoot it down with you always know better because you’ve driven,more,better,trucks,further,than I have and therefore I’m talking bollox .
So getting back to the fact of around 5 years of the job in my case being continuous driving a close coupled outfit around 2,000 miles per week.Followed by what I consider to be the best years of my,admittedly not as good as yours,career driving a 5 axle A frame outfit the same type of distance,all on uk night trunking,which was as close to my dream as the job ever got.Which part of what I’ve said in reply to the OP is supposedly ‘fantasy’ ?.
jakethesnake:
Odd days:
I will admit to being one who would not mind having a go with a traditional A frame set up before I hang up the license. Not saying I would be any good, just fancy trying.Yeah you should if you like a challenge but give yourself plenty time. Once you master one of them an artic seems so easy.
I have seen drivers more or less crack an artic in a day or less but an A frame trailer takes time and plenty practice.
Also maybe a state of mind that a truck and trailer should naturally have two points of articulation as opposed to an artic having only one before you start helps.Having said that I’d always wanted to try an artic/A train outfit just to see how it handled and how I got on.
But I think my heart was always with the rigid and drawbar from day 1. Starting with my first impressions of seeing them in common use during my earliest holidays on the continent and always thinking that an old Brit fairground outfit looked far more impressive than a 35-40 foot artic even before that.So I’m more than thankful that the job luckily gave me the chance to tick that box.Just wish it could have been more and much further.While ironically it will be in the form of LHV’s which just might eventually be the decider in which the A frame configuration finally wins out.