Ya, a empty light trailer that is unloaded will bounce a lot. Just physics. And really, nothing worse then backing up a short trailer. Best thing I did when I rebuilt my trailer the first time was to extend the tongue. Tows so much better now. Mine is only 8" long, but its also almost 6 foot wide, and gives lots of room. A bigger trailer weighing more, will always bounce less. Really to get a small trailer to handle any real weight, the springs have to be pretty stiff, and that just makes then rock hard empty. Also it is harder to balance a smaller, single axle trailer. Being so small, light, and short, the balance is so different empty vs. full. SO many of the newer small trailers also seem to have more design focus on ease of storing, then actually towing the thing!

Swaying often caused by loading "tail heavy".
Walt Conner

PA318Guy said:

I've never liked towing single axle trailers, they sway and bounce too much for my liking.

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Trailer axles dont have alignment adjustments camber caster and toe-in. On certain cases trailer wheels are attached to stubshafts and depending on how its configured ot may be adjustable bit o have never seen alignment om any trailer.

The axles are usuly a single.piece - live-axle type
The axle may have a bend in it for camber but thats also quite rare. Most small trailer axles are plain straight.

Bounce is typically caused by overinflated tires, and stiff suspension on a light trailer. Some small trailer dont even have a leaf spring. They rely on tire sidewall flex for suspension.
Sway is caused by the location of CG of the trailer vs the axle when loaded, plus the overall length. A short trailer with the axle close to the tonque will sway more.

Forest Gump said:

PA318 wrote:
I've never liked towing single axle trailers, they sway and bounce too much for my liking.

Right.

Someone also mentioned sway.
Couple things to first check that can really make a trailer sway and fish tail, Not enough weight on the tongue when loaded or unloaded.
AND If the caster and camber is not correct on the Axle (axles).
A single axle trailer can very easily get it's axle bent and fish tail, sway, bounce constantly.
You can check a trailer axle with a telescopic bar. The axle should be toed in by 1/8 to 1/4 inch at the front and about same at the top and bottom. If not toed in at the front they will not tow good.
You can review such on-line.

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Yes I know, that's why.i have a dual axle and I'm careful to keep the proper tongue weight on it.

right... the only thing is that dual axle trailers are big and heavy...
just like with tractors... you need 2 trailers!.... a small one and a large one......

Those grated gates are quite popular and have to have less wind resistance than a solid gate. But I have often wondered what that difference actually is. There has to be quite a bit of air turbulence threw the mesh.

I just rented a UH 6x12 open, dual axle with drop down ramp, twice in 3 weeks. Moved a lot of heavy stuff from the old garage, and both my Sears and Craftsman tractors on one trip, then the JD X500 on the second trip. The UH trailers are heavily built, but you hardly notice them when driving. Wonder if they offer those for sale or auction? Likely they just rent them until they are junk or wrecked.

Anyway, I keep thinking of buying my own some day just for convenience and ability to "go at a moment's notice" if required. I moved to the country and UHaul equipment is sometimes not available locally. An hour's drive to get an "available" trailer or truck I need is a bit more than "inconvenient".

It's still enough to be annoying. I have a Karavan 4.5x8 with the mesh drop down ramp and I can still tell it's back there when empty, even more so when it's windy. I prefer to use drop in ramps, but the versatility of just dropping the gate is nice....until you load something that is 3" too long and you can't close the gate.

Ariens93GT20 said:

Those grated gates are quite popular and have to have less wind resistance than a solid gate. But I have often wondered what that difference actually is. There has to be quite a bit of air turbulence threw the mesh.

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Lol this is true that's why we have 3 the small one the medium and the big feller the medium one needs an axel the old boy was towing it and a bearing went and made a big mess it's a tandem as well I like the swing down gate it's just the pitch that most tractors go on with out any issues u get the odd one that the deck hits if the deck is broken or a bent blade will hook it if ur not careful...I told the old boy he can have his little tralier back for his little truck and I will stick to the big one he laughed and said ok my truck don't like pulling the big one with a full load anyway ..

Chuck Woolery said:

It's still enough to be annoying. I have a Karavan 4.5x8 with the mesh drop down ramp and I can still tell it's back there when empty, even more so when it's windy. I prefer to use drop in ramps, but the versatility of just dropping the gate is nice....until you load something that is 3" too long and you can't close the gate.

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I had a solid gate one years ago theesh ones are allot better

Ariens93GT20 said:

Those grated gates are quite popular and have to have less wind resistance than a solid gate. But I have often wondered what that difference actually is. There has to be quite a bit of air turbulence threw the mesh.

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But as compared to no gate?

The small engine junkie said:

I had a solid gate one years ago theesh ones are allot better

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I like ones with a gate better I had a no gate one once and the ramps were a pain also had to mess around with lining it up perfectly or the darn things weren't long enough or u had to put blocks or wood under them so the deck would clear ...These ones u drop the Gate drive on close gate and go ..the mesh cuts down on wind drag I still get 17 to 18 mpg clipping at 120 kms an hr on the hwy but truck also has a tow haul package

Ariens93GT20 said:

But as compared to no gate?

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I still like my tilt bed. One flat surface all the way to the trailer bed.

That's my next purchase I need one for my car anyways

Ariens93GT20 said:

I still like my tilt bed. One flat surface all the way to the trailer bed.

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That's like my Scary Little Junk Trailer, that back around 1960 someone cobbled together from a 1940s Ford truck axle and a couple metal bedframes (really... that's why the box is this weird size, 3'7" by 6'8" ....well, it was free). It tows great, empty or loaded (in fact I've pulled the durn thing 1200 miles cross-country, loaded up). But there's no backing it up, not even when I was in practice and good at it -- jackknifes the moment you try. Easier to unload and unhook it and move it by hand.

I've asked UH about that. I was told they had such a problem with theft, because you couldn't tell a discard from a stolen trailer, that now they just cut 'em up when they get too decrepit. So all modern UH trailers offered for sale are "hot". However, there are some old ones floating around with legit titles; I've got a 1960ish 18' flatbed with a homemade box on top, that probably started life with UH, and yeah, it tows really nice, full or empty, and backs up pretty good too.

Alien5044 said:

The UH trailers are heavily built, but you hardly notice them when driving. Wonder if they offer those for sale or auction? Likely they just rent them until they are junk or wrecked.

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Check the leaf springs. Also, back the tractor on the trailer. get the engine weight over the axle.

The small engine junkie said:

It bounces all over the place...I am.used to the big tralier lol this one will do the trick I guess

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UH quite selling to the public quite selling to the public some time before the 1990's. When one of the sons worked for them we tried to buy a damage car hauler. Even at the time everything not fixable was cut up and sold for scrap. And thing replaced ended with the same fath.

I've got a 5' x 8' I've had for 30 years. Can't tell you how many thousands of miles I towed that thing. Towed with four pickup trucks and a jeep wrangler, city, country, highway, and not once had any issues with bouncing or swaying. Maybe it's how it's loaded?

PA318Guy said:

I've never liked towing single axle trailers, they sway and bounce too much for my liking.

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I have a heavier built 5'x14' single axle w/wood floor that tows well both loaded and empty but find anything shorter is a bear to maneuver when backing up, the longer the better in my book.