Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

First time post (newbie):
I am purchasing a haul trailer, tandem axle, 16' long, wooded bed.
Would like to hear from any experienced hauler who would know where to place my Model A Coupe in relation to the center point between the 2 axles of the trailer?

Thank you,

Ivan

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

That is a little hard to tell without seeing the trailer but generally you want to have some weight on the hitch. Probably in your case depending on tow vehicle about 100 lbs as a starting point. Just position the car to achieve that weight.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

though different- I always buy a trailer with a front bar and pull tight to the front.
these cars are only a little over 2k in weight anyway. so I use the tongue weight over centering. on a heavier car, yes I would put the car back a bit.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

I've reader that the trailer plus load should be 10% on the tongue, it may have been in a camping world article 10,000 lb trailer = 1000lb tongue weight

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

Very helpful! And, much appreciated........................

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

60% of the load ahead of the center point between the axles.
Or always have 200 lbs. on the hitch.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

I haul my woody and my coupe on a 16' wooded bed car hauler regurly. here is whi did.
Hook trailer to truck.
Drive car onto trailer. Place wifes bathroom scale under jack stand.
Unhook trailer and let down on the scale. Your target is 10% to 15% of total weight of trailer and car.

Roll car forward until you have that weight on the scale.
Mark on trailer bed where the front tires are. I put (screwed) a 2x2" board across in front of the front tires.
When I load I can drive on until the front tires touch the 2x2" and each time I know I have 15% of my lod on the truck trailer hitch.


Model A coupe weighs approx 2300 lbs. Your trailer will weigh between 1200 and 1400 lbs. Total weight of car and trailer is between 3500 and 3700 lbs. That means you need between 350 to 400 lbs of weight on the trailer hitch/tounge.
Happy towing. ken

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

My wife's scale doesn't go that high.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

Ivan, welcome to Fordbarn! Typically, the balance point of a Coupe will be the drain plug on the transmission. Too many other variables to give advice without seeing all the package (i.e: type trailer, tow vehicle, hitch, etc.)

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

This reminds me of the first time I hauled a car on a trailer many years ago. I didn't have any tongue weight, car too far back. It nearly put me in the ditch when I hit about 40mph. Yikes. Wish i could have had you guys coaching me back then., Oh yeah! No internet back then.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

What we do in the equipment world is drive the unit on the trailer till the tongue just goes down (the hitch takes load) then a few inches more. The idea as mentioned is slight load on the tongue.Once you have it set,chain it and drive some,readjust if necessary.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

Never hauled an "A", but have many a mile pulling heavy equipment with big trucks down to a pickup and skid loader. When pulling a skid loader with my pickup truck I drive the machine onto the trailer, slowly. At some point you should be able to feel the trailer level out once you hit the balance point with the dual axles. Go forward a bit more to put a little weight on the tongue. BAM, your done and ready to go (of course after you tie things down a bit). A trick we would do is after we had it down to knowing exactly the 'sweet spot' we would paint a line on the trailer at the front bucket line. If you're using the trailer dedicated to the car you could screw a couple of blocks in place ahead of the front wheels.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

A bit of theory from a local document:

In North America virtually all trailer and caravan makers endorse the 10-percent rule and some go so far as to suggest the towball load should be as high as 15 percent. In the case of a 2000kg trailer that means a towball load of 200kg to 300kg.
In Europe it’s an entirely different story: the typical EEC car and 4WD towball load is between 50kg and 75kg, and even heavy trailers – above 3500kg – have towball loads around 100kg.
Why the difference, given that trailers and towing vehicles are pretty much global vehicles these days?

The North American scene
Published research on the ball weight topic is very hard to find, but we’ve managed to dig up some US calculations and real-world testing done in 2008 by Delphi and published by the SAE. These findings explain why the Yanks get lower trailer-towing ratings for globally available vehicles and why they insist on 10-15-percent ball weight.
If you buy a Toyota or Subaru, for example, in the USA you’ll find that the trailer rating is much lower than it is in Europe or in Australia – around half – and the reason is mostly to do with road speed.
Towing speed limits differ across the USA, but vehicle and trailer designers must assume the highest legal speed is their target and that is between 65mph and 80mph (105km/h and 130km/h). That’s faster than trailer towing in any other country, which is why American-market towing vehicles have conservative towing ratings.
Also, as the Delphi study showed, heavier towball weights are necessary at 130km/h and above.
The Delphi study looked at variables, including the centre of mass, axle placement and vehicle speed, and calculated if the trailer was likely to sway. The predictions also noted and at what speed it was a decaying oscillation (taking care of itself) or an exponential oscillation (building to an accident).

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

From a practical standpoint - it doesn’t matter if you have a well built trailer rated for the Model A you are putting on it and your tow vehicle is designed to safely pull the combined weight load.


Jim

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

Kansas to Texas no issue positioned as pictured. The engine only weighs about 500 and the car only about 2500 total so I positioned the car forward of the axles and had zero stability issues.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

I have a 10K equipment trailer and do exactly what Jack Shaft does. My A hardly moves my Dodge Ram 2500 rear end down much, but I can tell when there is a bit of weight on the tongue.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

Published research? I've been in a few bar fights where I've found my ball weight lacking,Ill grant you that..

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

Take two two x fours about 16 inches long. Lay one about a foot from the scale and the other across the scale and the one next to the scale. Put a jack under the hitch of the trailer in the center of the board now bridging the scale and the two by four on the ground. The scale will support half of the weight of the tongue. Just double the number to know how much weight is on the tongue. As stated above 10 to 15 percent is about right.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

DO NOT try this with an S 10 or similar vehicle as they are too light. F 150 or even F 250 type truck to pull a trailer with a car loaded on it.

Re: Centering 1930 Model A Deluxe Coupe on towing trailer
 

And 18 percent is even better.