PEAK PUTTERS

Now that I'm moving into 16' "modern" trailer living, I get to figure out vehicle placement and drop hitch measurement all over again. Where does your Jeep ride on your trailer?

I thought I would be able to run the Jeep back a lot farther, but the rear springs already seem to be taking most of the weight. I have a "fabbed" 5 1/2" drop hitch in now, don't think a full 6" will settle the f/r spring bias enough but also don't want the hitch to be an anchor!

Mine used to ride the same as that pic when it was on the 16ft trailer. The door was always over the wheel wheels.

Never put much thought into it. Just pulled forward till the back of the truck started to squat.

Lurch wrote:Never put much thought into it. Just pulled forward till the back of the truck started to squat.

That's the way I did it too.

Once I figured out where I thought it should be, I adjusted my single long chain that I wrap around the rear pumpkin. Drive forward until the slack is tight, then tie down the front. The Jeep ends up in the same place on the trailer every time. I'm sure there are easier ways to tie it down that doesn't require crawling under the back of the Jeep.
Here is how it sits on the 18' PJ trailer. 16' deck, 2' dovetail.

Roman wrote:I thought I would be able to run the Jeep back a lot farther, but the rear springs already seem to be taking most of the weight. I have a "fabbed" 5 1/2" drop hitch in now, don't think a full 6" will settle the f/r spring bias enough but also don't want the hitch to be an anchor!

Turns out I don't know how to measure drop hitches... I assumed it was from the bottom of the 2" shank, but NO its from the top. So I was cruising around with a 7 1/2" drop. Guess I'll get an 8" so I can return the stack of borrowed hitches and start playing with wiring for the new brake controller.

Also, the method of securing the Jeep wasn't the issue. Been using the preset rear strap method for years. Just trying to figure placement. Even in that pic, the rear spring shackle is almost touching the frame rail. And on the flattest ground ground I could fine, the trailer is nose high

The only way to do it right is to weigh the trailer axles separately, but that picture doesn't look too far off from how I've normally run mine over the years.

Roman wrote:I thought I would be able to run the Jeep back a lot farther, but the rear springs already seem to be taking most of the weight. I have a "fabbed" 5 1/2" drop hitch in now, don't think a full 6" will settle the f/r spring bias enough but also don't want the hitch to be an anchor!

Been doing the same set up here and never had any issue.

I'll bring a set of tongue weight scales tonight. Tongue weight should be 10-15% of total weight.