I think the tongue weight is just a little heavy. The 3/16" steel deck I put on the trailer was heavier than I had given any thought to - about 500 lbs. The whole assembly was a bit of a guessing game, because I could only assume the Honda Pioneer has ~40/60 weight distribution of it's 1,800 lbs... but I'm also setting it up so that the weight is balanced with the bed of the Pioneer full, and it's rated to hold 1,000 lbs! (I plan on hauling it with a bed full of firewood, a generator and cans of gas, and many other heavy things that I want out of the van.)
My axle is a Lipton 7,000 lb with greasable hubs and self-adjusting brakes; haven't wired those in yet. I thought it might buck pretty fierce, and it does have a bouncy feel when it's towed empty, but the added mass and suspension of the UTV on the trailer just soaks up all the action. So I'm doing some test-runs before any more grinding and welding. When I tow it with my pickup, I can't feel the tongue weight. The van is a little more sensitive to tongue weight, and it's what I intend to tow it with most of the time. Pilot runs are done successfully; I'm going to fashion temporary fenders (to keep it street legal), load up the UTV bed to the hilt, and then test again. In any case, I got the ground clearance I was seeking!
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Brian
2009 E-350 Lopes 55
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