side-to-side balance

[havingfunnow]

I've been looking at photos and floor plans while I'm in this learning phase, and I notice that most of the 13-foot trailers have both the water tank and the refrigerator on one side of the trailer. Does this weight distribution cause any side-to-side balance problems when towing? Do you pack heavier items on the other side of the trailer to balance it? Does the tire on the heavier side wear more quickly?

[Frederick L. Simson]

I have been weighing trailers with portable wheel-weighers at rallys for several years, and my findings show that it is the exception and not the rule for the trailer weights to be the same on both sides of almost any trailer.

Scamp's 13' trailer's refrigerator is on the driver's side (port side, midships), and the fresh water tank is under the curb side dinette bench (starboard side, aft quarter).

[deryk]

My Parkliner has the water tank on the drivers side of tv, the small fridge, heater, and water heater on the passenger side... the grey water tank is sortof side to side. I need to weigh my tongue and then fill the water tank and see how much it lightens up...15 gallons plus 6 for the water heater.

deryk

[Francesca Knowles]

My Trillium's water tank's place is under the floor of the dinette table, dead center and just behind the axle.

I think this is also standard on the new Trilliums... I don't know about older ones other than the 4500 models of the same generation as mine.

Side note:

I actually removed the water tank as I disliked the one ounce at a stroke hand pump and wanted the extra space for storage. I now use a wall mounted gravity feed "system" involving 2-1/2 gallon water carriers which I carry in different places depending on the load/destination.

Francesca

[havingfunnow]

So, basically -- I don't need to worry about it! Good!

Francesca, that gravity feed sounds perfect. Did you buy the system, or design/make it yourself?

[Francesca Knowles]

I built a rack on the wall above the sink that holds one of these, spout down of course.


Coghlan water carrier


I picked them for their relative flatness, and because they're easier to carry than those big ol' five-gallon collapsibles (which would have been too big for the wall anyway).

One full jug in each hand doesn't tip me over when schlepping like those big boys tend to do!

I also like the flexibility of this arrangement- I don't have to move the whole trailer to fetch water. My routine is that whenever I switch from an empty to a full, the empty goes right in the car. It's seldom more than a couple of days between trips out to one place or another, and I can fill the empties wherever I happen to run across a water source.

Francesca

[havingfunnow]

Francesca, that sounds just perfect. I will copy that setup when I get my trailer. (I don't like the five-pound water jugs either.)

[RRJR]

My 1975 Trillium has all the kitchen on the drivers side (frig, stove. heater, sink. water tank) On the pass side is just the closet. It seem a bit heavier on the drivers side but this is the high part of the road. There is not noteable diff or problems when towing.

Ron

[Steve L.]

My 2003 Casita 16 SD weighs 150 pounds more on the driver side than the curb side (1450/1300 lb). (Axle GAWR 3500 lb, reserve tire load 310 lb minimum at 50 psi)

Items on the left side: Battery(grp24), converter/power cord storage, dinette/storage cubbies, toilet/black water.

Items on the right side: water tank(15 gal), kitchen/reefer, door, closet, awning.

[glamourpets]

Has anyone noticed any difference in tire wear? The heavy side should theoretically wear faster.

Then again, unless you are doing a lot of miles, the typical RV tire probably needs to be retired for age issues long before the tread depth is a consideration.

[havingfunnow]

That's the set-up I've been seeing, Ron. It's good to know that it tows fine! One more thing I really don't have to worry about. Thanks!