Drawbar load on trailer
The drawbar load of your trailer
The drawbar pressure is the force with which the trailer, through the hitch, rests on the car’s tow bar. The pressure on the hitch depends on how the trailer is loaded. A lot of weight toward the drawbar can result in excessive drawbar pressure. Too much cargo in the back of the cargo box results in too low a nose weight. There can also be negative pressure, when there is an upward force acting on the hitch. In all of these situations, poor trailer loading is the cause, resulting in a higher risk of skidding and swerving.
Therefore, the drawbar load is also one of the most important criteria for the road handling of trailers as well as the handling of towing vehicles. When developing a trailer, HAPERT Trailers also always considers the optimal drawbar load by, for example, the distance between the axles and the center of the wheels.
Calculating the best drawbar pressure
The ideal drawbar pressure is near the maximum allowable pressure. Please note that the drawbar load of the trailer must not exceed the maximum value, which is allowed for the car and/or the tow bar. You can find this information on the tow bar or vehicle specifications. The maximum of your HAPERT trailer can be found on the nameplate of your model.
Maximum loading of your trailers
Before measuring the drawbar load, it is important to know how much load your trailer is allowed to carry. The type plate of all HAPERT trailers also always shows the gross payload.
This is the maximum the trailer and load can weigh together. Therefore, to check what your HAPERT model can carry as cargo, you must subtract the weight of the trailer from the gross payload.