smokeywren

Yeah, the trailer should be level front to rear. Or as close to level as you can get it - no more than a piece of a bubble off when using a 4' carpenter's level on the floor of the trailer. If you can't get it level using your ball mount, then you need a ball mount/shank with more drop. I have several weight-carrying (WC) ball mounts with zero, 2", 4" or 6" drop. My WD hitches have adjustable shanks with drops of anywhere from zero to 6". And if 6" is not enough, they make adjustable ball mounts with a lot more drop than 6".


For example if you are one of those folks who have a lifted 4x4 and want to tow a small trailer that doesn't require a weight-distributing hitch, then here's an adjustable WC ball mount with up to 14" drop:
https://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts...s/HL17206.html


Yeah, that one is plenty spendy. If you don't need an adjustable ball mount with that much drop, here's a lot less expensive plain WC ball mount with 6" drop:
https://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts...tch/80240.html

UncleFester

Because my new F150 is higher than my old SUV, I just moved from a 2" rise to a 4" drop for my existing trailer. To my eye, it still seems to be riding a little nose up but I wasn't sure about the levelness of the ground.

I am definitely breaking out the level and finding some level ground this weekend. I might even setup that Backup Control Ford us so proud of.

acdii

Here, this video says it all.

acadianbob

And raising or lowering the tongue will have the same effect as moving that weight; because, raising the tongue effectively shifts weight to the rear.

fcancer

Nice

Dirttracker18

No it does not.

While having a raised tongue is not good for towing and can help to induce sway, it is not effectively moving weight in any way shape or form unless you are running a tandem axle trailer. Even then it is minimal unless you are really messed up on level and you are only shifting weight from one axle to the other, both of which are not at the back of the trailer.

Again a raised tongue can help to induce sway but lowering will actually reduce it but introduces other unintentional problems. However, raising the tongue is not the same effect as too much rear weight or lack of tongue weight.

Boulevard

Buy the right trailer for the load that you are carrying. An unloaded trailer will bounce around more than a loaded trailer and the higher the load capacity the more it will bounce(excluding load imbalance). A lightly loaded high capacity trailer will also get a little jumpy. I know that jumpy is not sway but I am offering what I know.

If you are serious about long term than buy from a shop that makes their own and buy a high capacity frame/axle but have them put on low capacity leafs. Also, buy it a little longer than what you need (8 feet) that way you can pack stuff in it and move your biggest load (the 4-wheeler) back and forth to get better balance (stop sway). Good load distribution also depends on axle location.

A 4-wheeler will come in at about 600lbs all mudded up and accessorized so look for a sturdy 1200 pound trailer.

I prefer ramps not tilt.

A front winch is good in case you have load a dead 4-wheeler.

Get a larger trailer than you need because you cannot 'grow' into a small trailer.

If you get steel than use bed liner to coat the front of the trailer. Gravel coming off of the drive wheels will simply sand blast the front of the trailer and it will rust pronto.

Bottom line, stay away from a lot of the pre-fab stuff at Home Depot and get a proper trailer from a custom trailer shop. 9 times out of 10 they will know exactly what you want and will already have one built.

Once more, I this isn't about sway but you sound like a first time buyer and here is a little of what I know.

UncleFester

Actually, I am a 2nd time buyer. My current utility trailer is a relatively sturdy Anderson capable of carrying up to 1,900 lbs. For what I bought it for (leaf removal, antiquing (before I had a truck)and buying soil/mulch in bulk), it has already paid for itself. With normal sized wheels, it tows easy without any sway that I can feel. I plan to keep it.

But, I made a mistake in picking the tilt load version over the version with the ramps built in. Loading vehicles is a PITA.

For my new trailer, I want to be able to easily carry/load/unload the ATV and use the bed for my hunting/fishing gear. Thus, my interest in a smaller trailer with a ramp.