that extra tire thingie

[sgallimo]

I trying to find the name of this gizmo that I saw on somebody's trailer page in the past couple of months. It was a swiveling tire mount that was installed inside the triangle formed by the tongue on an enclosed trailer. Its purpose was to help control trailer movement during towing. Thanks in advance.

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-Scott Gallimore
-ITC #88 Pulsar

[cnewman]

Is this it?

www.tufftow.com

[Tristan Smith]

That looks very interesting. Has anyone on this board had any experience with this device, or see any potential problem with it? I guess you would definately need a break-away brake system with it. Otherwise, I have visions of my trailer passing me on the highway in the adjoining lane, ha. It looks like it would make moving an empty trailer around easier too.

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Tristan Smith
Buffalo's Southwest Cafe
ITA Nissan 240sx #56

[m glassburner]

2000$ dollars..and two more tires to take care of...I dont think so...I'll go with the dual bar device first!!And Its around 275$ mike g.

[apr67]

It has a purpose.

If you are a drunk drag racer and can't get your toung weight low enough, you should spend the $2000 and be happy.

Most of us can move our 'load' around to get a reasonable toung weight, and ergo this isn't necessary.

Is it?

[Quickshoe]

I was pretty close to purchasing a similar device a couple years back. I have to tow with a Class C motorhome if I want to keep the family happy. I wanted to get an enclosed trailer after open decking it for 12-13 years of racing. This would have made it possible to tow a larger trailer with the motorhome.

My concern, beyond the price, is what happens when I am pulling into a gas station or whatever and the driveway has a big dip, you know the kind where the trailer tongue becomes a couple inches off the ground? Is that device going to support enough weight to pick up the rear of my RV and cause me to high center losing my drive? Or is the weight of the rear of the RV going to cause the tire/wheel to fail?

[wally]

The Tuff Tow is a very good device if you have a 28'+ or bigger trailer towed behind a motor home. What kind of tow vehicle and trailer do you have?

Wally Ruanto
Trailer World Inc.
www.trailerworld.com

[Quickshoe]

Wally,

Not certain if that question was directed towards me, or the originator of the thread.

I have a 1994 Fleetwood 23' Class C on an E350 Chassis. I settled on a 16' 2004 Interstate West TA enclosed trailer.

Since you appear to be a dealer of this item, perhaps you are familiar enough with its' operation to answer a question.

What happens when, through suspension travel limitations (bump and droop) of the trailer, motorhome and "tufftow", you cannot have all axles in contact with the road? Such as travelling over a driveway with a steep downward approach angle into an immediate steep upwards slope?

Will the tufftow fail? Or will the tuff tow bottom out and proceed to attempt to lift the rear axle of the motorhome off the ground from a point (hitch ball) 10 feet to the rear of the axle centerline? I can't see either being a good scenario, so what would occur that I am not 'seeing'?

[cnewman]

I've got a 30' Class A, and was looking at this thing not as a tongue weight issue, but to reduce the force on the frame of the motorhome. I've heard horror stories about frames breaking right behind the rear axle, and it seems that this thing would reduce the chance of that.