New Project "Trailer Toad"

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No, it removed the weight off the rear of the DP.  The Stacker trailer is now a Stacker Wagon.  It took a few trial and error settings to get the weight distributing hitch set up correctly.  The Stacker now has four axles instead of three.  Maybe too soon to really know but the ride seems much smoother with less bouncing.  I still need to get the stabilizer bars connected between the DP and the front of the Trailer Toad.  I now notice a slight shift in the tracking of the Stacker after a slow 90 degree turn.  Left turns seem to make the rear of the Stacker track more to the right and then the Stacker returns to exactly centered after a right turn.  They tell me that the stabilizer bars will prevent this because a very small shift in the alignment of the front drawbar can move the rear of the stacker a few inches.  It does seem to straighten out after a while.  I am used to having the same view down either side of the Stacker in my side mirrors.  Same amount of side showing,

Here is picture of the stabilizer bars


 

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I forgot to mention that the Trailer toad has the same "Torsion" axle as the Stacker.  It has an internal spring.

Here is a picture of one that was sitting near mine in the plant.

 

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Very nice, Bill!

Is it my imagination, or are they using an axle bearing assembly for the pivot?  The casting and bolt pattern look like what you'd find on a truck wheel.
 
Lou,

I am pretty sure that is what the pivot is made with.  The smaller version has a 5 lug spindle.

The front of the Trailer toad is locked into the receiver with a solid drawbar and two stabilizer bars connected to the frame of the DP, (which I still have to weld in place).  That makes the front of the ttoad act like a tag axle.

The axle pivots to allow for nice smooth tight turns going forward.  The two red handles are for locking pins that are lowered into the assembly to prevent any pivoting when backing up.  They are left in the up and unlocked position when going down the road.

There is a long T handle that attaches to the rear for moving it around when disconnected.  You have to put your weight on the handle and then you can move it if you are a gorilla.

There is also a kick stand in the back to support it when unhooked.

The bargman connection is extended with a short extension shown in the picture.

I am not experiencing any change in being able to dodge curbs in parking lots.  I think that the pivoting helps keep the turning radius about the same as before.

There are also two shocks mounted on the front.  You can see the left one in the third picture.  They are for cushioning the turning action of the axle.

Here are a couple of close up pictures.

 

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I am going to send a link to this thread to Jok, the owner of Trailer Toad LLC.

I have been very happy with the manner in which he conducts business.  He has spent time on the phone with me thru many calls during this process.  He has been very accomodating as we worked thru the possible changes or modifications and he was very fair and honest in his pricing for the changes.

Some businesses do not respond well to requests for changes or new features in their product.  This is certainly not the case with Jok.  Many of his customers are racers that transport their race cars in Stackers as does Jok.

Mike, the fellow that worked with me much of the day yesterday installing and setting up the TToad also went above and beyond what I consider normal customer service.

He made sure that everything was perfect and even fixed a few of my old parts that were bent.

I highly recommend this company and I am glad that I got this product.  I already feel safer pulling the Stacker.
 
So this thing sits square and rigid to the MH?
Do the tires skid when turning?  Surely not, but it sorta looks like it's hard attached to the coach....

I was thinking about you and your stacker the other day.  I saw a freightliner motorhome thing bumper towing a stacker trailer about the size of yours
except it had two axles only that were spaced very far apart..... similar to your front and rear if your middle axle wasn't there..... and no, it wasn't designed for it either, you could tell by the fenders

Anyway, looks like a nice upgrade and really great company to buy from....
 
blw2,
The Trailer Toad is not rigid to the coach. It has a front cross-member that is rigid to the hitch. The rest of the Toad is hinged vertically so you can go over bumps and through dips without transferring the weight to the coach frame.
As for anti-sway, the axle pivots and the two Monroe steering stabilizers prevent sway. Adding another form of ant-sway is not recommended because that friction will prevent or limit the "steering" of the Toad as it follows the coach.

Thanks for the detailed posts Bill, wish I would have been at the fab shop to meet you.

Jok
 
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