Mallard - M28 Hitch height When level

We experienced quite a bit of sway on our last trip, it was due to cross-winds. So I began doing some investigation as to my TW and Hitch Height.

One of the area's that seems important to prevent sway is that the tongue weight remain stable. If the trailer is leaning back on its tail then we are going to see sway, as I understand it.

As I ran the trailer and truck last week, the hitch was up high enough that we would have been tail lower than the front. So I think this would have contributed to my rear end being drug around.

In getting the trailer level to the roadway I'm finding that the hitch is around 11 1/2" at the bottom of the coupler on the trailer.

The measurements I'm taking to determine level are against the I-Beam betewen the wheels and the I-Beam at the rear of the trailer. When ethese two are equal i'm considering it level, and this is when the hitch is so low.

Does this sound right and how the trailer was designed?

Re: ATF: Mallard - M28 Hitch height When level

Hi michaelb,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. We have quite a few owners who have experience with hitches and I'm sure you'll get some feedback shortly.

As part of my continued research into why the trailer gets squirrely I've noticed that the door side springs are completely flat, while the off-door side have a curve to them still.

I'll unload all our stuff from the trailer, but, it seems to me that flat springs would cost me a couple of inches of height when level going down the road.

And as it turns out my rear axle is about 20 degrees out of alignment towards the door side. Tire shredded, lucky we didn't have a blowout.

Additionally, my subfloor on the door side shows significant tire rub on the external (street exposed) sub floor due to insufficient springs on the door side.

No way to correct the insufficient spring issue by using the same springs for both sides, the weight differential on the door side is insanely out of balance to the off-door side.

These ultralights are built with 3500 lb axles and the M28 is running right at that 7000 lb weight when loaded. Not sure what kind of margin there is in the axle designs but you might want to consider stepping up to 4000 lb axles. I was advised to run dry all of the time just for that reason when I picked up my M245.

RossRagan said:

These ultralights are built with 3500 lb axles and the M28 is running right at that 7000 lb weight when loaded. Not sure what kind of margin there is in the axle designs but you might want to consider stepping up to 4000 lb axles. I was advised to run dry all of the time just for that reason when I picked up my M245.

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I can see where that could be the case with these. But my scale weights show 6,550 on the axles.

The issue is that the door side weight is clearly way over the 1,750 per tire max that they should have.

And, of course, the axle is mis aligned.