from another thread http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=70797 a year ago working on it wrote:***** About placing your axle at 60% front/rear 40%, that is the normal setting. That also assumes that loading will be balanced in that proportion as well. My squareback TTT, had the axle at the original 60/40 it was manufactured with, but I goofed when adding 12" forward and 24" rearward to the originally 60/40 ratio'ed, 50" x 60" small trailer I converted; I should've added a proportionate length to maintain the favored "magic ratio", but I had created a 54.6/45.4 ratio instead. And, I compounded the error by putting all my really heavy items at the time (generator, battery, cooler, Aquatainer, Coleman gear + fuel) back there, while the only heavy items forward was the spare tire (bolted to the front wall), and a small overhead shelf behind the front slope of the roof. I think my first actual weighing of the tongue weight was zero lbs.
***** I had left room on the tongue for a tongue box, but couldn't find one at the right price, and the right shape I wanted, so in the interim, I compensated by using a Husky diamond-plate (black) toolbox, bolted to the tongue. I moved the battery into it, plus as many tools, spare parts% hardware that I could fit into it (shielding the battery terminals, of course). That made my tongue weight 40 lbs. Again, I compensated for that by carrying heavy camping gear inside the cabin, and making a Weight Distributing arrangement, using only one spring-bar, instead of two,and the hitch head as I used it, for pulling my big trailers.
***** I finally bought a nice tongue box, mounted it to a sliding platform (for blocking-in the spare, and to gain added tongue weight), stuffed the battery & spares from the earlier box, then added lots more electrical supplies and tools, until it was full. I finally reached 10% tongue weight, and the added 3 feet of tongue box forward of the cabin, made the EFFECTIVE balance ratio become 67/33, as well.
***** Recently, prior to my last trip, I added a single shelf on a rack over my front slope/tongue box, followed by a second shelf, and a sideways scissor jack mounted to the tongue, which doesn't change the ratio in terms of length, but it certainly added more tongue weight, now at 303 lbs (trailer total weight is 2065), when loaded up. Now, I don't have to carry heavy gear inside the cabin (now they're on the racks, or in the truck bed), and I might not have to use the WD hitch system anymore (it's almost impossible to back up while using it on a short trailer), also due to recently adding a drop-shank, to lower the ball height.
***** So, by starting out with the magic 60/40 ratio, you'll probably need less, or no, adjustments to get your weight balance correct, for a safer towing experience, without having to make major alterations that I had to, to achieve the desired results.
* Since then, I've added another storage rack in front, a storage tube on top, and two side racks. Even with re-distribution of loading, I figure that my EFFECTIVE balance has grown to 70/30 or so (which I'll need to verify, by actually weighing the trailer again ...last done in 2013). The trailer now has so much forward weight, that it's a good thing that my tow vehicle is still 3x the trailer weight (or adverse steering problems might surface). As is my usual custom, I overshot my "perfect balance" goal from years back.
Danny
