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Itchytoe · 10-01-2019, 02:19 PM

I'd never heard of such things until they were mentioned in another thread here. They seem extremely useful for someone like me, but I'm not quite understanding now exactly they work. As in, the physics of them don't work out. Hopefully, someone who actually has one can clear some things up for me.

This is how I'm understanding it. They connect rigidly to your bumper/hitch, kinda like how a bolted on bike rack does. No movement in any direction is allowed between the trailer and the swivel wheel. It's really just a rear extension bolted to the frame, but with a supporting swivel wheel.

That supporting swivel wheel is where I see the problem. If you go over railroad tracks, your trailer has some articulation between it and the truck so all is good. Truck goes over, trailer goes over, and nothing hits the tracks. That is, unless you have a big wheel hanging down from the back of the trailer that can't move up or down independently of the trailer's axles. It seems like that wheel would get crushed when it goes over the tracks. Even speed bumps in parking lots would have the same effect. Then if it went over a pothole, it would just float and not support the weight at all until it hits the road again after the hole.

I must be missing something. Someone help me out. What is that big something that I'm missing?

steve52 · 10-01-2019, 02:51 PM

The platform can move vertically.

Product videos

aether_one · 10-01-2019, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve52

The platform can move vertically.

Product videos

He means pivot vertically. It is a hinge at the bumper, not a solid connection.

Itchytoe · 10-01-2019, 07:42 PM

Oh okay. A hinged connection would alleviate the issues. I thought I read somewhere that it was a rigid connection so that it was considered an extension of the trailer and not a second trailer. I must have misread something.

Thanks.

aknavy · 10-01-2019, 07:55 PM

They all have a hinge at the trailer connection point, and most have a torsion axle on the wheel for suspension..

grindstone01 · 10-01-2019, 07:55 PM

Here is a picture of my swivel wheel from the side. The 2 arms extending from the fifth wheel frame are pinned to the swivel platform which allows the platform to tilt up or down. You could actually pivot the swivel platform up against the back of the fifth wheel to a vertical position, although I have never done that. The different holes in the upright arms allow for a level ride or a slight slope. The swivel also come with a adapter to fit into a regular vehicle hitch.