Polaris ATV Forum banner

Best position on my trailer.

10K views 28 replies 15 participants last post by  Sprotsman 
#1 ·
I have hauled my 570 a few times on short little trips but I might be taking it several hundred miles on the interstate. I have a 6x10 aluminum trailer and a 4 door jeep wrangler. Is it better to pull it all the way to the front and tie it tight there or keep it more over the axle and tie it down there? All my long distance hauling experience was with my snow mobile trailer and it had specific tie down points so there was no guess work. How do you guys do yours????
 
#2 ·
I’d make sure you have enough tongue weight but not too much. A good rule of thumb I’ve always used is if the rear of the tow vehicle is sagging just a slight bit and the trailer is level, you should be good. If not you may need to readjust your hitch height to get it right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#3 ·
What he said....You want the right amount of tongue weight and the trailer balanced. You will know within a few miles if it isn't right.
 
#4 · (Edited)
#5 · (Edited)
put a scale under the tongue jack, and use that to determine your tongue weight.

Know the limits of your tow vehicle (especially when it comes to tongue weight on a short wheelbase vehicle) and don't exceed them.

A lot of the positioning will have to do with the axle positioning on the trailer, in regards to the deck & how long your tongue actually is. pics would be helpful, but my guess is you probably want the engine just in front of the axle, so probably not all the way to the front of the trailer.
 
#6 ·
Pull it on forward and put the rear axle over the trailer axle. Just remember that more tongue weight is better than less tongue weight. A single atv on a 6x10 trailer, you could pull it all the way forward and not worry about too much weight on the tongue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gotasplinter
#14 ·
I have hauled multiple machines frontwards and side loaded for thousands of miles. I have seen them puff up but never lost one. I have heard/seen here where some have lost their seat so I think I am gonna start strapping them a bit to make sure. Frontwards I don't worry too much, but side loaded isn't the way the air is supposed to go across the machine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobx2
#16 ·
I side load mine and trailer almost every other weekend from deep in lower Michigan to northern Michigan or the UP travenging up US127 and I75 at 80 to 85 miles per hour in all types of wind coditions, even to the point where they close the Mackinaw bridge. While I always see the vinyl seat covering fluttering in the wind the seat itself remains firmly fastened. I've never lost a seat or reached my destination finding my seat has come loose from the frame. Also, in all my travels I've never seen any seats laying on the shoulder of the road. While I'm not saying no one has ever lost a seat trailering, I think this lost seat thing has grown to the proportions of an urban legend.
 
#18 ·
Thanks for all the input. I went this morning and had an extra key made, because when I got my machine brand new I put the spare key someplace that I wouldn't lose it............I'm sure Ill find it one of these days so technically I haven't lost it yet, lol. I had already thought about taking the seat off as I remember reading about a couple people who lost theirs. It so easy to take off it's not worth the risk to not do it.
I'm curious to see how the 4 door wrangler does. My trailer is aluminum so I will be well under the 3500 lbs max tow rating. When I ordered it I got 3.73 gears instead of the stock 3.21's because I knew from time to time I would be pulling my bike. I didn't want to go with 4.10's because I don't plan on a lift or anything and knew I wouldn't trailer often enough to have those.
 
#20 ·
And another:
So about 6 months ago a few of us were heading to PA for customer appreciation weekend in Dunmore PA lost trails, my buddy had his quad serviced before we left and we got half way there it was pitch black and I saw something in the road... Unfortunately I had 4 Quads on my trailer so I couldn't swerve quick enough and blasted something that felt like a speed bump at 70mph, I didn't want to even look at my truck so we kept moving, got to PA and I said hey I ran over something on the way up but I don't see any damage sweet! The next Morning someone was missing a seat on their quad.... My buddy's who were a few miles ahead had lost his seat on the highway and I had run it over.... Not a good start when your about to ride for the day.. Anyways my fun story he had a 2015 sportsman 570... Ended up spending 350 on a 17' seat we begged the salesman at NorthAmerican Wore horse dealer... The point of all this A 2017 seat fits a 2015 sportsman, part number is diff and seat looks and feels different, BUT IT FITS-Farone
 
#21 ·
while taking the seat off so as not to lose/damage the expensive part is the primary reason to remove the seat. A lot of people forget the secondary reason to remove the seat. who's going to steal a machine that doesn't have a seat? additionally, seats are easily removed and therefore easily stolen. Seats come off the machine while they are loaded. it's just a smarter way to transport. Granted with the diamond back cover, I think more people would be besides themselves trying to figure out how to get the machines off my rig in the first place.:rofl:
 
  • Like
Reactions: gotasplinter
#22 ·
My 08 Polaris Sportsman 500 Touring model has the rear or secondary seat that locks down and the front overlaps the operator's seat. Also looks like if you remove your seat that maybe you might want to remove the side panels. A good cross wind along with possibly vibrating loose might send those sailing through the air.

Tony
 
#23 ·
I traveled 3600 miles on one trip side loaded with the seats off both ATVs and Never once did I think I needed to take the side panels off. The amount of force it takes to disengage the older machine's side panels, and the fact that the Sportsman's side panels have clip pins in them I really don't that step is needed.
 
#27 ·
It was just a slight sag, and the front of the trailer was actually up a little. After looking at it closer I need to drop the hitch an inch or so I think. Up until now I have only used the trailer for short runs hauling light stuff so I never really stood back and took a close look at it.
 
#28 ·
Maybe I am lucky but I never had any issues with flying seats on any Sportsman I have towed. I'm a Safety instructor and sometimes I have to conduct remote classes doing long trips and so far no issues. Now you better make sure the latched on the front storage bin are secured cause those can flap like crazy.

This is an old picture, I no longer own the Armada because it had the worst fuel economy of any vehicle I've own. Now I have a Yukon.
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top