Car handling issues

[Timsenclosed]

2o11 VW Golf Wagon TDI towing (w/class 3 hitch) new 5 x 10 V-nosed enclosed trailer 750lbs empty. Issue is in highway driving 50 -65 mph repetitive steering correction needed causing premature driver fatigue. Could the low quality snow tires(35lbs) be the issue? Trailer tires are 15' radial not bias ply. Planning on installing better car all season tires and a torsion bar hitch kit. Any VW drivers thoughts?

[wing_zealot]

The easy fast answer is the trailer probably doesn’t have enough tongue weight. The tongue weight ideally should be about 12% of the loaded on the road weight of the trailer. But the complication then becomes, how much tongue weight is your vehicle rated to handle.

[ktmrfs]

to help answer your questions and help solve the problem

1) what is the ACTUAL loaded weight of the trailer
2) What is the ACTUAL trailer tongue weight
3) What specific tires are on the car
4) are you using a WD hitch now? if so, who set it up.

[APT]

Snow tires are squishy (technically term lol). In my experience with a few snow tires over the past 20 years is they are often unstable even not towing @80mph compared to all season or summer tires that are stable @triple digits MPH. For your specific TV, I would investigate a WDH or sway control. But I would also take some weight measurements to understand how much TW% you actually have with your typical loads.

[carringb]

I used to tow a 5x10 continental steel frame trailer with my Focus, until that trailer got stolen. Typically 1,500 pounds but sometimes right at the 2k mark. Never had handling issues, only grip issues on steep grades in the rain with the snow tires on (like over 15%+, Toyo observe tires).

I have noticed that most of those trailer without the side door have the spare tire bolted to the wall in the back. The front door models have the spare up front. Mine was a front door model with the front spare, and empty tongue weight was barely sufficient. The rear spare equipped ones probably are too light on the tongue.

[BenK]

or the trailer isn't level, but pointing up above level

Too many potentials to list without more info from the OP

[rexlion]

Best if the OP were to weigh the tongue with a bathroom scale, and tell us the result.

Keep an eye on the hitch attachment points. I knew of one Jetta owner who towed quite a bit and the bolts started tearing the sheet metal underneath. Fortunately he inspected it often enough to catch it in time.

[dodge_guy]

Since we can only guess here, ide say it doesnr have enough tongue weight. at 750lbs it should have at least 100lbs on the tongue, 150 or 200 would be better!

[Grit_dog]

ktmrfs wrote:
I have a hard time believing an empty weight of only 750lbs for an enclosed 5x10 trailer. I suspect to much trailer for the car and to much tongue weight.

Seems a shade light unless its aluminum frame. But even a steel frame one is under 1000 lbs.

[eHoefler]

Needs an equalizing hitch

[ktmrfs]

I have a hard time believing an empty weight of only 750lbs for an enclosed 5x10 trailer. I suspect to much trailer for the car and to much tongue weight.

[wnjj]

Soft tires definitely don't help.

It could also be low tongue weight. Put something weighing ~100lbs inside the front of the trailer and see if that helps.

[Germania]

Check with manufacturer to make sure the trailer axles are oriented properly from front to back. Had the same problem with a new snowmobile trailer years ago and that was the problem.The trailer assembler had mounted the axle 8" to far forward.