What is an A and B trailer?
A – articulated truck comprising a prime mover and a semi-trailer coupled. B-coupling. T – trailer unit with conventional drawbar or converter dolly with drawbar. B – trailers coupled via a turntable mounted on the forward trailer. Unlike single-trailer setups that are also referred to as A-trains, B-trains have two trailers linked together. The first trailer is connected to the truck tractor through its fifth wheel and the second trailer is connected to the first through the fifth wheel, hence the maneuverability and even distribution of weight.
What is the 80 20 trailer rule?
The 80% towing rule is less of a “rule” and more of an idea: don’t pull a trailer with a GVWR that is more than 80% of your vehicle’s maximum towing capacity. That leaves 20% of your towing capacity left for other cargo like passengers, baggage, etc. Subtract the empty weight of your trailer from the GVWR listed. The resulting number will be the maximum available cargo capacity of the trailer. Do not exceed this number. In addition to knowing your trailer’s towing limit, you need to know how to determine the correct load limit for your tow vehicle.
What is the 60 40 rule for trailers?
Before loading anything into the trailer, take a quick inventory of your cargo and roughly plan out where you’ll be placing it in the trailer. The rule to follow is 60/40. This will help ensure proper tongue weight to deter trailer sway. Trailer gain should be set based on the trailer and load size. For larger trailers, use a higher gain setting. For smaller trailers, a lower gain setting should be used to avoid brake lockup.