Tony,
First off...nice looking Tradewind! We took our maiden voyage with ours last year, and have enjoyed every minute (well, almost every minute
!), I hope you experience the same enjoyment we have.
Concerning the tow setup, I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but there are few things that I thought I would mention, some of which have already been stated;
1) On the chains, I would recommend adjusting the way the chains are attached. I would make the links you're not using hang from the bottom of the top link. This will allow the links you are using to hang straight, right now the highest link used is crooked due to the unused links hanging off of the top of the top link (if that makes sense). I would imagine this would limit some movement of the chains and add unnecessary stress to the top link.
2) I can't tell if your WD setup allows for the ball angle to be adjusted forward/backward. It doesn't appear as though it does. However if it does, I would recommend pushing the angle of the ball backwards, allowing the end of the bars to point down towards the ground a little further. This will allow you to use an extra link or two in your chains, and improve turning performance. If this can't be adjusted, then I would leave it just as you have it for now, and maybe looking into a new WD setup in the future that allows for the ball angle to be adjusted.
3) Make sure you have the bars and ball well greased to prevent binding of these moving parts.
4) Are your tires in good shape? Since you're just using for the first time, do you know when last time it was towed? If it sat for a while, you will want to replace the tires.
5) Do you know if your axles are still good? My TW was garage kept the entire 34 years prior to me buying it, and was it great condition, however the original axles were shot. You don't want to use the AS anymore than required with bad axles or you will just unnecessarily abuse the trailer in several different ways. When I threw a jack under my frame and lifted the trailer, I only raised it about 1" before the tires started to lift off the ground. I believe the desired amount would be closer to 3-3.5" (don't take my word, I would research this number to be sure) before the tires lifted off the ground. Due to years of sitting, the rubber rods in the torsion axles had taken a "set" which basically prevented the axles from doing their job, resulting in a rigid harsh ride for the trailer. There is plenty of info on the forums on how to evaluate, test, replace, etc here on the forums.
6) If the axles are good, I would grease the wheel bearings and adjust the brakes if necessary.
7) This maybe be a dumb question, but are you using a brake controller? If you used a tent trailer in the past, you may not have used a brake controller, but you will certainly want/need one with the AS.
Sorry if these comments were more info than you wanted/needed, or if you have already addressed some of these items. I just know what I went through last year addressing all these types of issues the first month or so after buying our 35 year old Tradewind. It can be a lot to absorb at first, and I've had two other TTs prior to the AS!
Best of luck,
Eric
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