The quicker I need to slow, the more I brake with the front where the most braking force is located. I've felt the bike begin to feel a little light in the rear at times, but it's never been uncontrollable. And I've laid some pretty long skids foolin' around with a 14 1/4', 75 lb. canoe loaded with fishing gear behind my Townie3.

I've also towed some pretty heavy loads on my Burley Flatbed behind my Allez Elite without a problem.

Part of what Chicagoan ran into may have to do with the type of pavement he was on. When I was living on Okinawa it didn't take long (one rain) for me to discover that those roads are very slippery when wet. I later came to understand it's due to the crushed coral they use in the asphalt. There was a road near where I grew up that had crushed shell in it. That road was also very slippery when wet.

I have found the rear wheel doesn't have much braking power wet or dry, with or without a trailer, before locking up and losing traction, which reduces braking effectiveness. I only use the rear brake when I want to slow gradually.

Yes, the rule of thumb is 10-15% of the total trailer weight on the tongue for single axle trailers with a ball and coupler hitch. And yes, I have also found that to be true for bikes and trailers. It's not so pronounced with a shorter and lighter trailer, i.e. my golf clubs on my Burley Flatbed, but a long and heavy trailer, like a 14+', 100+ lb. loaded canoe, will have a much more pronounced affect on the bike, making it unstable even trying to ride a straight line on a flat road if the trailer is loaded wrong.

Now there are trailer hitches and there are trailer hitches, and what I have found is that a hitch that connects lower on the bike at the axle is inherently more stable than a hitch that connects to the seatpost. My Wike Woody Wagon that my canoe or kayak ride on connects to the seatpost, which makes load distribution in the trailer much more critical for an safe, stable and enjoyable ride.

But that's not to say there's anything inherently wrong with a seatpost hitch. I will tow, and have towed, my canoe 3- almost 20 miles to go hunting and fishing. I just distribute the load so it feels a wee little bit heavy on the hitch. It's one of those things that get easier with practice, (cooler goes here, backpack goes here, shotgun goes here, anchor goes here, fishing rods go here, etc.) so play around with it a little bit.