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Originally Posted by finalcutjoe Weighed the new rig last night….
2005 ‘Bourbon 4X4 2500
2008 30’ Classic S/O
Full tank of gasoline
Full fresh water tank
Full LP (30#) tanks
No cargo in either
Equalizer 1200/12000# hitch
Steer axle: 3160 (20%)
Drive alxe:5000 (32%)
Trailer axle: 7480 (48%)
Gross: 15640
From this… I’m planning on really cranking up on the spring arms… the ‘L’ brackets are set about mid-way…
Concerned about approaching the 5500# max rear axle rating…
Gonna load it for a weekend trip… re-weigh…
Wonder if I should leave the current setup, so I can get a baseline? |
Your tow vehicle weighs 8160.
You must not have more than 10 percent difference between the rear and front axles, in your case 816 pounds.
2160 pound difference will get you in trouble very quickly.
Your hitch rating should be dropped to no more than 750 pounds. If you stay with what you have, you will beat the trailer to death, and cause all kinds of problems to the trailer. This has been discussed many times before on this Forums.
Also you should use a hitch like Reese's full sway control, that has variable torsion, and sway control.
In spite of my 41 plus years with the Airstream products, Equalizer hitches, to me, are cheap and useless as a "total performance" load equalizing hitch. It does not have a brain that knows when your in a turn or not. The Reese products, do.
Your rigging "positively" fits in the category of "an accident" looking for a place to happen, not by a little, but big time. Your rig, by your weights, is more than 2 1/2 times out of safe parameters.
That statement is based on examining and documenting over 1000 cases of "loss of control" accidents involving Airstream products, for the old insurance division of Airstream that was called "Caravanner Insurance Company."
Adjusting the torsion arms to move more weight forward, is what you should do. However, because of the hitch rating you have, you will find that the front of the trailer and rear end of your tow vehicle, will no longer be level, but instead will be high. Not a good thing.
Andy