Extra weight added to TV by tongue weight

[deeperblue]

Hi,

Does anyone have Flying Cloud 30ft bunk house model (or any 30 ft trailer with a dry tongue weight of around 880lb) and use a ProPride hitch? Have you measured the extra weight added to TV after the trailer is hooked up and weight distribution applied?

Because the stinger and the hitch head creates an extra 1 ft distance between the hitch ball and the TV receiver, and also because weight distribution is used, the actual weight applied onto TV (i.e. the extra weight that will be counted as TV's payload) will be a lot smaller that what you measures directly from the hitch ball position, so I am curious if any one have measured that.

How much is it? And how much have you loaded into your trailer?

[BoldAdventure]

Drive it over the cat scales and you'll find out. But since Airstreams tongue weights are underestimated from everyone's real world experience. You are probably looking at closer to 1100lbs added to your truck with ProPride.

A WD hitch doesn't reduce tongue weight. It distributes it to the front and rear axles more evenly.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Our 25 Classic has a 1200LB loaded TW, of that 840Lbs are added to the rear TV axle & 100 to the front TV axle and 160lb to the AS axles. (good guess B.A)
WD set & rig LEVEL.
Loaded heavy for 2wks 'dock'n.
Hensley Arrow with 1000b bars.

Here is a photo of the haha showing the added 'purchase' caused by the added stinger length, YMMV

Bob

[HowieE]

The scale is the only way to answer this question.
The factory weight is a Dry Weight and does not include gas bottles, gas bottle cover, hitch hardware mounted on the tongue, and electric jack. As for the effect on the TV you then have to add the hitch, that is all forward of the ball. You also have to consider the length of the receiver to ball distance.

Several hundred pounds or more is easily added to the tongue by these items.

[JCWDCW]

OP make a good point bout the extra length of the hitch changing the TV load, but a foot on the overall distance from axles to Hitch is not going to reduce it much. Load 'er up and do a CAT scale check. Then you need to figure out whether the load on the rear wheels of the TV is within Mfr's rating...not even sure how to do that since load ratings are for weight on all four wheels and the assumption is the box is evenly loaded.

I would be surprised if only 100 lbs is distributed to the Front Wheels of the TV.
JCW

[deeperblue]

I remember reading a post, someone with a ProPride hitch measured the weight at the ball and the weight at the stinger far end (i.e. the end that should go into the receiver), and he said the difference is about 150lb +/-. Can't find the post now (and not sure if I saw it on this forum or other forum).

Originally Posted by JCWDCW

OP make a good point bout the extra length of the hitch changing the TV load, but a foot on the overall distance from axles to Hitch is not going to reduce it much. Load 'er up and do a CAT scale check. Then you need to figure out whether the load on the rear wheels of the TV is within Mfr's rating...not even sure how to do that since load ratings are for weight on all four wheels and the assumption is the box is evenly loaded.

I would be surprised if only 100 lbs is distributed to the Front Wheels of the TV.
JCW

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Our 25 Classic has a 1200LB loaded TW, of that 840Lbs are added to the rear TV axle & 100 to the front TV axle and 160lb to the AS axles. (good guess B.A)
WD set & rig LEVEL.
Loaded heavy for 2wks 'dock'n.
Hensley Arrow with 1000b bars.

Here is a photo of the haha showing the added 'purchase' caused by the added stinger length, YMMV

Bob

Wut's a 'HaHa'? A cheap chuckle?
And where the heck does one buy a TW scale in Canada?

[DaKs]

I bought my Sherline scale from ebay.
I just kept a search active until one in the right range came up.

[ghaynes755]

HaHa is a Hensley Arrow hitch.

[87MH]

Originally Posted by JCWDCW

OP make a good point bout the extra length of the hitch changing the TV load, but a foot on the overall distance from axles to Hitch is not going to reduce it much. Load 'er up and do a CAT scale check. Then you need to figure out whether the load on the rear wheels of the TV is within Mfr's rating...not even sure how to do that since load ratings are for weight on all four wheels and the assumption is the box is evenly loaded.

I would be surprised if only 100 lbs is distributed to the Front Wheels of the TV.

Fully agree on the CAT scale recommendation. I scaled the trailer and the F-250 the other day and weighed the steer, drive, and trailer axle weights three times with various tensions on the weight distribution bars. I was very disappointed with the small amount of weight which was transferred. I have recently pulled the spring bar links up two adjustment holes due to the small amount of weight transferred and will get another set of weights with the various jack bar settings soon.

As other posters have mentioned, the tongue weight is WAY under the Airstream published numbers. AS specs list the tongue weight as 1250 lbs. The measured weight at the CAT scale was 1540 lbs. This weight included the electric jack, flag holder, full 40 lb tanks, and nothing in the gaucho pull drawer except for rain gear and one flashlight. That 290 lbs above AS specs is a large number when it is not expected. I am still within Tow Vehicle specs, but not much safety factor left.

My readings are a perfect example of why it is important to weigh any new purchase AS (new or used) if the buyer's Tow Vehicle is getting close to the manufacturer's limit. I was certainly surprised when the F-250 AND the Airstream weighed in as heavy as they were.