Share Your Real World Tongue Weights & Trailer Weights

[SteveH]

Hitch head weight is not tongue weight because most of it doesn't reside on the tongue, however as the tow vehicle sees it, it's all weight behind the bumper that it must carry.

Pretty simple as I see it.

[Larry C]

Originally Posted by SteveH

Hitch head weight is not tongue weight because most of it doesn't reside on the tongue, however as the tow vehicle sees it, it's all weight behind the bumper that it must carry.

Pretty simple as I see it.

I agree, it is pretty simple, and common sense would (should) tell a person if his trailer weighs 8,000 pound, he wants a tongue weight 10% of trailer weight, or around 800 pounds or slightly above.

That shouldn't be hard to accomplish. If PP or HaHa hitches cause that much concern and arguement, why mess with them in the first place?

Larry

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Larry C

I agree, it is pretty simple, and common sense would (should) tell a person if his trailer weighs 8,000 pound, he wants a tongue weight 10% of trailer weight, or around 800 pounds or slightly above.

That shouldn't be hard to accomplish. If PP or HaHa hitches cause that much concern and arguement, why mess with them in the first place?

Larry

But if he mistakenly weighs his tongue, inclusive of 160# of hitch head (not inc. stinger) and the scale shows 800#s of his 8000#s, he actually has roughly only 710ish#, (considering head/box only as non-TW) or 9% of total load. Below minimum requirement of AS.

They don't cause "concern and argument", they prompt "gaining proper understanding and discussion".

Should be the case regardless of setup chosen and purchased, IMO.

[Tincampers]

Is it wrong to think in terms of hitch weight rather than tongue weight? If my hitch is rated for 1200 pounds, shouldn't I be measuring the weight of everything that is connected to the hitch from the tow bar back to the trailer regardless of where it is actually attached (towbar or tongue)? So, a trailer with an advertised empty tongue weight of say 600 pounds. Add to that the WD hitch at maybe 150 lbs and anything in the trailer including water, waste water, gear, propane, etc....and then come up with the total weight that is being placed on the hitch.

[Larry C]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

But if he mistakenly weighs his tongue, inclusive of 160# of hitch head (not inc. stinger) and the scale shows 800#s of his 8000#s, he actually has roughly only 710ish#, (considering head/box only as non-TW) or 9% of total load. Below minimum requirement of AS.

They don't cause "concern and argument", they prompt "gaining proper understanding and discussion".

Should be the case regardless of setup chosen and purchased, IMO.

If he pays attention and learns how to weigh it properly, he shouldn't have a problem. Quite obvious that if he only has 710# of TW against an 8000# trailer, he's going to have to add at least 90# of weigh towards the front of the trailer. (That would be somewhere in front of the front axle of the trailer)
"Proper understanding and discussion" seems to be a lot of people talking and not listening to anyone besides themselves. IMO

Larry

[Wayne&Sam]

I know this now seems off topic, but-

2012 Doge Durango AWD Hemi and a 2014 FC Rear Twin both fully loaded ready to go:

Steer- 3120
Drive 3880
Trailer 5980
Gross 12980

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

I know this now seems off topic, but-

2012 Doge Durango AWD Hemi and a 2014 FC Rear Twin both fully loaded ready to go:

Steer- 3120
Drive 3880
Trailer 5980
Gross 12980

It's not off topic if you are replying to my orginal question.

[A W Warn]

Since we have hijacked mikekey's thread, I think we should get back to sharing our trailer weights, mikekey's original intent.

Though, I think we should continue in a different thread. Let's move and continue the discussion about what we are trying to accomplish when we weight, how to describe our weigh, and why it is important. http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...ml#post1479527

[SteveSueMac]

Back to sharing real world tongue weights - I may have discovered something (that everyone already knows :-) ).

Table included below from 2013 tickets. You'll recall folks in a thread I started on a similar topic calculated my tongue weight at 1080. And we've talked about the process of weighing at the scales and calculating tongue as the difference between the weight of the truck alone (in my case, 7900 in the Solo column) and the weight of the truck with trailer attached but no weight distribution applied (in my case, 8980 in the 0WD column). 8980-7900=1080 tongue.

Notice too that the weight of the trailer solo (6840; which is the total weight of the rig; 14,740; minus the solo weight of the truck; 7900) is also 1080# different from the weight of the trailer on the scales with 0 weight distribution applied.

But with 6" of WD applied to the jacks of the ProPride, if we applied the same formulas to these differences but substitute the applied WD figures for the 0WD figures, the tongue weight looks like 960# i BELIEVE because the WD has pushed some weight to the steer axle of the TV (280#) and some to the trailer's axles (120#). And it would also seem that the amount pushed to the trailer's axles is the exact amount lifted off the receiver (which sort of makes sense to me as visually, it's like the receiver is like the middle of a weight lifter's bar and as he pulls up on the middle of that bar, the two ends sag down - not a perfect analogy, but it's a picture that's starting to work for me).

So what's the verdict, gang? Does the application of WD reduce the actual (static) weight seen at the TV's receiver or am I all wet?

(Edit: improved pic of table)

[dkottum]

It's fairly clear some of the hitch weight is no longer on the receiver when w.d. is applied, some of it is felt at the truck axles and some is felt at the trailer axles. But at that point what does it matter because we are then looking at loads on the truck and trailer.

[switz]

When Airstream mentions the GVW of their trailer, that is the weight of everything attached to or inside the trailer when it is resting on the jack stand and unhitched from any tow vehicle. Their scales in the right most garage bay in the building just outside the final assembly line weigh the completed trailer as described (jack stand and all tires are on the scale platform) for the true empty weight at that instant to calculate net payload for the "weights" sticker on the left front of the trailer.

Since my ProPride is bolted to our trailer, it is now part of the empty weight of the trailer and has reduced payload available by it's own weight. I use the jack stand as my front weighing point as it is stable on my wheel scales and is the constant measuring point I have use since towing 30+ years ago.

When the ProPride stinger with attached Rock Tamer mud flaps is in the truck receiver, it too reduces the truck payload by it's weight.

Whatever hitch one uses reduces the net payload capacity of the towing vehicle and trailer combination.

[rodsterinfl]

From the last 20 posts or so, I would say that most have the same understanding but using different words. The "weight" needs to be within guidelines BEFORE ANY adjustments are made and within guidelines of the hitch after adjustment. Using a weight distribution hitch does not compensate for vehicles incapable of the towing load figures suddenly capable- it is meant to balance the load, the vehicle still needs to be load capable. From reading through the thread, it seems that might be the motivation for discussion.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by SteveH

We are traveling now so can't post the scale ticket but the tongue weight on ours is 1150 with trailer axle weight of 8950. Our combined gross weight is just under 19,000.

Now that we are home, here's the weight ticket. This is hooked up, and loaded for a weekend rally.

[Air-Texas]

Tongue weight 1640!


My weight tickets from July 3 2014.
AS = 34 foot three axles classic limited with slide.
Axles upgraded to 4200 each.
Two 40gal/lb full propane tanks
53 gal fresh water
25 gal black tank
25 gal gray tank
Fully loaded for camping/ with all camping load in the rear or over the axles.
2012 Ford F250 crew cab diesel full tank of gas.

First ticket is AS only with jack on one scale and tires on another.
Second is with HaHa WD bars adj
Last with HaHa and WD bars loose.

Max GVWR 9900
Max cargo 1857
Max F GAWR 5600
Max R GAWR 6100
Max towing 14000
Max Hitch if not using 2.5 to 2.0 adapter 1400
if using adapter Max towing 12500 Hitch 1250

[switz]

I would imagine the Ford factory stock truck hitch receiver is NOT rated for the jack stand weight shown above let alone the twist forces associated with the weight distribution leverage added to that number.

Both my Hensley and ProPride hitches had or have maximum weight limitations of 1,400 pounds tongue weight. My jack stand weight of 1,345 is under the maximum rating of the ProPride and the 1,400 pound bars.

I installed a Curt 15049 receiver hitch on my 2012 Dodge 2500HD rated 2,550 pounds tongue weight and 17,000 pound trailer weight.

I would think checking for cracks in the truck frame/hitch and the ProPride will be a necessity before every trip.

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by switz

I would imagine the Ford factory stock truck hitch receiver is NOT rated for the jack stand weight shown above let alone the twist forces associated with the weight distribution leverage added to that number.

Both my Hensley and ProPride hitches had or have maximum weight limitations of 1,400 pounds tongue weight. My jack stand weight of 1,345 is under the maximum rating of the ProPride and the 1,400 pound bars.

I installed a Curt 15049 receiver hitch on my 2012 Dodge 2500HD rated 2,550 pounds tongue weight and 17,000 pound trailer weight.

I would think checking for cracks in the truck frame/hitch and the ProPride will be a necessity before every trip.

Did you install that yourself or have it done? Did you have the factory Class IV hitch?

[switz]

The Curt 15049 bolt on hitch is a Class 5 with 2" receiver opening. I had it plus a Curt 31015 front hitch installed by the selling rv parts dealer. These model numbers are Dodge specific.

Their web site has equipment for the other brands of vehicles.

Trailer Hitches, Cargo Carriers, and Bike Racks from CURT Manufacturing

While doing the Kelderman air bag suspension conversion at their factory, they cut the factory receiver off the round tube with a cutting torch. It was added to their scrap pile of steel that also included all the original springs from my truck.

[Air-Texas]

I could drop 900lbs just by draining the holding tanks, but I am not sure how much that will help the TW.
Does anyone int the Maryland area have a TW scale? I would also love to do a by tire weight, but I do not know anywhere around here that can do it.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Air-Texas

I could drop 900lbs just by draining the holding tanks, but I am not sure how much that will help the TW.
Does anyone int the Maryland area have a TW scale? I would also love to do a by tire weight, but I do not know anywhere around here that can do it.

If your unit's tanks are configured like mine....and you weighed with all tanks full, draining the black and gray will increase your tongue weight as they are behind both axles. Draining the fresh will not affect TW much, because the tank is centered between the axles. draining all will reduce axle weights though, obviously.

[Air-Texas]

Rich, one of the things that brothers me, is that I read on the forums about my F250 truck being too much for the camper.

However, if I just replace the truck’s hitch with a class VI, and add stronger WD bars, I will start popping rivets.

I plan to buy an AirSafe class VI hitch, and replace my HaHa with a Rese Dual Cam equalizer hitch.

That might lower the TW a little, and stop rivets from popping…