2015 Flying Cloud 25RB tongue weight

[delwilli]

Hi All,

My wife and I currently own a 2013 Sport 22 pulling it with a 2013 VW Touareg TDI. We are thinking about "upgrading" to the 25 Flying Cloud but are concerned about two things: actual tongue weight of the trailer and the ability of our VW to tow it. According to specs the VW can tow about 7,700 pounds with a tongue weight capacity of around 750 or so. We are currently using the WD setup recommend by Andy at CanAm.

Have any of you actually weighed the tongue on the above trailer and if so what were your results?

I think it a given that we need to reinforce the existing hitch as per CanAm recommendations. Do any of you know of a place that could do that on the West Coast?

Thanks

dennis

[dkottum]

We have that exact model Airstream towed by a 2012 Ram 1500. I am sure the hitch (tongue) weight is over 750#, it would need a weight distribution hitch, and the Touareg hitch reinforced.

If you can manage the payload limits of the Touareg (similar to our truck) I believe it would be a better tow vehicle than what we have because of it's excellent suspension and powerful, efficient diesel engine.

Coming from a Sport 22 I think you will be as pleased with the spaciousness, capacities, and towing of a tandem axle 25' as we were coming from a 20' single axle.

[SilverEagle6]

We have the rear twin and I have weighed the tongue twice, once with the portable scales and once at a CAT with just the tongue on the scale. !,000 lbs plus on the portable and 860+ on the CAT. Also weighed the trailer hooked up with WD and did not come close to any limit with my TV. My TV came with a CL V hitch with 1850 max TW with WDH which I always use

[BillfromWI]

We have a 2014 FC25FB with factory solar. It's tongue weight on the Airstream factory production scale, ready to travel as we use it is 1256 lbs.

We have friends who own a 2014 FC25RB. Their ready to travel tongue weight is 800 lbs.

Most of their exterior storage is in the rear. All of mine is in the front.

The actual tongue weight of mine as it came off the line according to Airstreams records was 925 lbs.; 88 lbs. more than the stated specification of 837. The tongue weight spec for the 2014 FC25RB was 835 lbs.

I was over cargo capacity for a 2013 F150 with max tow and max payload so far that it could not be fixed with a Blue Ox and 1500 lb. bars. I upgraded to a 2500 GMC. To each his own, but I don't think being overload is a good thing. We just returned from Alaska. I'm really, really glad I switched trucks.

[jallen]

2015 25FC
dry hitch gvwr
5600 835 7300

[Stormalong]

I have weighed our tongue 3 times, each time it came out around 880. This is with solar panels, full fresh water, empty black and gray tanks.

[mazoolah]

Forgive me if this sounds like a dumb question ,but we are waiting for our 25fb to be delivered to dealer . So cant go out to see for myself .where does the fresh water tank sit in relation to the axles ? In front I'm guessing? I ask because i would like to keep my tongue weight As close to the low as possible. With my 20foot the fresh water load (behind axle) could easily swing the weight one way or the other. We also would pack heavy items (beer cooler, grill) in isle over axle. Any similar hints on keeping the load balanced in the 25 fb ?

[aftermath]

After taking mine over the scales, TW was 880. This was when the trailer was lightly loaded with some water in fresh tank and partially filled black and gray tanks. The trailer weighed 6060 pounds.

I am happy with my 25FB but the 27FB gives you more space, about the same GVW but LESS tongue weight. Another advantage of moving up.

[dkottum]

I don't think the tongue weight of the 25FB and 27FB would be much different when both are loaded, as most of the storage is in the front and under the bed, and that weight is farther forward from the axles on the 27FB.

When ready to travel and hitch weight distribution set, what matters to the tow vehicle is how much weight is added to the truck with the trailer hooked up. The difference between our loaded truck and our loaded truck with our FC25RB Airstream attached with a ProPride hitch is 820 lbs weighing truck and then truck and trailer at the CAT scale. The load on each of the truck's axles is within 20 lbs of each other and less than axle ratings. The loading is what we need for 6-7 months cross-country travel.

There are parameters to shoot for. Our Airstream Owners Manual says tongue weight must never exceed 1,000 lbs. Safe towing practice requires 10-15% total trailer weight on the hitch so the center of gravity is sufficiently forward to reduce the length of the lever applying lateral forces to the hitch ball.

In the case of a Hensley/ProPride hitch those later forces are projected forward and applied to the truck's rear axle where they are stabilized and not transferred to the truck's steering axle.

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by mazoolah

Forgive me if this sounds like a dumb question ,but we are waiting for our 25fb to be delivered to dealer . So cant go out to see for myself .where does the fresh water tank sit in relation to the axles ?

On my 2013 25FB Flying Cloud, the fresh water tank sits between the axle locations. The gray tank is forward of the axles, and the black tank is forward of the gray tank.

[mazoolah]

Thanks that is a help in visualizing the load . 850/950 tongue weight is what I would like to hit . Some postings of over 1000 kind of spooking me .Thinking I can come in mid 6000's for gross trailer. But if I have to put a couple cases of beer on the tail to balance it out ?😄

[KJRitchie]

My 2008 Classic 25fb has about a 1150lb tongue weight according to my Sherline scale.

Kelvin

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by mazoolah

Thanks that is a help in visualizing the load . 850/950 tongue weight is what I would like to hit . Some postings of over 1000 kind of spooking me .Thinking I can come in mid 6000's for gross trailer. But if I have to put a couple cases of beer on the tail to balance it out ?��

Reported hitch weights can vary widely depending on where the scale is placed (under the coupler or under the tongue jack or under the Hensley/ProPride stinger), whether a hitch head (such as Hensley ProPride) is attached to the tongue, interior and exterior load placement, and whether the Airstream is level.

To know what weight the trailer adds to your tow vehicle's weight, you must weigh the tow vehicle by itself and then with the trailer attached, both loaded for travel and weight distribution set. Compare the different tow vehicle weights and you will have something useful.

Among the usefulness is whether your weight distribution system is adequate and set up properly to transfer load to the tow vehicle steering axle and trailer axles. You may learn if there is too much flexlibity in the hitch receiver or tow vehicle frame to transfer enough weight. A stronger hitch or hitch reinforcement may be needed on the tow vehicle. You can balance the load on the tow vehicle's axles for best performance. And you will know if either of the tow vehicle's axles are overloaded (GAWR).

[Mrjkq]

Originally Posted by mazoolah

Forgive me if this sounds like a dumb question ,but we are waiting for our 25fb to be delivered to dealer . So cant go out to see for myself .where does the fresh water tank sit in relation to the axles ? In front I'm guessing? I ask because i would like to keep my tongue weight As close to the low as possible. With my 20foot the fresh water load (behind axle) could easily swing the weight one way or the other. We also would pack heavy items (beer cooler, grill) in isle over axle. Any similar hints on keeping the load balanced in the 25 fb ?

I've been told the fresh water tank is midship directly below the fill door.

[Wayne&Sam]

I tow our 25' rear twin with a Dodge Durango that has a towing capacity of 7,200lbs.

Our FC, fully loaded weighs about 6600.

It tows just fine.

[BillfromWI]

I’m the guy with the 1252 lb. tongue weight, loaded, on the Airstream production line scale.

Tongue weight when it came off the line was 925. Total weight off the line was 5756. The tongue weight spec for a 2014 FC25 is 837. Total loaded weight on the Airstream scale was 6501; 745 lbs. cargo—hitch, propane, water, food, clothing, etc. GVWR on the tag is 7300.

All of the exterior storage lockers in this model are in the front. Here is what I carry in them:

Curb Side
25’ 30 amp Furrion, 35’ 30 amp extension
50’ 15 amp 12 AWG extension
25’ and 35’ water hose
Various Ys, filter, channel lock

Street Side
2 solid rubber wheel chocks
18v drill, spare battery, charger, case
¾” ratchet and 1-1/4” socket for the Andersen
Original stabilizer speeder
Tongue jack crank
Extensive, but less that 5 lb., rivet kit (the installation tool is in the truck tool box)

Front
About 60 8”x8” leggo leveling blocks
About 5 sq ft of cow mat in 8” wide strips
12v air compressor
2 6’x8’ plastic mats (not carpet)
Zip Dee tool

Then there are the overhead lockers in the bedroom. We pack most of our clothing in them in packing cubes. They facilitate an efficient (dense) use of space but my wife and I do a lot of international travel and are pretty aware of what clothing weighs. I estimate we pack a total of 70 lbs, or less, in the lockers.

I think I’m using the trailer I the way it was intended. I think Airstream should move the axles farther forward on 25FBs.

[mazoolah]

Well the January thaw allowed us to pickup our 2017 25 fb . When i got close to home i used truck scales and was surprised by a trailer weight of 5040 .and roughly 600 on the rear axle (hitch was way off so i cranked that up ) . We scaled 20 foot a few times and never really got over 300 pounds of gear ,hopeful we can stay close to that in the 25 footer . Regardless pulled well and well within trucks limits ! Life is good !


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