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Al and Missy · 03-03-2015, 02:34 PM

The key is the lower label. 1630# for occupants and cargo. I don't know what the weight of the Pro-pride hitch is, but my equalizer with the trailer attached adds 760# to my truck. I think your trailer GVW is around 7300# which is 1000# heavier than mine. Assuming a 15% factor for the tongue would add 150# over my numbers and the Propride is probably heavier than my Equal-izer. That would estimate your trailer's impact on your payload as 760+150+ the hitch difference. Guessing about 20# added for the Pro-pride, that comes to about 930# and leaves 700# for occupants and cargo. Subtract your and your wife's weight and the result is what is left for other stuff in the truck. Fuel is accounted for already so you don't have to count that.

kscherzi · 03-03-2015, 02:36 PM

Airstream literature tongue weights are notoriously low. My 27FB is rated by Airstream at 770 lbs, but is actually 900 lbs per a real life scale. To be safer, I'd assume a tongue weight for your trailer to be closer to 1,000 lbs, especially when loaded for camping.

The weight distribution hitch will take some payload off the tow vehicle, but not a lot. Less if you buy lightweight bars. You'll only know how much by weighing at a scale. I think mine took less than 100 lbs off.

Bottom line: The truck you are looking at is probably adequate for the job as long as you don't put plan to carry lot of other stuff in the bed. Also, this topic is something you can over think. Better to hitch up and go camping.

TG Twinkie · 03-03-2015, 04:07 PM

Read the owners manual. On my Tundra you do not deduct the weight of the fuel or the driver (200#) from the load carrying capacity of the truck. It is figured in.

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marter · 03-03-2015, 04:12 PM

This site is so incredibly valuable. I love the InterWebz....where else could I get this kind of knowledge. Filtering required, however.

@Howard, thanks for the link; great information. I'm aware of, and have been using the Towing Guide but without seeing the yellow sticker on the door jamb I'm not able to see what that actual vehicle is rated for. I think dealers have access to a website with that yellow sticker; anyone have that link?

@Al and Missy, I totally get that the yellow (lower) sticker is the key, based on the options installed during build and a full tank of gas. The ProPride itself weighs 195# according to Sean at ProPride, but what I don't know is the transfer to the truck and trailer.

@kscherzi, good information to know; I assumed.... ;-)

marter · 03-03-2015, 05:18 PM

[QUOTE=TG Twinkie;1588622]Read the owners manual. On my Tundra you do not deduct the weight of the fuel or the driver (200#) from the load carrying capacity of the truck. It is figured in.

@TG Twinkie (and fellow Nebraskan) I have studied the Owner's manual (remember I'm still figuring out what to buy) but that document tends (IMO) to add to the confusion vs. clarification. But I'm fairly certain that the Payload rating on the door jamb sticker includes a full tank of gas and no driver, whereas the GVWR includes a driver weighing 150#.

jcl · 03-03-2015, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marter

I have studied the Owner's manual ....I'm fairly certain that the Payload rating on the door jamb sticker includes a full tank of gas and no driver, whereas the GVWR includes a driver weighing 150#.

I have studied the Ford fine print as well, as that is exactly my interpretation. I would add that when they go on to discuss the GCWR for maximum towing capacity calculations, they reference two 150 lb persons, a driver and a passenger.

Jeff

DC Bruce · 03-03-2015, 07:57 PM

I'm in the same quandary with a new FC 27. On '14 or earlier F-150s with crew cab, large fuel tank and lariat or higher trim, the most cargo capacity you're gonna see is 1730 lbs and that's with the max payload and max trailer tow package. That package was not available on King Ranch, Platinum or Limited models. The other relevant number is GCVWR (gross combined vehicle weight rating) which adds the GVWR of your truck to that of your trailer. That's never going to be an issue with your trailer and truck. Cargo capacity is. Someone posted some scale weighing a here that showed a WD hitch moves about 200 lbs of tongue weight back to the trailer. The main reason to use a WD hitch is to move some of the tongue weight off the rear axle and on to the front. This avoids overloading the rear axle and suspension and keeps the headlights from pointing at the sky. Based on months and months of searching I will tell that, other than a 3/4 ton, your choices in crew cab pickups are a pre 2015 Ford with max trailer tow and max payload package, a 2015 Ford without the max payload package and either the 3.5 Ecoboost or 5 liter V-8 (if you get the XLT package with no sunroof, no skid plates and the standard gas tank, you'll be good for 1800 lbs) or else the max payload package which will give you over 2,000 lbs even with the Lariat and the 36 gallon fuel tank. You will not be able to order a sunroof with that package. The cargo capacity given by the door sticker is for that particular truck full of all fluids (including fuel) and a 175 lb. driver. So, you might get by with your King Ranch if you're taking only one other person and don't plan on carrying a bunch of heavy stuff in the bed. The tongue weight of my front twin trailer is just under 800 lbs according to Airstream. I'll be curious to see what it weighs ready to go, given that there's very little storage in the front end of the trailer ( although I don't know how centered the tanks are).

Moflash · 03-03-2015, 08:06 PM

Your actual trailer tongue weight is heavier than Airstream shows in their specs.This is true for all units.Plus the weight that you add when loaded such as LP and gear.

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BoldAdventure · 03-03-2015, 08:16 PM

How many Airforum members does it take to change a light bulb?

Al and Missy · 03-03-2015, 08:34 PM

@marter:
"@Al and Missy, I totally get that the yellow (lower) sticker is the key, based on the options installed during build and a full tank of gas. The ProPride itself weighs 195# according to Sean at ProPride, but what I don't know is the transfer to the truck and trailer."

How much weight gets transferred is setup dependent. The only way to get an exact number is to do as others have suggested and weigh your setup. If you don't have a setup to weigh, you'll have to do some estimating as I and others have suggested. For my setup (F-150, 6300# GVWR 25' Safari) the Equalizer transfers about 150# from the TV to the TT. IF you use a number in that vicinity, you should be close.

Al

Ron Gratz · 03-03-2015, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marter

So if I'm starting with 1630# payload, subtract 835# for the tongue weight and 195# for the 3P hitch, I have 600# left for passengers and gear, correct?

Yes, you need to account for the expected weight of the WDH.

If you adjust the WDH to restore the TV's front axle to its unhitched load,
a load equal to about 20-25% of the tongue weight would be transferred to the TT's axle(s).

This mean that the TT-induced vertical load added to the TV would be equal to about 75-80% of the tongue weight.

Ron

marter · 03-03-2015, 10:31 PM

Al[/QUOTE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

How many Airforum members does it take to change a light bulb?

Wow. Thanks for your tolerance. I can only hope someone showed you a bit more patience when you started down this path.

MaineStreamer · 03-03-2015, 11:05 PM

This site has very informative Towing Guides for each vehicle model year, with explanations of all of the different weight ratings:
Trailer Towing Guides | Trailer Life Magazine

Msmoto · 03-04-2015, 03:04 AM

A thought..... Tongue weight, all of it is part of the TV load. None of the tongue weight is carried by the trailer wheels. If one measures tongue weight, unhitched and weight on wheels unhitched, then hitches up, reweighs, the trailer weighs the same. Weight distribution hitches simply move weight from the rear to the front of the TV.

And, Mr Cross, your tires in the photo appear to be nearly 10 years old......approaching the limit, as I understand it, on life span.

If I am incorrect in my opinion, please correct me.

Happy trails and good luck,

Ms Tommie Lauer
Greensboro, NC
2015 Serenity 30 RB / 2008 Dodge Cummins 4 X 4
WBCCI #4165 AIR #31871

Msmoto · 03-04-2015, 03:12 AM

@ marter......about 600 lbs. for you and your gear

Ms Tommie Lauer
Greensboro, NC
2015 Serenity 30 RB / 2008 Dodge Cummins 4 X 4
WBCCI #4165 AIR #31871

ROBERT CROSS · 03-04-2015, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Msmoto

A thought..... Tongue weight, all of it is part of the TV load. None of the tongue weight is carried by the trailer wheels. If one measures tongue weight, unhitched and weight on wheels unhitched, then hitches up, reweighs, the trailer weighs the same. Weight distribution hitches simply move weight from the rear to the front of the TV.

And, Mr Cross, your tires in the photo appear to be nearly 10 years old......approaching the limit, as I understand it, on life span.

If I am incorrect in my opinion, please correct me.

Happy trails and good luck,

Ms Tommie Lauer
Greensboro, NC
2015 Serenity 30 RB / 2008 Dodge Cummins 4 X 4
WBCCI #4165 AIR #31871

No the weight on the trailers axle/axles is not the same hitched and unhitched with WD set properly.

TW only remains stationary when/if your towing without WD.
When set properly the TW is divided between the TV frt axle, TV r/axle and trailer axle/axles.

Note trailer weight on the 2nd & 3rd CAT tickets.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On another note...

Yes, my TV tires are even older now, as that photo was taken several years ago.
But the Burb is a garaged TV not a DD, and I do replace when necessary, or when the ware bars are exposed, regardless of age.

POI...I also have a 63yr old Ford with 15yr old tires.

Sweet Streams....

Bob

paiceman · 03-04-2015, 06:25 AM

Been through this many times personally. Finally in my old age gave up, bought an F350 Diesel and simply don't care about hitch weight, weight distribution or weight of the AS. Not everyone can or wants to do what we did, but it works for us. Now going to add a 50 gallon fuel tank because in Fords attempt to control weight for the Feds they only offer a 26 gallon tank.

Moflash · 03-04-2015, 08:41 AM

Tongue weight is a constant and you should not subtract any WD weight transfer.

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ROBERT CROSS · 03-04-2015, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moflash

Tongue weight is a constant and you should not subtract any WD weight transfer.

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

Exactly....TW is only relevant when the trailer is un-hitched.

TW becomes hitch and or receiver loading when WD enters the equation.

Bob

grizbear · 03-04-2015, 11:54 AM

I have been reading all this and I'm getting dizzy ha. I've been to the scales fully loaded the truck alone wt 7480 loaned. The gross wt of TV and the AS was
13700. AS axle wt 5160. tongue wt looks like 1060. With a gross wt of 6300 on the AS tag it appears I'm within 80 lbs of max. Is that correct? If I tighten the hitch WD bars will that increase the amount I can carry in the camper? Thanks Rand