Answering "How Much" Questions
Sorry for this long and wordy post... I am looking for some feedback on a little project I have been working on today. Kind of a sick day for me... so I have taken the down time to try and be product...
Forum Discussion
Something you have not done, nor has anyone else that I have seen trying to do these calculators. Lets assume 4 or 5 equal gvwr tow rigs, all towing the same trailer, all have the ability to carry a 1000 lbs hitch/pin wt.
One is a 15 passenger Ford van. That very long overhang, 7-9' or so, this will take a bit of weight off the front,will swag say 400-500 lbs, added to the rear axel, potentially overloading the rear, causing some handling issues.....
A typical pickup, has around 5', so maybe 200-300 lbs off the FA, added to the rear, not as bad as the Ford van.....still some issues.
Some SUV's actually have a semi short overhang of 4', still better yet to a degree.
A rig setup initially as a cab and chassis, may have its hitch as little as 3' in front of the rear axel. Giving it the least wt added to the rear via wt off the front. Probably the best potential handling rig for a ball mount setup. This might be as little as 100 lbs or so off the FA. Reality, for a typical 8 lug truck, not an issue! Some of the 5 or 6 lug rigs, with softer suspensions, this drop, removal of weight off the FA may be more. Different legnth wheel bases can also effect how much is off the FA.
Then if you include a 5w/gooseneck right over the axe to just in front, you have 95-100% of the HW going to the rear, nothing taken off the front.
I know some will say with the ball mounts, that is what a WD system is for. BUT in some cases, a WD will not work. IE a pintle hitch. I have heard of one that might work. Surge brakes is another that is not normally recommended with a WD system. So these two rigs will have potential handling issues. Still under gvwr and maybe under an RAWR.
While charts etc are good, they do have places that will not always work if you look at just the numbers per say. While I realize I have probably thrown a monkey wrench in the program. One needs to keep things like this in mind when choosing a rig for a given trailer size etc, along with the basic numbers.
Marty
One is a 15 passenger Ford van. That very long overhang, 7-9' or so, this will take a bit of weight off the front,will swag say 400-500 lbs, added to the rear axel, potentially overloading the rear, causing some handling issues.....
A typical pickup, has around 5', so maybe 200-300 lbs off the FA, added to the rear, not as bad as the Ford van.....still some issues.
Some SUV's actually have a semi short overhang of 4', still better yet to a degree.
A rig setup initially as a cab and chassis, may have its hitch as little as 3' in front of the rear axel. Giving it the least wt added to the rear via wt off the front. Probably the best potential handling rig for a ball mount setup. This might be as little as 100 lbs or so off the FA. Reality, for a typical 8 lug truck, not an issue! Some of the 5 or 6 lug rigs, with softer suspensions, this drop, removal of weight off the FA may be more. Different legnth wheel bases can also effect how much is off the FA.
Then if you include a 5w/gooseneck right over the axe to just in front, you have 95-100% of the HW going to the rear, nothing taken off the front.
I know some will say with the ball mounts, that is what a WD system is for. BUT in some cases, a WD will not work. IE a pintle hitch. I have heard of one that might work. Surge brakes is another that is not normally recommended with a WD system. So these two rigs will have potential handling issues. Still under gvwr and maybe under an RAWR.
While charts etc are good, they do have places that will not always work if you look at just the numbers per say. While I realize I have probably thrown a monkey wrench in the program. One needs to keep things like this in mind when choosing a rig for a given trailer size etc, along with the basic numbers.
Marty
