Axles

Airstreamer67 wrote:
I always figure that my cargo capacity is increased by the amount of tongue weight that the tow vehicle carries, net of weight transfer back to the trailer.

My question: why doesn't the manufacturer calculate this when they specify the cargo capacity? Perhaps because of the variables regarding exactly how much will the tongue weight affect the cargo capacity. But not doing so surely shortchanges the actual net cargo capacity of the trailer.

cargo capacity by federal regulations and TT mfg does not change as you move weight to the tongue. It's still part of the trailer weight.

Federal regulations for travel trailers states that the mfg spec for GVWR of a travel trailer is the max weight on the axles and tongue combined, not the weight on the axles alone. so to see if your over the trailer GVWR you need to weight tongue and axles.

However, in determining what axles to use, yes, mfg sometimes do assume a certain tongue weight so axle rating may be less than GVWR. However, fed regs for travel trailers say that unloaded tongue weight + axle or tire rating (whichever is lower) must be equal or greater than GVWR. And GAWR must the the lower of axle rating or tire load rating.

this didn't used to be the case. Case in point. One of the trailers in our RV lot has a 10,900GVWR with two 4400lb axles. let's see, 10,900-8800= 2100 lbs on the tongue + what is transferred back to the axles. so to not overload the axles at GVWR you'd need something over 2400lbs on the tongue. Humm.... don't know of even a Class V hitch that would take that!!