Took my TV and TT to the scales and have some results. TV - 2017 Expedition w/ HD Tow packageTT - 3101 BHSE (dry weight of 6100, hitch weight of 890)Using ProPride 1400# hitch. Using 2 washers on the hitch pin. Vehicle weights:TV onlySteer Axle: 2840Rear Axle: 3220TT: 6840TV and TT (no WDH)Steer Axle: 2100Rear Axle: 5260TT Axle: 5540Total: 12900TV and TT (WDH 7 inches)Steer Axle: 2600Rear Axle: 4580TT Axle: 5720Total: 12900TV and TT (WDH 7.5 inches)Steer Axle: 2600Rear Axle: 4560TT Axle: 5740Total: 12900I entered my data on the towing planner website and got a tongue weight of 1300# and 19%. This is much higher than I thought. Any thoughts on how to bring that down? My thoughts are to change the Propride and either adding 1 or 2 more washers into the hitch tilt pin or maybe also adjusting the height of the hitch bar. I don't have much room to increase the WD jack heights. Any other thoughts of how to adjust weight? Maybe shift some weight in the TT from the front storage area toward the rear axles. In our trailer, the dining table is right over rear axles. I can probably fit some heavier things in that spot pretty snuggle so they wouldn't shift (e.g., ice chest, canopy, chairs, etc). Also, note that this trip to the scale did not include about 350# of passengers. My wife and little kids were not in the car.Thanks in advance for your thoughts and help!

Andrewmart wrote:Took my TV and TT to the scales and have some results. TV - 2017 Expedition w/ HD Tow packageTT - 3101 BHSE (dry weight of 6100, hitch weight of 890)Using ProPride 1400# hitch. Using 2 washers on the hitch pin. Vehicle weights:TV onlySteer Axle: 2840Rear Axle: 3220TT: 6840TV and TT (no WDH)Steer Axle: 2100Rear Axle: 5260TT Axle: 5540Total: 12900Hu? How could you add over 2K in the rear axle? We need correct numbers to give you a correct answer. Are the numbers correct?

Those are the correct numbers. Not sure how it added 2000#, but I'm assuming 1300# of tongue weight/TT and then about 700# was redistributed from the steer axles because the rear was weighted down?

I just remembered that the TV weight alone might be affected by gas. I weighted that this morning after filling up the tank. *insert face palm pic* I probably put in about 15 gallons of gas. I didn't have time to weight it when I did the other ones because I had been fixing my Propride3 for a few hours before finally getting to the CAT scale, and my 6 yo was tired and wanted to go home by that time. I live about 20 minutes away, so decided to sneak away early this morning before everyone woke up.

Seems like you could distribute another couple/few hundred lbs to the steer axle, but equally as important, how does it “feel” at your latest setup?

As far as trying to lighten the tongue weight as you asked about the only thing to do is move more cargo towards the rear of the trailer. While I am unfamiliar with your trailer do the above scale weight include water in your tank? If not you might try adding water to your tank as many times they are behind the axle and will lower your tongue weight to a degree (obviously overall weight will increase though) . It wont be lb for lb but it may help in addition to moving more cargo to the rear. Or if it was weighed with water you might try with less water as the tank may be above or forward of the axle. I personally don't travel with much water at least if where I am going I know I can fill it thereI am not weight police this is just food for thought. I would double check the rating of the oem hitch setup. The 2017 expedition brochure states max tongue weight with a WDH is 920/930 lbs. 1300 lbs is about 40% over that rating. While I personally am not opposed to going over a rating to a certain degree 40% to me personally is beyond what I would be willing to exceed any rating.

CAT Scale results - advice needed | Good Sam Community

Andrewmart
Explorer
Jun 27, 2020
Sorry for the delay in responding. Lots of changes in our family (for the good).

Grit dog, sorry I missed your post earlier. I did not like how the TT was towing. That’s what made me question my setup, hitch, TV, etc. I’ve learned a lot from all of ya’ll here. It’s very much appreciated for a newb.

To update, I got a 2015 F250 gasser w/ 8 foot bed. Picked it up last Friday and got it all set up with the Propride hitch etc. Man, what a difference in towing. It was night and day. Took it for a trip this week, and it towed flawless. Not much tug/pull going on, and semis passed me with no movement. The new vehicle also helped w/ my peace of mind, and I was much less stressed driving. This tow was mostly single lane roads with lots of hills so I was averaging about 55-60. We leave soon for a beach trip where it will be all highway miles. I’ll have a better feel of how it travels going 60-65 but I’m not anxious (like I was before).

I’ve also shifted weight around in the TT to reduce hitch weight. The major things I did was moving propane tanks to rear axle when travel and putting all our clothes and ice chest in TT too. I will take it to a CAT scale soon to get actual numbers, but it’ll only be semi accurate. CAT scale trips are usually just me. It’s hard to get the entire family and TT loaded for a CAT scale trip.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Jun 17, 2020
Hannibal, hush your mouth!! Lol
You’re going against the RVers creed that any travel trailer towed by anything needs a wdh and sway control to protect from zombies and the boogeyman! (That’s the only reason I can surmise anyway, or that many RVers are inexperienced and believe everything they hear...)
Hannibal
Explorer
Jun 17, 2020
valhalla360 wrote:
Boomerweps wrote:
Also not quoted above, but you need to put more tension on your WDH to push more weight to the steer and trailer axles.

If his numbers are correct, he's already pushing 500lb back to the front axle and as can be seen when he upped the tension on the WDH, it really didn't make much difference.

If he backs off the hitch weight, that should also result in more weight on the front axle without trying to over tension the WDH.

That's a tremendous amount of force on the trailer's tongue to force that much weight back to the front of the tow vehicle. One more thing that's seldom mentioned with WDH's is the resistance to roll when crossing uneven surfaces like driveway entrances. I use as little WD as I can get away with and the sealant still squishes out of the front corners of our travel trailer while the back stays well put. When the truck leans left and the trailer leans right, something has to give and the WDH hitch gives very little. So the twist winds up being from the coupler to the trailer axles. The only reason I use a WDH is to satisfy the rating of the receiver. Newer F250s are rated for 1300 lbs tongue weight with or without WD. I'll be going that route soon.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Jun 17, 2020
Yes Andrew, weight in the truck bed is predominately carried by the rear axle. No it not hitch weight. No it doesn't get "redistributed to the front axle." The front axle will carry a little of the weight forward of the rear axle but not much.
If you're getting a F250, nine of this is a concern u less the stuff in the bed is a load of gravel or a cord of firewood though.
APT
Explorer
Jun 17, 2020
That is a lot of TW! That puts you over the receiver rating and rear axle ratings by a bunch. I recommending moving as much weight in front of the axles to behind. Store more stuff in the bunk room while traveling. If you can shift 400 pounds rearward, the numbers including the WDH should get you back under every rating.
Andrewmart
Explorer
Jun 16, 2020
Thanks for the tips.

Thinking about it, all our weight was in the front of the TT when I went to the CAT scale. When we travel, I put our ice chest, clothes, etc over the rear axles to help offset the weight in the front, but since we were not traveling I did not do that. Definitely something I'm glad I did and learned about how hitch weight is impacted when all weight is in front storage. I'm planning on putting our canopy and chairs under the dining room storage. We will also put all our clothes/suitcases over the rear axle wheels when towing. This should help make hitch weight better.

Question about towing with a truck. We are getting a f250 with 8 foot bed. I'm planning on putting things in the bed of the truck like our ice chest, bikes, etc. I'm assuming the truck bed weight will just go toward the TV rear axle weight with some redistributed to the front with WDH and not hitch weight, right?

Thanks again for all ya'lls help and advice!
valhalla360
Navigator
Jun 16, 2020
Boomerweps wrote:
Also not quoted above, but you need to put more tension on your WDH to push more weight to the steer and trailer axles.

If his numbers are correct, he's already pushing 500lb back to the front axle and as can be seen when he upped the tension on the WDH, it really didn't make much difference.

If he backs off the hitch weight, that should also result in more weight on the front axle without trying to over tension the WDH.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Jun 16, 2020
Andrewmart wrote:
Thanks for the advice. It makes sense! I've been toying with the idea of getting a 3/4 ton vehicle to tow our vehicle, so it might just be time to do it. I was initially worried about our payload being near the max, but now I have to worry about the hitch weight max.

I'm looking at a lightly used F250, which will drastically increase my payload and also push my hitch weight to around 1250-1400#. I started another thread on the towing vehicles forum last week.

I will also shift little weight around in my trailer, because I want a lower hitch weight regardless of the vehicle. We do not have any outdoor rear storage compartments, so we'll have to just put things inside the TT.

Well, that’s the easy answer, since you’re not addressing my questions.
I’ll rephrase for your wife’s purposes so you can convince her you need the F250....

OMG, that’s too heavy!! Stop now. Think of the children! Go get a Powerstroke!!

(I think that’s the answer you were asking for)
Boomerweps
Explorer
Jun 16, 2020
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Andrewmart wrote:
Took my TV and TT to the scales and have some results.

TV - 2017 Expedition w/ HD Tow package
TT - 3101 BHSE (dry weight of 6100, hitch weight of 890)
Using ProPride 1400# hitch. Using 2 washers on the hitch pin.

Vehicle weights:

TV only
Steer Axle: 2840
Rear Axle: 3220

TT: 6840

TV and TT (no WDH)
Steer Axle: 2100
Rear Axle: 5260
TT Axle: 5540
Total: 12900

Hu? How could you add over 2K in the rear axle? We need correct numbers to give you a correct answer. Are the numbers correct?

Yup. If you add the loss off the steer axle to the loss of the trailer weight when hitched. That is 740# off the steer and 1300# off the trailer axle(s). That's 1300# tongue weight.
Tow with any tanks forward of the TT axle empty as possible. Consider carrying liquid in tanks behind the axle. Shift whatever trailer weight you can behind or on the axles.
Also not quoted above, but you need to put more tension on your WDH to push more weight to the steer and trailer axles.
RCMAN46
Explorer
Jun 15, 2020
I think I found the OP's trailer..

SE 301BHSE