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Bionic_Man's avatar
Bionic_Man
Explorer
Sep 06, 2013

Dinghy & Tongue Weight

I am looking at adding either a Cherokee or Grand Cherokee to my fleet of vehicles, and thought it might be interesting to take it a couple times as a dinghy to do some four-wheeling.

If towed flat with a tow bar (Blue ox?) how much tongue weight would a Jeep have on the hitch of the vehicle that is towing it?

8 Replies

  • The weight consideration of a tow bar is equivalent to picking fly poop out of pepper.
  • Nothing to worry about. Our tow bar weights 38lbs (according to Blue Ox), So 38 lbs when not towing, when towing,19lbs, half of the 38 is supported on the front of the towed.

    Beverley and Ken
  • Bobbo's avatar
    Bobbo
    Explorer III
    Just figure 1/2 the weight of the tow bar and you will be close enough.
  • Put the towbar on the vehicle.
    Put a bathroom scale on the ground under the towbar hitch.
    Cut a stick just long enough to hold the towbar approximately level when the stick is on the scale.
    Weigh the stick on the scale.
    Put the stick on the scale and the towbar on the stick.
    The scale reading minus the weight of the stick is your tongue weight.
  • It would be negligible and not worth the calculation effort.

    Ron
  • dicknellen wrote:
    IMHO the only tongue weight would be the tow bar.

    Actually, the tow bar is supported on the toad and on the hitch, so it is not even the full weight of the tow bar. If you need a drop receiver then you have that weight too.

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