New to Dingy towing and toads
My parents just bought Fleetwood Jamboree 31M. They have a Dodge Grand Caravan which weighs in at around 4400#. We are taking a trip cross country in July and are contemplating buying a "toad" or a do...
Forum Discussion
Hey Army Vet,
I for one appreciate your service to our country. Thanks!
I have a couple of comments. For these hitches, one probably doesn't need to put safety factor on top of safety factor. In other words, if your hitch is rated for 5000 lbs, it will do that with a lot of safety factor built in, probably on the order of 50%. So I don't agree you need to further limit the weight.
In supprt of this, We all know a weight distributing hitch significantly improves the weight rating by taking the downforce weight off the hitch allowing you to tow more weight. Just go to Reese and one can see that. So, logically, with flat towing the hitch itself!, because it has very little tongue weight will easily handle the max weight of 5000 lbs.
The limit can be the design of the motor home. I have asked Forest River this very question and they have tested their provided hitch well above the 5000 lb limit before failure and apparently that was a safely eyelet not the hitch itself. They do not have problem with their motor home up to the 22,000 lb limit of the Ford Chassis. That would be 7500 lb over the GVWR or 8500 lb above my fully loaded weight.
So I have no problem towing the 5000 lb limit. In fact this is for me 3500 lbs below the max GCVWR of 22000 lb and should be well within the capability of the E450. My toad weighs in at 4860 lbs.
Because, you don't know what you don't know, I haven't come to this conclusion lightly. I've did research asked questions of the manufacturer, dealers hitch experts at 3 dealers and others. I hope this helps your situation. I more worried about stopping the vehicle and want to make sure I get the correct braking system. I have decided on the RVibrake.
Good Luck!
I for one appreciate your service to our country. Thanks!
I have a couple of comments. For these hitches, one probably doesn't need to put safety factor on top of safety factor. In other words, if your hitch is rated for 5000 lbs, it will do that with a lot of safety factor built in, probably on the order of 50%. So I don't agree you need to further limit the weight.
In supprt of this, We all know a weight distributing hitch significantly improves the weight rating by taking the downforce weight off the hitch allowing you to tow more weight. Just go to Reese and one can see that. So, logically, with flat towing the hitch itself!, because it has very little tongue weight will easily handle the max weight of 5000 lbs.
The limit can be the design of the motor home. I have asked Forest River this very question and they have tested their provided hitch well above the 5000 lb limit before failure and apparently that was a safely eyelet not the hitch itself. They do not have problem with their motor home up to the 22,000 lb limit of the Ford Chassis. That would be 7500 lb over the GVWR or 8500 lb above my fully loaded weight.
So I have no problem towing the 5000 lb limit. In fact this is for me 3500 lbs below the max GCVWR of 22000 lb and should be well within the capability of the E450. My toad weighs in at 4860 lbs.
Because, you don't know what you don't know, I haven't come to this conclusion lightly. I've did research asked questions of the manufacturer, dealers hitch experts at 3 dealers and others. I hope this helps your situation. I more worried about stopping the vehicle and want to make sure I get the correct braking system. I have decided on the RVibrake.
Good Luck!
