We are new to RVing and I've got a question about my tongue wt and weight distribution. We currently own a Grand Design Transcend 26RLS travel trailer, the sticker on the trailer says that the GVWR = 8495 lbs and the UVW = 6708 lbs. My tow vehicle is a 2018 Ram 2500 CTD. My Payload is 2400 lbs, max tongue wt is 1800 lbs and max towing is 17,100 lbs. We are using a Hensley Arrow hitch with 1000 weight distribution bars.Unfortunately I can't find an RV scale locally, so I bought a tongue weight scale, just so I'd at least know my tongue wt while I search for a scale. If I can't locate an RV scale soon I'm planning to unload the trailer and weigh everything one piece at a time and tally it up. The trailer is currently sitting in our yard all loaded up with our "camping stuff" minus food and our clothes. The kitchen cabinets basically sit over the trailer axles, so I don't think adding food will any increase the tongue wt at all. The clothes on the other hand are another story, since the bedroom is in the front of the trailer. So I took 4 storage bins of cloths, which is more cloths than we'd ever pack and put 2 of them in the storage bin under the bed and the put the other 2 on the bed but under the storage cabinets. Also, all of the tanks are empty, but these are all close to the axles. Then I weighed the tongue using my new scale and it weighed 950 lbs. Is my 950 lb tongue weight too close the 1000 lb weight distribution bars? Should I go with the next larger size? The trailer seems to tow fine and the truck sits very level when hitched up, but I'm no expert. We don't experience any sway at all, even when passed by huge trucks on very windy days. When we do go over a bumb in the road the trailer does seem to push the truck up and down for a brief moment then steadies right out. Is this normal or does it mean that I need more weight distribution. ThanksBob

BeerBrewer wrote: GVWR = 8495 lbs and the UVW = 6708 lbs. My tow vehicle is a 2018 Ram 2500 CTD. My Payload is 2400 lbs, max tongue wt is 1800 lbs and max towing is 17,100 lbs. Then I weighed the tongue using my new scale and it weighed 950 lbs. The trailer seems to tow fine and the truck sits very level when hitched up, but I'm no expert. We don't experience any sway at all, even when passed by huge trucks on very windy days. When we do go over a bumb in the road the trailer does seem to push the truck up and down for a brief moment then steadies right out. Bob, You answered your own question within your post. See above. This is what you need to know and you know it already. Bottom line, you have nothing to worry about, no larger WD bars needed, actually no WDH needed at all. You have an accurate tongue weight, + or - a couple hundred lbs doesn't matter since you have a truck capable of about double of what you're using it for on all accounts. You WANT some weight on the back of the truck when towing. If you have a bunch of weight in the bed, then you could take most of the tongue weight off with the wdh but you shouldn't need to unless there's say 1500+ lbs in the bed already. Nothing to fret over. Take a little tongue weight off with the WDH if you feel it necessary or it rides better and let er rip!

You seem ok as you said everything pulls up fine -- well, except for your worries.And here is the lowdown. Manufacturer setting of "limits' have an unmentioned 20% allowance for safety and liability-avoidance. So if you are exactly in their name-plate limits, you are well within and even below their safety range.

Looks to me like you are good to go. As you can see from my signature, I towed a slightly heavier trailer with a tongue weight of about 1340lb with the same hitch but with 1400lb bars and about the same truck. You don't have to worry about sway and those 1000lb bars should be about perfect for you. When you weigh the tongue with the Sherline, it is a good idea to take at least two or three weightings since the scale is very sensitive to "stiction" which will throw off the reading. If you feel the truck "porpoising" to much you can crank up the bars some more. I used to run with my 1400lb bars cranked up almost to the top. Don't worry about the upward angle of the bars on the Hensley. They operate just fine with the bars in any position.If you decide to go with the larger bars, you will need to change out the bar inserts in the bottom of the hitch head. No big deal to change (one bolt) but you need to be aware of the cost of both the bars and the insert.You should have an excellent riding and handling rig with the combo you have. Enjoy! :)Barney

I feel relieved!Thank-You All!!

With that trailer and truck combo, throw whatever you want to bring along in the truck and trailer and go. 1000 lbs of tongue weight isn't going to unload your front axle with that big C sitting on top of it enough to matter, and certainly you don't need larger bars than you've already got.

Tongue Wt and Wt Distribution Question | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

BarneyS
Explorer III
May 30, 2019
Looks to me like you are good to go. As you can see from my signature, I towed a slightly heavier trailer with a tongue weight of about 1340lb with the same hitch but with 1400lb bars and about the same truck. You don't have to worry about sway and those 1000lb bars should be about perfect for you.

When you weigh the tongue with the Sherline, it is a good idea to take at least two or three weightings since the scale is very sensitive to "stiction" which will throw off the reading.

If you feel the truck "porpoising" to much you can crank up the bars some more. I used to run with my 1400lb bars cranked up almost to the top. Don't worry about the upward angle of the bars on the Hensley. They operate just fine with the bars in any position.
If you decide to go with the larger bars, you will need to change out the bar inserts in the bottom of the hitch head. No big deal to change (one bolt) but you need to be aware of the cost of both the bars and the insert.

You should have an excellent riding and handling rig with the combo you have. Enjoy! :)
Barney
Yosemite_Sam1
Explorer
May 30, 2019
You seem ok as you said everything pulls up fine -- well, except for your worries.

And here is the lowdown. Manufacturer setting of "limits' have an unmentioned 20% allowance for safety and liability-avoidance. So if you are exactly in their name-plate limits, you are well within and even below their safety range.
Grit_dog
Navigator II
May 30, 2019
BeerBrewer wrote:
GVWR = 8495 lbs and the UVW = 6708 lbs.

My tow vehicle is a 2018 Ram 2500 CTD. My Payload is 2400 lbs, max tongue wt is 1800 lbs and max towing is 17,100 lbs.

Then I weighed the tongue using my new scale and it weighed 950 lbs.

The trailer seems to tow fine and the truck sits very level when hitched up, but I'm no expert. We don't experience any sway at all, even when passed by huge trucks on very windy days. When we do go over a bumb in the road the trailer does seem to push the truck up and down for a brief moment then steadies right out.

Bob,
You answered your own question within your post. See above. This is what you need to know and you know it already.
Bottom line, you have nothing to worry about, no larger WD bars needed, actually no WDH needed at all. You have an accurate tongue weight, + or - a couple hundred lbs doesn't matter since you have a truck capable of about double of what you're using it for on all accounts.
You WANT some weight on the back of the truck when towing. If you have a bunch of weight in the bed, then you could take most of the tongue weight off with the wdh but you shouldn't need to unless there's say 1500+ lbs in the bed already.
Nothing to fret over. Take a little tongue weight off with the WDH if you feel it necessary or it rides better and let er rip!

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Tongue Wt and Wt Distribution Question

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