LMyers14 wrote:
Raymon wrote:
The platform and box looks very professionally made and installed. Is the platform made of steel or aluminum? Considering how far the platform extends past the last axle, it would not take much weight on the platform to remove a large portion of the original tongue weight. I would not be comfortable towing the TT with any weight on the platform. I certainly would not add the ballast back in the front of the TT.
One other point: because of how far the platform extends past the rear of the TT, DOT may require additional tail/brake lights be installed on the rear of the platform. Just a thought. I wish you the best.
So you think the wood and the generator back there would be over doing it? It wouldn't do us much good to keep the platform if we couldnt use it.. It is very strongly built, a really nicely done addition... but with the added weight of that and a counter weight if it is needed might not be worth it.
A good mechanical engineer could easily calculate how each pound loaded on the platform would reduce the tongue weight. I think the ratio would be at least 2:1. Each pound on the platform would take 2 pounds off the tongue. Here again I am just guessing. The platform is like a long lever, each added pound exerts far more force than one pound.
You might try this. If you can find a large platform scale, like use in a warehouse, that can handle the tongue weight, place the tongue jack on the scale and note the weight. Add a known weight to the far rear of the platform such as 10 pounds and observe how much weight is taken off the tongue. Keep adding more weight and note the weight removed from the tongue. This would give you some idea how much weight you can carry on the platform without drastically effecting the tongue weight. Hope this helps.
Ray
