Downside to tongue weight over 15%?

Both my trailers have been 15-16% at some point in their lives, and there have been no problems with handling once the WDH was setup right. If anything they were very stable.

5th wheels handle better than travel trailers because of both their high pin weight (15-25%) and it's placement above the rear axle.

Over in Europe where they don't use WDH, they have the 85% rule: the trailer weight shouldn't exceed 85% of the tow vehicles weight. Over here we can exceed that because the WDH puts more weight on the tow vehicle (and I suspect our WDH's have better mechanical sway control).

As long as the tow vehicle can handle it, the more weight the better IMHO.

fla-gypsy wrote:
Some receivers are simply not rated for big tongue weight above 1200 lbs

^ This, plus the truck's rear GAWR and GVWR. You gotta check all three.

Last time we weighed the new trailer, tongue weight was a bit over 15%, 1130#. We were under the receiver rating 20#, under the GVWR by 200#, but over the rear GAWR by 130#. Since then I've moved stuff out of the pass-thru and tightened up the WDH so hopefully the rear GAWR is no longer exceeded .

I have built and towed many equipment trailers over the past 40 years. As long as the TV is rated to tow the tongue weight (including the strength of the receiver) I have never had an issue with it. It is fine to be over 15% but dangerous to be seriously under 10%. I don't recommend having the extra tongue weight but some trailers will have this situation because of the loading on the trailer. Remember, the heavy equipment trailers have large Pintle Hitches, but the principle is the same.

I was over 15%. Because of the extra weight it put on the rear axle (even with a WD hitch) it was a handful to tow on the road. Now i'm at 1200lbs on a 9200lb loaded TT. And now it tows excellent.

Some receivers are simply not rated for big tongue weight above 1200 lbs

Most Toy Haulers have very heave tongue weight. My 22' TH tongue weight is around 1200 lbs. when unloaded. I use a Reese dual cam with 1200# bars. No issues with heavy tongue weight only if you go to lite. Look at semi's there tires are at the back of the trailer putting a lot of the weight on the truck.