How do you determine hitch weight?

There did your stated 600 pounds tongue weight limit come from?

It's just the two of us and no cargo. But the tongue weight limit is 600#, regardless, and that's a very serious limiting factor for us. Our tongue, with two batteries and two propane tanks, weighs 780#.

MargaretB wrote:
So my question should have been, "How do you determine hitch weight BEFORE YOU BUY?" And yes, of course the obvious answer is to weigh it. But how do you do that before you've bought? I never knew about the Sherline.

I was not trying to be a smart aleck. You have been given some ways to calculate an approximation. In my opinion, if the weight of Uncle Ned, or forty gallon of water is going to put you over your weight limit, you are too close for comfort.

MargaretB wrote:
It's surprising to us that a vehicle that's rated to tow 7500# and has a torque of around 440# can only tow a 600# hitchweight.

You're too focussed on that mythical tow capacity number.

When the manufacturer says the vehicle can tow 7500 lbs, they mean that vehicle could tow 7500 lbs if, it is a stripped down model, the driver only weighs 150 lbs, and he has no passengers and no cargo. From that point, everything and everybody put in or on the vehicle, reduces the available payload, and max tow capacity, pound for pound.
If the manufacturers were to rate their max tow capacity, based on all the people and stuff that we campers tend to drag along, they would probably rate the vehicles at half of what they do.

If you have a vehicle that says 7500 lb max tow capacity and put 1000 lbs of people, tongue weight, and cargo in / on it, that tow capacity drops to 6500 lbs.

They also have a rating for what that vehicle can carry. That vehicle can't carry its max payload and pull it's max tow weight, at the same time.
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Example:

Say the vehicle has 1200 lbs payload, 1000 lb hitch rating, and 7500 lb tow rating.

Say the driver weighs 160 lbs, his trailer weighs 7500 lbs, and his WD hitch weighs 100 lbs.

Add up what the vehicle is carrying 160 (driver) + 100 (WD hitch + 940 (average tongue weight) = 1200 lbs.

Theoretically that vehicle could tow 7500 lbs.

Notice there is no cargo and no passengers.
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Read the fine print in most owners manuals. You will find a statement similar to "The vehicles max tow capacity is limited to the weakest link in it's averall ratings".

It's possible to have a vehicle that has a 7500 lb tow rating, with 1200 lb payload, and a hitch receiver that is only rated for 500 lbs. That would limit it's max tow capacity, to approximately 4000 lbs.

TomG2 wrote:
The OP asked, "How do you determine hitch weight?"

The obvious answer is that you weigh it. You don't rely on dealers, manufacturers, or guesses and estimates from forum members.

I had one that was published at 500 pounds but weighed over 800 pounds when ready to go. Thankfully, I have plenty of tow vehicle to handle it. Others are not always that lucky.

So my question should have been, "How do you determine hitch weight BEFORE YOU BUY?" And yes, of course the obvious answer is to weigh it. But how do you do that before you've bought? I never knew about the Sherline.

The OP asked, "How do you determine hitch weight?"

The obvious answer is that you weigh it. You don't rely on dealers, manufacturers, or guesses and estimates from forum members.

I had one that was published at 500 pounds but weighed over 800 pounds when ready to go. Thankfully, I have plenty of tow vehicle to handle it. Others are not always that lucky.

K Charles wrote:

coolbreeze01 wrote:
Seems like a reputable dealer would have a Sherline scale.

And they weighed it for me.

Curious, what was the weight of the Sherline scale?

It's surprising to us that a vehicle that's rated to tow 7500# and has a torque of around 440# can only tow a 600# hitchweight.

I've bought three truck campers and one TT and three 5th wheel trailers and have always used the mfg dry hitch or gross weights for a estimate. In my former line of work (pulling non RV trailers) it was absolutely necessary to know the trailers dry weight so I could estimate how much load was left to carry freight. More freight meant more monies....which was a good thing.

And I also subtract the mfg CCC from the units GVWR for a estimate.

Others have their favorite method of estimating a trailer hitch weight.

The most obvious problem is the dealer weight is empty trailer weight.

Once you get it home and loaded you can easily pick up 1000 lbs. or more.

Unless you weigh it, it is just a guess. You can figure 10 to 15 percent tongue weight, which is all the dealer is going to do.

When you ask the dealer what a particular TT weights, he looks at the door sticker the same as you or I would.