How much weight can my bumper support?

tkoden wrote:
The whole goal of the project is to remove tongue weight. Right now my 7k trailer has about 1100 lbs of tongue weight. If I can remove 300 lbs of weight and get closer to 12% tongue weight
...

If your trailer frame and axles/wheels can support the additional weight, I would have a frame extension built out from the frame, not the bumper. You would have a longer trailer with the axles more centered.

The downside (again if the frame, axles, tires can handle it) would be some decrease in stability 'cause of the reduction in tongue weight. But there's a lot of people out there running 12% tw without problems.

EDIT: I see now there's more to sway than tongue weight.

Ron Gratz wrote:
However, the tendency for sway is determined by more than tongue weight. One of the other major factors is the trailer's polar moment of inertia.

. IOW it's best to keep as much weight as possible around the centre of gravity, especially the weight behind the axles.


I have the same problem: >15% tongue weight (1130#) loading down my truck. But I also have a trailer with a Northwood frame, and way over-rated axles and tires, so there should be little problem adding a 2-3 hundred pounds off the rear.

My previous light weight trailer had a light weight frame, but the same high tongue weight %. I added a 2" receiver between the frame rails and about 100# of bicycles back there (bikes were also lashed to the trailer shell so they didn't bounce). No problems, but the additional weight in the rear did put me very close to the trailer's GAWR.

Forget the bumper and take a close look at your frame.