Lightening tongue weight
It has occurred to us that if we just camp alone, with nothing in the TV but ourselves and a bag of potato chips, we're good with the tongue weight. But after subtracting it from our payload, we don'...
Forum Discussion
rexlion wrote:
MargaretB, I think you could quite safely reduce hitch weight to 10% or 11%. I haven't read everything you may have posted about your rig, but I assume you're using some sort of sway control? You could start by subtracting one LP tank and one battery. One tank will last from 1 to 3 weeks depending on usage, provided you are not cold-weather camping. And a single battery will keep you going quite well for a couple of days, or longer if you have a generator or a solar panel or shore power. I carry a 75W solar panel and plug it into the front pigtail (the one that goes to your tow vehicle) while at the campground.
Speaking of generators, some people mount them on the back bumper (after making sure their bumper will support the weight) and this will reduce hitch weight also.
I have towed various trailers (from 24' long to about 10') for somewhat over 300,000 miles, using vehicles ranging from a half ton pickup to a Dodge Omni. I have only had a sway problem one time... and that was with a 4'x8' (10' overall length) utility trailer! It was poorly loaded, with a long, heavy steel part sticking out the back about 2' and there was a negative tongue weight. Yes, this was when I was young and foolish and didn't know better. But my point is, dangerous sway is not all that common. The way to avoid sway is to maintain proper hitch weight, and when in doubt, use a sway control hitch as insurance. Oh, and keep the speed at a reasonable level, like 55 mph (or at most 60 mph, when you are not in CA, obviously) because sway tendency can increase at higher speeds. At 55 your sway control will protect you pretty well from rare events like unusually violent crosswinds and such.
Getting a bit off topic now, I just want to comment that it amazes me what the manufacturers call "ultra light" sometimes. My '04 Rockwood was just a tad under 24' long and had a slide like yours, but it only weighed 3400 lb dry. By comparison, your 230 is (if I pulled the right specs) a tad over 25' long and 4920 lb dry... not so ultra light IMO!
BTW you don't want to relocate a battery to the interior, as the battery can vent unhealthy gases. Just thought I'd mention it.
When we measured the box, it came in at just over 22". The hitch would make it longer, of course, but the box itself is pretty close to 22'. And the dry weight was about 5000# - not so "ultra-lite," to my way of thinking. We have a sturdy WDH and a sway bar. Thanks for the s=information about the battery - I didn't know that they can emit noxious vapors. We've thought about just leaving one battery and one propane tank home, because at least for the next few months, our camping will be short trips with full hookups. Thanks for all the useful information you gave!
