Need Some Advice on Used TT Purchase

Heavy Metal Doctor wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:

The problem here is in order to tow a max of 9100 lbs you would have a min of 10% of the tongue weight which is 910 lbs. 10% is the BOTTOM most spec for tongue weight, ideally 12%-15% is where you should be..

15% of 9100 lbs is 1,365 which puts you well over the allowed hitch weight!

To get 15% hitch weight you would HAVE to have an absolute MAX trailer weight of 6000 lbs! which would get you right at 900 lb mark.

BUT the 900-910 hitch rating is only good IF your vehicle is equipped with the OPTIONAL TOW PACKAGE.

I thought the whole purpose of weight distribution hitch was to change the load characteristic when your tongue weight goes over the rated tongue weight capacity of the vehicle. In this case, the Armada can carry 900 lb tongue weight - if you have more tongue weight than that, then you must use a WDH to spread that 1500lbs out over the whole TV.....maybe I don't get it???....am I crazy or what?

:h

Umm.. no that isn't the way it works..

You simply just can't put 1500 lbs on a vehicle and hitch which specifically states something like 900 lbs as the max weight.

Take a step back..

The tow rating of the OPs vehicle my be listed as 900 lbs tongue AND 9100 lbs trailer weight. If you look closely the manufacturer is stretching the truth by using the bottom most tongue weight of 10%. In reality most folks are going to WANT to have a hitch weight GREATER than 10% in order take make the towing more stabil...

Putting 15% on the tongue and still pulling a trailer at 9100 lbs will put 1300 lbs on the tongue and that most likely will be over the allowable cargo weight of the vehicle.

To play it safe one must reduce the WEIGHT of the trailer in order to allow for up to 15% tongue weight so you don't go over the cargo weight...

You need to subtract the curb weight of said tow vehicle from the GVWR and that will give you the max cargo weight.

Then you subtract your passenger and gear weight from the cargo weight the left over is the MAX you have for your tongue weight.

The you must make sure you don't exceed your vehicles axle ratings..

Clear as mud?