cwmoser wrote:
OK, with a "ready to camp" FE 192RBS at a TGVW = 4,500 lbs, Trailer Tongue = 15%,
Wife and I in vehicle with full fuel and 200 lb of luggage, we are exactly on pound overloaded :-)
I think this exercise is a great leaning experience for me.
Also shows that my LX470 is within factory limits but if I purchased this trailer I need to be watchful about how much I carry and recalculate if I carry more passengers.
One critical area is the Tongue Weight - my Spreadsheet has it at 15% or 675 lbs. That exceeds my 650 lb limit on my Lexus. But, at 10% its 450 lbs and allows for 224 lbs more capacity in my Lexus.
The Spreadsheet has a notation that the recommended Tongue Weight should be between 10 and 15% of the trailer weight. How do you know when one starts using ones trailer? I would think only a very few weight -- but then again maybe the ones who just don't want to bother own tow vehicles with lots of excess capacity.
I've sent you an .xls copy of my own towing capacity worksheet which should clarify where you're going wrong, such as separately adding the weight of fuel which the manufacturer most likely already factors into the vehicle's curb weight rating. Also, you won't want to be running 15% gross tongue weight as that doesn't allow you any buffer for overage and you certainly don't want to run as little as 10% as that's an unnecessary invitation to unstable handling. Target somewhere in the 13% - 14% range of gross weight and I'll bet you be running at least 600 lbs of gross tongue weight with this trailer, just as I am. Keep in mind also that once a properly sized and adjusted weight distribution system is engaged a portion of the trailer's gross tongue weight will not only be transferred to the tow vehicle's front steer axle but also back to the trailer's axles. IMO you can't start worrying about other passengers in the vehicle beyond yourself and your wife but allowing just 200 lbs for everything else that may go in the trailer in the form of cargo is unrealistic. Remember, you have to count the weight of
everything - trailer setup gear, all your camping gear, bedding, kitchenware, bathroom items, food, drink, fridge contents, etc, etc, etc ... the list can be never ending and take great attention to control. As far as your other comment about others towing an Airstream with vehicles similar to yours I'd be cautious about reading too much into that. Airstreams are much more profiled that conventional box trailers and therefore less of a drag on the tow vehicle. Remember, towing is not just about staying within all the ratings but also about how the combination
feels out on the road under a variety of less than ideal conditions. Truth is, you'll be towing a trailer with all the aerodynamics of a barn door so the more limited your vehicle is the more that vehicle will struggle even though it may calculate to be within all the numbers. That's why so many simply move to a 1500, 2500 truck and eliminate these issues altogether. ;)
