Forum Discussion

fallsrider's avatar
fallsrider
Explorer
Oct 11, 2014

Tongue Weight - Pleasant Surprise

Since we bought our '95 TT 13 months ago, I have been meaning to get it weighed, but just haven't gotten around to it. Our Suburban is only a 1/2 ton, so I've been a little concerned about different weights. It tows it fine, but I wouldn't want any more weight back there. The Suburban is rated for 7,700 lbs towing, and the TT is rated just under 4,000 dry and 7,000 GVWR. I figure I'm towing down the road in the 5,500 to 6,000 range, though not certain of that.

I decided today to at least get my TW. I leveled the trailer and used our digital strain gauge bathroom scale and used a 4x4 to weigh the tongue at the coupler. I started out with the 25% length method. I got 179 lbs. I then switched to 33% length and got 229 lbs. That's 690 to 715 lbs. I'll call it 700 roughly. This was good news to me, seeing my Suburban has a 1,000 TW capacity with WDH.

A couple of notes about our trailer. It is stocked for camping, other than clothes and food. Our gray and black water tanks are at the back and are empty. The FW tank is under the front bed as far forward as it can go, so it greatly affects TW. It is about 1/2 full of its 42 gal capacity. So maybe another 175 lbs of water is all we can carry, and it would not 100% translate into TW, though maybe 75-80% of it would.

Using the 10-15% TW rule, our trailer should be around 4,700 to 7,000 lbs. I'm guessing it is probably closer to 7,000 than 4,700. I really need to get to the scales to get those numbers. I know I'm not over towing weight, and now I know I'm well under TW, but the real important number is payload. I'm willing to bet that I'm close to maxed out there, or maybe even over going down the road with all 4 family members.
  • CavemanCharlie's avatar
    CavemanCharlie
    Explorer III
    Oct 13, 2014
    Don't let these guys beat up on you. I'm glad you figure out your tongue weight and if you have towed your TT and it does well then that is what is important. Have fun camping !
  • Francesca_Knowl's avatar
    Francesca_Knowl
    Explorer
    Oct 12, 2014
    fallsrider wrote:
    I've either got to find a local quarry or stone place or other such place with a scale, or hit one of the CAT scales on a trip.

    Don't forget the dump! Most have scales...I've weighed at ours more than once, no charge.
  • fallsrider's avatar
    fallsrider
    Explorer
    Oct 12, 2014
    Francesca Knowles wrote:
    Good for you for weighing the tongue...but as you already seem to know, the only bit of "good" news there is that you're not overloading the hitch. One can't calculate or even guesstimate total trailer weight using only existing tongue weight. Do please follow through and get the whole thing weighed, and let us know what you find out!
    I've either got to find a local quarry or stone place or other such place with a scale, or hit one of the CAT scales on a trip. But we haven't taken any trips in a long time. They've all been local. I'll get it done at some point! I'm not worried about total weight. My one remaining concern is payload.
  • fallsrider's avatar
    fallsrider
    Explorer
    Oct 12, 2014
    wmoses wrote:
    If the tongue weight is known (and I am not sure it is since it seems to vary depending on the length of the 4x4 beam) you cannot presume that the fore-aft split of the weight is anything at all. Hence you cannot guesstimate what the full weight of the trailer might be.

    The only way is to go the scales at least once, and only then would you know what your weight split is, and can make adjustments after that. If the weights don't change much there is likely no need to ever weigh the trailer again.
    I would say that if I know exactly what the TW is, I still can't guesstimate the weight of the trailer. I was merely pointing out what the range would be if it falls within the range of 10-15% that everyone espouses.

    Regarding the variance with the length of the 4x4, I was within less than 5%. That's close enough to know that I'm well under my TV's max TW. That was the only point of my post.

    In reality, there's no such thing as exact tongue weight. There's only a precise TW at that moment under that exact condition. Use 1 gallon of FW, and your TW changes. Use the bathroom, and your TW changes. Take a drink out of the fridge, and your TW changes. So being close is close enough.
  • fallsrider's avatar
    fallsrider
    Explorer
    Oct 12, 2014
    Huntindog wrote:
    I'm not so sure I would be overjoyed about a lighter than expected TW.

    Your TT is a prime example of an issue I often bring up. With your FW tank up front, and the waste water in the rear, you could have a dramatic change in TW in the course of a trip.

    If you were to need a full FW tank, and propane tanks, and need to dry camp, towing it home with close to empty FW, and propane, and full waste water tanks.... The TW would be MUCH lighter than when the trip started. Quite possibly too light.
    Something to be aware of.

    I wouldn't equate "Pleasant Surprise" and "overjoyed" as the same thing. I was merely making the point that I now know I'm not overloaded as far as TW goes when we camp. And as to dry camping, yes that is possible at some point, but we always camp with W/E. So the chances of us using up our FW and towing home with close-to-full black and gray tanks is very unlikely. But I do agree that if that scenario were to ever happen, I would need to be aware of a too-light TW.

    We are camping the 2nd weekend of November at a state park that has electric, but not water at each site. I will tow there with a close-to-full FW tank, and we will use a decent amount, I'm sure, while there. But they have a dump station, and I will dump there before heading home. So that shouldn't be a problem.
  • wmoses's avatar
    wmoses
    Explorer
    Oct 12, 2014
    If the tongue weight is known (and I am not sure it is since it seems to vary depending on the length of the 4x4 beam) you cannot presume that the fore-aft split of the weight is anything at all. Hence you cannot guesstimate what the full weight of the trailer might be.

    The only way is to go the scales at least once, and only then would you know what your weight split is, and can make adjustments after that. If the weights don't change much there is likely no need to ever weigh the trailer again.
  • Huntindog's avatar
    Huntindog
    Explorer
    Oct 12, 2014
    I'm not so sure I would be overjoyed about a lighter than expected TW.

    Your TT is a prime example of an issue I often bring up. With your FW tank up front, and the waste water in the rear, you could have a dramatic change in TW in the course of a trip.

    If you were to need a full FW tank, and propane tanks, and need to dry camp, towing it home with close to empty FW, and propane, and full waste water tanks.... The TW would be MUCH lighter than when the trip started. Quite possibly too light.
    Something to be aware of.
  • Francesca_Knowl's avatar
    Francesca_Knowl
    Explorer
    Oct 11, 2014
    Good for you for weighing the tongue...but as you already seem to know, the only bit of "good" news there is that you're not overloading the hitch. One can't calculate or even guesstimate total trailer weight using only existing tongue weight. Do please follow through and get the whole thing weighed, and let us know what you find out!

About Travel Trailer Group

44,029 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 28, 2025