Tongue Weight Rating
Hello, We are buying a trailer for our daughter and son-in-law. They now have a Ford Expedition with 8,900# tow rating. 80% of that is 7,120#, but they should stay below 7,000# loaded (5,500 to 6...
Forum Discussion
The VSEC regulation referred to by Ron Gratz seems to pretty clearly define what "tongue weight" is and is as authoritative as you'll find. I haven't seen that reg. before and that is good info. to keep on file. You can also find numerous reliable sources on the internet such as:
Changing Gears tongue weight definition
U-Haul tongue weight definition
Ford tongue weight definition
In a minimal amount of words, tongue weight is: The amount of the trailer's weight that bears down on the trailer hitch. (From Ford) Clearly, a hitch shank, head and bars are not part of the trailer. The only hitch component that would be is the snap-up brackets since they are essentially permanently attached to the trailer, but they do not add much weight.
I don't understand why etrailer would say that weight added to a truck behind the axles counts against the tongue weight. It counts against payload. You shouldn't and wouldn't normally place heavy loads aft of the truck's axle, but if you were measuring before and after front fender height with WDH connected & disconnected, the effect of the load location would have no net effect as long as the load location remains the same. What they are suggesting is that the WDH would have to restore the fender height to the initial height before the trailer was hooked up and load placed aft of the drive axle. That would result in transferring way too much weight to the steer axle and could potentially create a dangerous situation. The spring bars may not be able to transfer that much weight anyway.
etrailer shows to place the Sherline scale under the tongue jack. This is not how the manufacturer shows how to so it. Placing it under the jack will result in a higher reading than what it actually is. Them amount of error would depend on the distance from the coupler to trailer axles for the particular TT.
Sherline scale placement
Just because a business sells towing and trailer parts & accessories, it doesn't mean they are THE "experts" out there.
This website has the most detailed, comprehensive and accurate information on weights, capacities and WDHs that you will find anywhere. The information on Reese DC setup is outstanding.
Changing Gears tongue weight definition
U-Haul tongue weight definition
Ford tongue weight definition
In a minimal amount of words, tongue weight is: The amount of the trailer's weight that bears down on the trailer hitch. (From Ford) Clearly, a hitch shank, head and bars are not part of the trailer. The only hitch component that would be is the snap-up brackets since they are essentially permanently attached to the trailer, but they do not add much weight.
I don't understand why etrailer would say that weight added to a truck behind the axles counts against the tongue weight. It counts against payload. You shouldn't and wouldn't normally place heavy loads aft of the truck's axle, but if you were measuring before and after front fender height with WDH connected & disconnected, the effect of the load location would have no net effect as long as the load location remains the same. What they are suggesting is that the WDH would have to restore the fender height to the initial height before the trailer was hooked up and load placed aft of the drive axle. That would result in transferring way too much weight to the steer axle and could potentially create a dangerous situation. The spring bars may not be able to transfer that much weight anyway.
etrailer shows to place the Sherline scale under the tongue jack. This is not how the manufacturer shows how to so it. Placing it under the jack will result in a higher reading than what it actually is. Them amount of error would depend on the distance from the coupler to trailer axles for the particular TT.
Sherline scale placement
Just because a business sells towing and trailer parts & accessories, it doesn't mean they are THE "experts" out there.
This website has the most detailed, comprehensive and accurate information on weights, capacities and WDHs that you will find anywhere. The information on Reese DC setup is outstanding.
LarryJM wrote:myredracer wrote:
etrailer's explanation in that link is wrong, and on more than one point.
Well I tried to provide some outside independent information which no one else including you have done to counter what I provided. You have a right to say whatever you want, just I have a right to consider it with the proper weight which based on just your post and the lack of information as basically zero weight.
Larry
