Tongue Weight Rating

waynec1957 wrote:
This has been a good discussion—math induced headaches aside. I haven’t seen formulas like this since I took econometrics in grad school :)

I picked up some things I didn’t know and had to look a little closer at some things I thought I knew. So now the task is to apply this to my real world situation which is similar to what the OP was asking only with bigger numbers.

Before I started reading this thread I was under the impression if I use a WDH with my class V hitch (2.5” receiver/1,500 lb. TW) I could increase the allowable TW. Wrong. I did the unthinkable and actually read the manual. For my TV and receiver 1,500 lb. TW is it—with or without a WDH. On my truck with my receiver, a WDH does NOT increase the allowable TW. Granted, 1,500 lbs is not too shaggy but this sort of came as a surprise. Guess I should have read it earlier.

What’s interesting is my truck has a standard box (6’6”), but with the same hitch and a long box (8’) the TW increases to 2,000 lbs (regardless whether the truck is a 2500 or 3500). So apparently some of the factors in how hitches are rated DO have to do with the TV’s capabilities.

This tells me a couple of things. First, when we decide on a new TT if I use 14% of the TT’s GVWR as a standard (in the middle between 13% and 15%) the upper limit is going to be about 10,700 lbs. GVWR for the TT. That would put me real close to the 1,500 lb. limit.

Second, if we go that big it creates a dilemma regarding hitch selection—in fact, it severely limits the choice. Equalizer, Hensley Arrow, and ProPride 3P hitches all top out at 1,400 lbs. The Reese Strait-Line Trunnion Bar DC hitch comes in 1,500 and 1,700 lb.—which is the heaviest I’ve seen so far.

This is all academic until it’s applied to the two top contenders on our list.

First, there’s the Jayco Eagle 338RETS. It’s listed on the website with a dry weight of 8,590 lbs. and a GVWR of 10,950 but I’ve seen yellow stickers with dry weight as high as 9,700 lbs. Using the 14% standard, that alone (without any cargo) puts us at 1,358 lb. TW.

Then there’s the Jayco Jay Flight 33RLDS which is more or less a scaled down version of the 338RETS. The website lists the dry weight at 7,885 and GVWR at 10,300 and I’ve seen yellow stickers on this one at around 8,700 lbs. dry. Add 1,000 lbs. of stuff and we’re right at the dry weight of the 338RETS, but also right at that 1,400 lb. limit of those hitches and not too far from the 1,500 lb. limit on the receiver.

The reason they’re both on the list is they both have the “must have” living room layout (something we’re not willing to compromise on) but there are other factors involved here—the 338RETS is $15-$20K more than the 33RLDS depending on options and the 338RETS is 40’ versus 35’ for the 33RLDS. What’s surprising to me is, all things considered, TW might be the deciding factor.

Now…here’s the kicker. If you add the weight of the TV fully loaded plus the weight of either of these TTs fully loaded it’s still well below (around 20k lbs.) the GVWR of the TV (24,500 lbs.). So I’m going to run out of tongue weight long before I go over what the truck is capable of pulling with a conventional hitch (13,000 lbs.). Same thing would happen with a fifth wheel—I’d run out of payload (because of kingpin weight) before I reached the max trailer weight (17,400 lbs.)

I apologize for the long rambling post, a lot of this was just thinking out loud, but I also think this is a real world application of what’s been discussed here. I bought my new TV two months ago with both of these TTs in mind and there’s no doubt either one is doable. I realize once we actually get THE one we can get around some of this depending on the actual weights and what we take with us on trips and what we leave behind. But knowing what I know now, I might have gone with the long bed instead of the standard bed. Who knew another 18” would mean another 500 lbs. of tongue weight?

This has been quite an education for a newbie to trailers. We looked today at a Jayco 28BHS. Great 5,500# coach with slide and bunks. However, the dry tongue weight is not the expected 600#, but is 780#. With 59 gallons of water (tank in front of the axle), kitchen food and dishes, a second battery and propane, we are likely to be at 1,050 or 1,100# tongue weight.

The sales manager makes this argument -- the regular hitch rating is 600#. With 1,100#, the Equalizer moves 200# to the trailer and 300# to the front wheels, leaving the spec 600# on the receiver. The Ford is 895 WD and 600# regular hitch.

I was not popular when I pointed out this problem. What do you think?