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ATC toy hauler - 1500lb tongue weight

socaladam
Explorer
Explorer
Can anyone help me understand why the tongue weight of my 28' front bedroom ATC toy hauler is 1500lbs?

I maybe have 100lb of gear in the front storage and the rest of the rig is empty. Like fully empty, no propane, nothing inside the trailer.

My a-frame jack is struggling to lift the trailer off the ball.
12 REPLIES 12

hvac
Explorer
Explorer
I have the same coach. No issues like what you are experiencing. With genny,propane filled and full 100 gallons of water and 25 gallons of gas jack works perfect and my half ton sits level with the Andersen showing 6 threads. Something is wrong..

Threebigfords
Explorer
Explorer
My Weekend Warrior is close to 2000lbs tongue weight when we fill the tanks and load our gear for camping, but have no toys in the back. Surprised the heck out of me the first time I hooked it up like that and watched the F350 start to drop as I loaded up the hitch. As others have said, put your loose gear in the back if traveling without toys. You won't even come close to unloading that tongue enough to cause sway with your normal camping gear.

I'd put everything normally in that underbed storage passthru area in the very back, along with duffle bags, flats of water etc. when traveling without the toys just to offset some of that heavy tongue weight.

That being said, with the massive tongue weight, I've never had any sway issues with that trailer!
15' Ford F450 4x4 Platinum Bronze Fire Metallic
17' Ford Explorer Platinum 3.5 Ecoboost Ruby Red Metallic
78' F250 SC LB 4x4 - highly modified

2003 Weekend Warrior FS2600 toyhauler and the toys to fill it
1997 10' Northland Grizzly 990 Ext Cab

socaladam
Explorer
Explorer
Y-Guy wrote:
Dirtclods wrote:
You said ~ (frame jack ) so I guessing you have an electric jack? How are your house batteries, are you plugged into your Tow vehicle and is it running while you doing this?

^^^ Yes!!!
This is spot on advice, I was told to be hooked up and have my truck running when using my electric tongue jack.


Yes I am. Also, my batteries are brand new and I have solar to keep them charged.

Y-Guy
Moderator
Moderator
Dirtclods wrote:
You said ~ (frame jack ) so I guessing you have an electric jack? How are your house batteries, are you plugged into your Tow vehicle and is it running while you doing this?

^^^ Yes!!!
This is spot on advice, I was told to be hooked up and have my truck running when using my electric tongue jack.

Two Wire Fox Terriers; Sarge & Sully

2007 Winnebago Sightseer 35J

2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon

Dirtclods
Explorer
Explorer
You said ~ (frame jack ) so I guessing you have an electric jack? How are your house batteries, are you plugged into your Tow vehicle and is it running while you doing this?
AAA Motorcycle RV Plus

socaladam
Explorer
Explorer
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Cause they are nose heavy

Dry base weight ....5445#
Dry tongue w/gen.... 985#
Dry tongue w/o gen.. 800#

That's a dry tongue percentage of 15%-18%

Tongue jack struggling....check battery voltage and wiring connections



I guess 985lbs empty also includes what max capacity is in the rear?

Because this number is WAY off what was measured at the tongue.

And the weight of my trailer, empty, on a CAT certified scale is 6540lbs.

So my tongue weight of 1500lbs is 23% of the total weight.

mhamershock
Explorer
Explorer
Trackrig wrote:
Load the rear toy compartment up with a bunch of toys and other junk. The weight in the rear will take some of the weight off of the front. Your toy hauler is nothing but a large teeter totter.........

Bill


But not TOO much. You get the tongue too light and that bad boy will be wagging something fierce. My Attitude CBG 27 TH gets real squirrely when the tongue is too light. I
ve had to stop and redistribute once or twice when there was too much load well back of the axles. You want at least 12% in my experience.

Mike

Trackrig
Explorer II
Explorer II
Load the rear toy compartment up with a bunch of toys and other junk. The weight in the rear will take some of the weight off of the front. Your toy hauler is nothing but a large teeter totter.........

Bill
Nodwell RN110 out moose hunting. 4-53 Detroit, Clark 5 spd, 40" wide tracks, 10:00x20 tires, 16,000# capacity, 22,000# weight. You know the mud is getting deep when it's coming in the doors.

Blackdiamond
Explorer
Explorer
It can have a heavier tongue empty than loaded.
03' Fleetwood Southwind 32VS
Enclosed Trailer hauling the toys
05 525 EXC KTM
15' FE350s Husqvarna/KTM
07 Rhino, long travel, 4 seater

Bedlam
Moderator
Moderator
Tongue jack should not have problems. My Atwood was rated for 3000 lbs and Bully Dog for 4000 lbs.

Expect tongue weight to to be around 15 percent of the gross trailer weight regardless of how it is packed.

Host Mammoth 11.5 on Ram 5500 HD

dedmiston
Moderator
Moderator
Toy haulers are front heavy so that they can hold tons of weight in the rear without causing sway.

2014 RAM 3500 Diesel 4x4 Dually long bed. B&W RVK3600 hitch • 2015 Crossroads Elevation Homestead Toy Hauler ("The Taj Mahauler") • <\br >Toys:

  • 18 Can Am Maverick x3
  • 05 Yamaha WR450
  • 07 Honda CRF250X
  • 05 Honda CRF230
  • 06 Honda CRF230

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
Cause they are nose heavy

Dry base weight ....5445#
Dry tongue w/gen.... 985#
Dry tongue w/o gen.. 800#

That's a dry tongue percentage of 15%-18%

Tongue jack struggling....check battery voltage and wiring connections
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31