CAT Scale results - advice needed

[Andrewmart]

Took my TV and TT to the scales and have some results.

TV - 2017 Expedition w/ HD Tow package
TT - 3101 BHSE (dry weight of 6100, hitch weight of 890)
Using ProPride 1400# hitch. Using 2 washers on the hitch pin.

Vehicle weights:

TV only
Steer Axle: 2840
Rear Axle: 3220

TT: 6840

TV and TT (no WDH)
Steer Axle: 2100
Rear Axle: 5260
TT Axle: 5540
Total: 12900

TV and TT (WDH 7 inches)
Steer Axle: 2600
Rear Axle: 4580
TT Axle: 5720
Total: 12900

TV and TT (WDH 7.5 inches)
Steer Axle: 2600
Rear Axle: 4560
TT Axle: 5740
Total: 12900

I entered my data on the towing planner website and got a tongue weight of 1300# and 19%. This is much higher than I thought. Any thoughts on how to bring that down?

My thoughts are to change the Propride and either adding 1 or 2 more washers into the hitch tilt pin or maybe also adjusting the height of the hitch bar. I don't have much room to increase the WD jack heights.

Any other thoughts of how to adjust weight? Maybe shift some weight in the TT from the front storage area toward the rear axles. In our trailer, the dining table is right over rear axles. I can probably fit some heavier things in that spot pretty snuggle so they wouldn't shift (e.g., ice chest, canopy, chairs, etc).

Also, note that this trip to the scale did not include about 350# of passengers. My wife and little kids were not in the car.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and help!

[Andrewmart]

BarryG20 wrote:


I am not weight police this is just food for thought. I would double check the rating of the oem hitch setup. The 2017 expedition brochure states max tongue weight with a WDH is 920/930 lbs. 1300 lbs is about 40% over that rating. While I personally am not opposed to going over a rating to a certain degree 40% to me personally is beyond what I would be willing to exceed any rating.

Is the hitch weight constant regardless of where it's located? If I move the propane tanks (about 70 lbs total) and move heavy things toward the rear of the truck, would that reduce the overall hitch weight? Or is the hitch weight going to be 1300 regardless of where the weight is? Regardless, I think shaving off 300# off hitch weight is going to be hard.

[Andrewmart]

BarryG20 wrote:
As far as trying to lighten the tongue weight as you asked about the only thing to do is move more cargo towards the rear of the trailer. While I am unfamiliar with your trailer do the above scale weight include water in your tank? If not you might try adding water to your tank as many times they are behind the axle and will lower your tongue weight to a degree (obviously overall weight will increase though) . It wont be lb for lb but it may help in addition to moving more cargo to the rear. Or if it was weighed with water you might try with less water as the tank may be above or forward of the axle. I personally don't travel with much water at least if where I am going I know I can fill it there

I am not weight police this is just food for thought. I would double check the rating of the oem hitch setup. The 2017 expedition brochure states max tongue weight with a WDH is 920/930 lbs. 1300 lbs is about 40% over that rating. While I personally am not opposed to going over a rating to a certain degree 40% to me personally is beyond what I would be willing to exceed any rating.

Thanks. Do my numbers look possible/accurate? Could I have measured it wrong, and it is not that heavy?

[BarryG20]

As far as trying to lighten the tongue weight as you asked about the only thing to do is move more cargo towards the rear of the trailer. While I am unfamiliar with your trailer do the above scale weight include water in your tank? If not you might try adding water to your tank as many times they are behind the axle and will lower your tongue weight to a degree (obviously overall weight will increase though) . It wont be lb for lb but it may help in addition to moving more cargo to the rear. Or if it was weighed with water you might try with less water as the tank may be above or forward of the axle. I personally don't travel with much water at least if where I am going I know I can fill it there

I am not weight police this is just food for thought. I would double check the rating of the oem hitch setup. The 2017 expedition brochure states max tongue weight with a WDH is 920/930 lbs. 1300 lbs is about 40% over that rating. While I personally am not opposed to going over a rating to a certain degree 40% to me personally is beyond what I would be willing to exceed any rating.

[Grit_dog]

Seems like you could distribute another couple/few hundred lbs to the steer axle, but equally as important, how does it “feel” at your latest setup?

[Andrewmart]

I just remembered that the TV weight alone might be affected by gas. I weighted that this morning after filling up the tank. *insert face palm pic* I probably put in about 15 gallons of gas.

I didn't have time to weight it when I did the other ones because I had been fixing my Propride3 for a few hours before finally getting to the CAT scale, and my 6 yo was tired and wanted to go home by that time. I live about 20 minutes away, so decided to sneak away early this morning before everyone woke up.

[Andrewmart]

Those are the correct numbers. Not sure how it added 2000#, but I'm assuming 1300# of tongue weight/TT and then about 700# was redistributed from the steer axles because the rear was weighted down?

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Andrewmart wrote:
Took my TV and TT to the scales and have some results.

TV - 2017 Expedition w/ HD Tow package
TT - 3101 BHSE (dry weight of 6100, hitch weight of 890)
Using ProPride 1400# hitch. Using 2 washers on the hitch pin.

Vehicle weights:

TV only
Steer Axle: 2840
Rear Axle: 3220

TT: 6840

TV and TT (no WDH)
Steer Axle: 2100
Rear Axle: 5260
TT Axle: 5540
Total: 12900

Hu? How could you add over 2K in the rear axle? We need correct numbers to give you a correct answer. Are the numbers correct?