weight distribution kit

[snow0700]

need advice please.. we just bought a ford E450 class c odyssey that can tow 7,500 lbs. so we got a 24 ft car hauler and we are towing a smart car, and two utv"s. total weight is 5,500 so we are still under weight as far as towing. so my question is do we still need a weight distribution kit..any advice sure would be appreciated..


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[Beverley_Ken]

Confirm with the MH manufacturer that the Ford and the hitch manufactures specs have been maintained. Also the use of weight distribution hitches.
Due to the frame extensions on our 06 E450 Outlook, The tow ratings remains the same at 5000lbs, but the tongue weight is reduced to 350lbs from the original 500 (Ford and hitch mfg). Winnebago have also issued memos advised against the use of weight distribution hitches and surge brake systems due to the added stress put on the frame extensions.

Hopefully the newer MH and manufacturers have built the frame extensions (if used) to maintain the original specs.

Ken

[hotjag1]

I tow a 22' trailer with UTV and small SUV and I am in a similar dilemma as you...trying to reduce tongue weight.

You have a Smart car at 2000 lbs, an ATV at 500 lbs, and a UTV at 1200 lbs. I bet having the Smart car in the front puts you over the tongue rated capacity.

Without using a WDH, I'm guessing that the only way to get your tongue weight down to the hitch rating of 750 lbs is to put the Smart car in the rear facing backwards so that the engine is behind the axles, the UTV ahead of the car so that the UTV engine is over the axles, and the ATV in the front.

The only way to know for sure is to weigh it. I bought a Sherline tongue scale for about a $120 online and it is well worth it. I would really recommend getting one as it takes all the guess work out of loading properly.

[Bedlam]

Your numbers seem low and the description of what you are towing is changing. In the first post, you said two UTV's and a Smart in an enclosed trailer. I'm figuring the following:

2000 lbs for the Smart
1200 lbs each for the UTV
3000 lbs for a 24' enclosed Trailer rated for 7k lbs

I doubt your receiver is rated for 7500 lbs dead weight, so a WDH will be needed. You can arrange the trailer so it has 10 percent tongue weight, but my guess is that the Smart will have to be loaded last to get there.

I tow a 20' enclosed trailer with 10k lb rating that weighs 3500 lbs carrying a Sonic at almost 3000 lbs in the rear, an additional 1000 lbs of gear up front and still deal with a 1000 lbs of tongue weight.

[Lwiddis]

“We have the car on the front of trailer, it weighs 2,000 lbs, the 4 wheeler side ways in the middle , it weighs 500 lbs, and the side by side utv at the back of the trailer, ans it weighs 1,000 lbs. utilty trailer weighs 2,000 lb. and will carry 7,000 lbs.”

So? You are not yet getting it. Loaded what is the trailer’s tongue weight? Guessing is not ok. How you load will increase or decrease the tongue weight. Next, what is the MH’s hitch limits..with a WDH and without.

[1492]

Moved from Forum Posting Help and Support

[snow0700]

we have the car on the front of trailer, it weighs 2,000 lbs, the 4 wheeler side ways in the middle , it weighs 500 lbs, and the side by side utv at the back of the trailer, ans it weighs 1,000 lbs. utilty trailer weighs 2,000 lb. and will carry 7,000 lbs.

[KD4UPL]

The only way to know the tongue weight is to weigh it as it will very with how much you put in the trailer and how it's positioned. There's no way the manufacturer could post tongue weight. For proper towing with no sway you should have at least 10% tongue weight, maybe a bit more. Camperdave ran the math for you.
Depending on hitch rating without WDH and your actual tongue rating you're probably real close.

[Trackrig]

snow0700 wrote:

snow0700 wrote:
it has a 7,500-pound hitch with a 750-lb tongue capacity. I will have to look tomorrow when its light outside to see what the car hauler tongue weight is. I know the car hauler itself weighs aprox 2,000 lbs and will carry 7,000 lbs.

just took a flashlight out, loks like the utilty trailer weights 2,200 lbs. but it does not state the tongue weight..

I would doubt if it will state a tongue weight as the mfg doesn't know how you're going to load a car on it. How far forward or back will the load go? Will you load it with the car forward or backwards placing the weight of the engine on the front or rear of trailer. Will you load a small pick up truck on it with a golf cart or Harley in the rear putting more weight on the rear of the trailer and less weight on the tongue?


Bill

[snow0700]

snow0700 wrote:
it has a 7,500-pound hitch with a 750-lb tongue capacity. I will have to look tomorrow when its light outside to see what the car hauler tongue weight is. I know the car hauler itself weighs aprox 2,000 lbs and will carry 7,000 lbs.

just took a flashlight out, loks like the utilty trailer weights 2,200 lbs. but it does not state the tongue weight..

[Lwiddis]

750 pound limit with or without a WDH? My Tahoe is 600 without and 1000 with but that also takes 600 to 1000 of payload plus the weight of the hitch. What’s the MH’s payload?

[snow0700]

it has a 7,500-pound hitch with a 750-lb tongue capacity. I will have to look tomorrow when its light outside to see what the car hauler tongue weight is. I know the car hauler itself weighs aprox 2,000 lbs and will carry 7,000 lbs.

[camperdave]

well, I guess the obvious place to start would be to look at the sticker on your trailer hitch receiver on the back of the motorhome. What does it say regarding tongue weight limits and weight distribution?

after that, what is your tongue weight?

Now you'll have the info you need.

From here on I'm just guessing, but usually anything over 500 pounds tongue weight needs a weight distribution hitch. And a 5500 pound trailer 'should' have a tongue weight of around 660 pounds. Maybe more, hopefully not much less. So my guess is yes, you need a weight distributing hitch.

[Lwiddis]

Do you need to push some weight back to the trailer tires and front to the steering wheels for better braking? Is your trailer tongue weight below the MH’s max hitch weight? Is your coach level? Did you measure it?