increasing tongue weight

[nasars]

Hey everyone, not new to forum, but new to posting. Usually lurk in background and soak up knowledge. I tried a search but didnt find anything, but i would like to increase my tongue weight. According to cat scale numbers i`m right at 10%. Would like to bump up to 12-13%. Feel like it would ride better. I've moved everything i can to front of camper, water tank is at rear of camper, do adding water is out. I have a rear slide on camper, so i have extra weight back there. Is there a direct corelation between adding weight and increasing tongue weight? Ie adding one hundred pounds to front of camper increases tongue weight by 100 lbs? Or is it more of a percentage? Or dependent on weight location? Anyway, what are some feasable ways of adding some weight? Thanks

[Jebby14]

more batteries, more propane, bike rack on the nose, tool box on the nose..... lots of options. what tickles your fancy

[LITEPHIL]

GM recommends 15%. I'm at 10% and it's a little squirly at times. I know adding 200 lbs up front would be much better.

[JIMNLIN]

op wrote:
Planning on getting new trailer next year, so this may be all a moot point, thanks everybody for the replies.

Yeah I would leave it alone if the rig doesn't have a tail waggin' the dog issues.
Good hunting for the new trailer :B

[dodge_guy]

naturist wrote:
Ain't nothing magical about 10% vs 12%-13%. Depends on the design of the trailer. In Europe, trailers are generally designed to carry 8% or so on the tongue.

So I say, if it tow's straight, nobody cares what the tongue weight is. Leave it alone. Don't fix what ain't broke.

Physics isn`t magical...... but it is real!

[dodge_guy]

Basically you want to add 2% more to the tongue. just for a round number lets say you are 600 right now 2% more would be 120 lbs. that should give you an idea of what needs to be moved around. just adding a 2nd battery alone would be approx. 60lbs.

[Huntindog]

naturist wrote:
Ain't nothing magical about 10% vs 12%-13%. Depends on the design of the trailer. In Europe, trailers are generally designed to carry 8% or so on the tongue.

So I say, if it tow's straight, nobody cares what the tongue weight is. Leave it alone. Don't fix what ain't broke.

I will wager that you have never experienced sway caused by low TW.

I have. It is not an experience I wish to repeat, or one that I think anyone else should.

I was very lucky.

[naturist]

Ain't nothing magical about 10% vs 12%-13%. Depends on the design of the trailer. In Europe, trailers are generally designed to carry 8% or so on the tongue.

So I say, if it tow's straight, nobody cares what the tongue weight is. Leave it alone. Don't fix what ain't broke.

[Huntindog]

nasars wrote:
Hey everyone, not new to forum, but new to posting. Usually lurk in background and soak up knowledge. I tried a search but didnt find anything, but i would like to increase my tongue weight. According to cat scale numbers i`m right at 10%. Would like to bump up to 12-13%. Feel like it would ride better. I've moved everything i can to front of camper, water tank is at rear of camper, do adding water is out. I have a rear slide on camper, so i have extra weight back there. Is there a direct corelation between adding weight and increasing tongue weight? Ie adding one hundred pounds to front of camper increases tongue weight by 100 lbs? Or is it more of a percentage? Or dependent on weight location? Anyway, what are some feasable ways of adding some weight? Thanks

I too would want more than the minimum TW. My reasoning is simple, yet many miss this: A TT is different than most other trailers.
The weight distribution is constantly changing in the course of a trip.Things get consumed/used and either disappear (propane) or move (food, water, waste, etc. Being right at the minimum depending on YOUR usage and YOUR TTs layout could have YOUR TT end up with a lighter TW at some point... Possibly too light.

[nasars]

My rear slide is intragrated into bumper, so nothing extra there, dont want to mess up the slide. Appreciate the suggestions. will probably leave as is since its towing ok. Not sure how to drop front anymore, ball is in lowest position on shank. Thanks.

[Lwiddis]

“Planning on getting new trailer next year, so this may be all a moot point, thanks everybody for the replies.“

Leave it alone then.

[JRscooby]

There are limits to how much you can do it, but a lower tongue will increase percentage of TW.

[valhalla360]

Weight centered over the axles will add 0% to the hitch weight.
Weight added directly over the ball will add 100%.
Between that it's basically a percentage of the distance between...so 50% of the distance between the ball and center of axles will add 50% to the hitch weight.

Now if you can move weight from the back end to the front end, that can actually result in greater than 100% as weight behind the axles actually reduces hitch weight. So if you have a generator on the rear bumper and can move it to a rack above the tongue, that can have a bigger impact.

If it's towing well, I wouldn't put a lot of effort into it but do keep an eye on it...especially if you have a trip where you will be carrying fresh water. It might not take much to push from towing well to being a problem.

[Grit_dog]

Well, ya gotta describe what characteristic you’d like to improve or this is just a poorly written mystery.

[nasars]

Not really having any real issues towing, just feel (in my head) that a little more tongue weight would make a better tow. Trailer tows level. I have front bunks and their loaded with gear, and my front storage is loaded. Have thought about getting an a frame bike rack just to add some weight. I would have to add 110lbs to tongue weight to get up to 12%, which sounds like im gonna have to add approx 200lbs to achieve that. Planning on getting new trailer next year, so this may be all a moot point, thanks everybody for the replies.