Is 1/2" nose high towing an issue?

Well, I guess all's well that ends well. Took the rig out for one more mini-run, only 20 miles or so, after re-shuffling this and that in it and also in the TV.

Returned to the original measurement parking lot for at least semi-accurate readings. Now it's towing *exactly* level according to frame measurements. Tongue weight is 489lbs, 7lbs over the 15% rating. Handles dreamy, even the wife who drove it home (her first time ever towing anything) said "Oh yeah, this will be no problem at all".

So off we go tomorrow, across America with a TT we've never even slept in and nothing holding us back but... but... well.... nothing at all!

Thanks again to all of you who chimed in and helped, this kind of stuff is what makes these forums so great. See you when we get back I guess! Or maybe I'll post a few "on the road" pics :-)

CarnationSailor wrote:
10% to 15% tongue weight is a general guideline, NOT a minimum or maximum amount. The only true limitation on tongue weight is how much weight your hitch is rated to handle. As long as you are under the max for the hitch, receiver, and axles, I would not worry about it.

Also, regarding the 10-15% guideline, some trailer designs are such that it is impossible to get within that range. For example, my tongue weight is about 8% of trailer weight. There is nothing (within reason) I can do about it, and it tows just fine.

On these forums, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between "things to consider" versus hard and fast "rules".

CarnationSailor, that's a great answer thanks. Given my trailers situation I don't think there's any way it can be within the 10 to 15% range. It's at 15.3% tongue weight right now with everything at or behind the axle and a total of 13 gallons of water in the hot/cold tanks (hot tank full, cold tank 1/4 full). With even a minimal amount of gear in front of the axle and a half full cold water tank it will probably have a tongue weight of 20% or more.

The hitch I have (equalizer 10k) should easily be able to handle 510lbs of tongue weight, so I think I'll just load it all up and see how it tows. Really there's nothing else I can do anyways, we're going on this trip and a bit of confusion about tongue weight isn't going to stop us at this point.

10% to 15% tongue weight is a general guideline, NOT a minimum or maximum amount. The only true limitation on tongue weight is how much weight your hitch is rated to handle. As long as you are under the max for the hitch, receiver, and axles, I would not worry about it.

Also, regarding the 10-15% guideline, some trailer designs are such that it is impossible to get within that range. For example, my tongue weight is about 8% of trailer weight. There is nothing (within reason) I can do about it, and it tows just fine.

On these forums, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between "things to consider" versus hard and fast "rules".

Well, now I'm truly at my wits end.

I used the bathroom scale method to get a tongue weight for my TT. It's fully loaded and weighed at 3,220lbs. I checked the bathroom scale and it's within a lb of accurate.

So my max tongue weight (15% of loaded weight) is 483lbs.

My first reading brought in 510lbs. Crud.

So I moved EVERYTHING in the TT to at or behind the axle and weighed again. Now it's 492lbs tongue weight.

What the HECK. The trailer has 1/4 tank of water (7 gallons or so) in it, the water tank is at the very front of the TT. *Everything* else that weighs an ounce is at or behind the axle. And I'm still over tongue weight?

Is my trailer designed wrong? Why would a trailer be designed so that if you put ANY water in the tank it's over tongue-weight?

I'm pretty hoppin' mad right now. I don't know what to do about this. Travel with no water at all? Leave the propane and batter at home? Why is this happening?

The OP's TT was within 1/4" of being perfectly level. Not many RV'ers have a rig that is within a tolerance of +/- 1/4" of level. The OP should receive a pat on the back for almost achieving perfection.

I am a little nose low due to the height of my trailer ball. Go to a scale and weigh all the axles and then you'll know if it's ok. They should all be close.

MackinawMan wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
It "CAN" be a problem. especially with a single axle TT.

Think of the TT as a teeter totter....

The problem with your teeter totter analogy is that his TT is not "tongue high" because of being overweight in the rear end. If that were the case the motion you describe is definitely a possibility. Being a bit nose high due to hitch setup is much different as long as the TW is sufficient as you state....but that was never his question. I will say that it is good you brought that up....because I just assumed it was OK from the start and I shouldn't have.

That's what I thought too.... I'm riding 1/2" nose high not because the trailer is too heavy in the back, but because the ball is just a tad high on the shank.

Tongue weight should be about 10% of trailer weight, right? So in my case that's 320lbs since loaded to travel our TT is 3,200lbs, perhaps a bit less.

So... I feel that if my tongue weight is correct (320lbs +/- a few lbs, preferably +) then being just a tad high in the nose isn't really a big deal.

Also, we're travelling to only developed campgrounds, so we elected to run with the water tank at 25% capacity instead of full. It's at the very front of the trailer, so I guess if I need to add tongue weight I can always put some water in the tank and mark where it gets the tongue weight right and just run with it full to that line at all times?

Huntindog wrote:
It "CAN" be a problem. especially with a single axle TT.

Think of the TT as a teeter totter. You never want the tongue end coming up. That is why 10-15% TW is a guideline, and level to a inch tongue down is as well.

If you have sufficient TW, it may never cause trouble, or the right combination of highway expansion joints, wheelbase and TW may set the teeter totter in motion.

The problem with your teeter totter analogy is that his TT is not "tongue high" because of being overweight in the rear end. If that were the case the motion you describe is definitely a possibility. Being a bit nose high due to hitch setup is much different as long as the TW is sufficient as you state....but that was never his question. I will say that it is good you brought that up....because I just assumed it was OK from the start and I shouldn't have.

It "CAN" be a problem. especially with a single axle TT.

Think of the TT as a teeter totter. You never want the tongue end coming up. That is why 10-15% TW is a guideline, and level to a inch tongue down is as well.

If you have sufficient TW, it may never cause trouble, or the right combination of highway expansion joints, wheelbase and TW may set the teeter totter in motion.

I tow all over, never knowing what the next road condition may be. So I want my setup perfect.

Making excuses for a less than perfect setup by saying that it has never caused a problem...Just means that one hasn't encountered the situation that will bring the problem to light,,,,,, yet.

Shanks come in many sizes, drops, rises, and in betweens.
Your 125.00 shank is not worthless. It can be sold, or traded in.

I actually did a even swap at a Uhaul once. He needed what I had, and I needed what he had. I had never set foot in the place before, and didn't expect to do a straight swap at all...It never hurts to talk to them.

So I would get the right one for it. I will suggest getting the shortest one length wise as well. Less overhang will help with ground clearance.

I cut the bottom of my shank off to fix this problem. One downside of the 1/2 ton GM SUVs is the low receiver height.