The difference between dry an loaded weight.

[rbpru]

When I bought my 25 ft. TT the literature said 5004 lbs. dry and 400 lbs. on the tongue.

Common sense said it would weigh more when loaded but how much more? So before a couple of our trips I took a trip to the CAT scales.

I was not interested in the sitting on the ground weights, I wanted to know, what was the total weight of the TT and how much as transferred to the tongue, after the WD hitch had done its job.

Well, in my case when loaded for the road, the TT weighs 6200 to 6400 lbs. depending on the trip length. There was 5650 lbs. on the TT axles and 750 lbs. transferred to the truck axles.

I must admit the total weight did not surprise me but almost double the tongue weight did. It also used up a lot of my TV max cargo capacity.

So the question is, how much weight and particularly tongue weight did your TT gain when loaded for the road?

I think the newcomers will be surprised.

[Lantley]

dodge guy wrote:
Its often hard to weigh a trailer you don't own. It's also hard to take a brochure to the CAT scale and weigh it. Which is why adding 1200-1500lbs to the dry weight is the best solution for something you don't own.

I can sort of agree if you add 1000-1500# to the sticker weight.
The dry weight or brochure weight is notoriously too low to be useful.

[sgfrye]

dodge guy wrote:
Its often hard to weigh a trailer you don't own. It's also hard to take a brochure to the CAT scale and weigh it. Which is why adding 1200-1500lbs to the dry weight is the best solution for something you don't own.

Bingo you nailed it. That's why factory weight is a good baseline to start with and or gvwr Kinda hard to test drive a TT to the catscales

[dodge_guy]

Its often hard to weigh a trailer you don't own. It's also hard to take a brochure to the CAT scale and weigh it. Which is why adding 1200-1500lbs to the dry weight is the best solution for something you don't own.

[sgfrye]

gmw photos wrote:

sgfrye wrote:

time2roll wrote:
I always recommend planning to tow the full GVWR.
Forget dry weight unless you just transport new trailers for a living.

LOL

im still learning weights and specs myself however


thinking this might be simplest, most common sense answer yet

And if I did that with this trailer I am sitting in now, I'd be off by 1900 pounds. Actual weight = 4100. GVWR = 6000.

In my mind the most common sense answer is to spend ten bucks at the CAT scale and weigh it.

I have cat scaled weighed . TT Gvwr 7720 lbs Cat scaled weighed for camping 7000lbs. With empty tanks Fresh water tank fill 1/4 full add about 100lbs.
more ... I'm a good balanced rig.

[gmw_photos]

sgfrye wrote:

time2roll wrote:
I always recommend planning to tow the full GVWR.
Forget dry weight unless you just transport new trailers for a living.

LOL

im still learning weights and specs myself however


thinking this might be simplest, most common sense answer yet

And if I did that with this trailer I am sitting in now, I'd be off by 1900 pounds. Actual weight = 4100. GVWR = 6000.

In my mind the most common sense answer is to spend ten bucks at the CAT scale and weigh it.

[dodge_guy]

sgfrye wrote:

time2roll wrote:
I always recommend planning to tow the full GVWR.
Forget dry weight unless you just transport new trailers for a living.

LOL

im still learning weights and specs myself however


thinking this might be simplest, most common sense answer yet

If it’s a trailer with a very low CCC then yes. But as I have said, some trailers are as much as 3-4K lbs. my trailer has a 4100lb CCC. No way I would use the GVWR.

[rbpru]

Again, for those who have not taken their loaded for the road TT to the CAT scales, all your "figuring" is just that.

The fine print in many brochure will tell you the weight is based on the "average" or "typical" unit for that model. For all I know my TT could have been 300 or 400 lbs. above average when it left the factory.

The how and why does not matter the true scale weight does.

Good Luck

[sgfrye]

time2roll wrote:
I always recommend planning to tow the full GVWR.
Forget dry weight unless you just transport new trailers for a living.

LOL

im still learning weights and specs myself however


thinking this might be simplest, most common sense answer yet

[time2roll]

I always recommend planning to tow the full GVWR.
Forget dry weight unless you just transport new trailers for a living.

[avoidcrowds]

"I don't understand how you could have 1196-1396 lbs of cargo (6400 less 5004) in a 25 foot TT".

Well, myredracer, here's how:
Two Grp 27 batteries 120#?
Two propane tanks 40# (assume empty tank part of "dry wt")
Two solar panels 50#
51 gal H2O 426#
Awning 100#
Bedding 40#
Shoes, clothing 50#
Canopy 75#
Pots, pans, utensils 50#
Games, book, etc 25#
Food, drinks, ice 100#
Level blocks, chocks 50#
Lawn chairs 20#
Electric cable 10#

Just those items are 1,156 lbs. I am sure I have forgotten about misc. items we have in various storage bays - oh, yes: outdoor stove, charcoal and grill, tools, outdoor tables. And the list goes on. It takes items to be comfortably camping for a week in the boonies.

[goducks10]

dodge guy wrote:
This post is why I always recommend adding 1200-1500lbs to the dry weight. Then figure 12% of that for tongue weight. And you have to move stuff around to arrive at that 12% you can’t just load the trailer and go!

Some trailers have very high CCC’s so using the GVWR on a trailer with a 3-4K lb CCC would also not work.

x2

[BurbMan]

GrandpaKip wrote:
I’m sure there won’t be any subtraction.

LOL there is NEVER any subtraction....buy a new widget but leave the old one in there as a "spare"....

[GrandpaKip]

3885 lbs on the metal tag by the door. Does not include propane, batteries, cargo, fresh water or dealer installed accessories.
I stopped on the way home at a CAT scale after picking it up. 4150 lbs.
Loaded for cross country trip. 4900 lbs.
Almost always 12% tongue weight.
I haven’t weighed it this year and would like to know what I have added to it. I’m sure there won’t be any subtraction.

[Mickeyfan0805]

bailer6334 wrote:
Here are my numbers. Brochure says 485lb tongue weight. Problem is they do not say if based on unloaded or loaded weight. Actual tongue weight when loaded is 780lbs or 12% of GVWR. For buyers this number need to be explained, and it is not.

Very true - and it's not only the dealers. I remember the first RV show I went to and the number of trailers listed as "1/2 ton towable." Easily 1/2 of the trailers carrying that demarcation weren't within the realm of a 1/2 ton truck! And that was the manufacturer making the claim, not the dealer.

[bailer6334]

Here are my numbers. Brochure says 485lb tongue weight. Problem is they do not say if based on unloaded or loaded weight. Actual tongue weight when loaded is 780lbs or 12% of GVWR. For buyers this number need to be explained, and it is not.