Before heading out on our first trip with our TT, we took a trip to the scales. Here are the numbers.With everything hooked up:Steer axle - 3420 lbsDrive axle - 3780 lbsTrailer axle - 4840 lbsTotal - 12040 lbsJust the Toyota S equoia and everyone in:Steer axle - 3340Drive axle - 3380Total - 6720Our axles are indivually fine. The GCWR is great. If I'm right, the trailer is 5320 lbs, which is well under its GVWR. The Toyota is 7200 lbs when connected. That is 100 lbs under the GVWR for the TV.What concerns me is the tongue weight. It appears to be 480 lbs. Compared to the 5320 of the trailer, that's only 9%. I don't really have any weight I can shift to the front of the trailer. I suppose I could put water in the fresh water tank that is ahead of the axle. Even if I add 100 lbs (staying within the GVWR of the TV and GCWR), that still is just 10.9%Suggestions? The trailer seemed to do ok, but this being my first trailer, I have nothing to compare it to...

You need to get 3 weights.TruckTruck trailer WD engaugedTruck trailer ED not engauged..Put your #'s in here and come back and tell us whay you get..http://towingplanner.com/ActualWeights/TravelTrailerCatScalesIMO I dont go by GVW of truck. I go by axle ratings..What are your axle ratings? How far away from them are you?Your problem with your #'s above is you are putting too much weight back on your front axles.All hooked up.Steer axle - 3420 lbsJust the Toyota S equoia and everyone in:Steer axle - 3340You need to set the WD hitch so the front gets to 3340 without going over. never go over. What hitch do you have? You need to adjust accordingly...The only goal of the wd hitch is to restore the front to original ride weight if you can. The back of the truck will do whatever it wants.The more info you post the more we can help

Your math is correct. Just to be sure, you should get some more weights as already stated. But they will likely confirm what you already know.Your WD does appear to be transferring the proper amount of weight.The main concern here is that weights can shift in the course of a trip. Your 9% TW could possibly go DOWN!. This can get you in the danger area. This is why the general recomendation is 10-15%. I like to be on the heavy side of that.The only reason for the 15% limitation is the limits of the hitch and TV... My stuff is strong enough to go past that.As you know, going too low on TW can induce sway. This won't matter how strong the TV hitch is.Too low is too low.

Building a TT that has less that 10% TW is irresponsible and unconscionable.Much like cigarettes, new trailer makers are killing their customers with their products.Like Dog said, if things change during the trip things can get really ugly really quickly.Good luck.

Learn how to adjust your hitch. There should be a manual online if you do not have one. Start from scratch. Trailer should be level when all hooked up. Tongue weight should be around 12%. Most hitch makers want you to do initial set up on very flat ground and measure front fender heights. You measure the truck without trailer and record that. Then measure the fender with the trailer fully resting on the ball but no weight bars attached. The goal then is to get the fender height to be halfway between those 2 measurement when the bars are attached. After doing that, check to make sure the trailer is level by measuring the bottom of the frame to the parking lot at both ends. It should be within an inch to an inch and a half. A little nose low is better than nose high. Any more than an inch and a half and you must move the ball up or down to compensate. That may change the fender heights so you will need to check the fender measurements again.Takes about an hour to do it right but once you do it will tow much better. Then you can get weighed and find out your true axle weights.

Guys... he is too heavy in the front with the WD as he has it... All he needs to do is drop a chain, depending on hitch... That will get the front right or better, and more TW on the rear...He is 80lbs too heavy in the front of TV...And we dont know his TW because he didn't get the other measurement...To calculate the tongue weight you must subtract the sum of the front and rear axle loads for "truck only" from the sum of the front and rear loads for "distribution bars disconnected".

Tongue weight with weight distribution hitch...

sam22
Explorer III
Nov 13, 2017
bid_time wrote:
Some peoples comprehension of Physics is mind boggling.

Super helpful comment
RinconVTR
Explorer
Nov 13, 2017
FALR...lol...someone simply made that up on here. But it works.

I want to note one thing that most people are not aware of because few pull long heavy trailer with a short wheel base SUV of which are all softly sprung.

With a heavy load and strong WDH bars, the soft coil springs in combination with the short wheelbase can result in the entire SUV being slightly lower than unloaded. Measurements will be off slightly...but this is more than ok in this situation.

Meaning, many are spot on here...but one important point is missing. You absolutely want 100% full unloaded weight returned back to the front axle, but also do not be concerned if your 100lbs or so over the original weight. I found this is highly preferred and the results are significant.

The key is to make sure the rear is level or just slightly sagging, ignoring a slight increase of weight (reduction in ride height) on the front axle.

IF THE REAR IS HIGHER even a fraction higher than the unloaded height, now you're way too tight on the bars and that condition is down right dangerous.
jadatis
Explorer
Nov 12, 2017
Tonge weight weighed apart from TV, is yust a way to give the trailer the right balance of total gravity point place and hight.
What you do afterward with WDH is to give the seperate axles the right pressure .
gmw_photos
Explorer
Nov 11, 2017
legolas wrote:

What is FALR

Front axle load restoration
legolas
Explorer
Nov 11, 2017
gmw photos wrote:
I agree with Mike's assessment of aiming for around 100% FALR.

My two current trailers that I pull with the same truck and same WD hitch, I adjust for around 80% to 100% FALR, and find this gives the best handling of the truck, and the best overall ride of the combination of truck and trailer.

I like 12% to 14% tongue weight. I have a Sherline scale. A little pricey but it sure makes it quick and easy to check.

EDIT: re the Sherline, I have the one that reads to 1000 and a friend has the 2000 pound model. We compared them at the same time measuring both her travel trailer and mine, and I was pleasantly surprised to get the same reading from both scales, even though her trailer is only a 480 lb TW trailer. My concern was the 2000 lb model might not be as accurate down at the lower end of the scale.

What is FALR
lawrosa
Explorer
Nov 11, 2017
With that WD hith you must reduce the angle of the hitch head some to reduce the weight on front of truck.

This will in turn add more TW that your looking for...

Move in small increments at a time IMO...

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/4b6ff6_eb6ffaf53ec8435eb5ae492bceb2e4e6.pdf
Hannibal
Explorer
Nov 10, 2017
Don't be discouraged by the hair splitting. Many people way overthink a non-issue. Without seeing your rig, it sounds like you simply have to much tension on the WDH just by the fact that you have more weight on the front axle hitched up than empty. Too much WD can cause some steering disturbances.
I like to keep things simple. When I set up my Equalizer, I set the ball 1" higher than the coupler with the trailer level. Then coupled the ball to the coupler and raised the tongue until the draw bar was just snug upward in the receiver. I then set the L brackets so the bars would be parallel with the trailer's A frame and angled the hitch head so the bars could be slipped onto the L brackets by hand in this position. When I let it all back down, I had raised the rear 1.5" back from it's 3" drop without the bars and the front down just about half of it's 3/8" rise without the bars. Tows like a champ.
oyarsa
Explorer
Nov 10, 2017
It's a Recurve R3.

I probably will wait until after winter to reweigh. As much as I wanted and intended to take it out lots this winter, I'm learning more from this site that it may not be as great/easy/fun as I thought to camp in Washington in the winter.
lawrosa
Explorer
Nov 10, 2017
oyarsa wrote:
I was wondering if that was the true tongue weight. But if it's not, which measurement is the one that's important for preventing sway? Or am I misunderstanding these posts? I admit I'm skimming in the middle of family time in the TT.

Anyone use those Weigh Safe products?

As asked what WD hitch do you have?

If you dont want to go back to scales drop a link in the WD hitch and you should be good to go..

The back of your TV will sag more probably.

But depending on your WD hitch you can fine tune it better with proper tilting of the head, etc.. But we need to see it... or know what you have..

The bars on the WD hitch should be parallel with frame of trailer after hooked up...

To answer your question about TW measuring it has been stated. With the WD not hooked up..

To calculate the tongue weight you must subtract the sum of the front and rear axle loads for "truck only" from the sum of the front and rear loads for "distribution bars disconnected".

But your issue is too much weight being transferred to the front of the TV...
oyarsa
Explorer
Nov 10, 2017
I was wondering if that was the true tongue weight. But if it's not, which measurement is the one that's important for preventing sway? Or am I misunderstanding these posts? I admit I'm skimming in the middle of family time in the TT.

Anyone use those Weigh Safe products?