Tongue weight

[ofblong]

Ok maybe I am just way overthinking all this or I am just misunderstanding the information I am reading. I have been towing for about 5 years odds and end stuff. Sometimes a car hauler, sometimes an enclosed 16 foot tandem axle loaded boy scout trailer, sometimes a 12 foot single axle loaded up boy scout trailer (I find this the hardest trailer to tow, maneuver, of all trailers I have towed).

Anyhow, I am seeing some RV sites list the Tongue weight of said trailers. I have a 1500 Silverado 2011. The max rated cargo weight on the yellow sticker is 1669 lbs. Gives me about 6k lbs of trailer I can tow (I am giving myself about 600lbs of room cause ya never know) The MFG says this truck can tow 7k lbs. I have towed 8k without issue but that was a car hauler with a heavy truck on it properly loaded.

The tongue weight stated for a 6k lb trailer (obvious dry weight not fully loaded) is about 615lbs. Isnt that 100lbs over the 500lb limit of everyones hitch? or is that 615lbs some mystical number that is something different?

Just as a side note I do not own a TT yet. I camp a lot with the boy scouts but tent camp. My wife said she will only camp if its in a trailer. Thus why we are thinking about it.

[APT]

Anything you add/store in the camper in front of the trailer axles will increase the TW from published dry listing. Anything added behind the axles will decrease. Most TTs have more storage on or in front of the axles than behind, so TW typically goes up by 150-250 pounds based on what owners actually weigh.

Since TTs have high frontal and side profiles, they are more susceptible to changes in winds/airflow than most other types of trailers of same weight. Therefore, they tend to need the higher range of recommend TW, 13-15 percent to remain stable/comfortable to tow at 65mph.

Also keep in mind that 800 pounds of TW will add about 1100 pounds of weight to the rear axle and take off about 300 from the front, again decreasing stability. The WDH can restore those 300 pounds to the front axle while removing some from the rear axle.

[rbpru]

Dry weight vs real world. My Dutchmen Lite is advertised as 5004 lbs dry and 450 on the tongue. Loaded for a trip the scales say 6200 to 6600 lbs. Tongue weight is about 750 lbs.

Dry weight really has little meanng, better to go by the TTs gross weight it is closer.

[Need-A-Vacation]

Welcome!!!

Concerning the manufactures "brochure" weights, the "dry" tongue/hitch weight does not include the weight of the propane tank(s) or a battery on the tongue. Those alone will add ~ 120lbs for 2-20lb tank and a battery, or ~ 160lbs for 2-30lb tanks and a battery, before even loading the trailer with clothes, food, bedding, or any other items (camp chairs, cooler, grill, etc).

What drivetrain does your '11 Chevy have, including the axle ratio?

You plan on having a second vehicle for all trips? Just you in the truck when towing the tt?

Also know that any accessories that you have added to your Chevy since you bought it reduce the trucks payload: truck topper/cap, tonneau cover, step bars, spray in bed liner, etc...

A good wdh with integrated sway control is always a good investment. The Reese Dual Cam, Reese SC, and the Equal-I-Zer 4 way system are all very good models for the money. The Reese hitch head (same for both models) does allow a little more fine tuning for the head tilt, but all three models are an excellent choice! The Dual Cam is a little more finicky to set up, and if you change the tw a fair amount it may need to be readjusted: if the fresh water tank is near the tongue, full vs empty which would affect the tw, you would need to readjust cams to the wd bars for the sway contro;l to work properly.

Good luck shopping!

[rbpru]

The scales say my 25ft. Dutchmen has up to 6600 lbs axle weight when loaded. The change in the TV axle weight indicate that between 8 and 13 percent of the total TT is transferred to the ball by the WD Hitch, depending on how it is loaded.

[ofblong]

My tow weight is 6700 lbs because I have a second vehicle for everything else. I have already calculated all that out. I was just curious about the tongue weight as I have always tried to stay as close to 500lbs as possible. Even when towing the heavy truck it was just over 500 on the tongue. I have never towed a camper before so want to make sure when it says 615lbs tongue weight if that is accurate or if there was really more. You guys have all answered my question though so thanks.

[myredracer]

"Tow" and "payload" capacity are two different things and payload capacity is what you will run out of first with a TT. Factory dry tongue weight figures typically calculate to approx. 10 percent based on UVW, but always go up to an average of 12-13 percent. It can be higher in some cases - ours is just under 15 percent. If you have a 6K lb TT, the tongue wt. could be up around 900 lbs. The location of holding and FW tanks can affect this too. Dry wts. are meaningless for calculating the limit of a TV. If shopping for a new TT, do not use dry wts. To be safe, use the GVWR and a 13-15 percent TW.

To accurately find the payload capacity of the truck, I'd take it to a scale and subtract that from it's GVWR on the sticker. Taking it to a scale when fully loaded for camping would give you a better idea of what the max. tongue wt. can be. You can easily have 400-500 lbs of passengers, pets, groceries, gear and hitch shank in a truck, and maybe closer to 1,000 with heavier stuff in the bed.

You will need a WDH not just to get the higher "weight distributing" capacity of the receiver, you'll want it to restore weight back onto the steer axle for safety and handling and also to be able to have sway control so you'll be looking at a max. TW of 1,000 on the receiver.

Shorter trailers are harder to back up. Try backing up a lawn tractor with a little garden trailer behind it... 🙂

[ChooChooMan74]

You probably have a sticker similar to this on your hitch (random picture off the internet).

[mbopp]

There should be a weight rating sticker on the hitch somewhere. Most receivers have two ratings - one W/O a weight distribution hitch and one using a WD hitch.
Typical numbers may be 5000# trailer weight / 500# tongue weight W/O a weight distribution hitch, and 10,000# / 1000# using a WD hitch.

If the car hauler doesn't have a WD hitch you're probably over the ratings.