Estimating Max Tongue Weight

[CurtPutnam]

Forest River lists the GVWR of my trailer at 8818 lbs. and tongue weight of 818 lbs. Unloaded weight is 6748.

I've always assumed that the maximum tongue weight is <= 15% which gives me a tongue weight of 1323 @ 15%.

Is this approach good, bad or indifferent?


TIA

[katkt]

Your looking for a TW in the 10% to 15% range of the loaded trailer weight. The loaded trailer weight will be somewhere between 6748, and 8818. TW will be part of the TV payload.
The #818 number is about right for 10% of the loaded trailer. A bit less then 15% for the dry weight(6748).

[phillyg]

Your approach is sound, but it's fairly easy to go to a Cat scale at a truck stop to get your actuals.

[katkt]

You can also invest in a Sherline scale. It’ll give you the exact tongue weight.

[babock]

Buy a Sherline scale. I use mine multiple times with different loading and after mods. They have them on Amazon.

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by katkt

Your looking for a TW in the 10% to 15% range of the loaded trailer weight. The loaded trailer weight will be somewhere between 6748, and 8818. TW will be part of the TV payload.
The #818 number is about right for 10% of the loaded trailer. A bit less then 15% for the dry weight(6748).

They were asking about max tongue weight, not loaded. Presumably to determine if their tow vehicle will have enough payload capacity for the max weight they could potentially experience.

Always best when buying a trailer to plan on max weights when trying to determine if you have enough truck. Trying to estimate how much stuff you’ll load and then having enough capacity for that but not max weights is how a lot of people end up overweight.

[CurtPutnam]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

They were asking about max tongue weight, not loaded. Presumably to determine if their tow vehicle will have enough payload capacity for the max weight they could potentially experience.

Always best when buying a trailer to plan on max weights when trying to determine if you have enough truck. Trying to estimate how much stuff you’ll load and then having enough capacity for that but not max weights is how a lot of people end up overweight.

Actually, I'm trying to get to hitch bar size. They all cut @1200 and then next step is 1400. So 1350 tongue weight says that I should go to the 1400 bars. That being true, I need a new hitch. Probably, do anyway because the new truck is a heckuva lot higher than the Tundra.

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by CurtPutnam

Actually, I'm trying to get to hitch bar size. They all cut @1200 and then next step is 1400. So 1350 tongue weight says that I should go to the 1400 bars. That being true, I need a new hitch. Probably, do anyway because the new truck is a heckuva lot higher than the Tundra.

Gotcha, yeah the bar weights are “up to” that tongue weight and many go in 200lb increments. So the 1400lb bars likely have a range of 1201lb to 1400lb.

[babock]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

They were asking about max tongue weight, not loaded. Presumably to determine if their tow vehicle will have enough payload capacity for the max weight they could potentially experience.

He has a 3/4T truck!

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by babock

He has a 3/4T truck!

And? There are 3/4-ton trucks that have barely more payload than my mid-size truck depending on how they’re optioned. Add people and gear and there are 3/4-ton trucks that would be overweight with the OP’s trailer.

[babock]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

And? There are 3/4-ton trucks that have barely more payload than my mid-size truck depending on how they’re optioned.

LOL...not a chance. We already went trough this with your truck. It can barely pull a 24' trailer. If I remember correctly, you have less than 1,300 payload rating.

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by babock

LOL...not a chance. We already went trough this with your truck. It can barely pull a 24' trailer. If I remember correctly, you have less than 1,300 payload rating.

I’m not going to waste my time on your drama, you can deny it or you can actually look at the specs of loaded 3/4-ton diesel 4WD trucks and see for yourself how little payload they have. I bet your F150 has more payload than some 3/4 tons.

[babock]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

I’m not going to waste my time on your drama, you can deny it or you can actually look at the specs of loaded 3/4-ton diesel 4WD trucks and see for yourself how little payload they have. I bet your F150 has more payload than some 3/4 tons.

Still not a chance. I was looking at comparably equipped 3/4T Diesel Fords and they were WAY more than mine. And not even CLOSE to your little truck.

The OP's is likely over 3000# as were the 250s I was looking at..

[CurtPutnam]

I think I have room to spare - truck CCC is 3300+ per door sticker. I'll call it 3300 after nerf bars, mirrors and Class V receiver installation. Unable to check tongue weight with Shurline scale because I can't/won't tow to flat spot without the new hitch - the terrain is too rough and current hitch will jack front up so tail almost drags. RV repair and my hitch installation place is less than 2 miles from storage. If they do not have a scale I will ask them to use mine and get an accurate weight as normally loaded.

[katkt]

You can weigh the hitch separately, and just use the Sherline to weigh the trailer tongue(it’s how it’s done), which should be #818 according to the specs above. Unless you think they’re lying.
The TW, is going to go up, depending on how much load you have in the trailer.

Unless you have some huge hitch, the hitch and tongue weight should be less then #1000, unless you load everything you can carry in the trailer between the TT axles, and the hitch.

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by babock

Still not a chance. I was looking at comparably equipped 3/4T Diesel Fords and they were WAY more than mine. And not even CLOSE to your little truck.

The OP's is likely over 3000# as were the 250s I was looking at..

I'm not sure what your problem is or why you think my truck has anything to do with the reality of some 3/4-ton trucks. Since you're living in denial, here you go.

See attached for the whopping 1,665LB payload of a high-trim Ram 2500. A whole 446LB more than my little truck.

Ford F250 Crew Cab Long Bed 4WD 6.7L PSD - Max payload 1,560LB (this is with all seats occupied, so sticker payload is around 750LB more).

As I said, loaded with people and gear there are 3/4-ton trucks that would be overweight with the OP's trailer.

You done yet or do I just need to put you on my ignore list?

Originally Posted by CurtPutnam

I think I have room to spare - truck CCC is 3300+ per door sticker. I'll call it 3300 after nerf bars, mirrors and Class V receiver installation. Unable to check tongue weight with Shurline scale because I can't/won't tow to flat spot without the new hitch - the terrain is too rough and current hitch will jack front up so tail almost drags. RV repair and my hitch installation place is less than 2 miles from storage. If they do not have a scale I will ask them to use mine and get an accurate weight as normally loaded.

Yes, I'm sure you'll be fine. I was reading/posting using Tapatalk earlier which does not display user signatures so I made a guess as to the reason you were asking and Mr. babock decided he was bored.

Enjoy your new setup!

[babock]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

I'm not sure what your problem is or why you think my truck has anything to do with the reality of some 3/4-ton trucks.

LOL...you were the one that said your little truck had as much payload as a 3/4T truck. I would love to see the actual links to those Dodge trucks with those payloads. My friend has the identical truck with a diesel and his payload is 2500#...fully loaded so if it was going to have a low payload, his would be one.

[Airdale]

Originally Posted by CurtPutnam

Forest River lists the GVWR of my trailer at 8818 lbs. and tongue weight of 818 lbs. Unloaded weight is 6748.

I've always assumed that the maximum tongue weight is <= 15% which gives me a tongue weight of 1323 @ 15%.

Is this approach good, bad or indifferent?


TIA

Forest River and all other RV trailer manufacturers must comply with NHTSA building regulations. But, they do get their recommended tongue/hitch weights in the ball park. Here is how the regulation reads - in part; The trailer manufacturer's recommended tongue weight, when added to the total vehicle certified GAWRs must not be less than GVWR. In your case, the numbers are easy. Deduct the tongue weight from the GVWR and you get 8000#. I'll bet your trailer's certification label lists two 4000# GAWR axles.


But, remember this. That recommended tongue weight is a computer generated figure. Once you own the trailer the tongue weight is 100% your responsibility. There are a lot of different models people use to estimate their tongue weights. The only true way to do it is weigh it or go to some scales and get the weight once you're fully loaded for the road.

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by babock

LOL...you were the one that said your little truck had as much payload as a 3/4T truck. I would love to see the actual links to those Dodge trucks with those payloads. My friend has the identical truck with a diesel and his payload is 2500#...fully loaded so if it was going to have a low payload, his would be one.

Really, I did? Try reading my posts again. Or not. I won't be seeing future posts of yours, you're not contributing anything useful here.

Here's a thread...

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...oad-35365.html

Attached is a pic of another Crew Cab Ram 2500's sticker. Mega Cab will, of course, have less payload. But what do I know, it's not like I owned a 1-ton Ram Mega Cab and figured all this out years ago.

Bye!

[babock]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

Really, I did? Try reading my posts again.

This is what I read:

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

And? There are 3/4-ton trucks that have barely more payload than my mid-size truck

...which has a payload of 1200#.

Anyway, I am done. OP has a Chevy 3/4T...not a 2006 Dodge!