newbie with tongue weight question

[teddy]

Sorry you are getting all this irrelevant info. I think it would be best to read up on some basic information about WD. I wish I could help you more. I am not sure what kind of hitch you have. Are there hanging chains attached to bars on either side of the hitch?
It would help if you can post a picture.

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[dsjohns71]

His first sentence says he has the Equalizer with sway control. So that being said he might need to just add a spacer washer or 2 and/or raise the "L" bracket up a notch. The hitches manual should explain all this. You want your front as close to the empty height as possible and you'll see and feel a big difference...

[dano50]

Here's my hitch
http://www.equalizerhitch.com/

I'm getting a pretty good understanding of the WD concept. My problem is the tongue weight is right at the TV's max and I've all but emptied the the front storage compartment and one propane tank is empty. If I add any fresh water I'll be over by quite a bit. Maybe I just need a vehicle with a higher tongue weight capacity. A few people have suggested that the tongue weight can be ignored but that doesn't sound right. Why have a max of it doesn't matter?

[dano50]

I purchased the Sherline Tongue Weight scale from etrailer.com. I weighed the tongue and it was 900 lbs with empty water tanks and 1 empty and 1 full propane tank. My vehicle's max tongue weight per the manufacturer is 890 lbs. I would guess I have less than 25 lbs of added items in the front storage and front inside of the trailer. Does this not matter that I am starting off over the max tongue weight limit for my vehicle? That is my MAIN QUESTION. Should I just get the WDH set correctly (proper bumper/wheel heights and leveled) and weigh it and see what the tongue weight is then?

I have the Equalizer 1000 4-point sway control hitch. Here is the You Tube video on installation. This is the exact one I have. There are bars, not chains in the back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5TtNUxeFWc

Thank you everyone for your input. Every little bit is helping.

[Bilcin]

You are not getting the correct weight readings.
1.You need to weigh the tow vehicle and trailer WITH the spring bars on
2. Weigh the tow vehicle and trailer WITHOUT the spring bars.
3. Now weigh the tow vehicle only.

My tongue weight was listed as 785 and using only the weights from 1 & 2 I got 760 ponds. Nope, I was wrong, using all 3 weights I was shown that my actual tongue weight was 1020 pounds!!! Your tongue weight reading is likely wrong. Please read my post and the first 3-4 replies explains how to determine your actual tongue weight with these 3 weight readings you need to have done.
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ook-79411.html

[teddy]

Yes, load your TV and TT as you will be ready to travel. Get a full tank of gas and what ever water you think you will carrying, propane, etc. Also load your TV with everything you will be bringing. Now, set up your hitch so the TT is level and adjust the WD so that the front bumper is returned to its unhitched height. How many people are you driving with. Don't forget to at least account for their weight.

Now, go reweigh everything as suggested by Bilcin. Only then can you do a proper analysis. When you post the numbers, we will help interpret them with you.

[lbrjet]

You could get a new receiver installed if you are concerned. Being at max of any rating could be trouble, won't necessarily will be, but could be. You actually have a pretty stout vehicle with a higher rear axle rating than 99% of F150's on the road. I wouldn't be surprised if your receiver is actually rated higher than the sticker shows.


2010 F250 5.4L 3.73
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equal-i-zer 4pt 12K

[wbdavey]

Maybe a different option. Most trucks have a max tongue weight rating for trailers without WD and a higher tongue weight rating for trailers with WD. Can you get any more info from Ford on your truck?

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Bilcin

You are not getting the correct weight readings...

How is he not getting correct weight readings, he knows exactly what his tongue weight is by probably the most accurate way to get it with a Sherline gauge.

[uhduh camping]

Originally Posted by wbdavey

Maybe a different option. Most trucks have a max tongue weight rating for trailers without WD and a higher tongue weight rating for trailers with WD. Can you get any more info from Ford on your truck?

The reason for the difference in tongue weights is bumper mounted ball vs. receiver hitch.

[uhduh camping]

Originally Posted by lbrjet

You could get a new receiver installed if you are concerned. Being at max of any rating could be trouble, won't necessarily will be, but could be. You actually have a pretty stout vehicle with a higher rear axle rating than 99% of F150's on the road. I wouldn't be surprised if your receiver is actually rated higher than the sticker shows.


2010 F250 5.4L 3.73
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equal-i-zer 4pt 12K

New receiver is most likely NOT the weakest link. The suspension is most likely the weak link.

[dano50]

Okay, so today I went through the Equalizer WD hitch set-up. I think the air suspension is messing with me. After turning the air suspension off to do the initial measurements and hitch repositioning (lowered it one hole), and then turning it back on I tried some different “L” bracket positions. The position that gave me the best measurements was the one I started with but after going back to it, the measurements came out different. So, I decided to leave it that way and go to the CAT Scale.

I found the numbers at the CAT Scale pretty surprising. Evidently, that attachment to the tongue scale that goes up inside where the ball goes can give bad readings if not used just right. After my visit to the CAT Scale I couldn’t believe how low the tongue weight was. Had to try the tongue scale again but without that attachment and got a weight very close to the CAT Scale. So good news there.

Now, as you can see, the problem is the weight on the rear axle. After adding some needed tongue weight, can enough of the weight get redistributed with the right adjustments?

Here are the numbers:

TV Alone
Front 3180
Rear 3300
Total 6480

With WD Attached
TV Front 2920
TV Rear 4320
TV Total 7240
TT 5620

With WD Detached
TV Front 2700
TV Rear 4360
TV Total 7060
TT 5640

[dano50]

Here are my numbers on the Conventional Towing Weight Safety Report:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...6-Report-1.jpg

[Bilcin]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

How is he not getting correct weight readings, he knows exactly what his tongue weight is by probably the most accurate way to get it with a Sherline gauge.

Didn't see his last post where he used a tongue weight scale. In his first couple of posts he said he only did two weights on the Cat scales.

[ov845]

Originally Posted by dano50

Okay, so today I went through the Equalizer WD hitch set-up. I think the air suspension is messing with me. After turning the air suspension off to do the initial measurements and hitch repositioning (lowered it one hole), and then turning it back on I tried some different “L” bracket positions. The position that gave me the best measurements was the one I started with but after going back to it, the measurements came out different. So, I decided to leave it that way and go to the CAT Scale.

I found the numbers at the CAT Scale pretty surprising. Evidently, that attachment to the tongue scale that goes up inside where the ball goes can give bad readings if not used just right. After my visit to the CAT Scale I couldn’t believe how low the tongue weight was. Had to try the tongue scale again but without that attachment and got a weight very close to the CAT Scale. So good news there.

Now, as you can see, the problem is the weight on the rear axle. After adding some needed tongue weight, can enough of the weight get redistributed with the right adjustments?

Here are the numbers:

TV Alone
Front 3180
Rear 3300
Total 6480

With WD Attached
TV Front 2920
TV Rear 4320
TV Total 7240
TT 5620

With WD Detached
TV Front 2700
TV Rear 4360
TV Total 7060
TT 5640

Increase spring bar tension by 1 hole then re weigh.


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[lbrjet]

The total from the second weigh is 12,860 and from the third weigh is 12,700. These should be the same. Makes no sense that the truck rear axle (and trailer axle) with and without WDH change so little while the front axle changes a lot. Something doesn't look right.

Your truck alone numbers are also much higher now than your original post weighing which may or may not mean anything depending on different passengers etc.


2010 F250 5.4L 3.73
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equal-i-zer 4pt 12K

[dano50]

Oh, you are right about the difference in weights and I should have mentioned that. In the heavier one my wife was in the front seat and we planned on her being there for the other one too, but she had to go inside. Then there was a truck behind me so I just got the weight without her to get off the scale quicker, so adding about 170 would be about right for that weight. She was back in the front seat for the TV only weight.

[dano50]

Originally Posted by lbrjet

The total from the second weigh is 12,860 and from the third weigh is 12,700. These should be the same. Makes no sense that the truck rear axle (and trailer axle) with and without WDH change so little while the front axle changes a lot. Something doesn't look right.

Your truck alone numbers are also much higher now than your original post weighing which may or may not mean anything depending on different passengers etc.


2010 F250 5.4L 3.73
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equal-i-zer 4pt 12K

This is the first time I have weighed with a full tank of gas. I believe that would be the difference.

[wbdavey]

Dan, I think you'll be OK if you raise the L brackets 1 hole. This will put more weight back on the front axle and take some off the slightly overloaded rear. I think you'll find the rig also handles better if you get the front axle back to the truck alone figure.

[teddy]

Originally Posted by wbdavey

Dan, I think you'll be OK if you raise the L brackets 1 hole. This will put more weight back on the front axle and take some off the slightly overloaded rear. I think you'll find the rig also handles better if you get the front axle back to the truck alone figure.

I agree, raise the brackets one hole. The weights are looking better and I think your tongue weight is no longer an issue.